Clavier Aluminium (HCK-1S18A) Keyboard

     The AT clicker is definitely bigger.  Listed at 386x150x22mm, the Hiper exaggerates the size of my AT beast.

     Surprisingly, the main part of the Hiper consumes roughly the same real-estate as the AT board.  The noticeable difference is the spacing in between the core keys and all the extraneous ones.

     The function keys have been nestled snugly atop the top row number keys, and the directional keys such as pgup, pgdown, home, end, insert and delete have been dispersed about the layout so as to eliminate roughly three inches from the board.  Although the number pad appears to be intact, the '0' key has been shortened so as to allow the arrow keys to be smashed between the control key and '0' while maintaining the normalcy of the arrow key layout.  This is an annoyance to me since I'm used to being able to easily find the arrow keys by touch.  I often get the '0' key when I mean to use the right-arrow.

     Viewed from the end, we see that the Hiper keyboard is thinner than the old AT style by about a third.

     With both keyboards inclined, the Hiper's top is roughly a third higher than the base of my AT clicker.

     Things to note about this board: due to the keys being plastic, it's easy to damage them.  Unfortunately, Darren found this out the hard way. (notice the scratched 'J' key)

     We see that the multimedia keys are flat topped much like the other keys, but are flush mounted to the case.  This requires the user to push a finger into a very small hole.  It also means that you can't easily identify them by feel, you have to look at the labels.

     Although it's not common, I did find that the multimedia keys might stick under just the right conditions. Overall, I found it as robust as any keyboard I've found.  Aside from the plastic keycaps, the quality seems top notch.  As I use it I keep comparing it to the feel of a laptop layout.  Everything is within easy reach, and there's no obstructions due to its flat layout.

     Conclusion.....

     In my opinion, the layout of the multimedia keys lends itself more to style and appearance than to form and function.  That being said, who would I think this keyboard was designed for?  Well, if you're looking for a new keyboard and focused on the multimedia aspect, this board may not be for you.  However, if you're interested in a stylish keyboard that is compact yet full featured, then this is the board for you.  Think of it as a laptop keyboard with a full-size keyboard layout, and you're on the right track.  Of course if you're looking to jazz up your desktop, or even reduce the space consumed by your computer peripherals, this would fit your need just as nicely.  Personally, I prefer the natural style keyboards, but this keyboard is certainly one I would consider nice enough to own otherwise.