The Unotron Washable Keyboard and Mouse

 
May 05, 2006

By Michael Dinowitz

I just got the washable keyboard and mouse from Unotron today for review, and right off the bat I can give you my take on it. Before we start, let's examine why you even need a washable keyboard. The answers are simple and many:

  • Kids - I'm not sure of the stats but a lot of programmers have kids. A lot of parents have computers. If you put a kid on a keyboard, the chances of getting anything from simple dirt to peanut butter and jelly on it is rather high, like in the 200% range. Being able to wash a mess off is a godsend. Not having to work with a dirty, sticky or whatever keyboard does a LOT for your state of mind and buying a new one every time your kids play a game is just annoying. For this reason alone it's worth getting, if I ever let my kids use my computer. :)
  • Clients and others - Other people touch my keyboard and I'm not always happy about it. When a client types in something, I have no idea where his hands have been, when he last washed them, if he's sick, etc. Being able to spray or wash a keyboard every now and again really helps when you fear getting sick. Even a co-worker with a cold using your keyboard is enough of a reason to clean it.
  • Yourself -- Let's be honest... We eat at our desk. Maybe we're anal about crumbs getting around, let alone inside, the keyboard, but things happen. We also drink around the computer. One spill is all you need to break yourself of that habit. I may be careful, but I'd prefer some extra protection if I can get it.

I'm sure you can come up with a number of other reasons for having a washable keyboard, but these few should make the point for now.

Let's look at the product itself. The keyboard is a fully functional windows keyboard with all the bells and whistles you would expect. I replaced my 'standard' dell keyboard with this and then realized what I've been missing. Having 'control' keys at your fingertips is a really convenient thing. Most of the controls are situated at the top of the keyboard for easy use and display. No hunting around or wondering what a button does because it's in some strange layout. The only buttons not at the top are the sound controls. The volume and forward/back music buttons are situated right above the arrow keys. This is a logical placement for many who listen to music a lot. Being able to get to those keys faster than anything else is important. . My problem is that when I use the arrow keys, my ring finger automatically touches the 'next song' button. I don't press it, but it's just a worry. This is probably due to the way I hold the keyboard, and should not be an issue for most.

The other thing that I enjoy but that others may not is the 'feel' of the keys. It might be my imagination or the 'new keyboard' effect, but the keys seem to be stiffer. They click harder and bounce back harder. It reminds me of the old IBM keyboards that had such a comforting feel to them.

The mouse is also washable, and this is needed even more than the keyboard. I have another laser mouse on a different computer and the scroll wheel is broken. Well, it's not really broken, but a large amount of finger dirt, dead skin, and whatever has gummed it up. This is common with people who use their mouse a lot. I can use the wheel, but the chances of actually clicking down on it while I'm trying to move it is high. I wish I could clean it, but alas...

My only problem with the mouse is also a positioning one. In most mice with a scroll wheel, pressing down on it has a 'click' event. This mouse does not allow for the scroll wheel to be clicked down. This is good, as you wouldn't accidentally click, and bad because we've become used to clicking the wheel. How does the mouse solve the middle click issue? By having a small button in front of the scroll wheel. The idea is nice but the positioning is bad for me. It means I have to stretch my finger a bit to click it. The position doesn't feel very natural to me and I'd have preferred the button either a little higher up or somewhere else. It's not bad, just strange to me. Oh, and there's a small 'bump' feel in the scroll wheel that will probably go away as I use it.

The bottom line is that the only problems I had with the keyboard and mouse were issues of comfort, and minor ones at that. The benefits, even when only theoretical, make this a product I'd buy if the chance came up.

What'll happen to this keyboard/mouse now? It'll be going on the computer my kids use for the exact reason I mentioned above: sticky fingers.
Michael Dinowitz has been programming in ColdFusion since early 1995 and is known for his troubleshooting, experimentation, and ability to take complex topics and break them down into simple elements. In addition to his job as CTO of Dinowitz & Associates, a ColdFusion consulting agency, he runs a number of ColdFusion resources, including House of Fusion and the Fusion Authority magazines.

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