Azio mini keyboard – KB178RT

One of the difficulties of building a HTPC  (Home Theater PC) is unfortunately the keyboard. I find it hard to find just the right one every time some one asks me for a good HTPC keyboard. What does one want out of the keyboard? The purpose of Azio mini keyboard – KB178RT is to input data into pc. Unfortunately, there are keyboards too small to touch type or too big to thumb type.Well it has to be compact and light. Keeping weight down you might want to look for keyboards with lap top keys or something similar as they weigh much less. Today we have an opportunity to take a look at one of the smallest keyboards in the market, a KB178RT by Azio Corporation. Azio KB178RT is a Mini Thumb Keyboard which designed especially for HTPC computers.

The Azio KB178RT is designed to be the perfect sized keyboard for thumb typing i.e, about the size of a paperback novel and half as thin. People accustomed to typing with two opposable digits will feel right at home with Azio’s mini thumb keyboard, a $60 wireless device that controls Windows systems.

INTRIGUING FEATURES:

• A Controller for your HTPC or Media Device

Compact form factor perfect for two handed control of HTPCs and other multimedia devices like nettops, game consoles, and media players with USB keyboard support.

• 2.4 GHz wireless RF Technology

Wireless freedom with a tested effective range of 30ft (10m). Control your multimedia devices from any part of your room.

• Comfortable Design

Scissor keycap architecture makes typing tactile and responsive. Left hand mouse buttons and right hand mouse trackball allows for natural mouse clicks and cursor control.

• 8 Dedicated Multimedia Keys

Home, Back, Play/Pause, Stop, Forward, Mute, Vol +, Vol -

• Plug N Play - No drivers required.
• Azio units can operate with AAA rechargeable batteries, but  the 178 includes a pair of NiMH cells along with a USB-charging cable. A blue LED flashes to indicate charging, and lights solid blue when full. Another indicates key presses. To preserve battery life, the keyboard goes into sleep mode after 10 minutes of inactivity; pressing any key wakes it up again.

PROS AND CONS:

Some pros we found:

• Small and light
• Easy to use
• Plug and play keyboard
• Rechargeable batteries
• Multimedia keys
• Optical trackball and super quiet keys

Some cons we found:

None that we could find..:)

If you are looking for an ultra small HTPC keyboard then KB178RT might be just it.  This is a truly great Mini Thumb Keyboard and I think that AZiO did a hell of a job designing it and bringing it to the markets…

Please comment if u have any queries and share if u feel its worth sharing… 

About The Author

Well, that guy you see in the pic is I, Srujan Madikanti. I spend inordinate amount of time surfing things that intrigues every engineer. I always believe that engineers' primary concern is to discover what the problem really is. So, keeping abreast of the prevailing technology is indispensable. So, I hereby take this arena of engineerspark to enlighten you with productive stuff.