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(More customer reviews)The Logitech Compact Keyboard K300 is the latest mid-range keyboard offered by the long-time peripheral maker. Logitech touts convenience with style and comfort. The primary feature of course is provided in the name of the keyboard. Logitech attempts to differentiate the K300 by offering a compact size for those who would benefit from the size reduction. My review makes some comparisons to my regular keyboard, the Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard.
PROS:
- Small footprint
- Relatively thin
- Attractive design
- Reasonably comfortable with good feedback
- Layout relatively consistent with standard keyboards
- All F-keys work without software installation
- FN key on each side of space bar
- Spill-resistant design (only 2 ounces of liquid)
- Appropriate value
- Quality construction
- 3 year warranty
CONS:
- Small palm rest
- Backlit F-keys serve no purpose and waste energy
- Small design and altered layout can hamper expert typists
INSTALLATION
Installing the K300 was extremely simple. I just plugged it into a free USB port directly to my PC. Within a couple of minutes, my PC recognized the new peripheral and the F-key row lit up orange. I don't usually like to install drivers for my mice or keyboards so I declined to install SetPoint. To my delight, all the F-keys functioned appropriately without having to have SetPoint installed. To my knowledge, the only function required by SetPoint is setting custom F-keys.
LAYOUT
The key layout is not as drastically different as I would have expected from a compact keyboard. They left enough room for a full-size number pad. To save space on this keyboard, Logitech eliminated the standard arrow keys and Del/Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys and reallocated them to other areas on the keyboard. The Home/End/PgUp/PgDn keys have been placed at the top of the number pad. The Insert and Delete keys are on the same row as the F1-12 keys and the arrows are located under the right Shift key. The Ctrl keys on both side of the space bar are shrunken as is the
space bar itself. This was necessary in order to fit the miniature arrow keys as well as 2 FN keys. The Illuminated Keyboard only has 1 FN key on the right side of the space bar, which made it difficult to operate it with one hand when trying to reach all the way to the left side of the F-key row. Now with FN keys on both side, it is much easier to perform a one-handed F-key operation. The layout works. It gets a little getting used to where Logitech moved the other keys to, but relearning them should not take too long. The only real annoyance in my opinion, are the itsy bitsy arrow keys.
COMFORT
Given the compact nature of this keyboard, you might expect it to be uncomfortable to type on, but on the contrary, it is at least adequate for long typing sessions. The keys are very soft with good feedback. It is also very quiet so for those of you who have spouses that stay up late on their computer, fear not. Now you only need to figure out how to dim the giant night light they stare at. The integrated palm rest is quite small and my small hands barely rest on them. Logitech advertises that the ultra-flat design shifts your wrists toward a more neutral position, yet includes height adjustable feet that would counteract this neutral position. If anything, the adjustable feet should be at the bottom of the keyboard, not the top, in order to further create a neutral position. All things considered, I can type very well and comfortably on the K300 but also bear in mind that I am used to the laptop-style keys on the Illuminated keyboard. Now that I have gotten used to these type of keys, I prefer them over the standard keys on most keyboards today and are more comfortable than any laptop keyboard I have ever used.
MISCELLANEOUS
At first glance, I thought the K300 was backlit. The F-keys are brightly lit orange and the space between the keys are also orange. Hah! An illusion to my eyes. The space between keys on most keyboards are black or match the keys. The K300 uses an orange background so in photos, it appears it is backlit. It does make for an attractive look, but this is not an illuminated keyboard. Which brings me to the backlit F-keys. Why? If it were dark and you needed to see anything, I'd think you'd want to be able to see the QWERTY layout, not the rarely used F-keys. Additionally, you would think if they went to those lengths, Logitech would have also decided to backlight the actual FN key that activates the F-keys. Nope. I think the backlight on the K300 is just eye candy and serves no useful function. In fact, I wish it didn't have it at all as I am becoming more conscientious of devices in my home that use unnecessary energy.
The K300 lists spill-resistant design, but recommends only 60ml of liquid spillage as the maximum. This is about 2 ounces so if you spill even half your can of soda on it, you can forget it.
The K300 is certified for Microsoft XP/Vista and is USB-only.
SUMMARY
The K300 is a fairly priced, corded compact keyboard. If space savings outweigh the altered layout, then you may want to give the K300 a try. Many compact keyboards are typically used in server racks and can get quite expensive or are very cheap and not worth the investment. The K300 is geared more for the home user and has the comfort and convenience to match. If space is not an issue however, go with a non-compact keyboard, like the Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard.
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Logitech Compact Keyboard K300 (Black)With just a touch, the Logitech Compact Keyboard K300 has stylish, backlit media controls that provide an elegant and easy way to access your music, videos, and e-mail. Space-saving design with full-size keys integrates perfectly into even the most stylish setups, freeing up space on your desk. Full-size, integrated number pad makes data entry fast and effortless. The ultra-flat profile helps you type comfortably with keys that move quietly, shifting your wrists toward a more neutral position. Plus, it works right out of the box with no software to install.
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