AzioLarge Print Keyboard - USB Computer Keyboard with 3 Interchangeable Backlight Colors (KB505U)

The AZIO KB505U is designed as a backlit keyboard for the visually impaired (or old eyes). While it does have its strengths and few weaknesses, it makes for a pretty decent contender as a primary keyboard at a low price.Pros:3 backlit colorsEvenly distributed backlighting and no useless backlighting effects.Relatively quiet and responsive/smooth feeling keysDedicated quick keysAdjustable keyboard standDecent plastic used on casingHas some weight, so less prone to sliding aroundHas wrist restCons:No brightness controlsKeyboard will stay illuminated even with computer off - has to be turned off manually.CAPSLOCK, NUMLOCK and SCROLL LOCK LED indicators are recessed inside the case below the holes for them and are difficult to see at certain angles.In regard to the backlighting: This is not this keyboard's strongest point - no brightness controls and only two actual LED colors - blue and red. Neither of these colors are particularly bright. The third color option (purple) appears to be combining the blue and red LED's together, and it should come as no surprise that the purple is the brightest of the three and is the easiest on the eyes. Overall the backlighting is neither dim or obnoxiously bright, but as to which color is most comfortable will depend on the user.There is a single dedicated button to control the colors and whether the backlight is on or off. There are no cutesey lighting effects to be found anywhere (which suits me just fine because I never would use that anyway). When the backlighting is on, a short press will toggle through the three color options, and a long press will turn the backlighting off. Turning the backlight back on requires a single short press.The strange thing about this is - when the backlighting is on when the computer is shut down, the keyboard will stay lit. Basically this forces the user to manually turn it off. I imagine this was intentionally done to make it easier for visually impaired users to see the keyboard by leaving it always on, but I would guess most people would prefer the keyboard to not stay lit when the computer is off.The other irony to this is the button that controls the color settings and backlighting on/off is NOT illuminated - so that is just going to make it that much more difficult for visually impaired users to find this button.The laptop style keys are fairly quiet - it will still make some noise especially when there is harder typing, but nowhere near as noisy as a mechanical keyboard; they also have minimal wobble and generally feel pretty pleasant. I'm also not feeling any friction on keystroke releases, which is a good thing and the keys are sloped on the edges in a manner that pretty much guarantees they aren't going to end up stuck in the chassis. The lettering is pretty prominent and even though you can see plastic edges underneath with the backlighting - it's not to the point where it just looks nasty. Without the backlighting this keyboard looks fine in a adequately lit room and is still pretty easy to read.One big upside to this keyboard is while it appears to not sport a Function key, you get 13 dedicated quick keys that are all on the very top row and are grouped in sensible way (all the transport controls in one group, volume up/down and mute in another, etc.). So the F1-F12 keys can be used for other things without having to bother with an Fn toggle. I like the layout of this keyboard a lot.I would have to classify the typing experience as being pretty good - it is smooth, responsive and pleasant. While not the the most silent keyboard out there, it is not by any means the loudest either - I would have to say the noise level falls about halfway between a quiet laptop keyboard and a mechanical keyboard.The CAPS LOCK, NUM LOCK and SCROLL LOCK green LED indicators on the other hand are not ideally placed as they appear to be sitting on the PCB itself rather than in the actual holes where these indicator lights shine through. The other problem with this is the holes are at an angle so it can be difficult to tell which locks are engaged at certain viewing angles. It would have been much better had the LED's been placed in the actual holes rather than down below the holes.The general build quality of this keyboard is actually pretty decent and the added wrist rest (albeit it kind of shallow) helps add weight to prevent the keyboard from moving around on smooth surfaces. The plastic casing is actually of pretty decent quality and not chalky feeling (as is the case with cheap plastic). It also has flip-out stands to offer a couple of options on the typing angle.Overall if you need a backlit keyboard that types well, feels comfortable and has big letters and symbols, the AZIO KB505U would fit the bill - it's a pretty solid design for a keyboard that costs around $30. As far as longevity goes - it's too early to tell how well the keys are going to hold up but my impression is the paint on the keys probably isn't going to degrade much (if at all). Definitely worth considering if you are looking for a low cost easy to read keyboard.

I've lost two keyboards to a cat with a hairball problem, but this one really is worth the price of admission. I've cleaned it under running tap water and disinfected it with 10% bleach and it's still soldiering along. The key back lighting is really nice, and the click feel is reminiscent of much older keyboards (that's a good thing), but I still want to know why cats are so goshdarn terrible at using computers! You won't really understand that last sentence unless you've been logged in to a multi-million dollar database with God privileges , and have your cat walk across the keyboard...but we really do love that darned cat. LOL

Très ergonomique, les lettres sont grosses et illuminées

Ansosten ist Alles Ok

Despite some pretty explicit search instructions, I had difficulty finding this keyboard on Amazon. I actually had to search on Google to find it. But, once I found it, this was exactly what I wanted. A rechargeable, backlit, wireless keyboard with a volume knob. I was coming from an old Dell keyboard (that lasted at least 5-7 years of daily heavy use) with a few similar features, so it makes sense that Dell would make what I wanted. So far, it's been a great keyboard. It has good weight, so it stays in place on my desk. I didn't think I'd care about the large type on the keys, but I have to say that it's a nice bonus. This is not a mechanical keyboard, so if you want the satisfaction of feeling or hearing that "click", then this may not be for you. To me, it feels like a traditional keyboard, which works for me. The backlight can be made brighter or dimmer. The brightest setting isn't quite a bright as I'd prefer, but I still think it's bright enough. It has a number of media keys and hot keys across the top which can be handy.