HP 2004 Standard Keyboard - keyboard

'''~~~ Overview ~~~'''
The HP 2004 Standard Keyboard is the basic, bog-standard input device currently shipping with HP Compaq entry-level desktop PCs such as the dx2400. Being that the PC supplied is a no-frills machine, it is little surprise that a no-frills peripheral is included. Remember that this is a PC-only peripheral.


'''~~~ Appearance ~~~'''
The keyboard is a fairly innocuous affair with black keys, ...
...the unit with a black HP logo in it's centre. The keys are relatively shiny with each letter picked out in white paint. Being a full-size keyboard, the majority of the unit is occupied by the letter keys with a separate numeric keypad set to the right. There are also the usual Function keys (F1 - F12) at the top, and the navigation keys (arrows, Insert, Delete, Home End etc).

At the back of the keyboard, right in the centre, the PS/2 ... more

~~~ Overview ~~~
The HP 2004 Standard Keyboard is the basic, bog-standard input device currently shipping with HP Compaq entry-level desktop PCs such as the dx2400. Being that the PC supplied is a no-frills machine, it is little surprise that a no-frills peripheral is included. Remember that this is a PC-only peripheral.

~~~ Appearance ~~~
The keyboard is a fairly innocuous affair with black keys, black housing and a silver highlight plate which occupies the upper third of the unit with a black HP logo in it's centre. The keys are relatively shiny with each letter picked out in white paint. Being a full-size keyboard, the majority of the unit is occupied by the letter keys with a separate numeric keypad set to the right. There are also the usual Function keys (F1 - F12) at the top, and the navigation keys (arrows, Insert, Delete, Home End etc).

At the back of the keyboard, right in the centre, the PS/2 lead joins the main body. The cable is of good thickness and strength to survive rubbing and chafing on your desk and is very well attached to the keyboard to prevent accidental detachment. The connector plug itself is the standard purple affair to aid easy connection to the relevant port on your PC (which will be the same colour).

The underside of the keyboard is completely devoid of interesting features except for the "legs" which allow you to angle the keyboard. There are three settings, completely flat, slightly raised and fully raised - personally I find fully-raised to be the most useful.

~~~ Use ~~~
As mentioned above, the keyboard connects to the PC via PS/2 connector. Being a basic keyboard, all of the drivers required to use this device are automatically installed in Windows and there is no requirement for any further configuration in order to get it working.

Since the advent of Windows 95(!), two additional keys are included; the Windows key which has the same effect as clicking the Start button (among many other things when used in conjunction with other keys) and the "right-click" button which has the same effect as clicking the right mouse button.

~~~Observations ~~~
This keyboard from HP is very easy to use and is perfectly adequate for every text-entry situation. The keys have a good range of travel and a satisfying click to help your brain register that the key has been depressed successfully. I am only a two finger typist, but this keyboard is more than adequate at capturing my 45+ words per minute and I find it to be perfectly comfortable for extended periods of work.

There are however a few downsides to this unit. The first is that the keys fairly quickly develop a polished face meaning that light is reflected off the top obscuring the letter printed on it in white. For someone who cannot touch-type this makes data entry difficult in sunny conditions (I sit in front of a window). The white text has another downside in that it quickly becomes beige; even the cleanest hands carry some grime and keyboards are notorious for collecting minute amounts of filth and making you look like an animal (ask any owner of a white Apple MacBook for instance). The only other negative for this device would be the PS/2 connection, but if your computer still has PS/2 ports, why waste a valuable USB port on a keyboard needlessly?

~~~ Conclusion ~~~
This keyboard from HP is excellent in terms of build quality, ease of use and responsiveness. Granted that it features the ageing PS/2 connector and worse still (for some) is wired, I personally feel that this is an excellent keyboard that does the job of simple text entry admirably. I would definitely recommend this keyboard for anyone looking for a simple and easy-to-use device.

This keyboard is also the perfect match aesthetically and technically for it's optical rodent sibling I have reviewed elsewhere (see links below).

~~~ Links ~~~
HP Optical mouse review: http://www.ciao.co.uk/HP_Mouse__Review_5832387 

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