The Google Gboard

So Gmail has always had keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate around your e-mail, but they aren’t exactly what most people would call easy to learn. Well now, the Google e-mail service is introducing the Gboard that will solve this problem. It is just being released today and can be purchased for the very reasonable price of $19.99.

The Gboard is the size of a standard numberpad keyboard and features 19 brightly colored keys. These keys all allow you to utilize shortcuts dealing with your Gmail. Gmail-specific features include starring messages, starting a search, and jumping between message threads. When the Gboard is not used with Gmail, the buttons will simply act like normal keyboard buttons and type whatever letter or number that corresponds with the shortcut.

Conveniently, the Gboard is powered through a USB port. This means that you will not need any special software or driver. You will have to enable keyboard shortcuts under Gmail’s settings before utilizing your Gboard, but that isn’t any difficult task.

This device was interestingly enough not created by Google. It was actually though up by a film producer from Venice, CA named Charlie Mason. This is his first development involving computer hardware.

People are either going to love or hate the Gboard. If people have already mastered all the shortcuts that are utilized with Gmail, then they will find it completely unnecessary and have no need for it. It could be very useful to people who have not or have been unable to master the shortcuts though.

With a total of 69 shortcuts and many more to come if Google releases some of their experimental features that are currently being tested in the labs, the Gboard could be the first step to developing a full-sized version with more than 100 keys. For now though, the Gboard should satisfy Gmail users who have had issues with figuring out the shortcuts, and the low price tag just can’t be beat.