Penclic Mini Keyboard Review

Is it me or do kids seem to be getting an increasing amount of homework these days? My two are only 7 and 9 and I’m sure they get way more than I ever did at that age. And whilst the majority of it is done in the old school way of pencil in homework books, date in the margin, underline the title etc., there is the occasional computer based project that crops up.

Now whilst we have a variety of different computers in our house, for obvious reasons we are somewhat reluctant to let the kids loose on any that we use for work. Plus, both of them have their own Samsung Galaxy S2 tablets and it would make a nice change if they were to use them for something more constructive than Minecraft and watching YouTube vids of other people playing Minecraft!

I think the thing that’s put me off of them using their tablets for homework in the past has been the fact that I worry about the position they sit in when they use them. I’ve tried to get them to sit upright, but still they revert to that same bent neck position that is oh so frequent in this tech savvy society we live in.

I little while back I reviewed a vertical pen mouse from office health and wellness aficionados Penclic, who have recently bought out another useful accessory to their RSI friendly range. The Penclic KB3 keyboard is both compact and stylish and best of all can connect via Bluetooth to computers, tablets and smartphones. Could this be the answer to our homework problems?

Available in Pro Black (pictured), Pretty Pink, and Glam Gold this metal cased keyboard has small keys (perfect for little fingers) which are smooth, ‘click’ free (no annoying heavy handed tapping) and requires minimal typing effort. But perhaps most importantly, it has been ergonomically designed to help place hands in a comfortable position, thus alleviating the symptoms of repetitive strain related injuries.

How Did We Get On With It?

As we all know, kids don’t mince their words, so here’s just about as honest a review as you’re likely to get!

“I like this keyboard, it feels nice and light and the buttons are really easy to press. It felt a little bit strange at first, but it’s just because I wasn’t used to it. I liked it because when I usually do my homework I have to tap on the onscreen keyboard, and I prefer using a proper keyboard. The only thing I don’t like is that it doesn’t have a mouse and I have to use my screen to do things like underline and copy and paste.”

(Finlay, aged 9)

From a parent’s point of view, it was great being able to set him up at his desk, keyboard positioned in front of him and his screen propped up just like a computer screen. He felt grown up having his own keyboard and I was happy because it meant he was cracking on doing his homework. And because there are no wires it meant that when he had a question to ask me he was able to bring both his tablet and the keyboard downstairs safely and then set himself up on a table near me.  One thing he did find hilarious was that he could type away on the keyboard in one room and I would receive a message on his screen in a different room – obviously not what the purpose of this function is, but funny none the less.

The tablets paired up really easily with the keyboard and could be used straight away and a rather nifty feature is that after 30 minutes of inactivity the keyboard enters energy saving mode, something which is bound to to come in handy if kids are using it.

Here’s all the geeky techno garb you need to know:

• Compatible with Windows, IOS and Andriod.
• Bluetooth (but can be switched to corded if you prefer.
• Can connect to two separate devices simultaneously.
• USB HID 1.1 compatible.
• Battery type: Lithium-polymer battery (voltage 3.1V~4.2V)
• No driver needed.
• USB HID 1.1 compatible.
• Wireless reach: up to 10 meters