Installation:

   I plugged it in and rebooted. No hardware to install, although it did come with a diskette. It comes with an application called Mediakey but I did not evaluate it. All the buttons along the top row worked as advertised with the default driver. 

Use:

   I've been using the keyboard for about two days now. The blue light on the main area is nice if you're doing a lot of typing. It's not obnoxious at all. The auxiliary LED's, however, need to stay off unless you are trying to signal Batman out your window into the night sky. This is the first time I've used a laptop style keyboard exclusively. I'm still trying to get used to the positions of some of the buttons, but I don't think I'll ever like the position of the backspace key (Also known as the "Crap!" key), because it is too close to the HOME key. If you reach for the backspace key, hit HOME instead and keep typing along, you lose the cursor in a hurry. The DEL key is hidden and small too, and I use that key a lot for file management. 

   The key action is very shallow, or at least it feels shallow. The action is positive, although it takes a lot less effort to depress the key than it does with a larger desktop unit. This takes some getting used to also, because I'm used to hammering the keys, and if I miss a key, I usually just hit it again. With this one, I wind up with a lot of doublestrikes. The low effort increases the chance that if you tap an adjacent key, it will probably register. It all depends on what you are used to, but personally I prefer a greater key effort.

   I like the shortcut buttons along the top of the board. I think the last five keyboards I've used had buttons on them, but I never used them. This one seems to work pretty well, and I especially like the volume control feature. Since the pull out drawer on my desk is not very deep, the buttons on the old keyboard were generally hidden. These are right there. One of the benefits of compactness.

   The looks are great. The plastic body has an aluminum finish. It comes in a black finish also. The overall quality of the unit looks to be pretty solid.

Conclusion:

   The Xenix Keyboard gets the nod for looks, fit and finish and portability. For a LAN gamer or someone who is short on desk space, this keyboard will complement any case that is looking for attention. It's also cool to be able to see your keyboard without all the house lights on.

   I'm not sure if this keyboard is going to be a perfect replacement for a machine that is used for heavy word processing work, though. I wrote this article using the keyboard, and I wasn't quite as efficient with this one versus my other keyboard. I'll give it a few weeks and see how it grows on me. Sure does look nice, though!

Pros

• It's Illuminated!

• Compact for easy portability

• Useful shortcut keys that work

• Good looks, even when light is off

Cons

• Spacing and layout are small for some people

• Auxiliary LED's are too bright!  What is good on a fan is not so good when you are looking right at it