Choosing a wireless HTPC keyboard for your media center can be a real challenge. User needs and preferences vary and not all the recommended ones are suitable to be used in the living room.
In this round-up, we will go through the top-selling keyboards at amazon.com and summarize the good ones that are suitable for the HTPC usage.
I own this Apple’s product and I do not wonder why it is the top-selling at the moment. It looks beautiful and high quality product. It is small, but it does not feel small when typing as Apple has left just the right amount of space between the keys. Additionally, if you own an iPad, you can use this with iPad, too.
This one caught my eye immediatially as a good candidate to be my next home theater PC controller (and I actually ended up buying it for my Asrock ION 330). The Microsoft Arc fits very nicely on your lap when sitting on the sofa. The design looks different from the conventional designs and I particularly like the white color of the amazon.com special edition. The Microsoft Arc is small and super lightweight. It feels almost like a large remote control. I have not liked Microsoft keyboards for a long time, but I think they have nailed it this time. Microsoft Arc also comes as a special white color amazon edition.
3. IOGear Multimedia Keyboard with Laser Trackball and Scroll Wheel, 2.4GHz Wireless
User reviews regard this one as the perfect wireless HTPC keyboard having the best feature-price ratio. It has a built-in trackball, so you do not necessarily need an additional mouse. That is, if you need mouse only occasionally and mainly control the media center with a remote control. The product looks elegant and feels quite light. It appears that many users have written highly positive reviews about IOGear.
If you occasionally need to type something, diNovo Mini is definitely the smallest around. It has an excellent backlighting that allows you to use it in the dark while watching movies. As you can expect, the small size means small keys, but it is still better than using your mobile phone’s text input. While in principle you could use the touch pad as a mouse, I would recommend getting an additional mouse if your media center requires mouse controlling or you browse internet.
5. IOGear Long Range Media Center Desktop and Mouse Combo,2.4GHz Wireless
Some years ago I had a wireless controller that had a terrible wireless range. It simply was not suitable for 10-foot user interface as every second letter got missing when typing. After that experience, I learned the importance of the good wireless range. IOGear Long Range product has received a lot of positive feedback about its long operating range. While it does not have the nicest designs, at this price range it seems to be a great buy. It has media center keys such as My TV, My Music, My Video and My Pictures. So particularly, if you use Windows Media Center, this one fits well to your setup.
6. Logitech diNovo Edge (PC version)
This one was in my wish list for a long time, but I eventually chose Apple’s product after purchasing the Mac Mini. The diNovo Edge is rather expensive, but it looks very impressive in your living room. It looks very sleek as it has been laser-cut from a single piece of Plexiglass and set in a brushed aluminum frame. But it comes with a high price, which was also the reason delaying my purchasing decision. All in all, if you are searching for a good-looking controller to your stylish living room design, this one is an excellent choice. If you are a Mac user, there is also Logitech diNovo Mac Edition available.
As a summary, this is the round-up of wireless HTPC keyboards. My personal favorites are Apple Wireless Keyboard, Microsoft Arc and Logitech diNovo Edge.
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