The Case for Technicality

The other day, I decided to get myself an “extra” keyboard that would be a bit more comfortable and flexible to use than that of the laptop. And, being the sucker for kitsh objects that I am, when I spotted a flexible, bendy one, I had to go for the gold.

Practicality-wise, it is appalling. While it offers unhindered performance even in the bleakest of sandstorms, the fact it is flexible means that one needs a fairly even surface upon which to attempt tapping. The “full size keyboard” is impervious to spilled hot liquids, but its sheer breadth means most coffee mugs cannot be located anywhere near it. These bold exclamations of the keyboard’s amazing endurance and usability are kind of undermined by the fact that the keyboard itself is fairly useless with a much more fragile (and less likely to be taken out into a ferocious sandstorm) computer.

Likewise, the instructions are an interesting affair. They are a fascinating mix of highly articulate and completely incomprehensible. The Health & Safety warning (well written) should contain a clause cautioning readers to seek psychiatric assistance should other parts of the booklet cause too much confusion.

Purchases like this reinforce the melange of forces that influence our consumer goods these days. Almost anything is catered for in a variety of ways, even if the resultant product ends up as an object of ridicule.

Verdict: I know it is fairly rubbish. And it makes me love it all the more. A QWER on a QWERTY scale.