Product Requirements:
Windows 98 & 98 SE / 2000, Windows ME / XP (no driver required)

When Julie and I attended CES this January, one of the items that caught my eye was the KB-Reader Keyboard by Atech Flash Technology which featured a built in media card reader. My comment at the time was "I found my dream keyboard. Imagine a keyboard with an SD/MMC, Memory Stick, and CFI & II card reader built in. Impressive, don't you think?"

Of course, I didn't get to play with the CES display unit and by the time I was approached by Atech about reviewing their keyboard, I had almost forgotten about it. I received the KB-Reader in mid-April, and since then have been using it daily. Has it lived up to my expectations? Read on...

Included in the box was the multimedia keyboard, Pro Gear card reader, setup disk, user's manual, and the USB cable for the reader.

The keyboard is approximately 19" long x 8.5" tall by 1.5" thick. It is composed of black plastic with a gray contrasting edge on the bottom. The typical board keys are all black and the 14 "hot-keys" are in gray. The keys on the board have what I feel is a satisfactory click, but if you are one that prefers a "silent" keyboard then you might feel it is too noisy. I'll discuss each of the hot-keys in a bit.

The keyboard is more of a classic style than some of the "natural" or wavy ones available, which is fine with me - I prefer this type. At the top center there is a door that when closed just adds to the finished look.

When the door is opened, a slot with centered mini USB connector is revealed...

The included PRO Gear media card reader is designed to slide in and dock onto the mini USB connector. It is quite compact, measuring 3.4" wide x 2.3" tall x 0.5" thick and weighing just 1.8 ounces.

This reader can handle the following cards: Compact Flash� Type I, Type II, Microdrive�, Smart Media�, MultiMedia�, Secure Digital�, Memory Stick�, Memory Stick PRO�, Memory Stick MagicGate�, xD-Picture Card� . I was particularly pleased with this reader since I just bought a Olympus C-750 which uses xD-picture cards and I did not have a dedicated reader yet.      

Here you can see the back side of the reader and the mini-USB port which docks into the keyboard.

One of the extra features of the reader is that you can use it as a portable when you travel with your laptop by using the included USB cable. It is interesting to note that this same cable will also work with digital cameras that have a mini USB port, so it may be handy to keep in your gearbag even if you prefer not to carry the reader itself.

The keyboard plugs in with both PS/2 and USB cables. The PS/2 connections is for the keyboard itself and the USB powers the card reader.

When you need to access information a memory card, you simply dock the reader into the slot. A blue light will glow, showing that the reader is powered and ready to operate. Depending on your personal preference, you can either keep the reader docked in the port at all times, or you can remove it and close the door when it is not in use.

Four new drives will be displayed on your computer screen...

Once you insert a media card, depending on your settings, it should immediately be accessible, along with the identity of the drive. Transfer rates are up to 12 Mb/sec (via USB 1.1) and up to 480 Mb/sec (via USB 2.O).

The built-in media card reader would be enough reason for me to be pleased with this board, but there are actually 14 other features that add to it's functionality - the hot-keys. They are broken into two groups of seven which are on either side of the reader slot.

The first group of seven includes buttons that will perform the following functions: Back an internet page, Forward an internet page, Stop loading internet page, Refresh internet page, Search (when online, it will pull up a default search page - if not online it will pull up the windows search feature), online Favorites and Home.

The second group of seven hot-keys will perform the following functions: open default Mail program, open My Computer folder, initiate Calculator, Power off/on computer, put computer in Sleep mode, Wake up computer and Functions.

It has actually taken me a while to remember to use these hot-keys, because I am so used to having to initiate all of these operations the traditional way. When I do remember, these hot-keys save me a fair amount of time and aggravation.

The KB-Reader Multimedia Keyboard is a gadget that has proven itself to be both convenient and efficient. If you like the idea of having a card reader that plugs directly into the top of your keyboard but that is also removable and portable, then you might want to give the Atech a try. I am quite pleased with mine.

KB-Reader drivers and manuals can be downloaded here.
You can find retailers for this product here.

Price: $50

Pros:
Built in media card reader dock
Removable and portable card reader included
14 hot-keys that serve convenient functions
Simple and sleek styling will match most PCs

Cons:
Keyboard's keys may be too noisy for some