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| by Fielding | February 6, 2008 | ||
| First Impressions First Impressions  Overall, this nMeida wireless keyboard doesn't look much different from a regular generic keyboard with a few extra keys and a trackball. However, it is the inclusion of said trackball and extra keys which will attract people to this product. All of the keys are well layed out while maintaining a good ergonomic feel. nMedia did well finding the middle ground with this keyboard since it is solidly built and it is light weight without feeling too cheap. It is also great to see the usual media buttons like My TV and My Music are nice and accessible right at the top of the keyboard.   First off, I could tell right away that the MCEKB was not a typing keyboard. It’s not meant to be used for typing long essays (or reviews) but that’s OK since it’s supposed to be a media centre keyboard, AKA, a glorified remote control. The keys are there to type in URLs and maybe fill out a couple of text fields. Nothing more, nothing less. The letter keys are rather flat to match with the sleek profile of the keyboard and simply don’t have the best feel for long-winded typing sessions.  There are a couple of grooves in the back of the keyboard that great improve the ergonomics and grip while operating the mouse and media buttons. Presumably, these grooves are for resting the keyboard on your lap but this works only if you are less than five feet tall. Over that height, you can make use of one of the grooves and rest the far edge of the keyboard on the other leg. There are also four rubber feet on the bottom to that provide grip to keep the keyboard from sliding off a smooth surface like a glass tabletop.  The trackball in the top right corner can be easily used with your thumb while holding the keyboard. Unfortunately, its rolling was a bit sticky with a few rubbing noises which seems to go away the more I used it. Here you can also see that there is a battery indicator light as well.  On the opposite side of the keyboard, there is a scroll wheel which is absolutely top notch with a perfect rubber texture to it. It even serves as a middle mouse click but that turns out awkward to use for scrolling quickly with two hands. The media buttons by the scroll wheel are a lot more inviting to use than the letter keys and are straightforward and familiar with the standard playback user interface. Did I mention that I didn't have to install a driver to get all these functions working? That in itself is worth the price of admission. | ||
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