Genius LuxeMate810 Media Cruiser (Page 2 of 3)
Details
Setup
Genius have taken a very simple approach to setting up this keyboard. There’s no software to install, just plug in the small USB antenna and Windows does everything else. That’s it, there’s nothing else you need to do! Nice and simple.
What’s it like to use?
Genius have designed their keyboard to be touched, and it’s a joy. The left and right side of the keyboard, which contains the Media Center controls, are rounded so that they fit into your hands comfortably. You can even hold the board in one hand and type with the other. The plastic has a soft touch finish, even on the underneath of the keyboard.
One thing I've often found annoying with cordless keyboards is their range. And in this respect, the LuxeMate810 excels. With a fresh set of batteries, and thanks to using a radio link to the USB antenna, the keyboards range was at least 10m, and even worked through the internal walls in my house. If you're using your Media Center PC as a jukebox then the range of the LuxeMate810 keyboard is a must. Just imagine if your stereo control worked through brick walls, wouldn’t it make life that little bit easier.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of this keyboard is the QWERTY keypad itself. I wasn’t expecting, what is really a large TV remote control, to have such a great keyboard. Each key has a large surface area, so there’s no need to type with your finger tips (which is often a problem on small keyboards). The keys have a long travel, and a fast return, which makes it comfortable to type with. While this keyboard is not aimed at budding authors, it won’t cause you any problems if you need to type the odd letter on your Media Center.
Genius have included a joystick for moving the curser around on screen, and it’s the one feature that took me a while to get used to. It’s designed to be used with your right thumb, and has to be pushed down to make it work. The trouble is, it’s very light and doesn’t offer much resistance when you push it, this means you often end up over shooting the icon you're aiming for. The “mouse” buttons are located on the left side of the keyboard for use with your left thumb. I found the best option for using the joystick was to set a slow pointer speed on the mouse control panel, this then gave a bit more reaction time to stop when the pointer is where you want it.
« Read the previous page, ‘Introduction’.
» Read the next page, ‘Conclusion’.