Microsoft's Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition
By Ryan Block 
posted July 12th 2005 9:20AM
posted July 12th 2005 9:20AM
It's been a little while since we've heard anything out of Microsoft's peripherals department (we were starting to think they closed up shop, like their home wireless division)—but they apparently got fed up with the mediocre wireless input devices available for the Media Center platform and busted out their own MCE-centric wireless keyboard, the Microsoft Remote Keyboard. Yup, it's even got backlit buttons and an integrated touchpoint mouse, and should go for about $100; in other words, we'd totally hit it. They also released a new Wireless Optical Desktop 5000 kit, but it's more of the usual standard multimedia keyboard biz, so we'll move on.
That is the nicest keyboard I have ever seen. Too bad I don't have a media center PC.
Mmmmm, I'm pefectly happy with my Saitek Gaming Keyboard...
It isn't curved, doesn't have a wrist rest, and there isn't a numpad.
I'll stick to my Dinovo bluetooth media desktop. Who needs mouse access when dealing with MCE? Not THAT many options. :)
It's pretty sweet looking and it certainly has a niche as far as I'm concerned. MCE (while like most MS products) is intitally inferior to other PVR/HTPC apps but will slowly consume the mass marketplace. This will come in nice for a lot of FP theaters/boardrooms we do.
No matter what you think aout their software, Microsoft continues to make (or at least source) some of the best quality, ergonomic and generally useful hardware out there. I love their mice, my MCE remote feels great (though the buttones need improvement) and this MCE keyboard looks really sleek, featureful but not overwhelmed with stupid, useless buttons. Looks like even my parents could figure it out if they visited while still providing me with great funtionality.
These sons of bitches are gonna make me spend another $100 of my hard-earned money...
can't... resist....
I've got an IBM wireless keyboard that I've been relatively happy with, but it obviously has no Media Center-centric keys (normally I hate special keys on keyboards, but this is the kind of thing you want to be able to use like a remote control some of the time), and despite being RF its range is really limited. I know there are other options out there but this appears to be the first keyboard specifically made for Media Center... that I know of, anyway.
I'll almost definitely buy one.
maybe i'm alone on this but i would rather have a simple thumbboard for the tv than a full sized keyboard. actually a keyboard and mouse should never be necessary for the tv, but i understand some people might want them for gaming. i just don't like the idea of a full keyboard floating around the living room. i'm surprised no one has come out with a simple ir thumbboard for media pcs.
I wonder if they'll be releasing a white one come November
Kudos to MS for including a touchpoint mouse... there are too few keyboard models that do. UNFORTUNATELY, they didn't put it in the middle of the keyboard, so you have to move your hands off the keys to use it, which defeats the purpose of a touchpoint mouse entirely!
I'm not too fond of the lower-right layout around the arrow keys either. That kind of layout always makes me hit the up-arrow instead of Shift, and strain to reach Ctrl. There's plenty of room on the left to move the D-pad and other buttons, and keep the normal configuration on the right.
i fucking love ms hardware.
"It's pretty sweet looking and it certainly has a niche as far as I'm concerned. MCE (while like most MS products) is intitally inferior to other PVR/HTPC apps but will slowly consume the mass marketplace."
I have 2 full blown HTPCs right now and I've tried the full gamut of HTPC software from opensource/linux based right up to MCE 2005. By _FAR_, I prefer MCE 2005. It's easier to setup, painless to use, and yes, even less prone to crashing. I know this is likely hard for an anti-MS troll such as yourself to swallow but it's true.
Now as to this keyboard, it looks fantastic. I use the MS/Phillips MCE remote right now and it's great, so if this is anywhere near as functional I will be pretty happy.
"maybe i'm alone on this but i would rather have a simple thumbboard for the tv than a full sized keyboard. actually a keyboard and mouse should never be necessary for the tv, but i understand some people might want them for gaming."
The thing you and one other poster who said basically the same thing seem to be forgetting is that MCE is also plain old Windows XP, and people do use these PC's for things other than watching TV. For example, I use mine for playing games, and for capturing and encoding video and audio as well as DVD authoring, in addition to its Media Center functions. (In fact, I don't even use mine anymore to watch TV; I use MCE mainly for watching DVD's and "other videos" at this point.)
If you buy an MCE machine strictly to watch TV, you've really just wasted a whole pile of money. These are powerful computers, by definition... there's no reason to just leave them sitting there if there's nothing on to watch.
I do have an MCE remote, in addition - I wouldn't want to have to use this keyboard as a remote all the time. But for the times when I do need the keyboard, it'll be nice to have those buttons there so I don't need to fumble around with multiple devices.
Someone else commented on the placement of the thumbstick - my current keyboard has the same placement and I don't mind it. Think about how you're going to use this and how you're going to hold it. You're probably not going to be doing heavy mixed keyboard/mouse stuff like word processing on an MCE machine, so most of the time you'll only need one or the other device. And if you just want quick access to a start menu item or something, you just pick up the keyboard with your hands on either side, and the thumbstick is just right there. It feels totally natural. It actually would feel less natural having the stick in the middle because that would *require* you to put the keyboard on your lap and move your hands to the middle - it's the opposite of how I find I most use my current wireless keyboard on my MCE machine.
(I say all this as a big proponent of IBM's trackpoint keyboards too - but they're for work work, not media and game playing.)
