Compact Keyboards

[GeoffF100]

I am on a roll now having bought a new monitor and WiFi adapter. I have ordered a compact keyboard:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perixx-PERIBOA ... B0064M436A

At £17.99 that one looks to be the best of the bunch. (£12.99 if you do not mind a white one.) I almost never use the numeric key pad, and a long keyboard does not have good ergonomics with a mouse. You can get TKL keyboards without a numeric key pad. TKL stands for Ten Keys Less, but my key pad has 17 keys. The Cherry Stream TKL is relatively cheap on Amazon, for what is an expensive brand, but it is not small. The keyboard that I have bought has laptop style keys. There is a cheaper model with desktop style keys, but the reviews suggest that some people have had problems with the keys. The version with laptop style keys seems to be more robust and reliable. The key spacing is not significantly less than for a full size keyboard. I will report back if I have issues.

[servodude]

I am on a roll now having bought a new monitor and WiFi adapter. I have ordered a compact keyboard:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perixx-PERIBOA ... B0064M436A

At £17.99 that one looks to be the best of the bunch. (£12.99 if you do not mind a white one.) I almost never use the numeric key pad, and a long keyboard does not have good ergonomics with a mouse. You can get TKL keyboards without a numeric key pad. TKL stands for Ten Keys Less, but my key pad has 17 keys. The Cherry Stream TKL is relatively cheap on Amazon, for what is an expensive brand, but it is not small. The keyboard that I have bought has laptop style keys. There is a cheaper model with desktop style keys, but the reviews suggest that some people have had problems with the keys. The version with laptop style keys seems to be more robust and reliable. The key spacing is not significantly less than for a full size keyboard. I will report back if I have issues.

I've recently treated myself to a Keychron K8 TKL (BT version with Brown switches) for the "busy" desk; this is the one in the lab where space is a bit of a premium (which is why it sits next to a BT Kensington Expert mouse ... a queerly named trackball ) as it's normally covered in half built contraptions

It is really rather good indeed

[scotia]

I am on a roll now having bought a new monitor and WiFi adapter. I have ordered a compact keyboard:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perixx-PERIBOA ... B0064M436A

At £17.99 that one looks to be the best of the bunch. (£12.99 if you do not mind a white one.) I almost never use the numeric key pad, and a long keyboard does not have good ergonomics with a mouse. You can get TKL keyboards without a numeric key pad. TKL stands for Ten Keys Less, but my key pad has 17 keys. The Cherry Stream TKL is relatively cheap on Amazon, for what is an expensive brand, but it is not small. The keyboard that I have bought has laptop style keys. There is a cheaper model with desktop style keys, but the reviews suggest that some people have had problems with the keys. The version with laptop style keys seems to be more robust and reliable. The key spacing is not significantly less than for a full size keyboard. I will report back if I have issues.

When at home I use my Laptops with a separate keyboard and mouse - both wireless. On my travels I leave the keyboard behind - but take the mouse. I find the wireless connection more convenient than a wired connection.
On one of my Laptops the separate keyboard is full size - but for the other I have a compact keyboard which uses less desk space. Annoyingly, on the compact keyboard, I found that for some of the special characters I needed to use a combination of keys, with no matching pattern on the key tops to guide me. So I now keep a piece of paper with the instructions:
for \ use AltGr #
for | use Shift AltGr #
for ¦ use AltGr `
I also have a wired compact keyboard of an entirely different type, which I have used with a Raspberry Pi, and it also suffers from this problem. So is it just a common feature of compact keyboards?
PS the key spacing on all of my keyboards - on the Laptops, and on the full size and compact keyboards are all identical.

[xeny]

On one of my Laptops the separate keyboard is full size - but for the other I have a compact keyboard which uses less desk space. Annoyingly, on the compact keyboard, I found that for some of the special characters I needed to use a combination of keys, with no matching pattern on the key tops to guide me. So I now keep a piece of paper with the instructions:
for \ use AltGr #
for | use Shift AltGr #
for ¦ use AltGr `
I also have a wired compact keyboard of an entirely different type, which I have used with a Raspberry Pi, and it also suffers from this problem. So is it just a common feature of compact keyboards?
PS the key spacing on all of my keyboards - on the Laptops, and on the full size and compact keyboards are all identical.

Normally that behaviour, especially for \ and | suggest the mapping between keyboard and computer isn't quite right, unless is is a very compatt keyboard indeed -can you share the model and manufacturer?

I deal with many keyboards - key spacing can vary, especially on netbooks and chicklet keyboards.

[GeoffF100]

It looks like you can fix the problem on Linux:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/296155/ ... board-keys

[GeoffF100]

I have received the Perixx keyboard and I am pleased with it. I have tested it on both Linux and Windows 10, and it works fine on both. Linux did not have to load drivers, but Windows did. That is par for the course. Plus points are the convenient small size and the keyboard layout. I particularly like the Home, Page Up, page Down and End in a column on the right hand side. I also like the Fn key labelled in blue with the keys that it accesses similarly labelled in blue. An exacting critic might say that the feel is a bit "dead flesh", and that the keys are a little close together. Nonetheless, I am typing this post more accurately than I would do on a standard keyboard.

I have also been playing with a little keyboard that I bought at a knock down price from Pimoroni. It is only about eleven inches wide, so it is seriously small. It also has US keyboard layout. The Fn key does not work in the way that I had expected, but once I had realised that it is fine. It is a great little keyboard for playing with my Raspberry Pi.