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Usually, I would not use the adjective ’swanky’ on something as dead as a piece of electronic hardware, but in this case, ’swanky’ perfectly describes the Moshi Celesta Keyboard. All over the web, other superlatives have been lavished on the Celesta, and from the very first glance, it’s easy to understand why.

The Moshi Celesta Keyboard is the new, uber-sleek keyboard from Aevoe Moshi and comes in two colour themes - silver perimeter with white keys and blue LED, or all-black with red key labels and LED. It is exceptionally slim, even when compared to Apple’s aluminium keyboard. It has two USB 2.0 ports on the right side and is compatible for both PC and Mac. The mere connecting of the USB cable would allow the keyboard to function, without the hassle of having to install drivers and software through CDs. When powered up, the Celesta exudes class and sophistication, with the top of the keyboard giving off a warm glow, illuminating the Moshi logo.

The keys are flat and knitted closely together, resembling the built-in keyboard of a laptop. Keys are easily depressible and they actually have less ‘travel’ than those on a normal keyboard. This basically means that the key travels a smaller distance downwards when depressed. This might be a good or bad thing, depending on user preference. Users who are fond of pounding their keys would not be accustomed to typing on this surface, whereas users who lightly tap on keys would adore the feel of this keyboard. Typing will not require much force, making it, in fact, a very comfortable activity. The layout of keys are pretty much standard, with QWERTY keys arrayed neatly. There are two multimedia buttons directly above the navigation keys, below the ‘delete’ key, which allows for volume control. Also there is an ‘eject’ key, for opening the disc drive.

The Moshi Celesta Keyboard offers a flip-down panel to adjust the height at which the keyboard is elevated, but it can only be elevated at two fixed heights. According to Aevoe Moshi, the keyboard’s two tilt angles are specially designed to provide ergonomic support for the wrists. For users who prefer to keep the keyboard far from the edge of the tray, the keyboard’s incline would allow forearms to rest comfortably on the tray and for wrists to rest on the support. For those who like to keep the keyboard to the edge of the table/tray, the flip-down panel tilts the Celesta to an angle where your wrists and forearms are aligned comfortably. The Celesta comes equipped with rubber feet, so the lightweight aluminium frame does not slip and move around when typing.

One thing I really liked about the Celesta is the presence of not just one, but two USB ports on the right side. It makes it that much more convenient to dock thumb drives or even charge an iPod, when compared to connecting it to the computer’s USB ports. Typing is pretty much hassle-free, but comparatively, it is not much different to that of a standard keyboard.

The biggest attraction of this keyboard is the eye-candy factor. This keyboard is such a ravishing sight. Complete with the cool hues from the LED glow, the Celesta oozes poise. The downside of this is the extravagant hole that this gadget will burn in your pocket. Priced at US$120, it is more than double the price of Apple’s new wireless keyboard, and a good 20% more expensive than Razer’s lauded Tarantula gaming keyboard.

If you have the cash to splash out, the white version of the Moshi Celesta Keyboard would be a perfect match for that iMac, while the black one will go with almost any other PC. Fundamentally, this is a very basic keyboard for daily use. Users such as gamers might want to give this a pass, especially when there is a need to program keys for certain functions. Otherwise, this is a big ‘yes’ for office executives or home users who are looking for a simple yet elegant design and basic functionality in a keyboard.

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(8 votes, average: 3.88 out of 5)
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