Vores stuer begynder at fyldes op med en del forskellige typer elektronik, enten et smart-tv, en HTPC ( Home Theater PC^{(Home Theatre PC)} ), en spillekonsol eller en pc, der er tilsluttet en stor skærm. Men det frustrerende ved dem alle er, når du vil søge efter indhold, og du skal skrive eller bruge en pointer, værst af alt i mørke. Selvfølgelig er den bedste løsning for at undslippe frustrationen ved denne oplevelse at bruge et let trådløst tastatur og endnu bedre et, der har baggrundsbelyste taster og en indbygget touchpad. Fra denne komplicerede verden af ​​tastaturer modtog vi Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboardog vi satte os for at teste det på forskellige typer enheder. Læs videre, mens vi gennemgår dette stuevenlige tastatur og se, om det vil lade os nyde komforten i vores sofa:

Udpakning af Logitech K830 belyst stuetastatur^{(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)}

Det kommer i en typisk Logitech -emballage med en blank æske, der har billedet af tastaturet i dets udpegede miljø på forsiden. Dette område viser også det fulde navn og det faktum, at det har et amerikansk engelsk layout. Logitech tilføjede også, på flere sprog, at dette produkt er den bedste
måde at styre dit Smart TV på, selv i mørke.

Bagsiden viser et ganske smukt zoomet billede af tastaturet på det samme glittede papir. Også her, på flere sprog, informerer Logitech os om indholdet af kassen og giver os en lille liste over vigtige tekniske specifikationer (både i tekst og grafiske repræsentationer).

Coveret kommer ret nemt af og indeni finder du tastaturet siddende oven på en papbakke uden nogen form for plastikindpakning. Et valg, der giver mening, da dette er en mere miljøbevidst måde at levere enheder på.

Når du har fjernet tastaturet fra æsken, vil du se, at papbakken har en masse små rum, som indeholder alt det fremhævede tilbehør. Denne velorganiserede måde at sende på er noget, vi gerne vil se fra andre producenter.

Indeni^(Inside) , sammen med dit K830- tastatur, finder du følgende: den meget lille Logitech USB -forenende modtager, et mikro - USB -opladningskabel, et USB -forlængerkabel , en instruktionsmanual på flere sprog og Logitechs ^(Logitech)vigtige oplysninger^{(Important Information)} ( sikkerhed^(Safety) , overensstemmelse^(Compliance) og garanti^(Warranty) ) folder.

Hardware specifikationer

Ideen bag Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard er ret enkel: at levere et alt-i-et trådløst tastatur med baggrundsbelyste taster og en integreret multi-touchpad til markørkontrol. Alligevel er dette ikke dit typiske skrivebordstastatur, fordi det er beregnet til at blive brugt i mere afslappede situationer, som at sidde på en sofa eller seng. Logitech oplyser, som vi har set ovenfor, at K830 vil tilbyde "Besværlig PC til TV-navigation, selv i mørket". En interessant beskrivelse, men ikke så præcis, som du måske tror, ​​fordi den ikke dækker alle de anvendelser, som dette kompakte tastatur/touchpad-mix kan tilbyde. Dette perspektiv vender vi tilbage til længere nede i anmeldelsen.

Rektangulært med afrundede sidekanter overrasker K830 med et eksklusivt look, der kombinerer de to siders mørke udseende med et reflekterende sølvstykke på både bunden og toppen af ​​rammen. Tastaturet har et standard QWERTY - layout med taster i Chiclet -stil. Logitech inkluderede også 19 multimedietaster, der giver en masse ekstra funktioner.

Logitech har fjernet den dedikerede nummerplade, og i stedet får vi en fuldt fungerende touchpad, komplet med venstre og højre museknap. Ydermere kan vi over touchpad'en se tre lydkontroltaster: mute, volumen stigning og volumen sænkning.

Desuden finder du i denne højre side af tastaturet en lille rund lyssensor, der, baseret på rummets omgivende lys, enten vil dæmpe eller skærpe baggrundsbelysningen af ​​tasterne. Ved siden af, i øverste højre hjørne, finder du en batteriindikator. Den lyser hver gang du tænder for tastaturet eller vækker det fra dvaletilstand. Denne LED -indikator vil også fortælle dig, hvornår det er tid til at oplade batteriet, ved at blinke rødt lys.

