At first glance, the iKBC Table E412 (and by extension, the Table E401) may seem like a one-trick pony. The manual makes it seem like hardware encryption via password-enabled locking of the keyboard is the unique selling point here, and it certainly is something I have never seen or used in other keyboards before. There have been some with integrated fingerprint readers, for example, and yet others that rely on a software driver or OS-level lock instead, but this is a different take on the same issue while keeping everything localized to the device. I do not know how much of a dilemma this issue is, however. Is it a use case popular enough to warrant people looking at the Table E412 for? I suspect not, especially once you realize the lock can be bypassed anyway with no more than a pin or similar.

It is a good thing then that the rest of the keyboard makes for an impressive package overall yet. The design is striking but clean and makes for one of the most comfortable typing experiences I have had to date even without the wrist rest involved much. Interesting is how much of a positive difference to the user experience a small change can make, such as to the keycap surface design. The R1-R6 keycap profile also follows a more natural curve of the fingers as they type on a keyboard, and I appreciate iKBC providing replacement keycaps to allow for the OEM profile for those wanting a transitional period. I can definitely see the keyboard used by many going from membrane keyboards in offices to a mechanical one, where the onboard controls also come in handy, including the calculator shortcut. Backlighting will be handy when you need it as well, and it is just as easy to turn off when you do not. I do wish the stock keycaps were of better build quality, however, as the rest of the keyboard is extremely solid to where it will last long enough for users to notice the wear and tear on the keycaps sooner rather than later. At the current price point, iKBC itself offers more keyboard options with better build quality on the keycaps, so it is hard to recommend the Table E412 to anyone who does not find the hardware encryption feature handy. I will give out an innovation award for doing something different, however, and also look forward to knowing what our TechPowerUp readers make of this feature.