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The pandemic added a new entry to the list of company names that have become verbs, with Xerox and Google joined by Zoom. So it was only a matter of time before the arrival of the self-proclaimed world’s first keyboard certified for Zoom. The Dell KB900 Premier Collaboration Keyboard ($119.99) has four LED icons that provide one-touch shortcuts for videoconferencing functions such as muting your microphone and sharing your screen. It’s a handsome wireless device with soft backlit keys that costs $40 less than the Editors’ Choice award-winning Razer Pro Type Ultra, but since it’s not a mechanical keyboard, it can’t match the Razer’s clicky typing feel and long lifespan. Still, the KB900 is extremely comfortable and carries a three-year warranty. It’s an excellent office keyboard for anyone who makes a lot of Zoom calls.
Two Ways to Connect
Made of a dark gray plastic Dell calls graphite with a black stripe over the cursor control keys, the Premier Collaboration Keyboard measures 0.8 by 17.3 by 4.8 inches (HWD), slightly less deep than the Pro Type Ultra (1.6 by 17.3 by 5.2 inches) or another mechanical keyboard, the Logitech MX Mechanical (1.02 by 17.1 by 5.2 inches). It weighs 1.6 pounds. Two pop-out feet elevate its back edge if you prefer a typing tilt. Dell does not supply a wrist rest as Razer does.
Like other wireless peripherals, the 109-key board supports both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz RF connections, the latter via a dinky USB Type-A receiver that Dell says encrypts data transfer. The rightmost key in the top right corner cycles through the RF and two Bluetooth links, letting the KB900 control up to three devices. It works with Mac, Linux, ChromeOS, and Android, but its keycaps and software are only for Windows 10 and 11.
When you insert the RF dongle—there’s no cubbyhole or niche to stash it in the keyboard as some rivals provide—the KB900 downloads and installs the Dell Peripheral Manager software, which can also control the companion Dell MS900 Premier Rechargeable Mouse. Pairing a second device is as easy as holding a button or key (on the device you’re adding, not the first, as I discovered) while turning the latter on. More about the software in a moment.
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(Credit: Molly Flores)
The KB900 comes with a cable with USB-C connectors on both ends, used only for charging (it always functions as a wireless keyboard). Dell says charging for one minute is sufficient for a day’s use, and a full charge lasts up to 20 days. There’s a power switch at the right rear, but no USB pass-through ports, which typically aren’t found on wireless keyboards.
The Premier Collaboration Keyboard has a numeric keypad with keys to launch Windows’ Calculator and clear entries above it. By default, the top-row F1 through F12 keys control audio volume, media playback and next/previous track, system lock, Snipping Tool, showing and switching desktops, search, and backlight brightness.
(Credit: Eric Grevstad)
The last is assigned to F8, which can always be used to turn off keyboard lighting, but only cycles through different levels when Dell Peripheral Manager is set to Manual rather than Adaptive Light mode. The latter adjusts the backlight based on ambient light and turns it off after a minute of idle time, illuminating again when you bring your hands back to the keyboard.
Testing the KB900: Whisper-Quiet, Pleasant Texture
Dell’s website says the KB900 is “crafted with surreal detail,” which apparently means elegant design rather than Lovecraftian geometry. While it both looks and feels considerably higher-quality than a generic $49 keyboard, the Premier Collaboration Keyboard relies on laptop-style scissor switches rather than mechanical switch technology.
This means its key travel is relatively shallow—Dell doesn’t specify travel in millimeters, but I’d describe it as comparable with a mainstream laptop, a bit deeper than the thinnest ultraportable—and almost silent, with only a faint tapping rather than clickety-clacking sound.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
The keycaps have a slightly padded or rubbery texture that makes typing easy. I know mechanical keyboards are supposed to be the elite choice, but my fingers sometimes feel tired after a day’s work on one; the KB900 feels luxuriously comfortable and enjoyable. In addition to missing key travel and actuation force ratings, Dell also fails to list estimated durability, which I’d guess is short of the Pro Type Ultra’s 80 million keystrokes, but as I mentioned the keyboard carries a three-year warranty.
(Credit: Dell)
Between the cursor arrow keys and the Delete, End, and Page Down row are four LEDs that light up only during Zoom calls (using version 5.9.3 or later of the desktop app). They toggle or mute your microphone; turn your webcam or video off and on; launch screen sharing; and open Zoom’s chat window. They work fine, but oddly require a double tap by default. The Dell software lets you change to a single tap or enable and disable the four individually.
Speaking of Dell Peripheral Manager, version 1.6.4 proved balky on my Windows 11 desktop, failing to launch properly about a third of the time—the battery gauge was grayed out and there was no response when clicking the backlight option buttons. Closing and restarting it usually worked.
(Credit: Dell)
Besides seeing your device connections and controlling the lighting and Zoom LEDs, it lets you customize or reprogram 15 top-row keys—F1 through F12 except F8, Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause, and the calculator key. You can choose functions from a pull-down menu; I looked for and couldn’t find screen brightness (one of my HP Envy 34 keyboard’s defaults) but was otherwise pleased with the array of options.
Verdict: A Splendid Soft Touch
Generally, we recommend high-quality mechanical keyboards over laptop-style models, but the Dell KB900 is about as good as a non-mechanical keyboard gets. It offers a plush typing feel, convenient backlighting and Zoom shortcuts, versatile wireless connections, and good battery life. The lack of a wrist rest will turn off some, and the software glitch I encountered was annoying, but the Premier Collaboration Keyboard still earns high marks—particularly if you spend much of your day on video calls.
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If you make frequent Zoom calls and prefer a soft touch to the springy click of mechanical switches, Dell’s backlit KB900 Premier Collaboration Keyboard is a top-quality wireless control center.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-kb900-premier-collaboration-keyboard