På den øverste del af rammen finder vi tre vigtige funktioner, der skal påpeges. Fra venstre mod højre ser vi først en venstre museklik-knap, en mikro-USB-port og tænd-sluk-kontakten.

Bagsiden af ​​tastaturet er, ja, almindelig. Den flade bagside byder kun på fire velplacerede gummifødder^(rubber) og en anden lille af hård plast i det nederste område af midten.

Tastaturet har et indbygget lithium-ion-batteri, der kan oplades ved hjælp af mikro-USB-porten. Logitech oplyser, at det har en autonomi på 10 dage på en fuld opladning. Du skal angiveligt nå dette mærke, mens du bruger det i 2 eller 3 timer om dagen med baggrundsbelysningen tændt.
Dets håndholdte design måler kun 14,4 tommer (36,7 cm) i længden gange 4,9 tommer (12,53 cm) i højden og 0,65 tommer (1,65 cm) i dybden. Den lette, udelukkende plastikkonstruktion vejer 17,5 oz (495 gram).

Det fulde sæt af specifikationer for dette tastatur kan findes her: Logitech K830 Keyboard .

Brug af Logitech K830 Oplyst Living-Room Keyboard^{(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)}

Designmæssigt er aluminiumsfinishen på kanterne et interessant element, der ser ud til at kollidere med den soft-touch belægning, der findes på resten af ​​tastaturet. Denne mørke belægning er ekstremt følsom over for fingeraftryk og ridser. Du har måske set nogle fingeraftryk på et af billederne ovenfor. Dette virker virkelig dårligt for et tastatur, der finder sin plads i din stue, hvor man forestiller sig, det vil blive brugt af hænder, der tidligere var nedsænket i en skål chips. Dens plastikskal vrider sig, og når den placeres på en flad overflade, er den ikke altid stabil på trods af sine skridsikre gummifødder. Alligevel er det de typiske ulemper ved at have en let, udelukkende plastikkonstruktion, der er smal nok til, at du kan gribe den med én hånd.

Lad os vende vores opmærksomhed mod selve hjertet af K830 , nemlig nøglerne. Deres generelle størrelse var stor nok til, at vi kunne skrive ret hurtigt, og den flade overflade gav god støtte. Selvom vi synes, at tasterne er for tæt placeret, er det den eneste måde, producenterne er i stand til at holde tastaturernes overordnede størrelse på. Tasterne giver en blød og ret lang rejse, som er ok til afslappet brug, men det vil ikke hjælpe dig med at skrive lange afhandlinger. Vi kunne virkelig godt lide, at de ikke larmer meget.

For tydeligt at demonstrere sine evner til at styre dit stue mediecenter og/eller pc, tilføjede producenten en række mediegenveje. Der er to forskellige typer: one-touch funktionstaster ( F1-F12 ) og dem, der kræver, at du først trykker på Fn-tasten (ins, del, backspace, caps lock, Page up, Page down, home, end). Hvis du tager dig tid til at lære, hvad hver enkelt af dem gør, vil det i høj grad forbedre din multimedieoplevelse; alle er forklaret i brugsanvisningen. Nogle af jer kan måske ikke lide det faktum, at standard-pc-funktionerne for F-tasterne kun kan tilgås ved at bruge en Fn-kombination. Alligevel, fra et stue synspunkt, fungerer mediestyringen rigtig godt og er et plus for dette tastatur.

Vi vil også diskutere to af de funktioner, der vises på den øverste kant. Placeringen af ​​en venstre museknap i dette område er velegnet til stuemiljøet. Hvis du vil betjene dit tastatur komfortabelt, mens du holder det med begge hænder, giver denne ekstra knap dig mulighed for at bruge touchpad'en med højre hånd, mens du klikker på ting med venstre hånd. Desuden virker den farvekodede tænd/sluk-knap lidt svær at betjene i starten. Men for en lettere identifikation kan vi fortælle dig, at grøn betyder, at den er tændt, mens orange betyder, at den er slukket.

