I-Rocks RF-6520 ultraslim wireless keyboard review: I-Rocks RF-6520 ultraslim wireless keyboard

The I-Rocks RF-6520 Ultra Slim Wireless Keyboard is a featherweight, portable keyboard to use with a laptop in a portable setting. It has a small wireless transmitter that connects via a USB port. While we wish they company would have used Bluetooth, we can't complain about the keyboard's $40 price tag. We don't recommend this flimsy keyboard for daily desktop use, but the RF-6520 will work well for travelers that desire a light, affordable keyboard for use on the road.

6.0

I-Rocks RF-6520 ultraslim wireless keyboard

The Good

Inexpensive; lightweight; portable wireless transmitter clips into the bottom of the keyboard.

The Bad

Space-saving key layout has a learning curve; lightweight design causes unintentional movement and flex; no Bluetooth support.

The Bottom Line

If you need an inexpensive, temporary keyboard to accompany your laptop on the road, I-Rocks RF-6520 may be a good fit for you; however, if you're shopping for a permanent desktop replacement keyboard, you should look elsewhere.

The RF-6520's compact design makes it a viable accessory if you're a Netbook user looking for a full set of keys to combat the device's tiny typing area. The whole keyboard is 75 percent of the size of a standard desktop keyboard and it is only slightly longer than the keys on our Lenovo ThinkPad T61. At 13.5-inches long by 5.4-inches wide, it is certainly small enough to fit comfortably in a laptop case or carry-on bag.

To create a space-saving design, I-Rocks moves the Print Screen, Pause/Break, and Delete keys directly above the plus sign and backspace bar, which takes some time to get accustomed to before you're able to type as fast as you can on a full-size keyboard. I-Rocks also repurposes the Home, Page Down, Page Up, and End buttons as secondary keys to the directional arrows.

Touch typists and laptop warriors won't have a problem transitioning to the new layout thanks to the low-profile scissor-switch keys that require limited travel to press and also provide the added benefit of a quieter click.

I-Rocks includes three AAA batteries with the RF-6520 that power its 2.4GHz wireless transmitter that connects to the host computer's USB 2.0 port. According to the company, its battery life will last approximately six months with normal use. While we prefer Bluetooth technology because it's one less dongle to worry about, but the RF-6520 has a small storage clip built into the underside of the keyboard to help you keep track of it.

According to the specifications page on I-Rocks Web site, the keyboard is compatibility with Windows machines only, but only because of the Windows button. In our anecdotal tests, the keyboard works on a Mac if you use DoubleCommand, a handy tool that swaps the Alt and Windows keys for Option and Apple.

On the bottom of the keyboard, you'll find a compartment for the batteries, the wireless transmitter, and two feet that flip up to position the keys at an upright angle. The bottom also has four rubber feet to keep the keyboard from sliding around on a smooth tabletop, but it's missing a corresponding set of feet on the opposite end. The four feet do a decent job of bracing the keyboard as you type, but it irritated us that we had to reposition the keyboard often.

The I-Rocks RF-6520 uses a super lightweight plastic to maintain its light 300-gram weight, but it makes it feel cheap and flimsy.