Like it or not, the keyboard is still the main interface for using your computer. We've still not perfected Minority Report style gloves, speech recognition is getting better all the time but is still no match for a good touch typist, and neural interfaces are nowhere to be seen, thankfully. In order to tell our computers what to do, we're still primarily using the trusty mouse and keyboard combination.

And the keyboard itself hasn't really evolved over the years, either. The only evolution has been the addition of a few extra buttons here and there - quick-launch keys to open your browser or email client, volume controls to save you a few mouse clicks, and the dreaded Function Lock. This last "feature" is used to toggle between the standard F-key functionality, and another row of handy shortcuts to launch your word processor, or spreadsheet of choice, and is commonly found on Microsoft and Logitech keyboards. The problem with Function Lock, in my experience, as that it seems to have a mind of its own.

The Matias USB 2.0 Keyboard is, I'm very pleased to say, completely free of all these useless buttons. There's no nasty f-lock, no browser launch buttons, and no forward and back for music control. It does sneak a mute, volume up and volume down button into the space above the help, home, and page up buttons, but that's the extent of its deviation.

Unless, of course, you count its main selling point: a USB 2.0 dock port. Matias claim, and I'm inclined to believe them, that the USB 2.0 Keyboard is the only keyboard to feature a built in USB 2 port. It's certainly the only one I've found on my travels.

The keyboard itself looks and feels very much like some of Logitech's offerings when you remove it from its box. The first major difference you're likely to notice is the two USB connectors on the end of the cable. As the keyboard sports two USB 1.1 ports in addition to the USB 2.0 dock, two connectors are needed to supply sufficient bandwidth and power to the device. One connection handles the keyboard, and USB 1.1 features, while the other is reserved for the USB 2.0 dock. This is unlikely to be a problem for the majority of machines, but it's worth bearing in mind.

The second thing you're likely to notice - with the Mac version at least - is the large number of symbols on the keyboard. Every key is not only marked with its letter, but with the corresponding two symbols for that key press. If you're regularly looking these key strokes up, the Matias keyboard could be a Godsend. The combination of option + a key displays the bottom of the two symbols, while shift + option + a key press selects the upper. It's intuitive and will not doubt be incredibly useful for a number of users.