En af de mest interessante funktioner ved K830 er baggrundsbelysningen af ​​tasterne. Dette er trods alt et tastatur designet til at blive brugt sammen med et mediecenter og vil ofte skulle betjenes i mørke (du kan ikke se gyserfilm med lyset tændt). Baggrundsbelysningen tilbyder to niveauer af lysintensitet, og den styres af den omgivende lyssensor. Logitech tilbyder også en tast (F1) til manuelt at justere baggrundsbelysningen. Vi kunne virkelig godt lide denne enkelt-taste tilgang til at hæve og sænke lysstyrken. Når tastaturet er lavt på batteri, slukkes baggrundsbelysningen automatisk, og ved almindelig brug forsvinder den inden for 5 sekunder, efter du holder op med at bruge den.

Intensiteten af ​​baggrundsbelysningen gør tastaturet fantastisk til mørke til mellembelyste rum. Alligevel, selvom lyssensoren fungerer godt i mørke og svage områder, fandt vi, at den var mindre effektiv i lysere omgivelser. På trods af at det rum, vi brugte det i, havde nok lys, aktiverer sensoren nogle gange lavintensitetsbaggrundsbelysningen og skal korrigeres manuelt. Logitech forsømte også at tilbyde os en mulighed for at holde baggrundsbelysningen tændt eller slukket på ubestemt tid. Alt i alt er der tale om mindre problemer, fordi tastaturet er meget effektivt, når det bruges i mørke.

Når vi vender tilbage til kombinationen af ​​tastatur/touchpad, må vi sige, at det er en designfunktion, der giver perfekt mening. Det fjerner fuldstændig behovet for en separat mus eller touchpad, selv for dem af jer, der planlægger at bruge den på farten. Selvom dette side-by-side design kan tage lidt tilvænning, vil det med tiden blive en anden natur; det ligner ideen bag bærbare touchpads, den eneste forskel er, at den sidder til siden og snarere foran tastaturet. Hvad angår selve touchpad'en, er den glat og ret lydhør. Vi bemærkede ikke nogen forsinkelse mellem bevægelsen af ​​vores fingre på touchpad'en og bevægelsen af ​​skærmmarkøren. Så den velproportionerede touchpad (3,1 x 2 tommer) giver en behagelig fornemmelse, der gør navigationen nem.

Hvis du er en af ​​de pc-til-tv-^(PC-to-TV) brugere, der har brug for at forblive bundet til alle dine enheder fra hele huset, så er Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard præcis, hvad du har brug for. Selvom tastaturet ikke er særlig tykt, vil det sikkert sidde på skødet/knæene og du vil have det godt i hånden.

Tilslutning og software

Til K830 leverer Logitech sin Unifying RF-modtager^{(Unifying RF receiver)} , der skal tilsluttes en ledig port på din computer eller stue medieelektronik. Det fantastiske ved det er, at en enkelt modtager kan parre op til seks trådløse Logitech -enheder ad gangen. Denne lille USB - dongle tilbyder en 2,4 GHz trådløs forbindelse (ikke Bluetooth ) og en stensikker rækkevidde på 33 fod (10 m). Bemærk, at hvis du tilslutter USB -kablet til opladning af tastaturet til en pc, vil det ikke blive genkendt som en inputenhed; kun radiodonglen giver dig mulighed for at bruge tastaturet. Under alle omstændigheder kan K830 bruges under opladning. Også USBforlængerkabel kan hjælpe dig med Unifying -modtageren, når USB -porten er skjult, og du ønsker at placere modtageren et mere udsat sted og med en bedre signalmodtagelse. Logitech Unifying - modtageren er en fantastisk funktion, der tilbyder en solid forbindelse, og den er nem at bruge.

BEMÆRK: Du kan ^(NOTE:)kun^(only) tilføje flere Logitech -enheder til en enkelt modtager i WINDOWS-drevne enheder.

