As demands for portability and convenience are on the rise, gadgets like the Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard N5901 sure manage to attract a lot of attention. Though we are witnessing quite a lot of apps which turn our smartphones to remote controllers for our HTPCs, possessing a separate wireless controller will do no harm. And it is an added advantage if the controller is a full-fledged keyboard with a built-in mouse to carry out all functions comfortably. So let’s move on to unfurl all attributes of this wireless keypad to jot down a comprehensive review.
Accompanied with a USB dongle hidden safely inside the bay along with batteries, the T-shaped keypad sports an ergonomic design crafted with the comfort factor in mind. Orange shade on some keys is the only hint of color on the all black form factor of the keypad. The left and right mouse buttons are located exactly below the keyboard followed by a highly sensitive trackball. These mouse buttons are not exactly keys but areas carved out on the device which can be clicked. Thin at the top while comparatively colossal towards the bottom, this design of the controller offers the much needed grip to hold it firmly and type. Although it is smooth to touch, it has a strong affiliation towards fingerprints.
The full QWERTY keypad has a total of 69 keys embedded on it excluding the left and right mouse buttons and the trackball. Apart from separate number keys, a modifier ‘Fn’ key has been added to assign various punctuations in addition to a dedicated Ctrl + Alt + Del function on the Enter key. All keys are appropriately sized for precision while typing except Shift keys on both lower ends of the keypad which are rather small. The foremost lineup of keys is to control the audio and video playback while the two left most keys are comparatively longer than others for page up and down. On the rear side is an On/Off button which puts the device on after the USB dongle has been attached to the system.
The keypad synchronizes wirelessly with the system on setting up a connection via the USB dongle eliminating the hassle to go through a procedure to pair up as in case of Bluetooth devices. On the top centre of the keypad is an LED indicator which flashes yellow light for a few seconds as soon as we switch the keyboard on through its power button. It is powered by two alkaline batteries housed in the bay on the reverse side which also has a tiny space to securely place the dongle.
On the performance front, we found the Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard N5901 comfortable, owing to its ergonomic form factor. An advantage is that the keypad is more or less similar to the QWERTY phones most of us have got used to. Though flexible to use, it is not appropriate for typing endless paragraphs as after a point of time we started missing our much preferred desktop keyboard. Also, what delighted us is its capability of being suitable for both left- and right-handed people. But an annoying aspect in the beginning is the mouse functionality and specifically the trackball. The scroll equivalent of a conventional mouse on the controller will take a lot of getting used to.
The connectivity of the keypad to systems is the key attraction according to us as all we had to do was connect the dongle and forget about it. Also the usability and range are quite impressive as it is capable of working through barriers. Its loyalty lies with all systems running on Windows operating systems. It misses out on a dedicated F-keys row and instead has the Fn button to execute functions in combination with other keys. There isn’t a separate button for something like a ‘comma’ but we are not complaining as the compact structure with reasonably sized keys more than makes up for it.
To summarize, the keypad successfully presents itself as a preferable option to control our HTPCs from a distance and also to type in a few sentences while not leaving the couch. Not suitable for extended typing but we have an option of our conventional keyboards for that. Effortless connectivity and usability are definitely the highlight. It will especially be favored by those who make frequent presentations. All things considered, the Lenovo Mini Wireless Keyboard N5901 more than manages to create an impression with its features and the economical price of Rs. 2,330. It manages to get a rating of 8.5 out of 10 from us.
