We’re just planning Black Friday, last minute as usual. Here are all the goodies which will be included.
https://www.keyboardco.com/category.asp?sr=black+friday&ex=1
Black Friday 2021
Posted in Articles
Brexit latest on Jan 21st 2021
26th Jan 2021.
Keyboard Company Shipping to EU nations Post Brexit.
Hi.
At present we are seeing shipments physically moving as well as expected but there are some difficulties with Sales Tax collection and associated Fees from carriers.
Keyboards are duty free on WTO so there are no charges related to that except on some accessories.
As we are no longer in the Customs union, VAT (Sales Tax) is now being collected in the destination nation and we no longer add this to the cost of the order when we take your payment.
So your order will not have the 20% added to it in the shopping cart on Keyboardco.com but this will be added at the point of delivery at the rate applicable in your country. This has always been the case with USA and Asia, so you may have come across it before.
This means that right now, when the carrier is ready to deliver to you they will contact you and ask for this payment before they will leave any goods with you. And they can add an administration fee which should be around 10 or 20 Euro, but in some nations we have seen it being higher than this. Sadly, at this point, there is no certainty on this figure, although you may get some clearer idea from your local carrier office.
With Brexit 3 weeks old now, and the last minute nature of the agreement, nations and carriers are just learning the facts now, as they go along. It’s far from ideal. But we are seeing more clarity as time goes by and we hope to have a more definite situation soon. We are working with our carriers to set up a DDP offering. That is Delivery – Duty Paid (And VAT paid). With this – all charges will be paid by us to our account so that when the goods are delivered there is no charge made. This will give the certainty we want for our customers but it seems it will be some one or two weeks until we can offer this. And set it up to work in our shopping cart.
I can only apologise for any difficulties this causes and assure you that we are working to ensure that we improve the situation. And of course, I would like to assure you that we value you custom, wherever you may be in the world.
Best Wishes
Bruce
Posted in Articles
Christmas Shipping.
Christmas delivery dates.
In consultation with our carriers we have the below dates as the latest despatch dates for delivery before Christmas.
We recommend ordering as soon as possible as our carriers and, by extension, ourselves cannot guarantee Christmas deliveries.
Royal Mail Small Items UK Sunday the 20th
Royal Mail 24 UK Tuesday the 22nd
Royal Mail 48 UK Monday the 21st
Royal Mail Western Europe Wednesday the 16th
Royal Mail Eastern Europe Friday the 11th
Royal Mail Rest of World Friday the 4th
UKmail UK Mainland Saturday the 19th
UKmail Highlands and Islands Friday the 18th
Courier USA and Canada Wednesday the 16th
TNT Express Europe Monday the 21st
TNT Express Rest Rest of World Tuesday the 15th
Please note our last shipping day before Christmas is Tuesday the 22nd.
Posted in Articles
Black Friday 2020
So it’s that time of year again.
I hope you are all surviving and making the most of it despite the trials of COVID-19 and WFH and closed Pubs.
At least now we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel.
I am hoping to cheer you all up with HALF PRICE offers on some MiniLa from Filco and some of the hugely popular Keychron K2-V1.
So watch this space for full details, going live on…….
Friday!
UPDATE Black Friday deals are now live just go to keyboardco.com and click on Black Friday!
Posted in Articles
Brexit. November 2020 update.
Things on the Brexit front have moved little since my post in February this year.
But we are planning for all eventualities.
We are confident we can continue to serve all our customers in EU areas and we have an arrangement in place to open a satellite office within the EU should it become necessary in the event of a no-deal. We have talked with all our logistics partners and there is a feeling that the physical movement of goods may see some small delays in the first months but that it will not be more than a day or two and that it will settle down again quickly. VAT/Sales Tax may change if we leave Customs Union but we feel this is possibly an advantage to us. We won’t have to add that VAT. The only drawback to this is that customers may have to pay their local VAT when goods are delivered. Usually this would be collected by the carrier as is the case right now if buying from USA or China. There are rules on this that seem to allow purchases under a certain value without any VAT collected.
With regards to goods that we buy from outside of the EU and then sell inside the EU, we see no issues with this. There may be some ‘Country of Origin’ paperwork we will need to do but this is something we already do in certain cases so would be nothing new.
