Prime Keyboard Reappraised

[jonmoore]

The choice of matching the Alpha Key colour to render the A-Z legends on the keys is the main aspect that spoils the Prime G2 UX. It works well enough when viewed with the Prime place on a desk in front of the user (as long as the mirrored surface of the prime isn't reflecting a light source). The slanted front to HP calculator keys was originally devised for exactly that purpose. Unfortunately the LCD on the Prime has such a shallow viewing angle, one tends to use the Prime at a perpendicular viewing angle, and at that angle the A-Z legends can be difficult to read if the lighting conditions aren't ideal.

However one aspect of the G2 keyboard is a huge improvement over the original Prime, and that's that the legend rendering on the keys have proved to be robust over time (the original prime keys smeared far too easily). There are three Primes G2's in our household, two of which go through the daily abuse of our teenage kids, and all are bearing up well.