ADESSO WKB-3000UB Black 86 Normal Keys 13 Function Keys 2.4 GHz RF Wireless Mini Keyboard w/Optical Trackball

Pros: I’ve been using this keyboard for about a month now. No problems with it. The keyboard is similar layout to a laptop keyboard. The ends are molded to fit your hands and the trackball and right/left mouse keys are easily accessible with your thumbs. The left side has mouse scroll wheel where your left index finger rests while holding the keyboard. In the same location on the right side, there is a left mouse button, handy to left click while scrolling the trackball. It also has function buttons for Internet, Forward, Back, Email, My Computer, volume up volume down, mute, pause/play, record, skip forward, skip backward. I find it to be fairly sturdy. It doesn’t have a cheap feel to it. I use it without problems at a range of about 10 – 20’.

Cons: There are no drivers for this keyboard. Simply plug it in a Windows will use the standard keyboard/mouse drivers. Unfortunately, there is no software to allow the function buttons to do other tasks instead of the default tasks. However, I used Microsoft’s Powertoy TweakUI’s “Command Keys” to change the “My Computer” button to launch Beyond TV Link instead of “My Computer”. There is no NUM LOCK light. Each time the PC started, the NUM LOCK would be on turning some letters to numbers. Unfortunately, one of the first things you do after the system starts is to enter the password blind. You can’t tell that the letters you type are numbers! I fixed this by going into the PC’s BIOS and setting the Num Lock to Off.

Overall Review: I bought this keyboard to use on a computer who’s primary function is to be a TV. I used an old PC that still worked fine and bought a 23” 16:9 monitor for it. The PC runs Beyond TV Link which connects to another PC with a TV tuner installed to playback live TV and recorded video. Since I am usually 10-20 feet from the PC when watching TV, I use the wireless keyboard to change channels, adjust volume, pause, etc. It is perfect for that. The multimedia keys make it very easy to change the volume, pause, skip forward or skip backward. I would not recommend this keyboard to replace a wired keyboard on a stationary desktop where you’d do a lot of typing. You can only be so far from the monitor to see any text and it is a laptop style keyboard. If mobility is required (like using a projector for a presentation), this keyboard/trackball would work well.

Pros: This is my second keyboard, and 10th wireless keyboard I have used for an extended period of time. Good keyboard for HTPC use. Great distance. Decent battery life, really long with light use. Like the mouse button locations, on both sides for right click, one trigger style button on the left side by the ball for one handed operation. Media control keys work pretty good with most dvd software. (at least CyberLink PowerDVD, iTunes and Winamp.)

Cons: Funny typing when system defaults to num lock on. trackball is sometimes a little touchy. Wireless receiver is a simple dongle, so you need an USB extension cable for when the main part of the computer is stuffed away in a metal cabinet.

Pros: Great battery life and range. DO NOT USE RECHARGEABLE batteries. They don not provide enough voltage. My customers all want one!

Cons: 2.4GHZ gets interference from my WRT160N during sustained streaming or file transfer and BLOCKS keyboard transmissions. Fixed it by purchasing a long USB cord and placed receiver far away from router and closer to keyboard. Also can get interference from any PC that has ddr400 PC3200 data bus. I switched to a DDR3 system and now works good!

Overall Review: Funky character NUMLOCK enabled by default. Gotta start buying more of these for my Home theater customers :o)

Pros: I've used a lot of Home Theater PC's. By far the best keyboard ever invented for this purpose was the one designed by HP for their Z series Entertainment PC's. The Adesso WKB-3000UB keyboard is the closest to HP's original design. (Google 'HP Z555'). If you haven't used a keyboard like this it may look funky. But sitting on the couch you can easily use the trackball while holding the keyboard in both hands. If you need to type something you simply set the keyboard on your lap and type. It really is the perfect design, better than any touchpad. This keyboard has a mousewheel integrated on the left side and primary mouse bottons on both sides for easy access. It had recessed hand grips underneath and is very comfortable to use. The keyboard requires absolutely no software or additional drivers. It worked immediately with both Windows XP and Windows 7 64bit. All the special function keys (volume up/down, play pause, etc) simply work!

Cons: The battery compartment is poorly designed. The keyboard uses 4 AA batteries (included) in two rows of two. The contact for the pointy side of the AA batteries (positive) is recessed too far and doesn't make a connection. I had to put a little wad of aluminum foil at the end of both rows to make a secure electrical connection.

Overall Review: The thumb controlled trackball might seem outdated, but it is leaps and bounds better than any HTPC keyboard with a touchpad. If you need to control a PC from your couch this design is the best you are going to get.

Pros: I liked the ergonomics of the casing itself.

Cons: I was willing to live with the fact that various keystrokes would be ignored and the wonky tracking, etc... but exactly 30 days after purchase, without any warning, it just died. I came here to see if anyone else had a similar experience and the very first review I saw stated the same thing. I also tried disconnecting/reconnecting the USB receiver, rebooting, replacing the batteries, plugging it into a different PC... nothing... just dead.

Overall Review: Not sure whether it's a Pro or a Con, but this is actually my first bad experience with any of the many purchases I've made here. So, the amount it sucks to have thrown ~$70 out the window on a 1-month keyboard "rental" is kinda tempered by that, I guess.

Pros: I've had this particular keyboard/trackball for about a year. Basically it was exactly what I expected. It works great as a input for an HTPC.

Cons: It's not perfect... Sometimes it momentarily loses sync, missing letters when typring. It's very intermittent however and rarely causes irritation.

Overall Review: Overall it's by far the best HTPC keyboard/trackball in it's price range. I should know, I've tried about 5 different brands and models at this point.

Pros: Good keyboard layout and thoughtful ergonomic design. Can be controlled with both hands while holding the keyboard and standing up (can't over-emphasize how important that is!)

Cons: Keys can sometimes be a bit sticky.

Overall Review: As wireless keyboards for media centers go, it's hard to beat this one. Most other keyboards either lack a trackball or require you to sit down to control the mouse. With the Adesso, you can stand and roam around the room while working the keyboard. The left/right click, scroll wheel and trackball are all easily accessible. As for typing, the Adesso doesn't have the best tactile feel, but for short emails or Web surfing, it's fine. It gets Five Eggs for the layout alone.

Pros: Ergonomic design, integrated trackball Useful scroll wheel Looks nice for HTPC

Cons: Missed keystrokes -- too frequent for typing anything more than a paragraph! Num-Lock on by default, with no LED Result: Now that I've become good at it, it takes me on average 2.5 tries to log into Window Keyboard feel is not as good as even your typical laptop keyboard

Overall Review: I have new batteries and am within 15ft of the receiver, clear line of sight, and the missed keystrokes is bad enough to make this keyboard too frustrating to type anything more than an email of a couple paragraphs. I bought this because an integrated pointing device was a must for me, and this was my best option. To its credit the trackball and scrollwheel work pretty well, very ergonomic. The trackball is somewhat imprecise though, you'll notice this especially if you need to select window bars to resize panes, it takes some effort! Be on the lookout for newer and better options, I wish we had more choices for HTPCs!