Receiveren tilsluttes øjeblikkeligt til Windows 7 og Windows 8.1 . Men for at bruge tastaturet fuldt ud, skal du downloade og installere den nødvendige software fra Logitechs^(Logitech) supportwebsted her^(here) . De to programmer, Logitech Unifying Software og Logitech Software Options , hjælper dig med at tage kommandoen over modtageren og få adgang til alle tastaturets funktioner. Først^(First) og fremmest, i nederste højre hjørne af vinduet Logitech Software Options , vil du se en grafisk repræsentation af batteritilstanden. Derefter i den første fane, Tastatur^(Keyboard), under billedet af selve tastaturet finder du et lille afkrydsningsfelt, som giver dig mulighed for at skifte mellem standardfunktionen for F-tasterne og mediefunktionerne.

De næste to faner i programmet giver dig mulighed for at tilpasse nogle funktioner på touchpad'en, såsom justering af dens følsomhed eller styring af berøringsbevægelser. Vi må sige, at touchpad'en fungerer meget godt med Windows 8.1 , hvor den giver dig mulighed for at bruge alle de swipe-bevægelser, der er tilgængelige i netop dette operativsystem. Navigation er meget let takket være en række enkle bevægelseskommandoer, der er blevet integreret af Logitech : Tryk på overfladen med én finger for at venstreklikke eller med to fingre for at højreklikke, træk to fingre op/ned eller venstre/højre for at rulle eller knibe for at zoome ind eller ud.

Hvad angår fagter, gør den sidste fane i Logitechs^(Logitech) ledsagerprogram K830 virkelig tilpasselig. Det giver dig mulighed for at ændre eller deaktivere adfærden for de mere avancerede gestuskommandoer. Vi fandt ud af, at f.eks. i Windows 8.1 , at stryge vandret med en finger fra højre kant automatisk aktiverer Charms , eller at du ved at udføre den samme handling, men fra venstre side, kan skifte gennem dine åbnede applikationer.

Tilgængeligheden af ​​disse gestuskommandoer afhænger af det operativsystem, du bruger, selvom det ser ud til, at det bedste match til K830 er Windows 8.1 . Det eneste problem, vi bemærkede, når vi brugte det med et Windows -operativsystem, er, at bevægelserne ikke altid er så lydhøre, som de burde være. Vi var nødt til at justere fingrene fra tid til anden, når vi scrollede, fordi touchpad'en ikke altid genkendte de bevægelser, vi lavede. Men igen, dette er et lille problem, og det tager ikke væk fra bekvemmeligheden ved at have en touchpad indbygget i tastaturet.

Når vi bevæger os væk fra Microsofts^(Microsoft) operativsystemer, må vi sige, at hvis du ejer en Mac , vil dette tastatur oprette forbindelse til den med det samme ved hjælp af Logitech Unifying -modtageren. Det vil overtage input-funktionerne, og du vil være i stand til at bruge de grundlæggende funktioner på tastaturet og touchpad. Det første problem opstår, når du vil bruge multitouch-mulighederne i Mac -operativsystemet, fordi K830 ikke understøtter dem. Du kan kun justere touchpad'ens generelle opførsel (forsinkelse og hastighed) gennem Systemindstillinger - Tilgængelighedsindstillinger^{(System Preferences-Accessibility Options)}. Så skulle du tro, at du kunne løse dette ved at installere et Logitech-ledsagelsesprogram, men overraskende nok virker den software, de tilbyder, ikke på din Mac . Så tastaturet fungerer på en Mac , men du vil ikke være i stand til at bruge de avancerede bevægelseskommandoer på touchpad'en.

Også da det markedsføres som et stuetastatur, så burde det også fungere sammen med dit Smart TV. Du bør være i stand til at oprette forbindelse til tv'et ved at tilslutte Logitechs^(Logitech) Unifying-modtager til en åben USB -port, der er kompatibel med USB HID . Yderligere support afhænger dog af hver enkelt app fra Smart TV'ets miljø, og det er muligt, at touchpad'en nogle gange ikke virker. Desuden afhænger særlige funktioner af K830 af det Smart TV, der ejes af brugeren, og Logitech råder alle fremtidige købere til at konsultere deres TV's manual for at få oplysninger om kompatibilitet.

