Logitech diNovo Mini
by Logitech
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List Price: Our Price: $109.00 You Save: $40.99 (27%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $68.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech diNovo Mini
Customer Review: Couldn't live without it!
Summary: 5 Stars
We hated using the full-sized keyboard and mouse for our home media computer and hated even more storing them on the coffee table. The Logitech diNovo Mini was the perfect solution. I was a little concerned when I first saw the size of the keys but it really is fine. The size of the keys makes it feel more like texting on a cell phone than typing on a keyboard. I wouldn't want to sit and type a long email using this as it might get a little annoying but it's perfect for typing in movie titles in the search bar on iTunes. The touch pad also took some getting used to but we can now navigate easily to any point on the screen.
Some of the buttons are customizable. We can open up Firefox and Windows Media Player with the touch of one button and shut the computer down just as easily. I also love it that it has volume control and media control buttons (pause, play, stop, etc.) on it. It makes it SO convenient!
The gadget itself is small and fits easily in the basket that we throw all of our other remotes into. The battery life is great (I LOVE it that it's rechargeable!) and we get a popup message on the computer screen when the battery gets low. It's not a big deal if the battery gets low while you're using it...you can use it while it charges and a 10 minute charge will get you through the day just fine. The software gave us a little bit of a headache during setup but now we have no problems. We also have no problems with any sort of interference with the Bluetooth like some have mentioned but we used the receiver that came with it.
Our only complaint/suggestion is one others have mentioned...a scroller. It would be great to have a scroller and not have to either page down, which jumps quickly, or move the cursor over to grab the right scroll bar on the screen itself. We've just become spoiled with the scrollers on our mouse and even our laptop :)
Overall this is a great gadget and very worth the money to us. I have no regrets about purchasing it at all and highly recommend it to anyone who is tired of having a full-sized keyboard and mouse hanging out on their coffee table.
Update 2/9/2011:
It's been over two years since I reviewed this product and it still works great! We moved and, when we did, changed entertainment centers. I did have a problem with the device receiving the bluetooth signal when it was plugged into the back of the PC in the new entertainment center so I got a USB hub with a long connector and it now sits on the side of the PC. I haven't had any problems since. I also travel with it quite a bit now. I'm constantly removing the bluetooth dongle from the PC, storing it in the back of the device, and taking it with me to use with my laptop on my sister's TV. It still holds a charge for a very long time and I've even discovered some symbols that aren't marked on the keyboard (just hold down FN and press the number and letter keys to see what pops up). I haven't changed my mind at all about this being worth the money. In fact, my mom is setting up a home theater PC and I'm going to get one of these for her!
Customer Review: Mixed feelings - works ok in Vista, not at all in Linux so far
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have mixed feelings about this product, so I'll break it down into first impressions on what works and what doesn't.
Out of the box the product form factor is a LIKE. It fits nicely into my hand, the top flips up and the backlight automatically comes on in a pleasing amber colour. The keys are far enough apart that large fingers will have no problem pushing them without hitting keys next to them. The touchpad is comfortable with a rubbery grip. Ergonomically well designed.
The underside flap opens to reveal the USB 2 receiving device, the sync button, and the battery. This starts off as an UNLIKE. The receiving device does NOT work on a USB 1.1 port. It will only work on USB 2.0, so you will have to use this product on a newer computer, or one that you've added USB 2.0 to. This is not a huge deal, but I wanted to use this on an older computer that does not have USB 2.0, so it was a no-go there. According to the minimal instruction guide (UNLIKE), you can use built-in bluetooth on your computer if you have it - I don't, so was unable to test this.
Once I found a computer with native USB 2.0 (Vista laptop), I plugged in the included receiver and the computer saw it immediately. Installed the software on the included CD with no issues. The diNovo immediately connected and was able to manipulate the keyboard and the mouse with no issues. Immediate connection was a LIKE.
The keys then became a little "sticky" after use. UNLIKE. The key to start the Windows Media Centre worked fine, but then there was no way to easily close it without using the laptop keyboard. The mouse pad is nothing like a real mouse so you will have to be a little tolerant getting used to it, but it does function.
