Suggestions for a HTPC Keyboard

I know it's not what you're are looking for but if I were to buy it all over again knowing what I do now, I'd buy something small like this:
http://www.pcworld.com/product/56008...ard_n5901.html


I have a rather large backlit trackball keyboard with my HTPC. I doubt you'll find it here in the US, it's a brand I bought when I lived in Japan.
9 out of 10 times Ive needed my keyboard, I've had to turn the lights on anyway so I could find the hefty thing.
If I had the smaller one, I could easily leave it on the table with my Harmony instead of always getting up to hunt it down.

Still my favorite. I have two now.

IOGEAR 2.4GHz Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel GKM561R Wireless Keyboard

NmediaPC HTPC Keyboard and Remote Combo
Includes an MCE compatible remote with trackball. Not backlit unfortunatey

This is the one I like and love. Its small back lit and does pretty much everything! Keyboard and mouse in one.
Logitech diNovo Mini Wireless Keyboard

Take a look at the Rii backlit wireless keyboard.
My only issues is it has to be re-plugged in at each re-boot to sync it.
hopefully they have fixed that since last year.
I have gyration products and Microsoft wireless IR as well but the Rii and a gyration media remote does it all for me my Harmony 880 and i Touch are neat but still don't beat the Rii Gyration combo for ease and accuracy.
http://www.buy.com/prod/new-2-4ghz-m...216607284.html


lit up


See the Dell Gyration remote thread here as well.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post11362526
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I tried tons of stuff until I found 'remote mouse' for my iphone... installed it on my HTPC; and works great. it's a track pad and keyboard that doesn't need IR or line of sight. wifi.

it's free to try, so ehh?

I use a Keysonic ACK540-RF, uses RF 2.4Ghz wireless and not IR. Doesn't have any backlit though. It's very light too!

I would kill for one just like my Thinkpad keyboard with a trackpoint instead of a trackpad.

Wow, way too many choices and no consensus.

I got a Superior Loftek Rii Touch N7 Mini Wireless Keyboard when I just built my HTPC. It works great and doesn't take up huge amounts of room...


Click the picture for a direct link to the amazon product page.

BTW, I prefer track pad over track ball or joy stick.

This is my first and only right now. Really nice and easy to use. I haven't had any range issues either. I paid $28 after rebate and promotion and Newegg. I couldn't find anything to beat it for the price.

I use my iPhone + an app and software called MobileMouse.

I use the Logitech DiNovo Mini as well.

What exactly are you looking for you. As stated above, there are a lot of choices. I went with the Mini because it was small combo keyboard/track pad, and can do the navigation stuff as well. I don't do much web surfing on the HTPC. I just need to be able to enter user ID/passwards, and web addresses part of the time. I spend very little doing anything in the OS. So a full keyboard and mouse not needed 99.5% of the time. I spend a lot time in stuff like XMBC, W7 MC, and Boxee.

+1 on the Rii mini. battery lasts at least two weeks with heavy use. nice back lit. multimedia function buttons. solid build, actually spilled a bottle of my favorite beverage on it by accident and took it no problem. excellent range.

Is there any kind of USB wireless adapter that these keyboards could be plugged into? They would be perfect if I didn't need to run a wire across the floor, which would be a deal breaker and I would end up using something else.

http://www.amazon.com/IBM-Integrated...pr_product_top

http://www.amazon.com/ThinkPad-USB-K...p_ob_e_title_0


This would be my fall-back.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...KK3AB76JKCGFQP

If you have a universal remote then any keyboard will be fine since you will hardly be using it. Just find one that can tolerate collecting dust and you'll be fine.

Use 2 of these also and there great I have an old Microsoft MCE keyboard sitting on the shelf now and replaced it with one of these, there just very comfortable to use.

My biggest issue with remote/keyboard options is that they tend to have a very short range. I have a harmony remote that works great from any distance in my living room, but when I bought a Lenovo remote/keyboard option expecting the range to be just as good since it was 2.4ghz wireless, it was not. I am lucky if it works from 10'. I am interested in this Rii 2.4ghz wireless keyboard/remote. It claims to have 30 meter range. Can anyone confirm this? The reviews on amazon are littered with owners saying the range is an issue.

I'll also recommend this one. I have only had one issue with it and it was the trackball not working properly -- reviews on Newegg mention this -- but an RMA to ioGear and I got a working one.

What makes it so nice is that it's the right size to allow you to have something compact without sacrificing comfort. This seems to be the number one complaint with the diNovo's is that they're good for using a mouse but if you need to use the keyboard it gets to be a bit of annoyance.

I haven't had any noticeable issue with the Iogear trackball yet. I did read on one of the Newegg reviews that you can install the mouse driver from another Iogear model to fix the issue if it happens.

I have a logitech dinovo edge which I don't recommend. Overpriced, poorly designed, and looses connection all the time. I'm getting a IOGear 2.4Ghz Wireless and the new Logitech Revue this weekend to compare. I'll keep the one I like the best.

I picked up a Logitech Revue and IO Gear 2.4ghz Wireless, unfortunately I think I'm going to be sending them both back.
First the Revue keyboard...
*Weight, size, ergonomics, button placement, and trackpad are near perfect. Seriously I think this is the best keyboard I have ever used.
*USB dongle is almost invisible when pluged in, compared to the Dinovo dongle which is always in the way.
*Not designed for the PC. Most of the buttons still have some function tho, except there are no function keys which could be a pain in the long run. The deal breaker for me is that the FF and skip forward buttons are combined, and the skip function does not work with a PC at all. I use skip forward and back all the time to skip commercials.
*Has some buttons to control AVR/TV/DVR via Harmony technology. But it turns out the IR emitter is on the GoogleTV/Revue unit, so these buttons have no function on a PC. Too bad, I really hope Logitech comes out with a PC based version of this keyboard.
*None of the bluetooth flakiness I get with the Dinovo edge.

For the IO Gear...
* Better wireless range than either of Logitech keyboards.
* Keys are all bunched together which makes it really hard to feel for the right key in the dark. The >,||, >>, <<, >>|, etc keys are really small and packed together. Ergonomics need some work on this one.
* Trackball is usable, but not great. The trackpad on the dinovo edge is nothing to write home about tho.
* Nice value for the money.

Dinovo Edge
* I've been having persistent problems with the bluetooth connection, resulting in the routine of plugging/unplugging the dongle, syncing the keyboard, charging the keyboard, resetting machine, etc until I get it to sync up again.
*stupid, stupid charging station that doesn't allow you to use the keyboard while it's charging. They could probably cut the price in half on this keyboard by switching to AA's, and cut the weight in half as well.
*Small circular trackpad that works, but isn't as good as even the trackpad on a $300 netbook.
* Too big, too expensive. But I already own it, and it's hard to say either of the others have any advantage over this keyboard. Maybe I need to try the PS3 mediaboard? I can't stand mini keyboards, I end up doing too much typing at the HTPC, even just for searching on netflix or through shows I've recorded.

I have the Lenovo and it works well enough. Lack of back lighting means it's a non-starter in the dark, but otherwise it is fine for basic HTPC management duties. Not a replacement for a real remote though.

I have a IR USB receiver that I want to try with my Harmony (Xbox 360 version), just haven't gotten around to it yet.