I was sent an Azio retro compact keyboard for my holiday gift guide. All opinions are my own.
Ryan is a pretty practical person. He doesn’t have any hobbies where he regularly spends money. Some years it’s so difficult for me to come up with gift ideas for him that I just ask him what he would like. It’s usually something fairly practical. A small mechanical keyboard has been on his wish-list for a while. I actually tried to get him one last Christmas but I got one that was so small that it lacked arrow keys, which really bothered him so that one never got used regularly.
This year I went with the new Azio retro compact keyboard. It is a small mechanical keyboard but it has arrow keys. He’s been using this daily for a couple of weeks and he loves it.
This new keyboard was successfully funded through an indiegogo campaign this fall so it’s still quite new. The keyboard is made with genuine leather and walnut wood. It comes in different finishes. Ryan was sent the gunmetal black one so the leather and wood is a bit harder to see than the other models, but we like the sleek, modern look of the gunmetal black. The frame is made from a solid piece of aluminum alloy making it quite durable. It has “blue” mechanical key switches. Ryan wanted a mechanical keyboard because they provide a really smooth typing experience and provide a satisfying little click when used. Ryan is often working just a few feet from where I am working on my laptop. I find the subtle sound of him typing quite relaxing! Each key has a centered backlight LED which illuminates the keyboard. Ryan uses a Windows PC, but if you use a MAC there are keycaps included that you can replace to make it accommodate your operating system. It can be used wirelessly with bluetooth or it can connect via USB. It has a high-capacity lithium-ion rechargeable battery that allows the keyboard to be used for approximately 1-2 months with backlight depending on the backlight intensity and how often it is used. Or if used without the backlight on, it will last about 9 months!
Ryan is a web developer and he uses his desktop to play PC games at times. He has enjoyed using this keyboard for both purposes. He said for the first day or two he would accidentally hit the wrong keys because the home/end/page up etc keys are in a different area than they were placed on his last keyboard. However, he managee to adjust in just a couple of days. He considered switching back to his old keyboard just to play a video game one day, as he thought he would be faster with that keyboard he has more experience with. HE found that he had already gotten so used to the Azio Retro Compact Keyboard that the old one felt strange already. He was surprised at how cheap and flimsy his old keyboard felt after just a few days of using the Azio.
If you know someone who works from a desktop, plays games from a desktop or who is just sort of a gadget lover, check out Azio. Ryan loves this retro classic keyboard, but Azio offers many different keyboards so if you know someone who prefers the larger style with more keys, they still have you covered.
Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This is the coolest looking keyboard ever, I want one! The keys remind me of old typewriters, I love typing on raised keys like this. This is definitely going on my wish list, thank you so much for sharing!
Cami Valenzuela
Barrie
monique s
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Melissa Storms
This is an awesome gift idea. I agree I like the gun metal black. It would be my choice as well.