Interacting with HTPCs: IOGEAR and SIIG Options Reviewed
by Ganesh T S on March 2, 2014 1:00 PM ESTSIIG JK-WR0312-S1 - Features & Usage Impressions
The SIIG JK-WR0312-S1 is a wireless mini keyboard with an integrated multi-touch touchpad. Using 2x AAA batteries, it operates in the 2.4 GHz range and has an advertised range of 33 ft. The integrated touchpad supports multi-finger touch, which allows it to simulate a 3-button mouse despite have only two physical buttons beneath the touch area.
Each touchpad has its own set of gestures mapped to different events. Some touchpads have vertical scrolling by moving a finger along the right edge, and some have pinch to zoom functionalities. The touchpad in this keyboard maps taps with one finger, two fingers and three fingers to the left button, middle button and right button click respectively. Double tapping with a single finger is a double click (this is universal across all touchpads). A double tap and hold coupled with the sliding of another finger corresponds to a drag operation, while the vertical scroll is implemented by vertical sliding of two fingers together.
The Ctrl-Fn key position swap and the /.numeric keypad / main keypad issue of the JK-WR0412-S1 (described in the previous section) are also present in this keyboard. There is an auto-sleep mode after 8 to 10 minutes of inactivity, and an explicit key press or mouse button click is necessary to come out of that mode. Again, this is a bit messy for HTPC scenarios, where users tend to move fingers across the touchpad but find the unit unresponsive when in sleep mode. Unlike the trackball keyboard, there is not even a hidden indication of the unit being in this mode. Despite supporting multiple channels, there appears to be no support for auto-frequency hopping. In case of keyboard range issues or operational issues, pressing the pairing buttons on the receiver as well as the keyboard helps shift the communication to a different channel. Unlike the JK-WR0412-S1, the keys are of the standard size. They are quiet and a pleasure to type on. However, the two touchpad buttons are quite noisy.
Amongst the positives for the unit are the recessed storage compartment in the main unit for the USB receiver (makes it easy to carry around the unit and/or store everything safely for later use). Unlike the other keyboards covered in this piece, we have two legs on the underside which can be snapped open for tilt and height adjustment. This makes the unit a better fit for extended typing duties compared to the rest.
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Aikouka - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - link
I use a Logitech MediaBoard Pro, which was originally designed for the PS3. It has a trackpad, physical on-off switch, and the best aspect for me is that it uses Bluetooth for connectivity. I use it on my NUC, which means I don't take up one of the valuable two rear USB ports on some wireless dongle. The only downside is that the keyboard lacks a Windows key since it was originally designed for the PS3.jensend - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - link
Why aren't there any Bluetooth Low Energy/ Bluetooth Smart keyboards? Somebody showed a paper-thin one last year as a tech demo, but that's it.I'd imagine that lower energy use would be worth going for in a keyboard. The connection latency is low enough you can leave it idling in an unconnected state when not typing and still get good responsiveness for the first keystroke. Bluetooth Smart may be 2.4GHz but its frequency hopping is much smarter than most non-standard RF peripherals. Gigabyte's BRIX systems come with BT4 built in, while it's cheap and easy to install it in the NUC, and not so hard to put it in any HTPC system.
Imaginer - Tuesday, March 4, 2014 - link
As much as the keyboards with built in trackballs are nice in having one periphery device (instead of two with a cordless keyboard and trackball), the ball on the built in all in one keyboards are small.Small so that there is still A LOT of work in manipulating the pointer on HTPCs. You can forget about gaming with it, since your thumb would be doing more work to position the ball (even accounting for speed settings).
The smallness of the ball, is to account for the compactness of the device. Great, if you occasionally point.
The trackpads, are more of a compact design in a three dimensional space (still space taking in the 2D plane). Basically, your TV and HTPC interfaced like a laptop.
I will say this as an HTPC user. The keyboard is great for searching for text entry. The HTPC CAN be great for a work environment (properly matching your seating distance, your TV viewing size aperture, and the TV's resolution and scaling of elements with all of the factors in balance). It is possibly my preferred method (keyboard in lap, my trackball to the side) with no harsh edges or even levitating my arms for a desk.
A Logitech K800 and a M570 is my setup. both arms and hands naturally rested and not gripping (like the built in trackballs on the right side on some of those keyboards) for prolonged input of pointing or typing. The downside, is that there are two devices to account for. Most of the time however, the M570 sees more use on an HTPC setup so it can be paired down to one device (especially with the virtual on screen keyboards of Windows 7 and 8 OS areas, more so with 8).
sergekarramazov - Wednesday, March 5, 2014 - link
it seems that nobody heard about the new logitech Harmony Smart Keyboard. I saw many references about the k400 (that i personaly owned) but nothing about this Harmony keyboard. It's much more expensive than the k400 but with all the functions of an harmony remote : http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-smar...widescreen - Wednesday, March 5, 2014 - link
I've been using the K400 for a while on an old HTPC using XBMCbuntu and it worked great. Now I just switched to a NUC i3 haswell running Openelec and the range is terrible. Like 3 ft max. In openelec or in the bios, same thing. Plugged it into my laptop running Win7 and range was fine.Haven't tried in windows on the NUC yet to check if it's software or hardware related.
rahnold - Wednesday, March 5, 2014 - link
Apple Wireless Keyboard + Apple Magic Trackpad + Twelve South MagicWand?mrdanno - Friday, March 7, 2014 - link
GREAT article! I've been trying to replace my Dinovo Edge forever...left click died ages ago, right click a year after that...but it's still a slick, rechargeable, backlit wireless keyboard & touchpad combo. I cannot believe Logitech has nothing that replaces it properly...I'd like something to do plenty of typing, gaming too...just a full-sized keyboard, that can be backlit, and has some form of touchpad/trackball/etc... I can use a wireless mouse for gaming, as I do now, so the touchpad just needs to be for casual use. Basically I'd like a new Dinovo Edge for less than a king's ransom, why is that so hard to find??
JaLooNz - Friday, March 7, 2014 - link
Why not review the Thinkpad Trackpoint Bluetooth keyboard? Seriously I feel that trackpoint is better than any touchpad.mikato - Friday, March 7, 2014 - link
Personally I love my Logitech K400. I got it for $15 refurb on newegg. It is just what the doctor ordered for couch-HTPC-surfing. I bought it even though we already have a really nice K800 keyboard and G-series gaming mouse for gaming wirelessly and it was a great purchase.coolhund - Monday, March 10, 2014 - link
Tried several of those, incl. the diNovo mini. All were very unreliable or far too huge and the diNovo even had some keys not getting recognized after a while amongst other glitches.Then I bought 2 Riitek ones: http://www.riitek.com/product_Info.asp?id=81 & http://www.riitek.com/product_Info.asp?id=77 and never looked back. They have been working for over 3 years now.