Dom

På papiret virker Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard^{(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)} fantastisk. Når den først er pakket ud, imponerer den stadig. Designet er behageligt, materialerne er flatterende for øjet, og vi sætter pris på touchpad'en og dens generøse knapper, den strygende overflade og den generelle lethed på tastaturet. Men meget snart kom vi til at fortryde dens unaturlige tiltrækning af fingeraftryk og det faktum, at du konstant skal rense det. Det vil helt sikkert hjælpe dig med at tage kontrol over dine stueenheder, men som vi forstod, er det et tastatur, der vil fungere godt med Windows 7 eller Windows 8.1. Kun på Microsoft's operativsystemer vil du være i stand til at forbinde flere enheder på den samme samlende modtager og få adgang til alle de fantastiske gestuskommandoer, der er tilgængelige for touchpad'en. Den nederste linje er, at K830- tastatur/touchpad-kombinationen er designet til at blive brugt med enten en Windows -pc forbundet til en projektor/tv-skærm eller en Windows - baseret hjemmebiograf-pc (HTPC)^{(Home Theater PC (HTPC))} . Logitech K830 vil fungere med en Mac , men kun som et on-the-go tastatur, der vil tilbyde grundlæggende skrivefunktioner og en touchpad, der ikke understøtter multi-touch input. Du kan også bruge dette tastatur på SmartTV'er, men dets avancerede funktioner afhænger af selve TV'et og de apps, du har installeret. Desværre er producenterne ikke altid enige om standarder og overholdelse, og nogle gange ser det ud til, at den eneste vej at gå er køb-det-og-prøv-det-tilgangen. Hvis du vil have et fuldtidstastatur til omfattende skrivning, skal du nok blive ved med at lede, men hvis du vil have en ledsager i stuen til at blive brugt i mørket, er dette tastaturet for dig. På grund af dets lette design, oplyste taster og mediefunktioner er Logitech K830 et godt køb for dem af jer, der konstant bruger deres stue (og endda soveværelse) mediecenter.

Reviewing The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard

Oυr lіving roоms are starting to fill up with quite a few differеnt types of electronics, either a smart TV, an HTPC (Home Theatre PC), a game console or a PС connected to a big sсreen. But the frustrating thing about all of them is when you want to search for cоntent and you have to tyрe or use a pointer, worst of all in the dark. Of course, the go-to solution to escape the frustration оf this еxperience is to υse a lіght wireless keyboard and, better yet, one that has backlit keуs and a built-in touchpаd. From this complіcated wоrld of keyboаrds, we received the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard and we set out to test it on different types of devices. Read on, as we review this living room friendly keyboard and see if it will let us enjoy the comfort of our couch:

Unboxing The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard

It comes in a typical Logitech packaging, with a glossy box that has the image of the keyboard in its designated environment on the front. This area also shows the full name and the fact that it has a US english layout. Logitech also added, in multiple languages, that this product is the best
way to control your Smart TV, even in the dark.

The backside shows a quite beautiful zoomed-in image of the keyboard on the same glossy paper. Also, here, in multiple languages, Logitech informs us about the contents of the box and gives us a small list of important technical specifications (both in text and graphic representations).

The cover comes off quite easily and inside you will find the keyboard sitting on top of a cardboard tray without any kind of plastic wrapping. A choice that makes sense as this is more environmentally conscious way of delivering devices.

After removing the keyboard from the box you will see that the cardboard tray has a lot of small compartments which contain all the featured accessories. This well organized way of shipping is something we would like to see from other manufacturers.

Inside, together with your K830 keyboard, you will find the following: the very small Logitech USB unifying receiver, a micro-USB charging cable, a USB extension cable, an instruction manual in multiple languages and Logitech's Important Information (Safety, Compliance and Warranty) leaflet.

