Page 1: Intro, Box, Parts
Intro:
It has been a long time since I last reviewed a Logitech product. CES has come and gone and with the show brought some interesting items. One such item that Logitech was showing was the diNovo Mini which is targeted to media center PCs like those provided by MythTV. The diNovo Mini was released a few weeks ago and it is the spotlight in this review.
Packaging:
Logitech's product packaging is no stranger to anyone that reads reviews written by ASE Labs. Logitech went with the darker style green and black box since the product is black as well.
Remember that this product is "Designed to move you" and that's a trademarked term!
Specs:
A few highlights include the 30 day battery life between charges and the range of the unit. It uses Bluetooth, but only for this device and not as a general hub. You can attach this to a computer that has Bluetooth built-in as well.
Parts:
The diNovo Mini comes with all you see pictured. Included: A cleaning cloth, battery, AC adapter, Bluetooth adapter (USB), the manual, the Mini itself, and Logitech's SetPoint software for Windows. Notice how small the keyboard is compared to the CD.
The USB Bluetooth dongle is given only for use with the DiNovo Mini and as such it doesn't act like a hub. It is a mini sized receiver that is about as big a standard USB flash drive. The bottom of the dongle has a connect button for pairing the device.
The AC adapter plugs directly into the keyboard itself and the keyboard takes care of the charging. You'll only have to charge this once a month but at least you can still use the keyboard while it is charging.
diNovo Mini:
The Mini is a clamshell design. I believe it is made this way to protect the keyboard from stuff spilling on it or being dropped. The target market for the Mini is a media center PC so it makes sense to build a nice and sturdy product that will hold up to daily use. The top is translucent plastic colored black and has silver accents.
The bottom is rubberized to stop the device from sliding all over the place. Opening the cover allows entry to the unit to place the battery and other things.
Here is the unit with its skin off. The battery compartment and Bluetooth dongle holder are both waiting to be used. There is a red connect button to pair the device with the dongle. The other thing you should notice is a PC/PS3 switch. This device can be used with a Playstation 3.
The battery and the dongle are both in place. The dongle is interesting in that you can take it along with you to other places and use it just like a normal keyboard and mouse.
This is the keyboard in all its glory. I will remind you again that this is targeted to the media center crowd. Now what makes this tiny keyboard special? It isn't just a keyboard... it is a full blown input array! The device actually includes mouse support in the circular pad in the upper right of the device. That should be thought of as an extra feature and not the major one considering that most media centers use keyboard input mainly.
We have a vastly different keyboard setup, but the normal QWERTY keys are all the same. What takes getting used to if you are using this keyboard are the location of the shift keys. Control-alternate-delete is actually a function key button now. Esc is a function key button and there are no F keys (like F1 for help!). Hey, this is a media keyboard.
The keys themselves are all in-line with each other and they are raised slightly. The keys have a rubbery feel and are very small. There is no touch typing with this keyboard unless you are 5 years old. Maybe younger. It it fine for thumb typing which this generation seems to be adept at.
It has been a long time since I last reviewed a Logitech product. CES has come and gone and with the show brought some interesting items. One such item that Logitech was showing was the diNovo Mini which is targeted to media center PCs like those provided by MythTV. The diNovo Mini was released a few weeks ago and it is the spotlight in this review.
Packaging:
Logitech's product packaging is no stranger to anyone that reads reviews written by ASE Labs. Logitech went with the darker style green and black box since the product is black as well.
Remember that this product is "Designed to move you" and that's a trademarked term!
Specs:
- 25 mm (.98-inch) dual-purpose ClickPad. Works as a touch pad and a 4-way directional pad
- Thumb-operated keypad design
- 63 backlighted keys
- Backlighting for two modes: orange for touch-pad mode, green for media-center remote mode
- Ambient light sensor measures current available light and turns off backlight, if necessary, to conserve power
- Troy gloss silver with midnight black design
- Range: up to 10 m (33 feet)
- Bluetooth® 2.0 wireless technology
- Point-to-point technology pre-paired with DiNovo Mini keyboard. (Does not act as a hub.)
- 30 days (battery life)
- Full-charge: Takes about 4 hours.
- Fast-charge: Takes about 10 minutes for 1 day of use
- 950 mAH lithium-ion battery
- 3-year limited hardware warranty
- 152 mm by 90 mm by 27.5 mm (cover closed) (5.98-inch by 3.5-inch by 1.08-inch)
- 152 mm by 152.8 mm by 65 mm (cover opened) (5.98-inch by 6-inch by 2.55-inch)
- 170-175 g (with battery and receiver) (5.99 - 6.17 oz)
- 59.5 mm by 18.5 mm by 9.1 mm (receiver size) (2.34-inch by 0.73-inch by 0.36-inch)
- 7 g (receiver weight) (0.25 oz)
A few highlights include the 30 day battery life between charges and the range of the unit. It uses Bluetooth, but only for this device and not as a general hub. You can attach this to a computer that has Bluetooth built-in as well.
Parts:
The diNovo Mini comes with all you see pictured. Included: A cleaning cloth, battery, AC adapter, Bluetooth adapter (USB), the manual, the Mini itself, and Logitech's SetPoint software for Windows. Notice how small the keyboard is compared to the CD.
The USB Bluetooth dongle is given only for use with the DiNovo Mini and as such it doesn't act like a hub. It is a mini sized receiver that is about as big a standard USB flash drive. The bottom of the dongle has a connect button for pairing the device.
The AC adapter plugs directly into the keyboard itself and the keyboard takes care of the charging. You'll only have to charge this once a month but at least you can still use the keyboard while it is charging.
diNovo Mini:
The Mini is a clamshell design. I believe it is made this way to protect the keyboard from stuff spilling on it or being dropped. The target market for the Mini is a media center PC so it makes sense to build a nice and sturdy product that will hold up to daily use. The top is translucent plastic colored black and has silver accents.
The bottom is rubberized to stop the device from sliding all over the place. Opening the cover allows entry to the unit to place the battery and other things.
Here is the unit with its skin off. The battery compartment and Bluetooth dongle holder are both waiting to be used. There is a red connect button to pair the device with the dongle. The other thing you should notice is a PC/PS3 switch. This device can be used with a Playstation 3.
The battery and the dongle are both in place. The dongle is interesting in that you can take it along with you to other places and use it just like a normal keyboard and mouse.
This is the keyboard in all its glory. I will remind you again that this is targeted to the media center crowd. Now what makes this tiny keyboard special? It isn't just a keyboard... it is a full blown input array! The device actually includes mouse support in the circular pad in the upper right of the device. That should be thought of as an extra feature and not the major one considering that most media centers use keyboard input mainly.
We have a vastly different keyboard setup, but the normal QWERTY keys are all the same. What takes getting used to if you are using this keyboard are the location of the shift keys. Control-alternate-delete is actually a function key button now. Esc is a function key button and there are no F keys (like F1 for help!). Hey, this is a media keyboard.
The keys themselves are all in-line with each other and they are raised slightly. The keys have a rubbery feel and are very small. There is no touch typing with this keyboard unless you are 5 years old. Maybe younger. It it fine for thumb typing which this generation seems to be adept at.