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December 13th, 2008, 10:17 GMT · By

The Verbatim Speaker Keyboard

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Many would wonder why spend $75 on a speaker keyboard.
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Sometimes it just seems that the multimedia concept goes a little too far, and, when it comes to our daily gadgets, each passing week brings a new item to make this assertion even stronger. It's the case of the new keyboard from Verbatim, the Speaker Keyboard. Now, it's true that Verbatim isn't one of the heaviest names when it comes to keyboard manufacturing and the company is way better known for its high-quality storage solutions. Yet, let's see what the Speaker Keyboard is all about.

 

Well, it's obvious that such a gadget is trying to hit two birds with one stone: typing and enjoying your fav music at the same time. Yet we're looking at a rather cool gadget flawed by some functional imperfections.

 

We're not gonna talk too much about the keyboard itself, because in this case there isn't any special feature, save for the backlighting, which can make typing in dark surroundings a lot easier. As far as the released pictures are concerned, we dare say that the Verbatim Speaker Keyboard is built quite sturdy and from quality materials, but when it comes to keyboards, the only tests to be taken seriously are those of time and heavy use.

 

The keyboard has a raised wedge housing the stereo speakers and some other controls for your music playback habits. The whole ensemble is powered by your USB port, whether we're thinking about the audio or the backlight. The Verbatim Speaker Keyboard sports mic and headphone connectors, meaning that you can actually go personal with your music in case you're in the same room with some people who simply cannot find anything cool in Cannibal Corpse's track “The Bleeding.” Just make sure about your computer's setup as the USB audio chipset will automatically override the existing settings and use this keyboard as the default device.

 

Of course, you get transport controls and a volume knob, but they won't do in our case. We were almost willing to stop asking why not buy some top-notch desktop speakers and enjoy hefty bass and crisp audio but we saw the price for the Verbatim Speaker Keyboard: 75 bucks is definitely too much for such a gadget, unless you're desperately looking to have a keyboard that very few others would ever get; for Mac or for PC.

 

We are just a few, but there are many of you, Softpedia users, out there. That's why we thought it would be a good idea to create an email address for you to help us a little in finding gadgets we missed. Interesting links are bound to be posted with recognition going mainly to those who submit. The address is .

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: D. Fleming on 15 Dec 2008, 03:49 UTC reply to this comment

"The first thing that came to our attention is that the Verbatim Speaker Keyboard sports no headphone connector" .... if you are going to review a product why don't you do it properly. I bought one of these recently, look at the back. Isn't that a headset and mic connection ??? ... overall I have been more than satisfied with the keyboard. Bought it at Amazon with a $20 rebate.


Comment #2 by: Florin Tibu on 15 Dec 2008, 07:35 UTC reply to this comment

Hi, D. Flemming, and thanks for your thoughtful comment. The small mistake was corrected and it was due to the lack of data in the presentation of the keyboard; we did not have a hands-on experience with it and had to rely on the released materials, including the scarce info on the manufacturer's website.


Comment #3 by: D. Fleming on 15 Dec 2008, 15:17 UTC reply to this comment

Hi Florin - You're welcome, thanks also. Originally I was looking for a keyboard with illumination. Logitech's "Illuminated Keyboard" was an option but when I saw the Verbatim Speaker Keyboard which is actually priced LESS than the Logitech board and has the Speakers as well ... it was a no brainer for me, so I think $75 isn't so bad (and less with rebate) given what else is out there ... I thought you reviewed products by actually using them, if info is scarce why don't re-confirm questions with the company? or whoever is providing you with info on the product? ... would probably make sense before writing this stuff ... just my 2 cents. Damien.


Comment #4 by: Florin Tibu on 15 Dec 2008, 15:32 UTC reply to this comment

Hi Damien. Having extensive info and answers form the manufacturers is ideal, indeed, but the rather long periods between our questions and the manufacturers' reply will cause "old news". Nevertheless, we're working on gathering the most accurate data; and we have to thank readers like you for their care about the accuracy of our news.


Comment #5 by: hkupfer on 22 Jul 2009, 14:26 UTC reply to this comment

Great Keyboard but unable to use the "C" key to boot from a bootable disc. Using a Mac running OSX 10.4.9 nor can I use the "T" key to turn my computer drive into a usable drive when attached via firewire cable and another computer.

hkupfer

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