Intro

Since keyboards are the main source of input for your computer, it is pretty important to find one that you are comfortable with in aesthetics, key response, keyboard layout, and comfort. Up for review today is the Phone Smart LED Keyboard from Logisys. I will cover each of these 4 factors, along with a unique feature of this keyboard.

This keyboard, because of the LEDs and Phone Smart features, appears to be marketed towards a select crowd that are tired of the basic beige color of everyday keyboards, and that want something compact and portable.... perhaps for LAN parties. Since there are a variety of illuminated keyboards on the market today I will be covering how this keyboard compares to other LED and EL wire illuminated keyboards in terms of overall aesthetic appeal as well.

Packaging

The majority of all hardware items these days when packaged are wrapped in the same brown box style so I won't bore you with the outer box pictures, just suffice it to say that Logisys packed this keyboard well to help account for the over-zealous delivery person. There was no damage to the outer packaging whatsoever, just the normal squished corners from general handling by all those involved in the shipping process. Fortunately so far, I have proven to be in a location where the delivery person(s) still take pride in getting items to customers without damaging either the box or the contents. Your mileage may vary. After taking the contents out of the brown box this is what we see:

Specs

Description

The Logisys Phone Smart LED keyboard is the first LED lit keyboard on the market that boasts the brightest keyboard ever. Every key on this keyboard has a blue LED underneath it for ultra bright effects. There is an On/Off switch on the keyboard to control the LED lighting. Cell phones have become a necessity of our modern daily life, but constant cell phone ringing while we are fragging can be a nuisance and become quite annoying. For that, Logisys made the keyboard with a phone sensor function. Every time your phone rings, the keyboard's number key pad will light up and glow to let you know somebody is trying to reach you, so you won't miss any calls from your many lady (or man) friends. The Logisys Phone Keyboard comes standard with a top quality piano-black glossy paint job finish on its body so you can still look pimp at lan parties.

Specifications

* Dimensions: 16.75"(L)x6.5"(W)x1.2"(H)
* Key Number: 104 Keys
* Input Power: 5V+/-5% 120mA
* Travel Distance: 3+/-0.2mm
* Keyboard Cable: 74.8 Inches
* Weight: 1.54LB
* Compatibility: Compatible with Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/NT
* Safety: FCC. CE. BSMI
* Supports Multi Language
* Flashing LED Incoming call alert
* Compact Design, User Friendly
* Perfect for use in any Working Environment
* Customized LED Lights.

Let's check it out and see how well it looks and works.

Contents

As you may have seen in the above picture, the box is marked with different options for PS/2, USB and combination configurations. The review sample I received is a PS/2 keyboard. The below pictures show closeups of the keyboard layout, which is similar to many laptop keyboard layouts. This helps to make it compact, but how comfortable is it for everyday use? For those of you that have laptops, you may not have the "get used to" factor in for your use, but since I don't own a laptop, I am very used to full-size keyboards. One more thing to consider is the lack of folding feet that most keyboards have so it ends up sitting rather flat in relation to the desk surface. This is not a huge detraction, but would have been a nice feature to include for those that like ergonomically sound keyboards. Notice in the below left picture that a Euro key is included at the bottom-left of the layout. While this is a nice added feature, I cannot help but think that those of you (like myself) that are keyboard shortcut junkies will get a little frustrated with it, at least initially, due to it being in the same place as the Ctrl key is normally placed. The below right picture shows how the right shift key and enter key have been down-sized to accommodate the arrow and other keys to their right.

The 10-key keypad picture below shows that this layout is the same as most other keyboard out there so there is no difference there to get used to.

Next we have pictures of the keyboard illuminated, and this is the feature that I think really makes this keyboard stand out, especially when compared to EL-wired keyboards. Generally with EL-wired keyboards there isn't a uniform look as the wire routing usually doesn't illuminate all keys evenly. With the Phone Smart LED keyboard, however, each key has it's own LED to make a much more uniform appearance. The only suggestion I would have here would be to add additional LEDs to the larger keys. In the below left picture, you can see how the space bar looks a little darker on the ends than in the middle. This is not necessary for function of course, just an aesthetic observation. As you see in the below right picture, the lock status LEDs are standard green. To me this is somewhat puzzling as it distracts from the blue glow of the rest of the keyboard. I have seen other Logisys keyboards use blue LEDs here so I cannot understand why they would not continue the blue light appearance across the entire keyboard. Notice that the 10-key keypad is not illuminated like the rest of the keys, this is where the Phone Smart feature comes into play.

Phone Smart feature

As mentioned in the manufacturer's description, the 10-key keypad lights up when you receive a call on your cell phone, assuming it is in relatively close proximity to the keyboard itself. Without a video camera though, it is hard to capture this function to where you can truly appreciate it for what it does. When an incoming call comes in, the keypad does not blink per se, but rather "shimmers" like dropping something into water and watching the ripples. This is a very innovative feature which works well, but how well does it stack up in the real world?

After turning my phone off and going through continued testing, I am very happy with the tactile feel of the keys. The feel isn't as stiff as say, an IBM Model M keyboard, but is very comfortable as long as you don't have overly large fingers. I did notice, however, that even with my phone off, the keypad would shimmer briefly on occasion. I am assuming this was due to interference from phones outside my residence as I was home alone at the time. Generally, this wouldn't be a nuisance, but suppose you took this keyboard to a LAN party where dozens of other people have cell phones also. There would likely be more interference there and could possibly distract you from getting an extra frag or two in.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I must say that I am happy with this keyboard. The illumination is intensified more than most keyboards on the market, and the Phone Smart feature is definitely innovative. It has that "bling" factor that a lot of modders and gamers enjoy. Despite it's compact layout, it is still very comfortable to type on. While not perfect for all users, this product does have some nice and innovative features that earn it 7.5 Pimp Hats and a PimpRig Approved rating.

Pimp
- Bright and even illumination
- Innovative Phone Smart feature
- Glossy finish on the body
- Comfortable tactile feedback from keys
- Compact, perfect for LAN parties

Gimp
- No folding feet
- Green status LEDs
- Placement of the Euro key
- Compact, not perfect for extended home use

PimpRig Rating //
(7.5 pimp hats)

Thanks go out to Logisys Computer Inc. for providing this sample to us for review.