Dell Quietkey - keyboard

Although I spend around 70% of my computer time on my laptop I do also have a Home PC. Admittedly it gets limited use from myself, but the rest of my family use it more regularly, with their use split 50/50 between their laptop and the Home PC. The keyboard is one of the pieces of PC equipment that wears quickly, along with the mouse. As a lot of typing of documents is done on the Home PC it is important to have a decent quality keyboard that is easy to navigate and type with.

The Dell USB Keyboard Quiet Key is very reasonably priced at around the £10 mark. There are a range of models, and they can cost upwards of £20, but my model is probably one of the more basic keyboards and fortunately meets our needs when it comes to efficiency and ease of use. The keyboard is entirely black in colour, with easy to read white lettering on them. The 'Quiet Key' element of the name refers to the way the keys on the Dell keyboard are supposedly quieter than most keyboards. This would be very handy when someone is touch typing in the living room whilst you are trying to watch your favourite soaps! Unfortunately I don't find this keyboard to be particularly quiet. The keyboard is a lot smoother than other keyboards I have used, however, and I am more than happy with the quality of this budget product over keyboards costing many times more.

As this keyboard is a basic model there are few features to get excited over. Each Dell keyboard is designed with the user in mind. The ergonomically designed layout of the keyboard results in no lasting aches and pains for the user during prolonged use of the keyboard and also ensures comfort and maximises productivity throughout use. Often I have noticed with other keyboards that the positioning of the keys relative to the keyboard can be somewhat awkward, so the layout of this keyboard is more than welcome. Another point I am happy to mention is the space-saving design of the keyboard. Even in this day and age not all keyboards are designed with space in mind, and the Dell keyboard we have here fulfils this because the outer keys go right up to the edges of the keyboard - there isn't a large plastic border around the keys which serve no purpose.

Dell produced their Quietkey USB keyboard for use with their Dell computers, but it can be used with most computers which have USB connectivity. If your computer has the old style of connectivity in the form of a circular socket (PS/2 socket) then unfortunately this product isn't designed for use with your device. You can however buy a USB to PS/2 adaptor, costing just a couple of pounds online. Overall the Dell Quiet Key Keyboard is decent value for money, but I don't find it unfair to knock one star off for the fact this keyboard isn't as quiet as I had hoped. The keys are of a good quality, and allow the user to type very quickly and efficiently with the minimum of effort. Once you accept the fact that this isn't a particularly quiet keyboard then you will be happy to have paid just a tenner for a quality Dell product.