Targus Compact USB Keyboard - AKB05AU product reviews

Compact keyboard + big hands = hilarious spelling mistakes.

However, once your fingers get used to working in a slightly less spacious area, it is actually quite easy to use. Though I am frankly a little dubious of the claim of "...standard-sized keycaps..." I have no doubt that they are far from as small as 'miniature keyboards' have them, so it's a far cry from something usable only by pixie-fingered folk.

I was impressed at how much they managed to squeeze into this keyboard... with all the features of standard keyboard, but with a slimming 17cm trimmed off the width, it's a pretty good bet this is going to be the salvation of many a frustrated laptop user who's either got a busted key or three, or who is getting tired of shoving the cursor around by accidental thumb pressure on the touchpad.

One thing about most modern keyboards that has always annoyed me... durability. In particular, the snap-out feet at the back that lift the keyboard up to a more ergonomic position. The last 3 keyboards I have used regularly all suffered the same issue... the feet snapped off or popped out of 'lock' at awkward moments mid-typing... this little beaut has suffered the worst use-abuse* thrown at it without complaint or fault. At last, a keyboard that will stay where it's put!

Overall, though there isn't a huge amount one can say about a keyboard, what I can say is that it is a real boon. Compact, functional, and easy to use. However, there was one small shortfall... in this day and age of "...it's all a USB connection..." there is a need for more USB connections. Having USB ports on the back of USB keyboards is becoming more common as demands increase, so I was a little surprised and disappointed to find a total of zero on this unit.

* Use-abuse is where the device is put through the most extreme usage it is likely to encounter during it's normal routine, but applied continuously, without pause, for a minimum of 48 hours.