Hope this will work with Linux. I'd love to have something like this for my MythTV box.
Hope this will work with Linux. I'd love to have something like this for my MythTV box.
i'll wait for logitech to do the right thing and make their own version with bluetooth and a charging station. i made the mistake of buying ms wireless input devices recently and i regret every penny i spent. on a good day, it might work as far as 2 feet way from the reciever. and i'm very lucky to get a week out of the batteries before it drops every other key press or the pointer skips around on the screen like a hummingbird on crack.
It looks a pretty nice keyboard and if it means I can get rid of another usb device and wireless receiver cluttering up the living room by using the existing IR receiver then all the better.
Put me down for one of these although I do look forward to a Mark II revision or a Comfort Edition of this keyboard in the future ;)
Hey I've got news for you... that's a characteristic of RF technology. Of course logitech bluetooth will give you better range. So will MS bluetooth.
#16: I don't believe you. I've been using Microsoft wireless mice for years, and I usually get at least 15 feet of range when using em. I remember wandering around in the hallways of my dorm when I got my first MS mouse to see how far it'd go. =P
damn this keyboard its forcing me closer and closer to building that htpc with mce 2005 i've been thinking about. this site is gonna cost me a fortune. :)
#19...what...do you want video or something?? freaking charts and graphs?? i've got a microsoft wireless multimedia keyboard and mouse...it SUCKS. I don't care what your experience is, or even if you believe me(what reason do i have to lie, I own plenty of MS products that do work, like my corded optical mouse and my office keyboard(which i love) I only care about the fact that I dropped $75 on a piece of garbage. I'm also not the only one I know(since buying one) who thinks MS wireless products(aside from bluetooth) are garbage.
#18 i don't see a bluetooth version of this, i doubt they'll bother to produce one. I honestly can't imagine buying anything wireless that isn't bluetooth capable. logitech seems to be much better about using bluetooth for their wireless products, with built in chargers for the mice...which is better than anything i've seen from MS(wireless that is)
#12: try BTV at www.snapstream.com($60 one time software fee and it's 1000% worth it). I have 3 TV tuners in my HTPC and have been using BTV for 2yrs. It has worked flawlessly.
I don't suppose this would work for Mac OS X?!? I have setup a Mac as my media center, and would love to know if the keyboard has Mac drivers or should I just use a generic USB device driver to assign the keys?
Anyone have a retail site for this yet?
Can anyone explain why MS has changed the Insert/Home/Page Up block of keys on their full size keyboards with wireless features? I may be one of the only 7 people on the planet who actually still uses ctrl-insert instead of ctrl-v short cuts, but the new keyboards really flummox me.
(Though the wireless and other features work *great*, even on a Mac)
#21 from what I am reading this is an IR device which uses the same receiver as the MCE remote:
"This 3-in-1 infrared (IR) keyboard, mouse, and remote gives you complete wireless control of your computer running Windows XP Media Center from up to 30 feet awaywithout multiple devices to clutter up your living space. Launch digital media. Surf the Web. Play movies and send instant messages in the dark, right from the comfort of your sofa."
So it's not the same wireless technology as the RF stuff you are referring to (which does have pretty short range).
chu chu
i must need eyeglasses...since missed that it was infrared. this should certainly work better than my rf versions
but still...bluetooth would have been nice, especially given the pricing they've set.
Only the hotkeys are backlit, the QWERTY ones should be too. To go one better they should be caoted in OLED and then the letters could be italicised or changed to pictures eg smileys.
This could mean that I could program any key and a pic would show up so I knew instead of the HK1 standard label. Also people could post online alternatives to the QWERTY layout to see if it really could be improved, Im sure that would catch on with some.
Did any else notice that Best Buy says this is "Compatible with a Media Center PC that runs Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 or later and has a Windows Media Center receiver"? I wonder if this means that one must own the MS MCE 2005 Remote to use the keyboard? As a SnapStream convert, I still use my StreamZap remote.
hmm it does the same stuff as the MCE remote.. but its ONLY ps/2!!
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=040
Arrggh, I was really interested until I read #30 and checked link. I already have an MCE IR Remote receiver plugged into USB. The 0 - 9 keys on MCE remote work as normal keyboard 0 - 9 keys, so, why do I need PS/2 (you may have guessed my 'up-to-date' PC has USB only, no PS/2)????? So won't work with my new PC and even if I had PS/2 ports I'd need another receiver? Shurely shome mistake ...
the keyboard is designed to control your set top box as well as normal tv programing. this is why ir is still important. cable boxes havent progressed to bluetooth and other technologies yet. as far as ps2 issues go. most systems wake better from a ps2 connection than any usb connection. this would explain some of the issues in design. or at least from my experience.
overall i think this is going to be a great product, especially the key placement.
I have purchased one of these and now returned it for a second because the programmable TV button does not stay remembered once the keyboard is in lock mode (so no keys work, sort of like hold on a cd player) and my 2nd one does the same... I'm very disapointed since i paid 75$ and then 10$ to return it and now, maybe another 10$ to return and just get my money back! The mouse sucks too! Esspecially on my 2nd one... Its very jumpy and doesnt work very smooth. I'm going to try to contact microsoft... yea.. like they'd care.
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I just bought one, but it's can't work into bios setup, anyone can help?