Comparison A4Tech KL(S)-7MU vs A4Tech X7 G800MU

— Game. Keyboards designed for use in computer games. Outwardly, they are distinguished by a characteristic design, often quite original and aggressive; some key keys, such as WASD, may be highlighted in colour. In addition, the design may provide various special equipment — additional programmable keys, headphone and microphone jacks, a screen with the ability to display in-game chat, etc. Some of these models are created for specific popular games. Keypads are a separate type of gaming keyboards (see "Format").

— Ergonomic. Ergonomic keyboards are distinguished by a specific layout aimed at making long-term work on them as comfortable as possible. The keys of such keyboards may not be located straight, but in an arc, have a rhombic shape, the alphabetic part of the keyboard itself can be divided into two parts located at an angle to each other, etc. Such design solutions provide a more natural position of the hands during work, which helps to reduce fatigue.

— For tablets. Keyboards specially designed for use with Tablet PCs. They can have special mounts and act as a docking station — with such a keyboard, the tablet practically turns into a netbook, up to the ability to fold the entire structure in the manner of a regular laptop (for ease of transportation and protection of the display from damage). Some models are ini...tially optimized for certain tablets. Because the size of modern tablets rarely exceeds 10", then the keyboards for them are made compact (see "Format").

— Keyboard case. Models that combine the functions of a protective case and a keyboard for entering texts or commands in one bottle. As a rule, keyboard cases are produced for certain tablet models, thereby expanding the functionality of tablet computers. When closed, such accessories tightly fit the tablet body and protect it from damage during transportation. According to the connection methods, keyboard cases can use a Bluetooth connection, proprietary connectors or USB.

— For TV. Keyboards designed for use with Smart TVs. These TVs can connect to the Internet and use various network services, and many of them allow you to install additional applications. Both may require a full keyboard — for example, with its help it is convenient to enter text in Skype, search for content by name, or play some games. Common features of "TV" keyboards are, firstly, a compact format (see below), secondly, wireless connection (in most cases; see "Type of connection"), thirdly, the presence of additional buttons and other controls to operate individual TV functions. When choosing such a model, it is worth clarifying its compatibility with a particular TV.

— Flexible. Keyboards made of elastic materials and having a flexible body — most often in the form of a rubber "mat" with protrusion keys. Such models are extremely easy to transport: a flexible design makes it easy to squeeze the keyboard between other things, bend it, or even roll it up. Another advantage is that the “board” can be easily made moisture resistant (although this is not necessary in this case). At the same time, in terms of the “response” of the keys, a flexible keyboard can differ markedly from more traditional ones, and it may take some getting used to working on it. And in terms of format (see below), such models are most often compact.

Traditional keyboards are divided into three main varieties — full-size, compact and ultra-compact. The main difference between them is that full-size models have a Numpad — an additional block with numeric keys and arithmetic signs. Compact models, respectively, do not have a numpad, and in ultra-compact models, the arrow block is either completely absent or located under the Enter key in the form of very small keys.

And full-size, and compact, and ultra-compact keyboards can have different types of layouts. At the same time, the arrangement of letters and numbers above the letters in all types of layouts is the same, the differences are in the shape and position of additional keys (special characters like backslash, system control, modifiers like Shift and Alt, etc.). Here are the most popular options:

— ANSI. The "American" layout format, the distinguishing features of which are, in particular, the same width of both Shift keys, the same labeling and assignment of the Alt keys, the single-row Enter key and the backslash located above it (which is often made slightly longer than the standard key).

— ISO. "European" layout format. The Enter key occupies two rows, while at the top it is slightly longer than at the bottom; the left Shift is shorter than the right one, there is a...backslash next to it; next to the bottom of the Enter may be a second backslash or other special character key; the right Alt is designated as Alt Gr and is intended for entering additional characters in European languages.

— K.S. The "Korean" keyboard layout provides a double-row Enter, as in the ISO described above, however, in this case, the lower part of the Enter is made longer, and not the upper one. The backslash is above Enter, next to Backspace, and Backspace itself is the same length as standard keys (that is, noticeably shorter than in other layouts).

