Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Kensington PilotBoard Wireless Desktop mini review
Kensington have brought out their PilotBoard range of keyboard and mouse sets, designed with multimedia and ease of use in mind and we take a look at the middle of the line, PilotBoard Wireless Desktop.
Included in the package is the keyboard and mouse, the wireless transmitter, an attachable wrist rest, user guide, CD-ROM and batteries. The keyboard and mouse both take 2 AA batteries each which gives an estimated lifespan of 2 - 3 months for moderate to heavy daily use before needing replaced. Use of the supplied drivers is optional as the majority of features are already supported under Windows XP although there are a couple of missing features that I will touch on later.
Setting up the wireless set is very straight forward; the wireless transmitter unit can be plugged directly into the keyboard and mouse PS2 ports or into a single USB port using the supplied PS2 to USB adapter. This flexible arrangement allows this set to be used in conjunction with relatively old PCs or Macs, USB only systems or a laptop with only a single PS2 port. Once this unit is plugged into the PC, XP will automatically install its own drivers and have it ready use in no time at all. At this point, you may be able to use the keyboard and mouse correctly. If one or both components are not correctly picked up, you simply push the small button on the bottom of the transmitter and do the same on the bottom of the component that is not recognised and they will establish a working connection.
In use, the keyboard and mouse feel well constructed although the keyboard is very light which is great if you consider you can sit back with your feet up and work with it on your lap. The keys feel soft to use and quiet in operation which makes this setup a good choice for use in a family room where others will not be distracted by the sound of typing. Operation response is instant; there were no delays at all in use of the mouse and keyboard during the whole time of testing and I experienced no interference with my wireless network or phone system.
The mouse did feel substantial in hand compared to others, but I think this was in part due to the placement of the scroll wheel. While the buttons were easily accessible, the scroll wheel when holding the mouse comfortably seemed too far forward and had me stretching my index finger to operate. This takes a bit of getting used to but I have never had this issue before therefore I think this is one mouse that perhaps would not be easy for the children.
The supplied drivers were straight forward to install however I think many users will not have the need to install them. Using the standard XP drivers, all the main controls on the keyboard worked fine including the additional buttons such as for putting the PC in standby, starting up applications like your browser and Email or for controlling media playback. I was also surprised to see the excellent volume dial at the top, centre of the keyboard worked fine under this driver as did the scroll wheel on the left side and the browser forward and back buttons. There are additional benefits to installing the supplied driver however such as the ability to map two programmable application buttons, use the Function button to deliver common short cuts in applications and to switch the keyboard scroll wheel between zoom and magnify functions. The Function button in combination with other keys mostly replicates menu shortcuts that are already present in many applications like Open, Save etc. so the benefit of this option is limited. A real plus of the supplied driver however is the ability to see when the current battery level in the keyboard and mouse is getting low meaning the batteries will need replacing.
The keyboard is height adjustable and has small rubber feet to keep it secure on a smooth surface and the mouse has a fine, rubber coating making it comfortable in the hand. The positioning of the mouse scroll wheel is a consideration if children will be using this system but if you like to hook up your PC to a large screen TV or use a Media Centre, the PilotBoard offers a great quality and value keyboard and mouse set. It certainly gets my vote for people looking for a wireless setup.
More details can be found at the Kensington website.
Included in the package is the keyboard and mouse, the wireless transmitter, an attachable wrist rest, user guide, CD-ROM and batteries. The keyboard and mouse both take 2 AA batteries each which gives an estimated lifespan of 2 - 3 months for moderate to heavy daily use before needing replaced. Use of the supplied drivers is optional as the majority of features are already supported under Windows XP although there are a couple of missing features that I will touch on later.
Setting up the wireless set is very straight forward; the wireless transmitter unit can be plugged directly into the keyboard and mouse PS2 ports or into a single USB port using the supplied PS2 to USB adapter. This flexible arrangement allows this set to be used in conjunction with relatively old PCs or Macs, USB only systems or a laptop with only a single PS2 port. Once this unit is plugged into the PC, XP will automatically install its own drivers and have it ready use in no time at all. At this point, you may be able to use the keyboard and mouse correctly. If one or both components are not correctly picked up, you simply push the small button on the bottom of the transmitter and do the same on the bottom of the component that is not recognised and they will establish a working connection.
In use, the keyboard and mouse feel well constructed although the keyboard is very light which is great if you consider you can sit back with your feet up and work with it on your lap. The keys feel soft to use and quiet in operation which makes this setup a good choice for use in a family room where others will not be distracted by the sound of typing. Operation response is instant; there were no delays at all in use of the mouse and keyboard during the whole time of testing and I experienced no interference with my wireless network or phone system.
The mouse did feel substantial in hand compared to others, but I think this was in part due to the placement of the scroll wheel. While the buttons were easily accessible, the scroll wheel when holding the mouse comfortably seemed too far forward and had me stretching my index finger to operate. This takes a bit of getting used to but I have never had this issue before therefore I think this is one mouse that perhaps would not be easy for the children.
The supplied drivers were straight forward to install however I think many users will not have the need to install them. Using the standard XP drivers, all the main controls on the keyboard worked fine including the additional buttons such as for putting the PC in standby, starting up applications like your browser and Email or for controlling media playback. I was also surprised to see the excellent volume dial at the top, centre of the keyboard worked fine under this driver as did the scroll wheel on the left side and the browser forward and back buttons. There are additional benefits to installing the supplied driver however such as the ability to map two programmable application buttons, use the Function button to deliver common short cuts in applications and to switch the keyboard scroll wheel between zoom and magnify functions. The Function button in combination with other keys mostly replicates menu shortcuts that are already present in many applications like Open, Save etc. so the benefit of this option is limited. A real plus of the supplied driver however is the ability to see when the current battery level in the keyboard and mouse is getting low meaning the batteries will need replacing.
The keyboard is height adjustable and has small rubber feet to keep it secure on a smooth surface and the mouse has a fine, rubber coating making it comfortable in the hand. The positioning of the mouse scroll wheel is a consideration if children will be using this system but if you like to hook up your PC to a large screen TV or use a Media Centre, the PilotBoard offers a great quality and value keyboard and mouse set. It certainly gets my vote for people looking for a wireless setup.
More details can be found at the Kensington website.
