Installation

First step in installing the keyboard is to install the batteries into the rear compartment. There is a small tab on the compartment cover that can be lifted with either a thumbnail or small screwdriver. You then have access to install the included 3 AA batteries. TIP: be sure to run the removal assist ribbon underneath the last battery correctly to make easy of changing the batteries at a later date. This is a very minute feature that commonly goes overlooked but does offer "ease of use" that makes it stand out over other wireless keyboards. Once the batteries are in simply install the battery compartment cover and the keyboard is almost ready for use. Vidabox has informed me that in this new revision of the Vidabox Keyboard, the internals have been completely redesigned to allow for maximum battery life averaging 9 months before you need to replace batteries.


This is the RF USB included with the keyboard. In this revision of the Vidabox Keyboard, the company has done some changes to allow wider signal range, to enhance the range of usability of the keyboard for larger environments. It is compact and has a very minimalistic design. There is a RF reconnect button for the event that you cannot get the keyboard to sync up properly but the dongle has no LEDs or tacky designs that might make it an eyesore if needed be located on the front panel of the HTPC.

Use

The keyboard was tested by connecting the test PC next to the TV with approximately 12 feet between the keyboard and the set to test for "typical" use. Upon first booting with the keyboard connected Windows located and installed the driver(s) for the unit very quickly. The same was found to be true with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 which makes it easy for anyone to connect and begin using. Since the trackball utilizes a 2100dpi laser like many high-end Logitech mice, it seemed to be overly sensitive at first so the mouse speed needed to be adjusted down quite a bit to make for more precise movement. After adjusting the sensitivity, the mouse was a lot easier to manage, the experience is very much like using a game console controller. After pressing the "Web" button, Mozilla Firefox (the system's default web-browser) launched promptly. Some basic web tests were run to test overall usability. Like any new keyboard, it did take some getting use to. The keys seem a bit oversensitive at first and advanced users may feel the need to manually adjust their "Typematic Delay" or "Key Repeat Latency" either in the motherboard BIOS or in the Windows Control Panel.

After concluding "typical" usage testing, the unit was tested at various places around the house a bit while still being in view of the TV set. It was quickly found that there was almost no location inside the apartment that gave any problems with signal at all. Heck, even in the back bedroom which is the farthest point away, still in view the TV, and had no problems. Vidabox estimates approximately 30 feet range with the newly redesigned RF transmitter/receiver, but our test unit was able to work without problem at 42 feet, even with a few obstructions. Excellent range is definitely a strong point of this keyboard.