Hardware Specifications

The idea behind the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard is quite simple: to provide an all-in-one wireless keyboard with backlit keys and an integrated multi-touchpad for cursor control. Still, this is not your typical desk keyboard because it is meant to be used in more casual situations, like sitting on a couch or bed. Logitech states, as we have seen above, that K830 will offer "Effortless PC to TV navigation, even in the dark". An interesting description, but not as accurate as you might think, because it does not cover all the uses this compact keyboard/touchpad mix can offer. We will come back to this perspective further down in the review.

Rectangular with rounded side edges, the K830 surprises with an executive style look that combines the dark appearance of the two sides with a reflective silver piece on both the bottom and the top of its frame. The keyboard features a standard QWERTY layout with Chiclet style keys. Logitech also included 19 multimedia keys that provide a lot of extra functions.

Logitech has removed the dedicated number pad and in its place we get a fully functioning touchpad, complete with left and right mouse buttons. Furthermore, above the touchpad we can see three audio control keys: mute, volume increase and volume decrease.

Also, in this right side of the keyboard you will find a small round light sensor that, based on the ambient light of the room, will either dim or brighten the backlight of the keys. Next to it, in the top right corner, you will find a battery indicator light. It will light up each time you power on the keyboard or wake it up from sleep mode. Also, this LED indicator will let you know when it is time to charge the battery, by a blinking red light.

On the top part of the frame we find three important features that need to be pointed out. From left to right we first see a left mouse click button, a micro-USB port and the on-off switch.

The backside of the keyboard is, well, plain. The flat back only offers four well placed rubber feet and another small one made of hard plastic in the lower area of the center.

The keyboard features an embedded Lithium-Ion battery that can be charged with the help of the micro-USB port. Logitech states that it has an autonomy of 10 days on a full charge. You should, supposedly, reach this mark while using it for 2 or 3 hours a day with the backlight on.
Its handheld-friendly design measures only 14.4 inches (36.7 cm) in length by 4.9 inches (12.53 cm) in height by 0.65 inches (1.65 cm) in depth. The lightweight, all-plastic, construction weighs 17.5 oz (495 grams).

The full set of specifications of this keyboard can be found here: Logitech K830 Keyboard.

Using The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard

In terms of design, the aluminum finish of the edges is an interesting element that seems to clash with the soft-touch coating present on the rest of the keyboard. This dark coating is extremely sensitive to fingerprints and scratches. You might have seen some fingerprints in one of the pictures above. This seems really bad for a keyboard that finds its place in your living room where, one imagines, it will be used by hands previously immersed in a bowl of chips. Its plastic shell twists and, when placed on a flat surface, it is not always stable, despite its non-slip rubber feet. Still, these are the typical downsides of having a light, all-plastic construction that is narrow enough for you to grab it with one hand.

Let us turn our attention to the actual heart of K830, namely the keys. Their general size was large enough for us to type fairly fast and the flat top surface offered a good support. Even though we think that the keys are too closely spaced, this is the only way manufacturers are able to keep down the overall size of the keyboards. The keys offer a soft and fairly long travel which is ok for casual use but it will not help you in writing long dissertations. We really liked the fact that they do not make a lot of noise.

To clearly demonstrate its abilities in controlling your living room media center and/or PC, the manufacturer added a series of media shortcuts. There are two different types: one-touch function keys (F1-F12) and those that require you to first press on the Fn key (ins, del, backspace, caps lock, Page up, Page down, home, end). Taking the time to learn what each of them does will greatly improve your multimedia experience; all of them are explained in the instructions manual. Some of you may not like the fact that the standard PC functions of the F keys can be accessed only by using an Fn combination. Still, from a living room point of view, the media control works really well and is a plus for this keyboard.

We also want to discuss two of the features that appear on the top edge. The placement of a left mouse button in this area is well suited for the living room environment. If you want to comfortably operate your keyboard while holding it with both hands, this extra button will allow you to use the touchpad with your right hand while you click on things with your left hand. Also, the color coded on/off switch seems a little difficult to operate at first. But, for an easier identification, we can tell you that green means that it is on while orange means it is off.

