| Gyration is now RCA/Thompson, and my experience of their customer service was so hostile and unresponsive that you really have to experience it to believe it. I even tried calling back to get a new service representative and got two out of two phone 'droids with no knowlege of the product other than a script, no desire to serve their customers, and a seeming directive from management to discourage repeat business. Both reps refursed to connect me with a supervisor. Perhaps there's a reason that RCA has such a terrible reputation in the trade. Always buy from reputable businesses, since your product is only as good as their inclination to stand behind it.
| | Perfect for Home Theater PCs |
| I got a Windows MCE PC a few weeks ago and hooked it up to my DLP tv and sound system. I have a Harmony universal remote to control the PC while in the MCE interface, but soon found my wireless optical mouse a pain to use from the couch while working a document or cruising the internet. The old optical mouse's range didn't quite make it to my 15 foot viewing distance, and for accurate tracking I often ended up using my pants leg as a mouse pad (I swear, that's all I did). Also, the full size keyboard was clumsy on my lap.
The Gyration suite solved all of my problems, and then some. The mouse has a range that easily reaches my couch. It can work in mi-dair, and is a lot easier to use than I thought it would be. You don't have to move your whole arm, just swivel your wrist. I'll often use it just like a remote for quick mousing - pull it off the shelf and mouse around windows while still standing up - the pc equivalent of channel surfing. It also tracks much better than my Logitech MX700 mouse when using the couch arm as a mouse pad.
The great thing about the mouse is its programmable functions. There are two lower left and right clicks that I use to go forward and back by screens in Internet Explorer. Also, mid-air swipes in eight directions (N, NE, E, SE, etc.) while you press a certain button can be programmed. I use them to open up MCE, open up Internet Explorer, minimize open windows, etc. A bright line shows up on screen to show you the precise direction of your swipe. If you forgot how you programmed the remote, holding the special button down brings a map of programmed functions onscreen. Truly dummy-proof.
The only gripe I have about the mouse after a week of use is its apparently light weight construction. It does not feel substantial at all, although the light weight makes it very comfortable. The "nubs" on the bottom of the mouse that the mouse glides on are just small pieces of thick plastic tape, and mine are already starting to come off. I think I can either glue them back down or replace them with something.
The keyboard is definitely small. When reaching for special keys, I will often miss the mark if I don't look down - but no more so than I would with a notebook pc that I am not used to. I didn't downgrade the system for this because Gyration also makes a full size keyboard if that is a concern for the user. I like the small lap-sized keyboard myself, as it is very convenient to keep on the couch armrest when not in use. The range is also excellent, with no missed keystrokes from fifteen feet. The keyboard has the usual assortment of special function keys, like volume control, favorites, email, etc.
The device that ties this all together is a keychain sized usb transmitter that can be unobtrusively inserted into a usb port in the back of the pc. Much better than the clunky logitech transmitter I used to have on top of my audio equipment rack. I had no problem getting the transmitter to instantly recognize the keyboard and mouse.
I highly recommend this product. Much better than the atrocity that is the Microsoft Media Center Keyboard, which I also tried (but that is another review . . .)
| | Poor product, poor service! |
| I purchased Gyration's mouse and keyboard, installed per directions and it does not work. It synched up fine but the connection is intermittent at best. After fiddling for some time with it I called Gyration's support number only to find out that there is apparently a glitch with XP Service Pak 2 and the proper operation of the mouse and keyboard. When I asked to return the Mouse/Keyboard I was told that it was a software problem not a hardware problem. ARE YOU kidding??? Service Pak 2 has been out for 9 months. There is nothing about this on Gyration's trouble shooting website about the problem. Gyration knows there is a problem with the world's number one operating system and their product yet they continue to sell the product with out notice of the problem, OUTRAGEOUS!
| | Best keyboard ever!! (esp for former laptop users) |
| Two words make this a great keyboard: scissor keys! This is the only keyboard I've found that has the easier-to-press keys you normally get on laptops. For someone who has worked in consulting and gotten used to scissor keys, this is a godsend. The wireless is also nice. NOTE: if you are having signal problems, check for electrical devices (such as a fan) between base and board as they will interfere sometimes.
The keyboard is very, very sensitive to having things spilled on it, and will take several hours to start functioning properly again if even a drop of liquid gets under the keys.
I have one for work, one for home. They've lasted several years.
I also found it works better if you remove the Home key so you don't accidentally hit it when aiming for backspace.
| | Great mouse, terrible battery life |
| Although the mouse is an ergonomic dream and works very well from a distance, I've found that I have to keep a spare mouse handy for those times that this one fails to make it back on the charger. The battery life, if left off the charger, is about a day.
When the mouse is fully-charged, you can use it from across the room as a pointer. The Keyboard has been a little more difficult to keep connected to the wireless USB connection, but it does the what it's supposed to do as a secondary keyboard. It's also much smaller than a normal keyboard -- even smaller than my laptop keyboard.
For the price, I'd expect a lot more out of this set.
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