Click here for more information I learned about this keyboard several months ago when it was announced on Engadget, but at that time it was $90+ and only available from some shady mailorder sites.
This is a TV remote control sized full keyboard with a touchpad.
I finally ordered one from Amazon last week for $60. I got it very promptly - about 5 days.
It looks exactly like the one in the photos. It's very thin and contains a rechargeable lithium battery. It has a mini USB receiver that hides in a compartment in the keyboard. The keyboard itself also has a micro USB jack for recharging either from a PC's USB jack or a USB charger (the keyboard itself didn't come with a charger).
The touchpad works extremely well (better than your average laptop touchpad) and you also have keyboard arrows under the touchpad. There are HTPC controls along the top and just about any function a regular keyboard can do it can do via a function key - even CTRL-ALT-DEL. It's even got a back light.
Overall a VERY cool HTPC remote and I would also highly recommend it for presentations. It even has a laser pointer built in although it's not the brightest one I've seen.
I'm using it with a Windows 7 Media Center PC (I also have a Media Center remote but the keyboard is useful for web browsing and accessing the desktop for maintenance). I am thinking of ordering another pair for my other two HTPCs. Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard with Touchpad (RT-MWK01)
UPDATE: After writing the review below, I discovered cons #4 & 5 (see review) were not caused by a weak wireless signal or a flaw in the keyboard but because of interference with an 802.11g wifi dongle situated next to the keyboard's USB dongle (they both operate at 2.4 ghz). After separating the dongles by about 12", the interference problems stopped completely. Thus, I change my original rating of this device from 4 to 5 stars. Also, con #3 (the sticky 'j' key) went away by itself after using the keyboard for a few months.
In addition, I recommend increasing your computer's mouse sensitivity settings and using ClickLock (Windows 7) or an equivalent program on your OS to make using the keyboard's integrated trackpad as easy as possible.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I was quickly enamored by the Rii Mini Wireless PC Keyboard after receiving it (got the best price from one of those direct from China websites). It looks cool and is well-built. Compared to the many other mini-mice/keyboards I've used, the Rii is the best (in a field of mainly lousy competitors). I am glad I bought it and would recommend it as a HTPC keyboard as long as the buyer is aware of its flaws (particularly CON #5 below). Here is an overview:
PROS
1. Great form factor (light, small, comprehensive, seemingly great for presentations)
2. Keyboard feels great, and the keys are well laid-out (if you can type on a smartphone with a physical keyboard, you can type on this device)
3. Fantastic backlighting (a must for HTPC keyboards)
4. Capable trackpad (after spending some time getting used to operating the trackpad with my thumb, as opposed to my index finger like on a laptop, this thing works pretty effectively)
5. Holds the charge pretty well (after a couple months of use, I still get about 1-1.5 weeks per charge)
6. Can store the USB-wireless receiver dongle in a slot on the keyboard (very convenient)
7. Integrated laser-pointer (that's just cool)
CONS
1. The trackpad is still just a trackpad (trackpads can never be as good as a mouse - perhaps Rii can use a mini-trackball in the next version of this keyboard instead)
2. Should communicate better about the status of the battery/charging cycle (the low-battery indicator comes on just before the keyboard dies and not sooner; when charging, a red LED illuminates - when it's done, the light goes off... that's it! It would make more sense if the red light turned green or some other more obvious indicator that the charge cycle is complete than just doing nothing at all)
3. The 'j' key is weak (meaning, I have to push extra-hard on this key for it to register as a keystroke. This might not seem like a big deal, but if you have the character 'j' in your password, you may have to enter the password multiple times before typing it properly as you usually cannot see a mistake since the letters are masked, e.g. *****)
4. Keys can stick (sometimes you hit a key, and the keyboard just starts repeating that keystroke ad infinitum. It can just be an alphanumeric key (e.g. imagine typing "John", and the keyboard produces: "Johnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn" and keeps pumping out n's until you hit another key. This is annoying. Other times you hit volume up once, and the keyboard makes the computer rocket to full volume and cave in your ear drums. This is really annoying.)
5. All the other cons in this review are minor except this one: the wireless signal is weak. It's WAY too weak. If there is anything, and I mean anything (a chair, your leg, a table, etc.), in the line-of-sight between the keyboard and the USB-receiver dongle, the signal becomes noticeably diminished. The keyboard still works but not as well - the trackpad loses precision in its movement, making the cursor jump around and not register clicks, and some of the keystrokes you type might never make it to the computer. This is SOOOO frustrating! I make sure the path between the keyboard and the USB-dongle is clear now, and I rarely suffer from this problem anymore. But if you are planning to hide your HTPC computer (and therefore, the USB-receiver dongle) behind some furniture or in a cabinet, this might weaken the signal enough that the keyboard won't work well (and you should look for another keyboard).
Despite these significant flaws, I still like the keyboard. If Rii could address these problems (and put an optical trackball in place of the trackpad), this could become the world's greatest mini-keyboard!!!! - Mini Keyboard - Htpc - Media Center - Touchpad
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