Mini wireless keyboard with trackball

[jennyfur]

I’d been considering buying a small wireless keyboard for use with my media center setup for awhile now. My dream device is the Logitech diNovo Mini, but even on sale it is a bit cost prohibitive. So for all you fellow broke media enthusiasts, I’m writing up a quick review of a keyboard I just happened to come across and decided to buy. It’s listed on the website as “USB 2.4Ghz RF Wireless Multimedia Tiny Keyboard” but the packaging calls it “Mini 2.4GHz Wireless Office Keyboard with tracking ball”. Quite a mouthful.

Website: [url=http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00678]Brando[/url]
Cost: $48
Included: keyboard, instruction booklet, driver CD, wireless receiver, AAA batteries

First bit of info — Brando is in Hong Kong. Shipping was surprisingly fast, and right now I believe it’s free (I ordered the day before the free promotion started and it was $3 to the US then).

[img width=500 height=375]http://mysite.verizon.net/jennyfur/images/keyboard/001_sm.jpg[/img]

Here’s the keyboard in its packaging. I threw in the dollar so that you can see how small it is. Here it is from the back:

[img width=500 height=375]http://mysite.verizon.net/jennyfur/images/keyboard/004_sm.jpg[/img]

So here’s where I hit the first snag… opening the package. This is not a package with a newer friendlier-to-open design. It is a plastic prison of pain and torment. After some struggle I was finally able to free the device.

[img width=500 height=375]http://mysite.verizon.net/jennyfur/images/keyboard/010_sm.jpg[/img]

Woohoo! The keyboard is extremely light and it does have a somewhat cheap plastic feel to it. Oh, they included batteries. How nice of them. I insert the batteries into the compartment on the back of the keyboard. Ready to go! Before plugging the USB receiver in to my PC, I decide it’s probably wise to take a gander at the instruction booklet. It’s a rather amusing collection of broken English, but generally understandable. I plug in the USB receiver. Vista immediately pops up the little bubble telling me it found a new device. In a few seconds it states that my device is ready to use. Well that was nice and easy, no need to touch the included CD for drivers. I try to type something or move the mouse.

Nothing happens.

Hmm. I go back to the booklet. Apparently there is one more step I have to do to make the reciever recognize the “ID code” of the keyboard. I have to hold down a button on both the receiver and keyboard at the same time, which I can imagine would be a bit tricky for someone with fat fingers as the buttons are quite small and recessed.

Still nothing. Hmm. I reboot. No change. This is disheartening. So I decide to try some other batteries. Turns out I have no AAA’s in the house, except for the ones inside my Harmony remote. Sorry Harmony… I need to pilfer your power! So I slap 2 of the batteries from the remote into the keyboard and lo and behold it starts working! So it was great that Brando included a set of batteries, but pretty crappy considering they didn’t work.

The trackball does the job, though response can sometimes be a bit slow. Holding it with two hands is very comfortable and places each hand at a left and right mouse button (they are positioned somewhat like the bumpers on a gamepad). All of the multimedia keys work perfectly… I can launch my browser, media player, or various office apps as well as do things like copy and paste. Most of which are not at all useful in an HTPC setting, but nice to have anyway. The small size of the keyboard is a little tough to type on. I decide to try and use it like a thumb board. That seems to work a bit better, however it requires really long fingers to pull it off. I go back to typing the usual way. I can’t imagine anyone using this for office work. But it’s acceptable for a relatively small amount of typing as would be needed by an HTPC. It claims about a 10m range, but the layout of my apartment didn’t really allow me to test that.

Now for the moment of truth… will it work with my xbox 360? I unplug the USB reciver. It’s important to note that there is a nice little indentation on the back of the keyboard that you can store the receiver in while not in use. Sorry so blurry.

[img width=500 height=375]http://mysite.verizon.net/jennyfur/images/keyboard/017_sm.jpg[/img]

I plug it into the xbox. The trackball does nothing. I use a gamepad to navigate the dashboard to the IM/chat area and start a text message to a friend. The keyboard works here and I’m able to type a note in a fraction of the time it usually takes. Hitting enter sends it. So the verdict: typing yes, navigation no. I decide to see if the extender area is any different. I fire it up and go to search for a show to record. But again, no mouse response. I have to use the gamepad. I navigate to the text entry field and… nothing. No typing. It doesn’t work at all here sadly enough. So that’s that. I replace the batteries in the Harmony.

Conclusion: the biggest advantage I think this device has is its size. It also is somewhat stylish looking compared to some other similar devices, though it does unfortunately have a cheap plastic feel to it. It is very lightweight and comfortable to hold though. Navigation with the trackball is mediocre. Typing is a little awkward due to the small size, though some may be able to use it with their thumbs. Overall not an exceptional device, but it does the job and does it rather cheaply without any fuss. Not recommended for extender usage.

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