One of the most interesting features of the K830 is the backlighting of the keys. After all, this is a keyboard designed to be used with a media center and will often have to be operated in the dark (you cannot watch horror movies with the light on). The backlighting offers two levels of light intensity and it is controlled by the ambient light sensor. Logitech also offers a key (F1) to manually adjust the backlight. We really liked this single-key approach for raising and lowering brightness. When the keyboard is low on battery, the backlight is automatically switched off and, in regular use, it fades away within 5 seconds after you stop using it.

The intensity of the backlight makes the keyboard great for dark to mid-lit rooms. Still, even though the light sensor works well in dark and dim areas, we found it to be less effective in brighter environments. Despite the fact that the room we were using it in had enough light, the sensor sometimes activates the low intensity backlight and has to be corrected manually. Logitech also neglected to offer us an option of keeping the backlight on or off indefinitely. All in all, these are minor issues because the keyboard is very effective when used in the dark.

Coming back to the keyboard/touchpad combination, we must say that it is a design feature which makes perfect sense. It completely removes the need for a separate mouse or touchpad, even for those of you who plan on using it on the go. Even though this side-by-side design may take some getting used to, in time it will become second nature; it is similar to the idea behind laptop touchpads, only difference being that it sits to the side rather in front of the keyboard. As for the touchpad itself, it is smooth and quite responsive. We didn't notice any delay between the movement of our fingers on the touchpad and those of the onscreen cursor. So, the well proportioned touchpad (3.1 by 2 inches) offers a pleasant feel that makes navigation easy.

If you are one of the PC-to-TV users who need to remain tethered to all of your devices from around the house then Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard is exactly what you need. Even though the keyboard is not very thick, it will safely sit on your lap/knees and you will have it well in hand.

Connection And Software

For the K830, Logitech delivers its Unifying RF receiver that should be connected to a free port on your computer or living room media electronics. The great thing about it is that a single receiver can pair up to six Logitech wireless devices at a time. This small USB dongle offers a 2.4GHz wireless connectivity (not Bluetooth) and a rock solid range of 33 feet (10 m). Note that if you connect the USB cable for charging the keyboard to a PC, it will not be recognized as an input device; only the radio dongle allows you to use the keyboard. In any case, the K830 can be used during charging. Also, the USB extension cable can help you with the Unifying receiver when the USB port is hidden and you want to place the receiver somewhere more exposed and with a better signal reception. The Logitech Unifying receiver is a great feature that offers a solid connection and it is easy to use.

NOTE: You can add multiple Logitech devices to a single receiver only in WINDOWS powered devices.

The receiver instantly connected to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. But, to fully make use the keyboard, you have to download and install the necessary software from Logitech support website, here. The two programs, Logitech Unifying Software and Logitech Software Options, will help you take command of the receiver and access all the features of the keyboard. First of all, in the lower right corner of the Logitech Software Options window, you will see a graphical representation of the battery state. Then in the first tab, Keyboard, under the image of the keyboard itself you will find a small checkbox which will allow you to toggle between the standard function of the F keys and the media functions.

The next two tabs of the program will allow you to customize some features of the touchpad, such as adjusting its sensitivity or managing touch gestures. We have to say that the touchpad works very well with Windows 8.1, where it will allow you to use all the swipe gestures available in this particular operating system. Navigation is very easy thanks to a series of simple gestures commands that have been integrated by Logitech: tap the surface with one finger for left click or with two fingers for right click, drag two fingers up/down or left/right to scroll or pinch to zoom in or out.

On the subject of gestures, the last tab of Logitech's companion program makes the K830 really customizable. It allows you to change or disable the behavior of the more advanced gesture commands. We found that in Windows 8.1, for example, swiping horizontally with one finger from the right edge will automatically activate the Charms or that doing the same action but from the left side will allow you to toggle through your opened applications.

The availability of these gesture commands depends on the operating system that you are using, though it seems that the best match for the K830 is Windows 8.1. The only problem we noticed when using it with a Windows operating system is that the gestures are not always as responsive as they should be. We had to readjust our fingers for time to time when we were scrolling because the touchpad didn't always recognize the movements we made. But again, this is a small problem and it does not take away from the convenience of having a touchpad built in the keyboard.