We have valued suppliers in the EU too. Again, we have liased with all those concerned and we don’t foresee any insurmountable obstacles, such as would endanger supply. There is likely to be some more paperwork but that is mostly going to be on the part of us and our carriers.
We hope and expect that the experience of buying from The Keyboard Company will be as friction free as ever. I am personally committed to continuing to serve our fantastic clientele.
If you have any questions please let me know.
Best Wishes to you all.
Bruce.
Posted in Articles
Covid-19 UPDATE 08/04/2020.
Working From Home Week 3
We’ve been running The Keyboard Company remotely for the best part of three weeks now, having started on 19th March.
I am pleased to report that all is working out well; the guys who have stayed on-site can keep an appropriate distance from one another with one person in the office and one in stores.
The stores have been particularly busy. I am grateful beyond measure to these guys.
And I am so proud of the whole team who despite having to work from home and do things differently, have managed to keep everything very smooth with no more problems than one would expect under normal conditions.
So orders still ship same day and carriers are keeping to standard delivery timescales.
Royal Mail is doing a fantastic job and deserves thanks, they are proving to be another of those – as yet – unidentified hero services.
We are shipping about double the amount of orders we usually would at this time of year.
It is no surprise that the medical and washable keyboards and mice are popular right now but more surprising is the amount of sales to people working from home. But of course, if working from home for the first time, you tend to find things that need improving, and if you don’t already have a good quality mechanical keyboard, then it is an excellent time to get one. We have had a fair few customers saying things like: ‘my Filco is sitting on my desk at the office, and I can’t do without it’ and buying another one, or a slightly different one. Tenkeyless and other small footprint keyboards have been particularly popular.
I’m finding I can do everything I need to remotely. I am saving the hour a day spent in the car, and with no meetings or interruptions, I am finding that I do like working from home. All our suppliers are managing to meet our needs, and we are supporting our cleaners and other staff who are effectively not working. If it wasn’t for the horror of the Corona Virus on our society and our NHS – I couldn’t be happier.
I am even finding time to update the blog more regularly.
I hope you are keeping safe out there and following the guidance and I believe we will pull together and come through this the stronger for it. The sooner, the better.
Bruce
Posted in Articles
Keyboard and Mouse advice relating to COVID19 Virus.
Keyboard and Mouse advice relating to COVID19 Virus.
The COVID19 virus is a huge challenge for all of us. For many years now we have supplied a range of keyboards and mice for use in infection control. We are getting many enquiries, and here I hope to cover some of the main points and provide a little guidance on what is available.
We at The Keyboard Company have no medical or infection control qualifications. We rely on evidence-based research to inform us about the efficacy of products when used to combat infection risks.
With the COVID19 virus, there has been no time for robust research, so we have to say that we cannot be sure of its behaviour on surfaces. However, COVID19 is an envelope virus similar to others that have been studied so research into removing them from keyboards should still be of some value.
The accepted view at present is that the virus is killed by 65% plus solutions of alcohol and can also be washed away with soap and water. It seems reasonable to assume that a keyboard that can be cleaned with alcohol or is washable will provide some protection.
The emphasis on handwashing at present lends weight to the need for these cleanable products. Hand washing becomes ineffective if one is touching a contaminated surface regularly, and most keyboards stop working immediately they come into contact with water.
Ideally, at this time, a policy of not sharing keyboards and mice would be the most robust way to avoid cross-infection. But this is not always possible and even when it is – a product that can be disinfected is a great benefit.
Our products cover a range of scenario from an occasional wash to disinfection at regular and frequent rates. Often the time taken, and effort needed to disinfect is a factor that can impede implementation of the most well-intentioned protocol. Here is some guidance for those who are considering investing in keyboards and mice that can be cleaned.
Please note that these products aim to reduce the risk of transmission through being cleanable. No keyboard or mouse can promise 100% protection against transmission. They work on the basis that they are cleaned regularly with an appropriate product to remove or destroy infective agents.
Some keyboards have ‘built-in’ antibacterial properties in their materials. These products can be of benefit in an everyday situation. In essence, they might kill some germs but are not intended to replace washing or cleaning with appropriate chemicals.
The following products are safe to clean with both household disinfectants and those commonly used in healthcare, including those containing alcohol.
For clarity, I will group products using a traffic light system.
- Green: These products are suitable for an application where a daily clean is deemed sufficient, for example, a personal computer at home or in the office.