Now to the biggest UNLIKE for me. This product did not work with linux out of the box. I tried three flavours of linux (Debian, Ubuntu, Mandriva), and none of them recognized the Logitech USB 2.0 receiver device. They recognized an older USB 1.1 bluetooth device, but not the one included with the diNovo. My media pc in the living room is linux, so this was a no-go for me and the diNovo. I found numerous sites online referring to kernel mods/fixes to get it to see the device, but all of them mention that only the keyboard will work, not the pointer. That's a showstopper for me and this product.
Finally, this product will also work with your PS3. Under the back cover is a switch to change from PC connection to PS3 connection. I can only assume it will work, as I don't have a PS3 so you'll need to check other reviews to see if that feature will work for you.
Overall it gets a 50/50 from me. Works well with Vista with minor learning curve but immediate connectivity. Does not work with any of my Linux systems, which bothers me. This device should be OS agnostic.
Customer Review: Stunning input device for HTPC's
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever since I saw and used this device at CES I knew I had to have it.
Well, it just showed up today and while it's not for touchtyping or long emails I am writing this review with it from the couch.
Most of the mini keyboards on the market are still quite large and have terrible ergonomics with some awful excuse for an integrated pointing device. The DiNovo Mini is different. The keyboard is small enough to keep with your remotes without anyone knowing you have an HTPC setup. I'm so tired of having a full size DiNovo Edge with a Gyration Remote Mouse taking up a ton of room. It's great for typing a lot on but there's no where to put it, and it's awkward using a real mouse on the couch or always holding your hands in the air and flicking around to use the Gyration.
The DiNovo has excellent backlighting that only has one flaw. It makes it too hard to see the blue function keys like the ' and " but you can see all the shifted keys easily. It turns on only the trackpad backlighting when using the mouse, probably to save power but you can light up the keyboard by tapping the large function or shift keys.
The buttons are all pretty small and the media (Play,Next,etc) are a little awkward compared to using them on a Harmony remote but it's nice to have everything on one pad and not have to pick up a remote or a keyboard or a mouse to do everything.
You can alt tab, use windows keys, launch media center and 3 programmable buttons.. There's even a CTRL+ALT+DEL FN key. Now that's planning.
One other minor issue is there is no scroll wheel for internet use. it would be nice if holding FN while using the mouse did a scroll, but it just turns the mouse into a up and down, kind of like scroll but you have to hold FN the whole time or keep moving the function switch (for mouse or Dpad) back and forth all the time.
I won't lie, it's just like using a AT&T Tilt or other landscape slider smartphone keyboard. Cramped, pecking or using thumbs and writing this review has gotten to be a pain.
But for opening up your media center files, even full WMP11 or iTunes interface, browsing the web, sending short IM's and emails, and most of what you do on an HTPC it's great.
I will still keep the larger Edge connected for gaming, but the gyration is going in the closet.
I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to use an HTPC in the living room, or actually uses their PS3 as a browser. It is not for desktop PC's at all, you will probably be better served with a much cheaper remote or something like the DiNovo Edge with it's media pad.
The bluetooth range is decent but not like Gyration's 100ft so it's not really a professional presentation tool, but could be used at short (15-20) feet distances reliably. It really does make a nice powerpoint tool since you can draw on slides and have full mouse and keyboard control in presentations while standing up. Just be careful about the range.
Thanks and hope this helps :)
Customer Review: Great for media center PCs and the PS3
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I use my computer as an entertainment center, and watch most of my TV and movies on it. It's about 15 feet from my bed, so it's a big hassle to get up all the time to switch between programs, etc. I do have a Snapstream Firefly remote, but it is limited in what it can do, especially with mouse capability. It is not easy to do things such as switching between two programs, etc. The Logitech DiNovo is small enough that it can be used similar to a remote control, and is much more compact than trying to use a wireless keyboard and mouse (even a mini keyboard and mouse). It is a good remote keyboard device for your PC or PS3 (can't be used with a Mac or Xbox).
