On our desk this week - 8

http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2006/06/27/on_our_desk_8/1.html

 

hmmm the can cooler is tempting......

 

That Microsoft keyboard is very good value for what it is. Their hardware is always quality - definitely worth buying.

 

A can cooler you say?
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=98833

This post was particularly noteworthy:
http://forums.bit-tech.net/showpost.php?p=1077233&postcount=41

 

Only £4 more then my standard one. Couldn't believe the build quality on this KB.

Will have to get it when I get my job started!

 

Very tempted by the MS keyboard for work.

 

http://www.bit-tech.net/bits/2006/06/27/on_our_desk_8/6.html

mod project tbh.

 

What's the button on the top right of the MS keyboard? Just above the number pad?

 

That Microsoft keyboard is a nice looking, ergonomic keyboard, does it come in a wireless option? Though even if it only comes in a wired config, it still is a nice looking and styled keyboard.

Also, that media man external HHD enclosure/ encoder looks quite nice, but the price neends to drop like a lead balloon. The design is a biut hit and miss but the remote is a nice looker and looks like it will fit in a hand quite snuggly.

But the best item on the desk this week, has to be the Coolit beverage chiller, fts nicely on desk and beats a minifridge for price and size, every time....

 

<- still uses a ball mouse

 

THat drinks cooler sounds pretty cool, tempted to try and find one of those.

 

A quicklaunch key for the calculator.

I have a Comfort Curve and its pretty darned nice, I think I bought it a fair few months back from amazon for about a tenner (its gone up on there now, doh) though I find the proper split ones more ergonomic and didnt like the laptop keys much (at first) having now used it for about 4 months I can say its pretty nice to use.

If you get one beware: It gets bloody dirty bloody quickly. unless you clean your keyboard regularly after about 3-4 days of exposure it will naturally get pretty dusty and the keys show all sorts of dirt and body oils and looks grim.
Also another worthy note, it doesn't rise much from the desk which is a slight niggle. I would rather it have a bit more or an angle to it.
If you can tolerate it, buy a "proper" MS natural one, but if you want a keyboard that will work well, has a very nice key press and genrally helps your wrists a bit get the MS Comfort Curve.

Oh yeah. and I found it to be narrower than pretty much every keyboard I put it against.

 

how does the cooler work internaly?

 

The keys that are enlarged on the keyboard aren't enlarged because they're the most common keys used. They're enlarged because if they were normal sized then they would be awkward to hit while typing properly.

 

The microsoft keyboard and cooler look really good! I need a new kb cos this one sucks and a drinks cooler is a must. How many times have you been sitting in your room with a can of beer or whatever and it gets warm while your playing games. Think i'll treat myself tomorrow!

 

It is good yes, but not perfect. As in, it's not wireless . So close to being my next purchase.

 

@ChromeX: I reccomend the MS Wireless Natural MultiMedia Keyboard (and the intellimouse explorer 2 while I'm at it). I've had it for about six months and I absolutely love it. Having never used a natural keyboard I found it a bit odd at first, but after about an hour I was converted. It has proper keys (i.e not laptop ) and it feels very "natural". It gets five stars from me.

-ed out

 

i had the MS keyboard curve 2000 black for a while now and i'm very proud of it. with only 15euros it's nice and not too big and it helps you to write "more correctly".

i remembered about the enlarged keys only when i read it here...i totally forgot it

and the calculator button works in linux too!!

the only problem is that it doesn't work with a ps2/usb adapter so with old motherboard it's a bit tricky during boot (i have a ps/2 keyboard connected too under the desk)

 

It's a pity the bottom of cans aren't flat. I'd suspect that when it comes to surface area, the amount of can exposed to air trying to warm your drink versus the tiny amount of surface area actually touching the cooling plate will mean that your coke is still going to end up at room temperature if you don't drink it quickly enough.

A mini champagne bucket design would be a much more efficient way of cooling your cans. Or simply get one of those mini fridges.

 

ralph.pickering,
now go, go and mod!