- Amber: These products are for environments where keyboards are shared and so need cleaning more than once a day.
- Red: These products can be disinfected as often as required, are quick and easy to clean and ensure little room for mistakes in the process. These will be the ones typically used in Medical situations.
A word about keyboard covers: we cannot sell these on the pretence that they offer any form of robust protection. They are prone to splitting, and they do not fit well enough to ensure infection cannot enter beneath them. They are most appropriate for use in environments such as garages and petrol stations as a physical barrier to soiling rather than to reduce infection risk.
GREEN.
We have some models that have the look and feel of a standard computer keyboard and mouse.
These have a significant advantage in that the user experience for touch-typing and working is the same and work can carry on as before. They can be wiped with disinfectant and sprayed, but for a more robust clean they can be unplugged from the computer and washed, some even in a dishwasher. Please remember, washing a potentially contaminated keyboard should be done in an appropriate place as some virus may remain in the washing area.
A few examples of these are:
Keyboards.
Mice.
ATM IP68 mouse with scroll wheel
Seal Shield Silver Storm Wireless.
AMBER.
These models provide some more protection and are quicker to disinfect. They will have some form of sealing on top so that infection cannot enter the inside of the keyboard, and the washing process is made easier.
Again these are more user-friendly than some of the RED models. They have a tactile feel when pressed, which is a help for data entry.
Many of the AMBER products are as well sealed as the RED models but have raised keys and grooves. This means that while giving a more normal keyboard feel they also add to the time and attention required for cleaning.
Some of the most robust models are in this section, and they offer excellent value. For a keyboard that may require disinfection 2-3 times a day, they are often a good option. Some also have built-in pointing devices.
Mice in this category tend to be ‘over-moulded’ with a silicon rubber cover and will use press buttons for scrolling as no-one has managed to seal a scroll wheel.
Amber Keyboards.
Indukey Smart Clinical – With touchpad.
ATM Medical Sealed IP-68 Silicone Touchpad Keyboard White
ATM Medical Sealed IP-68 Silicone Touchpad Keyboard Black
ATM Medical Sealed IP-68 Silicone Keyboard White
ATM Medical Sealed IP-68 Silicone Keyboard Black
AMBER Mice. Most of these are suitable for RED as well.
SterileMouse Laser Wireless Antibacterial Scroll
SterileMouse Laser Antibacterial Scroll
Sealshield Wireless Medical Mouse.
RED.
For the most part, these are products that can be wiped clean with a disinfectant wipe, like the sorts used in hospitals. They are completely flat on the top surface, so the process is quick and easy, and there are no gaps or grooves where infection may hide. Sometimes they are a little less user-friendly and touch typing can be inhibited. Still, they offer the highest level of protection.
RED products are perfect for a dentist who has a keyboard close to the work area that needs to be disinfected in between each client, or a GP needing to disinfect in between patients.
Some RED products have a touchpad type pointing device in the flat surface so this is also disinfected in the same action. Some are wireless meaning that the cable can also be eliminated as a potential source of infection.
Most of these types have a silicon rubber top surface that is soft and has some ‘give’ in it when pressed.
It is essential that this surface material is robust. We like the SterileFlat keyboard very much because it is constructed from durable materials. Other similar models we have tested were weaker and prone to splits and tears, which would negate their anti-infection benefits.
We also have Cleankeys which has a flat Gorilla Glass top surface with a touchpad built-in. It is a similar feeling to using a tablet or smartphone and comes wired or wireless. The built-in touchpad also has the advantage that there is no need for a separate mouse. These are the ultimate in Ease of practice for infection control. High Quality and Made in Germany.
Cleankeys Glass Touchpad Keyboard
From China:
Medical Glass Easy Clean Touchpad Keyboard
And Made in UK – SterileFlat is very cost-effective and very robust. Wired or wireless available from stock.
SterileFlat Wireless Keyboard.
Posted in Articles, Guides, Meta, News Tagged with: accumed, aitmon, antibacterial, bastron, Cleankeys, indukey, keyboards, medical, medical. keyboard, mice, mouse, Seal Shield, washable, wipe clean, wipeable
COVID19 Virus – Keyboard Company preparations.
COVID-19. The Keyboard Company, Trial home working and how we are planning.
Hi Folks.
