Logitech diNovo Mini
by Logitech
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List Price: Our Price: $110.29 You Save: $39.70 (26%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $59.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech diNovo Mini
Customer Review: Incredible!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is hands down the must have accessory for any HTPC. Small, stylish, backlit, bluetooth, rechargeable batteries.. it looks good ... not like a cheap POS keyboard in your living room. No, you're not going to write a novel on it - but thats not what it was designed for! I cant say enough good about this little keyboard. I have not had any issues at all with this keyboard. I have been building / using HTPC's for about 5 years. I have tried umpteen different controlling combinations of mice, trackballs, gyratron remotes, etc - pretty much everything. This thing so far is my favorite and heres why:
1 - Its tiny, but not small its unuseable. This might sound obvious, but its nice not to have to keep a full sized wireless keyboard around. With the lid closed this just looks like a high end remote control on your coffee table.
2 - The dual purpose scroll pad , while not perfect, works quite well compared to other solutions.
3 - Backlit keys - cool
4 - Has all your major media control buttons, plus a "right click" button, and a few others that actually work fairly well. I was able to surf from my couch relatively easily, very surprising how well it worked in fact. I have never used my HTPCs for such tasks as checking webmail / ebay etc but with this thing by my side I have found myself doing that much more often!
5 - Charge it for like 30 minutes and its good for a week. It would be cool if it had some kind of "base" you can just drop it on to charge, but I could see that adding considerable cost... that combined with the fact that you dont need to charge it that often, its not that big of a deal.
6 - Ctrl+Alt+Del key!
7 - Rechargeable Battery included.
Get one!
Customer Review: Great little keyboard/trackpad.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always had a tendency to buy logitech keyboards and mouses...so I had a good idea of what I should expect from them. It's a good thing too...because if I had not known about their awesome quality, I would have passed up this great little product due to the high price and the fact that i wasn't sure if using such a small keyboard would be easy to use.
So I obviously took the plunge and all I can say is that I am once again impressed with yet another product from Logitech. I bought it because the small keyboard/tackball board I WAS using in my car died recently. I don't use it often, but I need it every once in a while to make adjustments to my carPC. So of course I needed my other keyboard while in the middle of upgrading my software and it's kind of hard to hit "ctrl/alt/del" with a mouse. lol
This little keyboard is an amazing device. It worked right away...and works without the Setpoint software too (just another program loading that I didn't want slowing down my system startup time). Keep in mind that I am not using the Media Center controls/functions...So I'm not sure if you would need to install setpoint for that part. But in "orange" mode, it all works great!
It's a very small and very sturdy device. the tactile feed back is not too firm nor too mushy either...just right. The actual buttons about as big as main buttons (circle, triangle, etc) on my Playstation 3 controller...except square in shape. So if you can type on you Blackberry, then you'll definitely be able to type on this thing with ease. After you get used to it, you can eventype almost as fast as you could on a laptop...assuming you have it secured in your lap. :)
Customer Review: Big and fast enough for living room
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had the Mini for about a month now. Still have not recharged it, and using it almost every other day.
Took a little to get the hang of it, specially figuring out how to right click (right thumb Shift+ left thumb "ok" click). My thumbs can reach everywhere, but I think my hands are pretty average. The backlight is very useful during a movie and the cover did not get in the way (it stays put once opened). I haven't installed the software yet as I can adjust the mouse speeds through control panel and all the buttons I need are already mapped. Setting the mouse speed to a little over half was enough to send the cursor from one corner to the other on my 1080p 54" screen with two or three thumb swipes and still give me enough control to select applications.
Bluetooth was important for me, not only for the signal, but also because I'm planning to replace my monster PC in the living room for a Mac mini or a Dell Studio Hybrid. Haven't decided yet and I've have no connectivity issues yet.
I was debating about getting the larger diNovo keyboard after reading reviews, but the Mini is just fine for movie watching, and web surfing. We have other computers around the house for working or playing games, and even a laptop on the coffee table to surf while watching TV, so I didn't need the larger keyboard. Friends and family like that's is so small and doesn't clutter up the coffee table.
Very happy with the item, only improvement I can see would be to install shoulder buttons, like game controllers, or shoulder scroll wheels.
Customer Review: At last - something living room friendly
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been waiting for about 2 years for something like this for our HTPC - which is our main TV/DVD/Music system at home. We'd bought one of the Microsoft MCE keyboards which was awful. Although you could easily use it on your lap, the IR connection and the mouse stick meant that typing/mouse control when out of Media Center was almost impossible.
However, the diNovo Mini is great. A really sensitive mousepad, bluetooth simple, good 'thumbable' keys for both native OS and MCE, fits nicely in the hands... make using the non-MCE applications a breeze on the main HTPC (Skype, Slingplayer, Flickr Uploader, switching screens to projector etc). I particularly like the toggle between PC and MCE mode - really simple. I'm nor sure what else could be done about the lid by the designers. I like it as keep the keys protected and hidden most of the time; when lifted up it powers the unit on and, well, it's for sorting entertainment stuff out, not serious typing, so having the lid hinged up (rather than fold underneath) isn't a big deal. Adds a veil of mystery if anything to others in the living room (what am I up to?).
The only thing that seems to be missing is the 'i' (information) button I have on other MCE controls. The " and ' key are via a function key, but I really don't think I'll be needing them much anyway from my sofa. I have a great system and keyboard on a desk for serious typing.
This is a well designed product that sits discretely on a bookshelf/coffee table when not in use - and I can thoroughly recommend it for HTPC users
Customer Review: At last an HTPC controller more suited for the home theater than the home office
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Logitech's diNovo Mini is an answered prayer for HTPC owners. If you you're using HTPC you know how unsatisfactory the selection of input devices has been. Most of the keyboards previously marketed for home theatre seem more appropriate for the home office due to their size and style. The diNovo Mini is small (roughly the size of a remote control). It's an elegant looking black clamshell with a translucent lid and silver trim. And it gives you full control of your PC's media functions from a distance with a Bluetooth connection.
Open, the clamshell reveals a Blackberry style keyboard and a control pad. You can use the control pad for directional control (up, down, left, right) through the Media Center menus or, slide a switch and it becomes a touch pad that lets you use the desktop functions. Depending on the control mode you're in, the keyboard is backlit in green or orange. The mouse function is handled in the center of the control pad. You won't want to do any serious typing on this, but it gives you the option.
The diNovo Mini has a battery that's easy to recharge and lasts a long time.
A highly recommended accessory for style-conscious home theater PC owners!