Moving away from Microsoft's operating systems, we must say that, if you own a Mac, this keyboard will connect to it immediately with the help of the Logitech Unifying receiver. It will take over the input functions and you will be able to use the basic functions of the keyboard and touchpad. The first problem appears when you want to use the multitouch options of the Mac operating system, because the K830 does not support them. You can only adjust the general behavior of the touchpad (delay and speed) through System Preferences-Accessibility Options. Then, you would think you could solve this by installing a Logitech companion program, but, surprise, the software they offer does not work on your Mac. So the keyboard will work on a Mac, but you will not be able to use the advanced gesture commands of the touchpad.

Also, as it is marketed as a living room keyboard, so it should also work with your Smart TV. You should be able to connect to the TV by plugging Logitech's Unifying receiver into an open USB port that has USB HID compliance. Further support, though, depends on each individual app from the Smart TV's environment and it is possible that sometimes the touchpad might not work. Moreover, particular functions of the K830 depend on the Smart TV owned by the user, and Logitech advises all future buyers to consult their TV's manual for information about compatibility.

Verdict

On paper, the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard seems awesome. Once unwrapped, it still impresses. The design is pleasant, the materials are flattering to the eye, and we appreciate the touchpad and its generous buttons, the swiping surface and the general lightness of the keyboard. But, very soon, we came to regret its unnatural attraction to fingerprints and the fact that you have to constantly clean it. It will surely help you take control of your living room devices but, as we came to understand, it is a keyboard that will work great with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Only on Microsoft's operating systems will you be able to connect multiple devices on the same unifying receiver and access all those great gesture commands available for the touchpad. The bottom line is that the K830 keyboard/touchpad combination was designed to be used with either a Windows PC connected to a projector/TV screen or a Windows based Home Theater PC (HTPC). The Logitech K830 will work with a Mac, but only as a on-the-go keyboard that will offer basic typing functions and a touchpad that does not support multi-touch input. Also, you can use this keyboard on Smart TV's, but its advanced functions depend on the TV itself and the apps you installed. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always agree on standards and compliances, and sometimes it seems that the only way to go is the buy-it-and-try-it approach. If you want a full-time keyboard for extensive typing, you should probably keep looking, but if you want a living room companion to be used in the dark, this is the keyboard for you. Because of its lightweight design, illuminated keys and media functions, the Logitech K830 is a good buy for those of you that constantly use their living room (and even bedroom) media center.

Related posts

• Gennemgang af Logitech G910 Orion Spark RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

• Gennemgang af Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810

• Gennemgang af Canyon CNS-SK86 Gaming Keyboard

• Gennemgang af SteelSeries Apex eller hvordan man fejler ved at bygge et tastatur

• Gennemgang af ASUS Strix Tactic Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

• ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Impact anmeldelse: Et kraftfuldt hjerte til din gaming mini-pc!

• Razer Huntsman v2 Analog anmeldelse: Razers bedste optiske gaming-tastatur -

• Gennemgang af ASUS Sica - en budget gamingmus fra spillererepublikken

• MSI GE66 Raider 10SGS anmeldelse: Kraftig gaming laptop med et Sci-Fi design

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900X anmeldelse: Verdens bedste gaming-processor? -

• Boganmeldelse: Cooking for Geeks, anden udgave

• Antlion Audio ModMic Wireless anmeldelse: Trådløs mikrofon til alle hovedtelefoner

• Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard Review

• ASUS ROG Flow X13 GV301 anmeldelse: En konvertibel bærbar gaming-bærbar -

• HyperX Pulsefire FPS-anmeldelse: Sigt eller ryk, slutningen vil altid være et brud

• Gennemgang af Logitech K480 Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard

• Gennemgang af Trust GXT 258 Fyru: Førsteklasses mikrofon til streaming

• Gennemgang af ASUS ROG Orion Gaming Headset - Et godt køb for enhver spiller

• Gennemgå HyperX Cloud Flight: Trådløst gaming-headset i høj kvalitet!

• Sony WH-1000XM3 anmeldelse: Sandsynligvis de bedste Bluetooth-hovedtelefoner!