Logitech diNovo Edge

After using it for a couple of months I can say with complete conviction that I absolutely love my keyboard.  It's the ultimate desktop keyboard, for notebook users.

For the past few years I'd had a notebook on my desk, so it's been quite a while since I put in any quality time on a desktop keyboard.  Contrary to a lot of people, I really love using notebook keyboards.  The shorter key travel reduces key bumps from high-speed horizontal finger movement, something I'm prone to because I have a tendency to combine laziness and speed in a way never before observed by humans.

I think a lot of people hate notebook keyboards because it's never a factor in their purchasing decision.  They're certainly not all equal, so if you're inclined to complain about it, then you should certainly spend some time tapping away at one before buying.  No point having wireless remote media everything if you never use your notebook because the keyboard sucks.

As most tiny notebook-style keyboards for desktops are really cheap, or worse, expensive but still crappy, I figured I was going to have to sacrifice ease of transition and spend a little time re-training myself back into the desktop world... That is, until I found the diNovo Edge.

This keyboard satisfies all my criteria, even the ones which conflict with each other, and looks good at the same time.  Perhaps I'm odd, too fussy or whatever, but I think more and more people have both a desktop and a notebook PC these days, so transition between them is important and should be reflected in purchasing choices.

My criteria were:

• Similarity to a notebook keyboard, to allow regular transition between desktop and laptop without re-training for key-spacing.
• Positive key-response.  It should be quite obvious when a key has been pressed correctly.
• Wireless, with good range and battery life.
• Not a bent ergonomic design.  I've been working on computers half my life, my bones have adjusted (plus notebooks aren't that way).
• Ideally, a scratchpad for media operation or extended reading from a reclined position.
• Ideally, it should be black to match everything else on my desk.

Sounds simple enough, right?  As it turns out, it was.  As Logitech is one of the better-known brands the diNovo was easy to find, but I didn't stop looking very quickly.  I made a list of all the keyboards I found which matched my criteria, but nothing else was spot on.  Microsoft have a couple of great new keyboards which come very close, but they're ergonomically designed, which ruins the whole transitional thing.  There were a couple from lesser-known makers which either didn't include a scratchpad, or suffered from poor battery life.

I realise my requirements were somewhat specific, but for me the alternatives were underwhelming.

By good fortune it turns out that the diNovo Edge actually matched my Samsung 226BW extremely well, and with it's desk-charger and stand, there's always somewhere to put it when you need your desk space for something else.

There are plenty of good keyboard reviews available these days, but there's really nothing like spending some time typing on one to work out whether you're compatible.  These days a lot of us spend more time with our hands on our keyboards than on our lovers, so we really should ensure we're fussy about it all.