THE MEMOTECH KEYboard is one of thebest looking and best working keyboards I have ever seen. The quality is ex cellent (which seems usual for Memotech). The encasing is aluminum, for durability and strength.
As with all Memotech products, the keyboard requires no opening of the computer and no voiding of the warranty. The interface module simply plugs into the expansion bus; other peripherals can be installed in its plug in the rear. The keyboard connects to the interface with a 12-in. ribbon cable: if you plan to use the keyboard next to the computer, the length will be no problem, but it isn’t quite long enough to allow you to move the computer completely out of the way to give yourself more room.
The keys require almost no pressure from your fingers to engage the switch. They are spaced a little too close together, and wobble a bit, which is somewhat annoying. Excluding SHIFT combinations, nothing happens when you press more than one key at a time. This means that you can’t press ENTER until you’ve removed your fingers from the keys. This is not a major problem, though.
I was surprised to find that Memotech did not create a separate space bar: after all, what is a typewriter or computer without a space bar? They made up for their mistake with an extra shift key in the upper right hand corner, where it greatly simplifies using the delete, graphics and cursor control keys. Considering how much the shift key is used on Timex Sinclair computers, this is a wonderful idea, and I’m glad they thought of it.
The manual is good, and contains an inconspicuous little note to game players that explains that the original T/S keyboard still functions when the new keyboard is operating. This can be used quite nicely in two-player games where both players are needed at the console at the same time.
Despite the few problems, the Memotech keyboard is still highly recommended to anyone who frowns on membrane keyboards. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest), I would give the Memotech keyboard a rating of 8.
