Micro Keyboard - 6 Key plus Knob

[Lamron]

www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8HRN7RQ



The Good:
- Build quality is quite good for its price.
- Very good mechanical keys. They can be changed if you want something less "clicky". Also accepts commonly available keycaps.
- Knob is "bumpy" instead of free spinning.
- Custom key assignments are saved in the device itself, so no software needs to stay running, and it will work the same if you plug it into another computer.
- Connector on device is USB-C. This is much better than having a cheap cable hardwired into it that is always going to be the wrong length or get damaged. Use your own cable at whatever length you need.

The Bad:
- Description is wrong - there is no RGB Backlight (I would have turned it off anyway, so this doesn't matter to me)
- Flat bottom with four raised screws. It slides around way too easily. I'm going to add non-slip furniture feet to mine.
- Software is WINDOWS ONLY. The keyboard can be used on a MAC, but you need to plug it into a Windows computer first to program it. The keyboard remembers its settings when you plug it into a MAC computer.

The Unforgivable:
- The required software is NOT included, and there is no download link or other info on how to get it. The device is completely USELESS without the software.


Other Thoughts:
After much searching, I did find software capable of programing this device, so I can supply it to anyone who wants it. It works by assigning any combination of normal keyboard functions or mouse buttons to each of the six keys and to Left Knob / Right Knob / Press Knob.

By itself, its probably best used for frequently used key shortcut combinations for any program that supports them. For example: Key1 = Control+C (copy) or Key2 = ALT+ENTER (toggle fullscreen Media Player). The knob could be set to control volume or some program setting where a knob would make sense.

To get the most use out of this, a keyboard macro program will give you much more flexibility. Set the Micro Keyboard to output key combos that don't do anything, and capture those key combos for functions. I use AutoHotKey to write utility programs, so I can basically make a captured key combo preform any series of events I could imagine.

[RedRock]

Thanks for pointing that out. I suppose there are some good uses of a keyboard that essentially just adds 6-12-18 one-button commands or macros, but a CON should be that this adds one more piece of hardware sitting out on your desk that you have to have plugged in and reachable (and my desktop is already way cluttered with peripherals and cords). Instead, most gaming mice with extra buttons allow scripts or macros to be created and launched, either in a specific application, such as Word or Call of Duty 4, or system-wide, and you don't even have to have a second mouse, just use your gaming mouse for everything. In addition, on the Mac is a free system application called Automator which lets users build simple or long commands/series of commands (automated routines, or "workflows") for actions that are frequently used but which can now be launched by a single command from an on-screen menu (in the application you choose it to be in, or on system-wide resources) or by dragging and dropping a file onto an automator folder. See appletoolbox.com/what-is-the-automator-app-and-how-can-you-use-it/ for more info. For my work Windows 10 use, however, I can see the mini-keyboard useful for a frequent series of repetitive tasks I have to mannually do (launch database, locate specific record (from entered case number), launch reports section, create Report 1, view as pdf, save as pdf to folder on jump drive with case number, then repeat for Reports 2 through 9 for same specific case. Then repeat for specific case # 2, # 3, etc., as needed. That's a lot of clicking and navigating menus to find, create, and save as those reports. Clicking one button, then entering the case number, then clicking GO would be nice.

[Lamron]

Update: died after 8 months of use. But, I found it useful enough that I ordered a replacement.