Let’s continue our trip across the world of affordable keyboards of SVEN Company. This time a model with the “forest” name Comfort 4200 Wooden has visited us. It seems that during designing this device developers thought too much about large classic studies or eco-style cozy rooms. Otherwise, how can you explain the fact that they decided to disguise habitual plastic as natural wood?
SVEN Comfort 4200 Wooden is a large spacious keyboard, where the whole arsenal of additional keys was fitted for more efficient operation of a computer besides ordinary keys. The keyboard was developed to provide comfortable operation with a home PC, as well as for good control of a player during the rest. The wired connection interface hints at that the device was designed for sedentary style of usage; therefore, we think that such a model should be places at home on a special table side by side with a computer and media centre.
Packaging
Packaging of SVEN Comfort 4200 Wooden is quite standard, so we don’t dwell at length on it and we only mention that the keyboard has not only the User’s Manual, but a warranty card as well.
There is a large photo of the device, the producer’s logotype and short specifications of the device on the colored blue-white box.
Appearance
We have already mentioned that the keyboard looks quite big. It is understandable; the developers added little area on each side for additional keys and at the bottom – the wide support for hands intended to provide the work more pleasant. This support reminds very much natural wood of the wenge color. Actually, it is plastic, but from afar you can easily confuse it with natural material.
The device area is big, but its thickness corresponds to fashionable tendencies – keys are not high and the case is slim. Without this features the keyboard with its parameters would be ponderous and clumsy, but the slim-design converts it into light, modern and even noble appearance in its own way.
The main material is black mat plastic. It is pleasant to notice that fingerprints are not produced on its texture at all (well, strange as it may seem, but everything often turns out vice versa with such material). It has an original design, which can be used very interestingly in many interiors with good effect, with making an original accent. By the way, there is one more version of the “carbon” keyboard, which looks very alike, but it adds not an ecological note, but a neat chord is in the techno style.
The key area of this model is black, as well as the main part of the case. The keys are rough; they have small dents in the center in order that a user could feel better every separate key under his fingers. Symbols are marked on key surfaces with two different colors – Russian orange letters are not noticeable too much in darkness, but during the natural lighting you understand intuitively at once, where Cyrillic letters are there, and where are the Latin letters. There is a complete set of standard keys on the case and developers offered 12 keys and 1 scroll wheel in addition to them. It is interesting that the keyboard does not have any operation mode indicators.
Regarding its use, the keyboard is connected to a PC with a medium-thickness wire. USB cable length, as the way it should be nowadays, is quite enough for connection not only to the front panel of the system unit, but to reach ports located on its rear side as well.
Additional folding legs hidden on the bottom side of the device will help to locate the keyboard on a table more comfortably.
Keys
All keys were manufactures according to the “membrane” technology, i.e. they produce less noise and have more resistance to liquids spilled accidentally. Well, what we liked very much that SVEN Company obviously did a great stride forward in the area of keyboard design in the last few years. At present, its membrane keys are quite pleasant during the work. Nothing is jammed, every pressure works well.
Regarding its layout, the developers obviously obliged supporters of traditional typing. All keys are on their places, everything is there where they must be, so you will not waste your time to get used to the keyboard. The Enter key is big, as well as the Backspace key, the Spacebar is full-fledged, there are even two Win keys there. Except perhaps the left Shift key is slightly shortened, but it does not interfere with the typing.
Additional controls have silvery color, there is an icon explaining its destination under every key from below.
We have found the most interesting thing of “office” functions that it is possible to scroll a page with the help of a special wheel. As for the rest, everything is traditional for multimedia-keyboards: keys to turn a player on, pause, volume control (located on the right); calculator, homepage, mail, favorites, search (on the left “stern” of the device); keys to stand-by and shutdown a PC (nearer to the right top corner). As far as we know, it is possible to find in the internet programs of different developers, which allow assigning their functions to keyboard keys. That will allow customizing the device and assigning their functions to additional keys if necessary.
Operation
We will not sing the praises to the keyboard for the simple reason, because they should be saved up for really revolutionary devices, for example, luxurious and expensive game keyboards. But in this case we have a simple good device in its price range. Although, of course, it deserves a small compliment: because the developers protected the keyboard from typical problems of inexpensive devices and presented an operable and organic solution to users. Without special chic, but with its small zest in the form of an original design and the availability of additional keys. The keyboard correctly performs its main duties and additionally allows watching movies and listen to the music with large comfort – it is more comfortable to control, let us say, the volume with the help of a key, than to get into settings of a player.
Conclusion
SVEN Comfort 4200 Wooden keyboard is a typical example of affordable keyboards manufactured without any faults regarding the assembly or good serviceability.
The use of a non-ordinary design, as well as the extended functionality, allows to say that this version is designed for the use at home first of all, but nothing prevents to add it to the office computer. The device costs $10-12 and it works off this money honestly for sure.