Xebec Tech itouchpad diamond keyboard review

[siopao1984]

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Xebec Tech itouchpad diamond keyboard review by VR-Zone.com

Xebec Tech is a relatively new computer component manufacturer and designer, with offices in the UK, China and Taiwan. The company, for the time being, focuses their products line-up on computer peripherals only and especially input devices. Today we are going to have a look at one of their most innovative keyboards, the itouchpad diamond wireless keyboard.

Manufacturer features and specifications

• Full functionality of a full-size layout keyboard due to built in numeric keypad and 12 function keys
• Tilt feet for adjustment of the tilt angle for an absolute skid-proof and ergonomic operation
• Blue LED indicating pairing, transmitting and low battery
• Power On/Off switch to save battery
• Optimal for Digital Living Rooms (HTPC) as well as for training, conference & presentation rooms etc.
• Key count: 89
• Construction: Soft-Touch-Membrane technology
• Battery type: 2× AAA 1.5 V (included)
• Plug n play
• Re-chargeable
• Full functionality of a full-size layout keyboard due to built in numeric keypad and 12 function keys
• Tilt feet for adjustment of the tilt angle for an absolute skid-proof and ergonomic operation
• Blue LED indicating pairing, transmitting and low battery
• Power On/Off switch to save battery
• Optimal for Digital Living Rooms (HTPC) as well as for training, conference & presentation rooms etc.
• Dimensions: 307.2mm x 24.8mm x 203.1 mm
• Weight: 570g
• Life expectancy: approx. 5 million strokes per key
• Switch travel / Pressure point: 3.0 ±0.5 mm (total run) / 55 ±15 g
• Radio transmission: 2.4 – 2.4835 GHz, GFSK,
• Power supply: Keyboard: +2.2 VDC to +3.2 VDC Receiver: +5 VDC ±5 %
• Power consumption maximal: Keyboard: 17 mA Receiver: 100 mA
• Keyboard Standby: 14 mA
• Keyboard Sleep-Mode: 30 μA (after 30 min.)
• Temperature: Operating: -5 °C up to +40 °C
• Storage: -20 °C up to +65 °C
• Humidity: Operating and storage: 10 % up to 85 % RH
• Interface: USB (nano dongle receiver)
• Certificates: CE, FCC, WEEE/RoHS
• Compatibility: Win 98SE / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista/ Win 7

[siopao1984]

The itouchpad diamond keyboard is supplied inside a simple cardboard package with an all-white theme and a picture of the keyboard on the front.



Inside the package the product is well secured between cardboard pieces. The keyboard itself is wrapped inside a nylon bag.



The bundle of the itouchpad diamond keyboard is minimalistic and consists of only a USB charging cable and a very basic user’s manual. There is also a set of rechargeable batteries installed inside the keyboard.

[siopao1984]

The itouchpad diamond keyboard is fairly small, measuring only 31cm long and 20cm wide. It comes with rechargeable batteries and it still manages to weigh less than 600gr. The layout is fairly tightly packed and a touchpad has been placed beneath the keyboard area, strongly resembling the layout of a small notebook. There are no multimedia keys but no other keys are missing, except from a dedicated numpad. Much like companies do with netbooks, Xebec Tech had to place a few keys in weird placed in order for everything to fit, such as the slash key right next to the space key. All of the keys are using “soft touch membrane technology”, which is an enhanced version of the standard rubber cones used in most keyboards, making the itouchpad diamond keyboard extremely quiet while maintaining a fair level of responsiveness.



Three LED lights can be found at the top right section of the keyboard. The left LED light is the pairing indicator and flashes during the pairing procedure, as well as the activity LED and flashes every time a key is pressed. This might become slightly annoying if you are trying to type a long text in a dark environment. The middle LED light is the low battery indicator and comes on when the batteries need recharging. Finally, the right LED is the recharging indicator which flashes while the batteries are getting charged and stays on when they are fully charged.



At the lowermost left side of the keyboard area Xebec Tech placed an Fn key, similar to the key which allows for special functions found on notebooks. Of course you will not be able to control the screen’s backlight or perform any similar actions with the itouchpad diamond keyboard but the Fn key turns part of a keyboard to a numpad while it remains pressed, allowing for some quick numbers typing and basic calculations.



The touchpad found on the keyboard is fairly basic but it feels smooth and performs very well, as do the keys. If you are used to working with a touchpad from using a notebook, it will feel very familiar and easy to use.



The company placed a mini-USB slot at the top of the keyboard for charging the batteries.



The rear of the itouchpad diamond keyboard is plastic, sprayed with a highly reflective black paint. Two height adjustment feet can be seen towards the top side of the keyboard, which however do feel slightly frail and will probably not handle much abuse. If the plastic feet remain closed, the keyboard sits on rubber anti-skid studs.



At the top left side of the keyboard’s rear the user can find an on-off switch, the batteries compartment and a tiny USB dongle. The on/off switch has to be at the “on” position for the keyboard’s charger to work. While this keyboard is using typical AAA batteries, two rechargeable batteries are already installed; it is a very good thing though that you can replace them if they go bad. You may even use normal AAA batteries but then you should not attempt to use the charger, which will surely damage the keyboard or worse.

[siopao1984]

During our testing, the Xebec Tech itouchpad diamond keyboard met our expectations. The compact and light keyboard felt excellent for controlling a PC from a distance. Speaking of distance, the range of the keyboard is definitely great and would work with the user standing 8 meters away, way too far for it to be usable anyway since even a 32” TV was too small at such a distance. HTPC users will hate the fact that this keyboard is missing any media keys but not all is lost; albeit the itouchpad diamond keyboard has no media keys, media players nowadays do have pre-programmed (and programmable) keyboard shortcuts, therefore the user can perform all basic actions by using ordinary keystrokes. This might actually be easier for most people, since the vast majority of users would reach for the “Space” key in order to pause/play a movie rather than look for the media key.

The most positive attribute of the itouchpad diamond wireless keyboard is, without a doubt, its versatility. The relatively small size and integrated touchpad make it an excellent all-in-one solution for all scenarios where long typing hours are not a possibility. You may connect the keyboard to any device with an USB port and it will work like a charm, including gaming consoles and (with the use of a USB to micro USB adapter) Android tablets. Some of the latest Android tablets running Honeycomb, such as the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 which we both tested, will also recognize and make use of the touchpad.

The “soft touch membrane” keys are exceptional for short-term use and comfort; they are soft and very quiet. We would not recommend this keyboard for long typing sessions however mostly because the keys feel spongy and they require quite a bit of force to press them down, which can be tiring after an hour or two. We doubt that most gamers would find this keyboard comfortable to use either; not because of the keys but because of the tight layout and the position of the touchpad. It would be impossible to game for hours without touching your wrist down and unwanted clicking/movement would be catastrophic for a gaming experience.

When it comes to value, the itouchpad diamond keyboard is very sensibly priced at about 35GBP (55USD or 70SGD at the time of this review), a fairly good price for the kind of versatility it offers. Finally, it would be worthwhile to mention that this product comes in three colors: black, silver and white, with “apple’s” white being a very difficult color to find among peripherals, making this keyboard an ideal companion for Mac computers.

[modula]

Do you have any experience of the Keysonic ACK-540RF? If so, which out of that and this Xebec keyboard would you recommend please?

[toweweng]

maguba ang isa, damay ang isa.. saon na lang..