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Labtec Wireless Desktop
by oChrisoCo
When wireless mice and keyboards came out they were all the rage, everybody wanted one. The main reason is that for people with PCs there were already too many wires at the back of the computer. And to try and find your mouse of keyboard cable to untangle it or to try and solve a problem was a nightmare. Not to mention you would move the ... mouse to a position only to let it go and have the tangled wire pull it back, so it is no longer where u need it, or worse still it falls on the floor.
DESIGN
The first thing that hits you about this product is that it's not just your standard keyboard. The black and silver finish really makes it stand out. With the mouse also matching the keyboard, it will add a bit of 'bling' to anyone's desk.
PRACTICAL
No more being tied to your chair being unable to move away because you don't have the freedom to move away a little and peek at who is shouting for you. Also great for times when you maybe don't have a desk. Now any surface can be your desk. Be it a coffee table or the floor. (So long as you stay in range of course)
BATTERIES
For me this was the large downside to the wireless age. Not only would you be paying more to get this new found freedom, as they usually cost more than a simple keyboard. But the ongoing cost of consumables like batteries just wasn't worth it. Not to mention the mouse dying in the middle of your epic game battle or late night report writing. Meaning you have to go find new batteries before you can finish your task.
OVERALL
They are a great idea and were fun for a while, but it's much cheaper to just buy a plug in keyboard, maybe even pay more to get a longer cable length?
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Labtec Ultra-Flat Wireless Desktop
by kellface
I purchased the Labtec wireless keyboard and mouse from my local Morrisons store, basically as it was the cheapest one there at the time, and I was really short on cash. My mum gave me her old Laptop but forgot to inform me that half the keyboard didn't work, she only admitted it when I had to go out and buy the wireless keyboard that ... she'd spilt a cup of tea on it...
I was desperate for a Laptop as my new job required me to do a lot of typing up of reports and what not when I got home, and I simply couldn't afford a brand new laptop, so a wireless keyboard was the next best thing for me.
Setup/Connectivity:
The keyboard and mouse come with a CD that you can use to install them onto your system, but I've never had to use it, as it all automatically installed itself onto my laptop(s) when I've first plugged them in. Newer versions of Windows enable you to install some hardware without software, by just plugging them into the system and it locates the drivers online. Once it has been installed you will need to restart your system or the various "shortcut" buttons on the keyboard won't work.
Included in the box is a small black wireless receiver that once plugged into your laptop/computer via USB port, enables the keyboard and mouse to connect to your system.
Connecting the keyboard and mouse is so simple. You plug the wireless receiver into your laptop/computer via a USB port, and simply press "connect" on the top of the box. The keyboard and mouse both have little red connect buttons underneath. As long as the batteries in both the keyboard and mouse aren't running low connecting to the wireless receiver is pretty quick.
The Keyboard:
I did think it was going to be ultra flat similar to a Mac keyboard, but it was in fact quite long and bulky. It's only "ultra flat" when the feet on the keyboard are down so it's flat on your desk. However, the lack of "flatness" doesn't bother me, as I didn't buy it for being ultra sleek and flat, I bought it because it was cheap and I just wanted it for typing. There are lots of other features on the keyboard that make up for the bulkyness, these are in the shape of some "home" keys at the top of the keyboard and volume/media controls on the top right of the keyboard. The "home" keys are shortcuts to main features on your laptop/computer or the internet. These include;
Email
Start Menu
Favourites
Refresh
Search
My Computer
Media Player
The volume and media controls enable you to pause, play stop or skip a track on your media player and adjust the volume of your system or just mute it all together.
The keyboard may be bulky but there's literately a button for everything. The keyboard requires 2xAAA batteries for it to work.
The Mouse:
Is sleek and smooth, and requires 2xAA batteries for it to work. There is a scrolling ball in the middle of the mouse, for easy scrolling on word documents and the internet. It is a laser mouse, so it can be used on any surface as long as it is within close proximity to the wireless receiver.
Overall:
I'd recommend this wireless desktop kit to anyone who is looking for something cheap and to do the job. If you're after something that looks fancy, then this isn't for you. For £10 it was an absolute bargain and I've never really had any problems with it. The extra short cut buttons on the keyboard are a great feature, especially the volume and media player controls.
The only downside for me personally, is that because the keys aren't flush to the board, it does sound quite loud when I'm typing, it sounds a bit like Michael Flatly and Riverdance are on my desk. However, when I've got music playing on the media player I don't really notice the clattering of my fingers on the board.
I love that no matter what system I use I can just plug in and I'm ready to go, no boring installing required. A simple click of the connect buttons and I'm ready to go. Compared to some other keyboard it is quite slim, but to be "ultra flat" you'd expect it to have keys flush to the keyboard, and no extra fiddly bits. All in all it's a great bit of kit that does the job.
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Labtec Media Wireless Desktop 800
by jamiebeck
The Labtec wireless desktop 800 is comprised of a labtec wireless mouse and a labtec wireless keyboard.
The obvious advantage of having both a wireless keyboard and mouse is less wires! This makes a huge difference to me on my desk - i hate wires, i cannot wait until the world is wireless which surely must be one day! With ... my speakers, screen and desktop tower all having wires I do not need the extra clutter of a wired keyboard and mouse.
--Set up--
The set up was very easy - no software installation disk is necessary and all you need to do s take them out of the box, insert batteries and sync them by following the instructions - this is simply holding the red connection button for ten seconds on both. They rarely lose sync but if they do (i.e. if you've changed the batteries) then you'll just need to do that again.
Insert the sensor into the USB - it is very small about an inch and a half long so doesn't take up too much room lengthways - this insures connection to the PC/Laptop.
The down side to the USB port is that it's quite bulky so you're unlikely to be able to put another USB stick in next to it.
--The Mouse--
On the laptec website it is described as smooth and reliable, this is entirely true. There is no risk of getting dirt and dust in your mouse ball (back in the day!) as the mouse has an optical sensor (1000 dpi). I cant stand it when mouses (mice?) are jerky and not smooth but with this labtec mouse i have had no such problems.
Additionally the mouse has a scroll bar in the middle which is very useful for perusing articles etc online.
--The Keyboard--
The keyboard is great, I like to sit back and use the keyboard on my lap and it makes for a much more relaxed, comfortable way of typing, especially when you have an essay to write or a dooyoo review of course!
The keys are very soft and not sticky at all - additionally they are quite quiet. I don't know if this is true for all labtec keyboards or perhaps I got a dodgy one but the £ key is actually a hash key (can't type it as there isn't one! Strange but I'm not really affected by it - and that's if it is like that with all labtec keyboards.
The 'space efficient' layout takes a bit of getting used to especially if you use the delete / insert / prt scr buttons often but you'll soon get used to it.
--Additional Features--
The reliability of use is due to the compact 27-MHz receiver and the keyboard also has a low battery status light on it to show you when you need to replace the batteries. The battery efficiency of both the mouse and keyboard are very good and I change them probably every three months - and I use them both alot!
--Summary--
Both are very durable - I've had mine for three years now and no problems whatsoever, I've spilt the odd cup of tea on the desk and the keyboard and mouse have both been exposed to it but their durability is very good. They both came with my computer but at the time of writing I believe you can purchase them both for £9.99 - £15 - a bargain in my opinion! These are straight forward computer tools, easy to use and do the job well - no need for these fancy expensive items as these are very reliable!
--Technical Specification--
- PC with Windows 2000 / XP / Vista
- USB port
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