Chrome OS is finally getting some attention from the makers of peripherals and accessories. While most keyboards, mice, trackpads and such work well when paired with a Chromebook, it wasn’t until recently that we started seeing a fair amount of accessories made specifically designed for Chrome OS. The “Works with Chromebook” branding has been adopted by some of the biggest names in the industry and the list keeps growing. Companies like Anker, Logitech, Brydge and more have jumped on the bandwagon and are proudly slapping the Works with Chromebook badge of honor on their Chrome OS-compatible hardware.
It’s great to see accessories like docks, dongles and chargers on this list but one are that still needs some attention is keyboards. Mice usually just work with Chrome OS so a Chromebook-specific mouse isn’t really “a thing” but keyboards have a unique key layout for the operating system. While most keyboards work just fine and the function keys will perform the corresponding action, many new Chrome OS users might struggle if they don’t know which Fn key matches the alternate key on a Chromebook.
Manufacturers like ASUS and Acer have often included their own, somewhat cheap wired models when you purchase a Chromebox but Logitech’s latest K580 and Brydge’s C-Type (half off at the moment right now) are the only legitimate wireless options out there. Or so I thought. (Yes, I know ASUS made one a long time ago but they don’t sell them anymore.) Well, apparently Dell has its own iteration of a wireless Chrome OS keyboard and it looks awesome. We have one of these on the way to the office so I can’t really speak to the build quality but the design is eye-catching.
The body appears to be, at least partially, aluminum and it is molded to have a gentle incline as opposed to some keyboards that use retractable feet. It is powered by two AA batteries and pairs to a USB dongle that, in our experience, is the most reliable way to do wireless on Chrome OS. We’ll get our full opinion out on the Dell Chrome OS keyboard when it gets here but if you’re interested, it’s available from Dell and it’s even on sale at the moment for $43.99. Check it out. If you have one, drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts.