Genius ErgoMedia 700

Of all the keyboards we've looked at in this roundup, the ErgoMedia 700 is probably the most functional. Crammed with 36 hotkeys, including media and office shortcuts, an expanded scroll wheel which now allows for sideways scrolling, a zoom button for images and even headphone/microhpne jacks. It also has an ergonomic design which, despite taking some getting used to, is supposed to make typing and general keyboard usage an easier experience on the hands.

By far the largest keyboard in the roundup, all the better to fit all those buttons, the keyboard takes up more space lengthwise than in width; we didn't find ourselves having to move mice or other desktop peripherals to fit the it.

The amount of shortcut keys are almost too numerous to list in full here without sending a few of us (authors included) to sleep, but going from right to left across the top there is the computer sleep button and the calculator shortcut. Moving left there is a row of internet control buttons, and below them is the browser launching shortcut itself along with search and email client launcher.

Moving left again there is an interesting vertical line of shortcuts for MSN messenger, followed by a slightly cramped feeling media centre control panel. This features the usual play/pause, forwards/back controls and so on. To the left of this again is another vertical panel which is set to jump between audio presets. Left of this then are general shortcuts, including one for opening up the My Documents folder in particular, something we've not seen on the other keyboards featured.

Moving down the left hand side of the keyboard vertically first we have the interesting headphone and microphone jacks. This can save on wire and having to reach to the back of your computer if that's where you plug in your headphone and microphone arrangement, essentially making the keyboard a cable extension. You plug the headphones into the keyboard and then two extension cables running from the keyboard itself run to the back of the machine.

This is a little redundant however if you happen to have, as a lot of computers do these days, frontal headphone/microphone jacks. This leaves you with two extraneous wires, but they can simply be stuffed down the back of the desk if needs be, and top marks to Genius for trying.

We noted in particular that the wires with this keyboard are very stiff, preferring to remain totally straight rather than be bent around. They'll fit into your computer and stay there, but if you're using frontal USB ports then the rather determined wires can stick out from the computer a fair ways. This was the only keyboard to come in USB flavour but with a PS/2 adapter, allowing you the interchanging choice of both worlds rather than having to make a decision at purchasing time.

Moving below the headphone jack the Genius scroll wheel returns, but this time with some extra functionality. The wheel can now scroll sideways and also has a surrounding button for jumping up and down documents faster than the scroll would normally allow.

Last but not least there is the all-new zoom function, which allows you to zoom in and out of images and the like. Unlike the extraneous scroll wheel this can actually be a handy inclusion, though ironically with most picture viewers you can use the scroll wheel to zoom in and out of images.

Structurally the keyboard is a fairly sound plastic model. Not much to look at apart from the range of shortcut keys rimming the keyboard itself, the keyboards touted ergonomics are the main thing which separates the keyboard itself from the competition.

The rather gentle U in the keyboard takes some getting used to, as you can find yourself hitting the wider B button near the base of the keyboard whilst searching for the V, which is moved slightly to the left by the design. However once you get used to the layout the keyboard is quite comfortable to use, particularly given the plastic but still comfortable base on which to rest the palm of your hand.

Once you get used to the design the range of shortcut keys combined with the added bonus of being able to switch between USB and PS/2 connections make this the best keyboard we've reviewed in this roundup.