As mentioned this keyboard works wonderfully in HTPC use. It is very light and sturdy. Its weight is comparable to a full size ceramic dinner plate that I have. When you pick it up from the corner or edge it does not seem to bend or twist. Very thin and stylish in my opinion although the black gloss finish attracts many fingerprints (so I kept the thin plastic protective film on that part as long as possible - almost a year before the corner started coming up).
It's bluetooth capabilities claim 30' and I can attest to 22' - 25' of hiccup-less operation (2 floors, 3 - 4 walls) before I ran out of house. Keyboard will plug right in and work on a Wii, Windows PC, and Mac using the included bluetooth adapter. I haven't yet tested on Linux. Bluetooth is definitely the way to go in a wireless keyboard or mouse. Way better than IR and other wireless technologies. Haven't had a single wireless connection problem or hiccup in over a year. I got frustrated with other Microsoft and Logitech (IR) wireless keyboards within a week and will never use another again. Bluetooth works well and even better than RF remotes that I own as well.
Some of the dedicated buttons are configurable with Logitech's software (on Mac and Windows). The Sleep button will only sleep, restart, shutdown, log off, or do nothing. Zoom only has speed and acceleration sliders. The Media Center key can be configured to do just about anything you want including custom keystroke and menu assignments and launching programs. All of the function keys serve double duty as media keys (when you use the Fn key similar to a shift button to change their output). The F1 - F4 media keys can only be set to launch applications. F5 - F8 media keys cannot be customized and are set to previous track (F5), stop (F6), play/pause (F7), and next track (F8). F9 - F12 are customizable media keys. Only the media keys are backlit when you press the Fn key. I wish the whole keyboard was backlit. The volume control is not sensitive enough. It sometimes takes two or three swipes to get it to register and there is no way to configure acceleration and sensitivity so it can sometimes take something like 4 swipes to go from 100% volume to 0% when every swipe actually works.
The touchpad/trackpad works well in a similar way to any laptop touchpad. Sadly touchpad tapping cannot be turned on and off. I actually like the dedicated scroll better on this trackpad because of its circular nature. Continuous and extended scrolling is way better. You just keep going in a circle if you want to scroll further instead of having to pick up your finger and start at the top again after getting to the bottom. Both the horizontal and vertical scrolling seem to work well and are configurable.
The zoom capabilities work in most cases I've tried on Windows XP MCE and XP Pro but sometimes are dependent on the program you are using. I like the left mouse button both beneath the trackpad (for your right hand) and on the left edge (for your left hand). Keyboard is definitely not designed for left handed people.
My plant leaked water onto the keyboard from above while in the charger and it still works perfectly. Great product and the most important addition to my Media Center, HTPC. If you do anything more than just select which video or song you're going to play on your HTPC a wireless keyboard and mouse control are a must and this fits the bill perfectly for me. Highly recommend it. Because of its size being comparable to a full size keyboard you may want to check out the new Logitech diNovo Mini at Logitech diNovo Mini or http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-920-000594-diNovo-Mini/dp/B0011FOOI2/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1221328822&sr=8-2 if you want something smaller (with a lid).
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I bought this keyboard instead of Logitech Mediaboard Pro for use on Playstation 3 (80MB with most recent XMB update as of 8/29/08) running Yellow Dog Linux (YDL6.0 also updated on same date). I had several questions about compatibility before making the purchase that I am attempting to answer for others here.
Yes, you can make this keyboard work (typing keys and touchpad) both in the PS3 operating system (XMB) and in YDL6, and you can do both using the PS3's own bluetooth hardware, so you do not need to use the included Logitech dongle (save it for your laptop).
In the PS3 operating system, the keyboard pairs like any other bluetooth device using the System Tools in the XMB. Thereafter, it will work exactly like the Mediaboard Pro, including the F1 and F2 playstation specific functions (they just aren't marked with Playstation symbols like on the Mediaboard Pro). The DiNovo specific features of the touchpad, like scrolling by circling the disc, also work as they should.
In YDL6, nothing will work right out of the box without using the dongle. Nevertheless, it is VERY easy (and I am a techno-illiterate) to get the keyboard working without the dongle. There are several on-line tutorals available to assist. Basically, you open a terminal (not as scary as it sounds) then cut/paste some one-line commands into Linux. It is a four-step procedure: Scan for bluetooth devices, write down the MAC address for the DiNovo; instruct Linux to connect with that MAC; and add that connect command into the pre-existing start-up commands for future re-boots. This should literally take ten minutes. Upon subsequent re-boots, you must press the pairing button on the bottom of the DiNovo when you start the boot, and the pairing will occur automatically before the log in screen comes up.
