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Published: May 31, 2009 Author: Michael Chiu Editor: Amber Lupala Provider: I-Rocksusa Share this article:

Testing and conclusion

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Looking at the back of the keyboard, we find two USB expansion ports, which is a feature that I really like with my keyboards. It’s nice to be able to plug in a USB thumb drive or other device without having to access the USB ports on the computer.

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The back of the keyboard also has two small tilting features that allow you to adjust the tilt of the keyboard. I found both positions to be comfortable.

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To install the i-Rocks Cherry Mechanical keyboard, simply plug in the keyboard into any USB port, and start typing. No software to install which is useful if you just want to do basic typing on the keyboard. The keyboard has nice blue LEDs on the caps lock, scroll lock, and number lock.

I’m a supporter of mechanical keyboards, as I like the true response; the i-Rocks mechanical keyboard does this genre proud. It’s not a “clicky” keyboard like the IBM keyboards I mentioned in the intro, but it does provide a mechanical feel to typing, similar to a typewriter. I tend to mash on the keys a little, so I don’t mind the small amount of extra force needed to activate the keys. From a typing perspective, I felt that my speed increased and my error rate decreased with the keyboard. However, as I mentioned earlier, I did not enjoy the layout as much as my other keyboards, due to the odd placement of certain buttons. This ultimately rendered the keyboard into the spare bin.

Conclusion:
The i-Rocks Cherry MX Mechanical Keyboard does bring back great memories of the heyday of mechanical keyboards. The keyboard provides nice tactile response to typing, giving you more of a true typing experience. But the reduced layout does limit its everyday use and makes it difficult to transition from a standard keyboard. Overall, if you like mechanical keyboards and can live with some keys being in odd places, you should give this keyboard a try.

Pros:
+ Mechanical keys provide true typing experience
+ Quick Response
+ Slim and lightweight
+ Two additional USB ports.

Cons:
- Compact layout with certain keys in non-standard locations
- No additional “special” keys