The touch sensor on the mouse control is very well made. It's a lot like the iPod touch sensor, in that it's not too sensitive, and can be navigated quickly. The mouse sensor also doubles as a 4-directional controller for left, right, up, down. I could see how this would be useful for gaming, although I'm not too sure how effective it would be for serious gaming. Most serious gamers will probably find the diNovo inadequate for this. On the left side are two large channel up and channel down buttons, which are also very nice. Along the top exist a row of media center buttons (much like a media center keyboard), for quick opening of those applications.
Response time on the unit is excellent. Sitting about 20 feet from my computer, the signal came across very quickly with no problems. It uses an RF signal so you don't have to point the unit at the TV. I went back in my house as far as 40 feet and still was able to get a signal.
As for the keyboard, it is fairly small, but not so small as to be uncomfortable. I was able to use it fairly easily, although it is somewhat awkward unless you have a coffee table to put it on. Trying to type on it while holding it with both hands yields much the same results as texting on a cell phone. I believe it is designed for "thumb-typing" as opposed to actual traditional typing. But there is plenty of room to hit the keys and I didn't have a problem with mistyping keys because they were too small. You can't really use it for extended typing or composing emails, etc, but if you want to use the keyboard for short chatting in games it's great. The device looks great too. It is very stylish, especially with the mirrored finish on the cover. The size of the device is a little larger than a man's hand and fits well next to your other remotes.
Lastly, the battery life is exceptional. I've been using it for almost two weeks now and haven't had to recharge it yet. Although the price of the keyboard is somewhat high, I think it is worth it depending on your needs and how much you need a keyboard, and would definitely recommend it.
Customer Review: Sweet with a few flaws
Summary: 4 Stars
I'd been eying this keyboard since the start of this year even before it was released. At the time I had a laptop and I was using a projector for watching movies, etc. I needed to control things while lying down and watching the movies rather than getting up all the time and going to my laptop. A full size keyboard wasn't practical and then I saw this and knew this was exactly what I needed. But the price was too high back then. That was back in CO. Now, I'm in NJ and my current house does not have space for me to setup my projector. I bought myself a desktop and still wanted it to control things while sitting in my bed. I was hoping to purchase this by thanks giving (for 50-70) but found no deal. Amazon recently lowered the price to 99.99 (they still have it at 99.99 as of now) so I bought it.
Pros:
- Very small
- Battery lasts a long time on 1 charge (I just got it today so I can't verify this but I have the dinovo edge and the battery on it lasts for a very long time so this should be no different, infact should be better)
- Stores bluetooth adapter inside it for travelling (although I'm not using the adapter and just using the internal bluetooth in my desktop for connecting to the keybd)
- The cover acts as an on-off switch. When closed it switches off, when opened it switches on.
- Works with setpoint software (which I use for my MX Revolution mouse and diNovo edge keyboard)
- 3 programmable keys. Since they have no function keys on the keybd, I've reprogrammed the Music one for F5 (refresh)..I feel it's quite important since I use it a lot!
Cons:
- On most track pads if you tap it gently, it acts as a left click. Unfortunately, on this you need to press the track pad for the left click to register. This is something I need to get used to. But, I'm already feeling more comfortable using the top left most button "OK" for left click.
- No function keys (F1-F12) (but since there are 3 programmable keys you can get in atleast 3 keys that way)
- Esc is important enough to get it's own key. Unfortunately, it's been clubbed with the TAB key (accessible by pressing FN simultaneously). Same thing for Del key too!
- Since the keyboard is a thumb keyboard, I thought I'd use my right thumb on the track pad for the mouse as well. But using the thumb makes the cursor behave rather weirdly (it jumps around and it's movement is a little unpredictable). Using the index finger, it functions fine however. Do other people have a similar experience here?
- The cover is not detachable. It is certainly important though since it's acts as an on-off switch as well.
- No scroll wheel or buttons when used in cursor mode (there is no scroll wheel at all). Although thankfully, the trackpad can be changed temporarily to the Media mode (to show the arrow buttons) by pressing the FN key.
All in all, a very nice keyboard I feel. I hope my opinion stays this way.