The two most affordable Dell Keyboards

The two most affordable Dell Keyboards

  September 21, 2019    Kategat

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Dell Keyboard KB 522 ($18-$29)

The 522 is a budget keyboard that simply works without any frills. It connects via USB so you can  forget about buying batteries and ensuring the keyboard is charged. The most distinguished feature of the keyboard is the inclusion of quick action keys at the top of the keyboard that can trigger the following actions:

• Internet
• Email
• Calculator
• Zoom
• Play/Pause/Fast Forward
• Mute
• Sleep

Unfortunately, these keys are predefined and not programmable. There is also a roller controller to precisely control volume that gives you a nice feeling when you increase and decrease the volume.

Features of the Dell KB522

The keys have no space between them and have a mid-level key depth giving great hepatic response, although not as good as a mechanical keyboard. It also has a built-in comfortable palm rest, which can be attached and detached as and when needed. The top of the keyboard can be elevated to about 10-15 degrees which isn’t too steep and would work for most people. An additional benefit is the inclusion of two USB 2.0 ports on the side. We would recommend using these to plug in peripherals like a USB lamp and not use storage medium like an external hard disk or flash drive, which is more suited to a USB 3.0 port.

Side view of the KB522

The KB522 has a compact design owing mostly to its lack of large bezels around the keys. It has an excellent build quality and would last a good seven years, which cannot be said for most cheap keyboards people buy on Aliexpress. The KB522 is one of Dell’s lowest price offerings and works with any Windows 7/8/10 device seamlessly.

Buy the KB522 from Amazon via the following links

 

Dell KM636 – Keyboard and mouse ($30-$55)

The KM636 is a tad bit more expensive compared to the KB 522 but comes with a mouse. The design is quite elegant and it has a comparatively sleek modern look and feel, being compact and taking up less space. It uses a single 2.4Ghz wireless receiver ‘dongle’ which connects to your USB ports. The devices are powered with two AA batteries for the keyboard and two AAA batteries for the Mouse, Dell claims you could use it for about a year before changing batteries and Dell’s claims are usually legit.

The KM636 has both a mouse and a keyboard.

The Island style keys gives it a clean and comfortable look, reducing errors when typing. The keys are noise-free, like those of a laptop keyboard, so you can type in peace. Do note, some people prefer the noise produced by each keystroke which serves as a way of getting hepatic feedback. In that case, this keyboard may not be for you. The keys have a low-key height but good elevation on the top. There are dedicated action keys only to adjust volume, other actions keys are used with the help of the function key.

Side view of the KM636 Keyboard.

The KB522 on the other hand offers more variety in this regard and contains a scrolling volume controller too. There is an optional palm-rest as with most Dell keyboards.The mouse is a simple three-button with no added feature, it works well as expected. On the cons, the keyboard has no USB ports, which is acceptable since it’s a wireless variant.

Tip: Plug the receiver on a USB 2.0 port instead of a 3.0 port for an error-free experience. Not suited for an environment where everyone is using wireless keyboard and mice, could be interference.

Get the KM636 from Amazon