Saturday 28 March 2015

Mini Bluetooth Keyboard & Trackpad Review

After using my HP Stream 7 Windows Tablet for a few months I was having repeated problems selecting multiple files in Explorer or multiple Emails in Microsoft Outlook, so I made the decision to look for a Mini Bluetooth Keyboard & Trackpad on eBay.

After some searching on eBay for the perfect one and then weeding out all the ones that had to come from China or Hong Kong I found the one that I was going to go for, pictured below.

Mini Bluetooth Keyboard & Trackpad
The Keyboard and Trackpad combo is compatible with Windows 7, 8 & 8.1 but not Windows Phone, iOS & Android. It could also be compatible with Mac OS X, Linux & Chrome OS, but as I've not got any Mac OS X or Linux Computers to try it out on & I've not had the time to try it on my Chromebook yet.

Everyday use

The device pairs to my HP Stream 7 without the need to enter a passkey or code, using the Trackpad is just like using one on a Laptop with left and right buttons underneath the Trackpad along with the arrow keys D-Pad as well as left and right Trackpad buttons on the shoulders of the Keyboard.

The Keyboard portion has all of the keys that you'd expect on a Windows keyboard along with media and volume keys, a Bluetooth pairing button, Home & search button, as the Keyboard is backlit there is also a back light button. above the Trackpad there is a row of notification LEDs for power, battery status & Caps lock. The top of the unit has got a power switch on the left hand side, while on the bottom there is a micro USB Port in the centre.

The Trackpad feels very natural to use unlike the Keyboard which even though I've been using it for a few weeks it still doesn't feel as comfortable to use but it is still usable. The size and weight of the unit makes it a perfect fit for the pocket in the folio case that I keep my HP Stream 7 in.

Conclusion

This Keyboard Trackpad combo is a perfect Hardware accessory for any small Windows Tablet that doesn't come with a Keyboard Dock or have a Keyboard cover Accessory like the Microsoft Surface Pro, but it's not as usable as a proper Keyboard and Trackpad/Mouse, The on-screen Keyboards in Windows are far more usable than the Keyboard in this unit & with the on-screen virtual Trackpad that is available here, but if you prefer the feel of a physical Keyboard & Trackpad then this Keyboard is is perfect as a cheap hardware option that will let you charge your Tablet and or use a micro USB to USB adaptor to use USB Thumb-drives if your device only has a micro USB Charging port or you don't want to be tethered to the Desktop.

Roland

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