— JIS. Keyboards with a "Japanese" layout have a double-row Enter with an increased length of the upper half — like the ISO described above. However, in this case, the backslash is not located on the left side of the keyboard, but on the right, next to Enter (where an additional symbol key can be located in ISO). Additional character keys may be provided — next to Backspace (as in KS) and/or to the left of the right Shift. In addition, the right Alt can be formatted as Alt Gr.

In addition to compact and full-size, there are also non-traditional keyboard formats:

— Numpad. Separately made block of numeric keys. With the help of such a device, you can, in particular, turn a compact keyboard into a full-size one. Among other things, this combination can be useful for travel: packing a Numpad separately from the keyboard is easier than finding a place for a full-sized "board". Another option for using the Numpad is to connect to a cash register, terminal, etc. to work as a calculator keyboard or in a similar capacity.

— Keypad. A specialized device in the form of a small (approximately 15 – 20 keys) keyboard under one hand; usually, it is complemented by an arm rest, and often also by side buttons for the thumb. Such devices are especially convenient for games and are mainly used in them — certain game actions can be attached to the keypad buttons (including those that are usually implemented through the menu or a key combination on a standard keyboard). The keypad can both complement the main keyboard and serve as a completely separate game pad.

— Non-standard. Non-standard format keyboards that do not belong to any of the varieties described above. The specific design and use of such devices may vary. So, these can be game models in the form of the left half of a standard keyboard (this part is mainly used in games); ultra-compact models for tablets (see "In the direction"); keyboards for TVs, supplemented with special buttons and designed to be held in two hands in the manner of a gamepad, etc.

The distance that the key travels when pressed — from the initial position to touching the contacts and sending the "command". Indicated as high or low. Keyboards with low key travel(3 mm or less) are considered to be more comfortable for fast input (such as fast typing). However, the best option largely depends on the habits and preferences of a particular user.

The number of additional keys provided in the design of the keyboard.

Such keys do not belong to the standard layout and are intended for quick access to specific functions or individual applications — for example, to control the media player or open mail with one click. This function is convenient because commands from additional keys are usually recognized by the system regardless of what is on the screen — thanks to this, for example, you do not have to close the text editor to switch tracks in the player.

Note that in this case we are talking about individual keys that have a strictly defined purpose and corresponding markings. Programmable buttons, the Fn key (see below) and the functions of the main keys implemented through Fn are not taken into account in this paragraph.

The number of programmable keys provided in the design of the keyboard. Like the additional ones described above, such keys are located outside the standard layout. At the same time, they do not have a rigidly defined purpose — each individual function can be set by the user himself, hence the name. Some manufacturers, however, can initially programme these keys, but this programme can still be changed if desired.

The advantage of such equipment is obvious: additional features of the keyboard can be easily customized. Gamers especially appreciate this feature, so programmable keys are often found in gaming models. On the other hand, the keys themselves usually have neutral markings (for example, P1, P2 ...), and the user has to remember which function is “linked” to where; this can cause confusion.

The presence of an additional palm rest in the design of the keyboard. Such a stand is located in the lower (closest to the user) part of the device and is a kind of continuation of the “board”, providing additional support and increasing the comfort of use. However, comfort is largely a matter of personal preference, and not all users like stands; therefore, most often they are made removable.

The presence in the keyboard of a special game mode.

This function is found exclusively in models of the corresponding specialization (see "Intended use"). Enabling Game Mode disables some of the keys and keyboard shortcuts used by the system, such as the Windows Start menu button and the context menu button. Thanks to this, you do not have to worry that an accidental key press will call a system function and interrupt the game.

In many models, you can customize a specific set of keys that are deactivated in the game mode.

Protecting the keyboard from spilling liquid on it. Most waterproof keyboards do not have a full-fledged sealed case and are designed to remain operational in the event of accidental contact with a relatively small amount of liquid (up to 200 mL) — for example, in the classic case of spilling coffee on the keyboard.