We are experiencing quite a concerning situation at present. The like of which I have never had to think about in my business life. So in all honesty – I am making it up as I go along.
The priority for me has to be the Health and Safety of the team here, our customers and others we may be in contact with.
And then ensuring the ongoing success of The Keyboard Company and continuing services that we provide.
And I am aware that we all have a duty to the nation as a whole and our communities.
At present the situation is fast moving, we follow government advice and make decisions on a day to day basis using our best judgement.
This week we are going to send home as many people as possible to work from home for 2 days. We will have a small team staying to run the stores and ensure goods in and out continue – as that is the essence of what we do. But the admin staff can work remotely.
We have in theory had a set up for this in place for many years but only one or two at a time have ever needed to use it.
This week on Thursday and Friday all the office and admin staff will work from home as a dry run to make sure our preparations are robust and ready for the possibility that we will in some way be enforced to do so. As we have seen in China and Italy when COVID19 becomes more widespread it seems it may become unavoidable, and so a test is going to ensure we are fully prepared for business continuity.
All email will be accessed by the correct people so that email communication will not change. Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and all social channels will be unchanged. Telephone calls are one thing that present more of a challenge but we will leave the main lines open and someone should answer, but we also have a new mobile should there be any issues. This is
+44 7955-570045.
This is also the number for our whatsapp.
So good luck everyone, stay safe and we look forward to hearing from you.
Posted in Articles
Brexit and The Keyboard Company
A few words from Bruce on Brexit and The Keyboard Company.
As you will have heard The UK is in the process of leaving the EU.
Personally I find this sad and I would like to express my enduring respect, admiration and commitment to all our customers, suppliers and friends in EU nations. Indeed, to all peoples of EU nations.
I am not here to give political opinion, I will just comment on how we are affected in our job of supplying keyboards. The UK voted, the result is clear and we will now live with it, that’s Democracy.
Much is undecided as yet so I cannot give a comprehensive route map but here are my feelings and intentions for The Keyboard Company.
As a business, we only have much the same information as anyone else – so I am no expert.
Right now we are in what is described as The Transition Period.
This will run until December 2020 when we will be subject to whatever deal, or non deal is negotiated between EU and UK.
There is reason to wonder what that deal may look like and how things will proceed after December but while we are in transition
we are still fully in the EU for all practical purposes and can happily support our customers in EU nations as we have done in recent years.
So for now, nothing really changed.
I would only be able to guess at what our politicians may come up with as a deal to work with the EU after December.
My guess would be something along the lines of a Canada deal but there are bound to be changes of some sort and the possible permutations are many.
However, it is our intention to maintain our links with our friends and customers and suppliers in EU and we are confident we will be able to do so.
We have plans in place to open a subsidiary business within the EU block should the need arise.
So one way or another, please be assured – we will be here to help as we have always done.
It is highly possible under a Canada type deal that we will have access to the single market but will not be part of the customs union. This would put EU nations on a par with other nations that we deal with, and actually allow us to run one system for the whole world, rather than the two we now work with. In this respect I am hopeful that it will be more fair to all our clientele.
It will mean that we send goods to EU customers with no VAT added. And this VAT may, or may not, be collected by the carrier upon delivery of goods. I expect all electronic items will continue to adhere to CE, RoHS and WEEE regulations regardless of any deal so I don’t see an issue there.
But this is speculation. I will post again once we have some certainty. My main aim today is to assure everyone of our ongoing commitment to The European Keyboard Market. We have been buying and selling Keyboards all over the world since 1989 and although Brexit is sure to present challenges we have come through much strife in the past and we should be able to handle what may come now.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Bruce.
The Best Compact Bluetooth Keyboard For Mac: The Keychron K2 Mechanical
There aren’t many compact wireless mechanical keyboards on the market but the Keychron K2 is one of the best there is. It’s probably (according to me and several other reviewers) the best compact mechanical keyboard for Apple devices as well.
What’s special about this Kickstarter Funded Keyboard? Well for starters it can be used on both Mac, Android or Windows devices. It can also be used Wired or Wireless and it has a massive battery capacity. One charge will last an age! It has a huge (for a keyboard anyway) 4000mAh battery.
