Telling us your gadget is "rugged" is just asking for trouble. Telling us you ran the thing over with a car? That's gadget suicide. Granted, we live in New York City, so none of us actually has access to a car, but heck, we consider ourselves creative people, so we're pretty good at coming up with alternative, ahem, testing methods.
Take Belkin's Washable Mouse, for example. We were told it was waterproof, so we did what anyone would do and doused the thing with pudding, chili, and a special cocktail of Red Bull and Cheetos. For the record, the mouse performed admirably, garnering the highest seal of geek-snacking approval.
Adesso makes similar claims for the AKB-230 Flexible Full Sized Keyboard, ramping it up a notch by noting on the back of the device's box, "We even took it to an extreme and ran it over with automobiles and machinery, and guess what? It still worked." The company goes onto to suggest that users don't attempt similar stunts, but heck, we're seasoned professionals here, so we took matters into our own hands.
Of course, before torturing the keyboard, we actually did a little hands-on testing. Right off the bat (ha), I have to say that I'm a bit torn on the whole roll-up keyboard concept. While I like the idea of extreme portability, isn't the whole point of laptop computing the ability to, you know, compute from the top of your lap? Adesso's keyboard just sort of droops over your legs like a soggy french fry, making it near impossible to type on.
The rubberized keys also make typing a challenge--they're a bit sticky and hard to press, especially the larger keys, like Shift, which don't pick up input in their center. To the keyboard's credit, however, my XP notebook recognized the device quickly, without any added software or drivers. Also, points for being one of the few portable keyboards around with a devoted number pad.
After the jump, the part you've all no doubt been eagerly awaiting. We get downright medieval with this sucker.
OK, we started simple. Here's a semi-likely scenario: Your keyboard falls off your desk--or lap, if you're feeling lucky--and hits the floor. Bending down to pick it up, you accidentally run the thing over with the wheels of your chair.
Again, this one's not too far fetched: It's early morning, and you're sending out an important e-mail. All of a sudden, a misplaced elbow knocks a steaming cup of java onto your keyboard. Best case scenario would be that your keyboard just gets a bit sticky from the five sugar packets you dumped into the cup. Worst case: You destroy the keyboard. Bonus rugged points go out to the AKB-230, given the extremely nasty concoction we created using instant coffee and powdered non-dairy creamer. Fortunately for you readers, you couldn't actually smell the stuff, but if you look closely at the pic, you can see the film on the side of the cup.
Now w're getting a touch more outlandish. I've been trying to come up with convincing computing scenario involving an igloo, a whaling ship, or a supermarket meat locker. Nothing so far.
As I mentioned above, we didn't have a car to run the thing over with, so this aluminum bat would have to do the trick. It was nice to get a bit of batting practice in during the off-season--even if it was in a PC Magazine conference room. Despite the rubberized nature of the keyboard, I heard a distinctive metallic "clink" when I made contact.
And a close up of the same image. That blurry object below the bat is the AKB-230.
By popular demand, a little something for those who aren't content with bringing a mere newspaper to the john.
Results: Just as the manufacturer claimed, the AKB-230 retained its shape, in spite of our slightly sadistic trials. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the inner workings of the device. Accidentally dislodging the USB cord was easier than it should have been. After a bit of maneuvering through the rubber membrane, we were able to reattach it, but our computer never recognized the device after that.
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March 23, 2008 1:15 AM
Beautiful. I wish I could submerge my laptop under the water or maybe throw it into the pool... coool... there is something strangely appealing about the water and electronics, lol.
Daniel
http://www.palluxo.com
March 24, 2008 4:10 PM
Awesome, cant wait till they make submersible monitors too!
March 26, 2008 9:12 PM
I see the fluids aren't a problem ,but I have had things pull on the keyboard hard enough to unplug the USB plug.