After pairing in Linux, the DiNovo and the Mediaboard offer virtually identical features/functions. The "FN" and F keys are not supported or customizable, and Logitech's SetPoint software will not run in Linux (there are advanced work-arounds for the adventurist). The DiNovo's special feature buttons on the extreme left side of the keyboard will not work. The DiNovo's special touch pad scrolling features will work as they should. At least as far as this system is concerned, you are paying extra for the better typing experience on the DiNovo and its looks. Of course, you can always use the DiNovo with other computers. This is problematic with the Mediaboard because it does not come with a bluetooth dongle or a support CD for Windows users.
I hope this helps.
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This is one of the best purchases I have made in a long time. With its Bluetooth capability, I had this keyboard working on my laptop within two minutes...needless to mention it is wireless...I cannot stand wires needles to say when you have to trace them to your pc/laptop. I highly recommend this keyboard to anyone who cannot stand wires like myself. Also, the fingerboard on it can be used to replace your mouse. It takes a little getting used to at first.
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Yes, it's a looker. Black, orange, and white. Not unlike the type of terminal which would appear in a seminal cyberpunk work, as conjured from a fertile imagination of the late-1990s. But, it's also fragile. To my disappointment, raking my nails even slightly visibly scratches and damages the plexiglass.
If you're wondering why I got one after enthusing over my aluminum Apple keyboard so much, a few reasons: I'm really not in need of a numeric keypad, for one, and the wirelessness makes it that much easier to hoist onto my lap (I could've gone the Apple wireless keyboard route too, but it lacks certain key keys and I liked the DiNovo's design better... until I found out about its fragility). [...]
Ah well.
Now, mewishes the Logitech had an entire surface of brushed aluminium, as its wristrest is. (I couldn't find a wristwrest that worked well enough for my Apple keyboard, and after awhile, the subtle-but-definite drop down to my desk's wood surface arched the bottoms of my palms). One very cool thing about this is precisely that: the metal is cool when I come down in the morning and begin typing!
Keyboard selection is very important since until such time flawless speech-to-text arrives (and even by then, my voice will get tired), besides myself, it's a big bandwidth limiter in terms of how many characters per second, or words per minute I can pound into the mechanical beast that is my computer. And as I found out today when catching up and answering 200+ emails personally by hand, including many gracious fan-mails and effusive tunes o' praise for my video tutorials -- thank YOU for letting me know, or I would be forevermore ignorant! -- the DiNovo Edge made a big difference. A positive one.
I don't have much need for the DiNovo's TouchDisc (yet); it's rather twiddly, and I haven't found a way to use just the horizontal + vertical scroll on it while keeping the cursor movement deactivated. I see how this would be handy for an HTPC. The volume slider is very unintrusive, pleasant, and almost Star Trek-like in its seamlessness, altho the driver software is bulky (as other Logitech drivers tend to be) and not as streamlined as Microsoft's. I can't find a way to configure which monitor the VOLUME level visually appears on, either.
But all in all, aesthetic appearance aside -- and who, besides me, is going to be looking at this thrashed-out, worn shell of a keyboard after I've knocked hundreds of thousands of keystrokes into it, eh? -- the Logitech DiNovo Edge feels great. I'm still getting used to how close the arrow keys are to the Page Up/Down and how big they've made the Delete key. Also, I wish key travel was less -- it seems slightly more than my Apple, altho that may be because the key caps are elevated -- but it's hard to hit the wrong keys because of how the force is distributed. They call this "PerfectStroke", which is somewhat of an exaggeration, but in my few-days experience thus far, not by much for this "two fingers and one thumb" typist.
I've seen the battery life consistently cited to be excellent, sayings like "Charge it once a month for an hour or so!" and I haven't measured that empirically, yet something very important -- especially since it's wireless -- to be aware of. Charging stand is sleek.
All in all, I'm giving this a 4/5, or eight out of ten... should you decide to scale in that fashion.
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I needed a keyboard with the trackpad on it to go with my Home Theater System with my TV as the display for my Mac. I know Logitech for good quality and easy to use products so thought I'd go for this. It is expensive at retail but Amazon had a great deal I just couldn't deny. Shipping was fast. It syncs up with my Mac real quick with no problems using the built in bluetooth. I'm sure the bluetooth dongle it comes with works just as smoothly. It never looses reception and works great from the couch 20ft. away. Its made for windows so this windows specific function don't work on the map although they can be remapped using free programs. There is now a mac version of this keyboard available but if you don't need those functions and can get a better deal on this go right on ahead. Battery life is amazing and the dock is great. The modern design and black color go great with my piano black samsung tv. Only gripe i have is the trackpad isn't as sensitive as the ones i'm used to on laptops, but its definitely usable and just takes some getting used to.
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