I’m using it on a Mac mini at the minute, I’ve swapped from a generic logitech bluetooth one and it’s miles better! Mac users often get a rough deal when it comes to third party peripherals, they are either insanely expensive or just not that good! Have a quick search on Amazon, the results aren’t inspiring at all. The Keychron K2 is an exception to this generally true assumption.
Suggested Reading:
The Keychron K2 featured in this article is also featured in a blog detailing the best keyboards for software development and coding. Be sure to check out out.
A wireless mechanical keyboard for Mac:
The Keychron K2 has a long list of features and it nails them all. It has almost every feature you could want from a compact mechanical keyboard. It’s stylish, compact and highly accurate. The proof is in the pudding, I’m writing this review using the K2 right now. Before we go any further into the review, let’s take a look at the full list of features.
Keychron K2 Specifications:
Ten keyless 84-key keyboard
Mac setup with Control, Option, and Command keys
RGB Backlit, with 18 options.
Plastic or Aluminium body
Gateron Switches
Replaceable curved keycaps
Dedicated printscreen button
4000mAh battery
Angled feet to use as a stand
Wired and wireless (Bluetooth) capability
Switch between a max of three Bluetooth devices
USB-C
Includes USB-C cable
Mac/iOS and PC modes
How does it perform:
Design:
It was designed and built by Keychron. The team has over 20 years of experience in the Keyboard industry and it shows. It’s sleek, beautifully designed and the build quality is exceptional. The keyboard comes bundled with some added extras such as the key removal tool. This allows you to replace some of the grey keycaps with an orange one to add a bit of colour (not that you need it if you are making use of the RGB backlighting).
Overall, I really like the design and it looks at home on my white desk. I can imagine in most cases it’ll look best in ultra clean setups.
Design Score: 8
Battery Life:
The K2’s battery life is said to last around 15 active hours, this means actively typing with the RGB or White backlight on. It’s rated at 4000 mAh. You can double the battery life if you turn the backlight off. Keep that thought in the back of your mind if you have a long commute and need to get a lot of work done. You don’t want the battery running out especially if you forget to bring the included charging cable with you.
Switch off the auto-sleep feature and the battery life will be diminished somewhat. I’ve disabled it due to the nature of my work, I’m back and forth to my desk and I don’t want the hassle of re-connecting the bluetooth each time.
I’ve had the pleasure of using the K2 for around 5 days now and I’ve not charged it once yet. It gets top marks from me for battery life.
Battery Life Score: 10
Typing:
This is also where the K2 excels. The typing experience is a joy!
For me, typing is all about accuracy, noise and feedback. I’m using the K2 with Gateron blue switches. Gateron blue switches are all about a nice loud click and some great tactile feedback. That feedback helps to determine if I’ve pressed the key correctly and the audible cue gives me another indication as to how I’m doing in terms of typing speed. I just hope the noise isn’t too loud that it starts to annoy my colleagues working at the desk next to me!
At first I thought the keyboard could benefit from a wrist support. However, I’ve since thought about it a bit more and decided that it isn’t really needed and it’d take away from the ‘charm’ of this great compact mechanical keyboard.
Typing Score: 8
Complaints:
During my research phase of writing this review I stumbled upon another reviewer that had a few complaints. I don’t feel those complaints are warranted at all, in fact, it’s complaining for complaining’s sake.
For example, the reviewer suggested that the toggles on the side of the keyboard (to change between wired or bluetooth etc) are far too small. My view on this is that you’ll probably be only using it either on bluetooth or wired and not switching between the two very often. The text is quite small but again, you’ll only really be looking at the side of the board when you are using the included USB-C cable to charge it.
Summary:
Forgetting it’s wireless or wired abilities, the K2 is a brilliant keyboard from a purely functional perspective. This keyboard is able to stand on it’s own in the market. I’m sure it’ll be very popular among gamers, casual users and typing professionals.
The Keychron K2 Mechanical is available in an ABS plastic or aluminum variants. You’ll get a choice of three Gateron switch types. Blue, Brown or Red. You can buy the US model from our shop by clicking here.
The UK model will be available late January pre-order to secure yours now.
EDIT 25/02/20: UK versions just arrived! Link
A full Windows configuration review of the Keychron K2 Mechanical can be found over at CodeWithMike.com
Have you recently bought a mechanical keyboard for the first time? We’d love to hear your thoughts on what it was like making the switch. Let us know in the comments below.
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