Decent Media Keyboard with usb hub

Hi all,

Putting this in "New Build Advice" as it's the best fit I could find...

Basically, I need a half way decent wired multimedia keyboard with at least one built-in USB port. I had an older Dell keyboard with this feature - it just died - and it's so very very useful. I generally just plug a mouse into it - the keyboard is on a USB extension, and the mouse goes into the keyboard for tidyness.

Now, many of you will say "why not just go wireless?" well, I have, many times and wireless devices never work properly here. Go figure. Really, I've spent a lot on decent Microsoft and Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mice and NONE of them have worked well. Ever. Wired on the other hand works, as you'd expect.

On my gaming PC I have a Logitech G110 keyboard - it has a single USB port, so would do the business. I paid £40 for it a while back, now I've seen them for as much as £70!

So, any recommendations & a link to somewhere (UK) with said item in stock? I've been trawling through listings for an hour and a half & no luck.

Cheers,

Scoob.

i'm a bit baffled right now that we don't have a peripherals section.
well, i'd recommend the tT.esports challenger, it's 40€, has decent membrane keys and a USB port. i think there is a pro or ultimate edition of it, which is a couple € more, has worse membranes, but therefor 2 USB ports.

Yes, it would be quite useful - well to me, today at least!

You know, I'd seen that keyboard in my searches, but always out of stock / discontinued, at least in the places I searched, so Scan, EBuyer, Novatech, Aria and the like.

I'm actually going to bite the bullet and order a cheap (£20) wireless keyboard and mouse bundle (Logitech MK260) to tide me over - maybe the newer Wireless kit works where the old did not. I really need to order something today as I want my media PC up and running ASAP.

While I am going to order the above, I'd still welcome peoples thoughts on Wired Keyboards with Media controls and a usb hub as that's my ideal solution.

Short-term - i.e. now - I'm going to rob my G110 off the gamer...it's a PITA as it's all wired in tidily behind the desk & cable tied for neatness. Ah well.

Cheers,

Scoob.

Could you not just use a USB hub with mouse and keyboard plugged into it?

Or does it have to be a USB pass through?

SPS said:

Could you not just use a USB hub with mouse and keyboard plugged into it?

Or does it have to be a USB pass through?

Click to expand...

I could do that of course, I've got a couple of older USB 1.1 hubs laying around. However I just wanted a slightly neater solution you know?

Actually, the cheap £20 Wireless Mouse and Keyboard I ordered just arrived - I'm hoping the newer kit will just work. The original wireless stuff I played with years ago...well, I couldn't type as every few key presses would be ignored and the mouse behaved like an old ball mouse with a clogged ball...and mouse clicks registered about 50% of the time. That was under two metres from the receiver with direct LOS too.

I also ordered a 2nd dead cheap normal media keyboard, so I may well end up using a USB hub after all if the wireless is still poor.

Also got myself a new USB 3.0 32gb drive - my old one was DOA.

Cheers,

Scoob.

Well you can get extremely compact hubs these days, some that might even fit underneath your keyboard at the back depending on how much clearance it has.

So I would have thought that it would be an equally neat solution.

Hopefully the wireless set you got performs well.

SPS said:

Well you can get extremely compact hubs these days, some that might even fit underneath your keyboard at the back depending on how much clearance it has.

So I would have thought that it would be an equally neat solution.

Hopefully the wireless set you got performs well.

Click to expand...

My hub's so old it's on wheels with a safely notice saying it's a two man job to shift it...lol.

Actually, the keyboard sits on my lap rather than on a desk. What I might do however, if wireless sgnal is still an issue, is pop the receiver thingie on a USB extension lead and situate it closer to me. I shouldn't have to do that of course, these things are supposed to have a 10 metre range according to the specs, but that might help if I do run into issues once again.

Gonna be busy for the next couple of hours, but will post back on how the new kit works...assuming it does lol.

Scoob.

Quick update...

Well, I unpackaged my Logitec K260 wireless combo kit..plugged in the little receiver, popped batteries in the kb & mouse and...it just worked! No pissing around with drivers & configuration panels etc. I'm impressed.

Last time (years ago) I must have spent close to £100 on wireless kit from MS and Logitech that simply did not work. This £20 kit does. Hopefully it'll work for a long time.

Only downsides are that the kb is thin, so lacks key travel making it strangely odd to type (this post) on) also the mouse isn't really man-sized, though I do have freakishly large hands apparently lol.

All in all, a good bit of kit thus far - I like nice surprises

Scoob.

Well at least it's working fine, wireless kit has come along way since you probably used it :lol:

SPS said:

Well at least it's working fine, wireless kit has come along way since you probably used it :lol:

Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm quite pleased with it so far - I guess battery life is the next test. They do ship the kit with decent duracell batteries, however they are not rechargable which seems a waste.

I remember my old kit had sync buttons you had to use several times a day when the mouse / kb lost signal for some reason. Now there's none of that some it's dead simple - just how it should be.

Ooo, I can go test the media keys next...yeah, slow day lol.

Scoob.