Review : Koribo Vivar Wireless Keyboard

Introduction

Today, we’re reviewing the final of three wireless keyboards from Koribo. The Vivar features an optical trackball, a scroll wheel, 13 multi-media buttons, mouse buttons, a non-skid surface/rubber pads and low battery indication. Let’s take a closer look at the Vivar to see how well it performs compared with its two siblings.

About Koribo

“At Koribo, we believe that the computer is a key entertainment component. Today’s computers entertain us in our home and office, when we go on vacations, and even when we’re on the road. The problem is that you can’t use an office computer and input devices in your living room or in your bedroom. If you can’t understand why, we bet your spouse, friends or family will tell you. This is where Koribo fits in. Our products will not only provide you with the best technology available; we bring you cutting edge design and lifestyle too! Don’t be shy with your mini wireless keyboard – place it on the living room table, it is beautiful! Wow your friends as you control your media applications with single clicks. Don’t hide the keyboard for your HTPC; Use a micro wireless keyboard and when you’re done – place it in the drawer with the rest of the remotes, it is the same size! But that’s not all; we’re not in the business of selling ornaments that don’t really work. Koribo was founded by expert engineers who wanted to harness technology to serve everyday people. We apply strict standards from the IT industry along with vast experience to provide you with the best lifestyle technology solution.”

Features / Specifications

Working range	10 meter effective working range including transmission through walls - 15m / 50ft in open space.
Batteries	Requires 2 x AA batteries. The keyboard is provided with NiMH rechargeable batteries. Batteries can be charged, while located in the keyboard using a supplied USB cable. Sleep feature extends battery life. Low battery light indicator.
Multimedia Keys andInternet Shortcut Keys	Pre-Track, Next Track, Stop, Play/Pause, Mute, Volume Down, Volume Up and a special switch-to-gaming key, Pre-Page, Next-Page, WWW, E-Mail, My Computer.
Mouse	Optical Trackball: 25mm,  1000 DPI
OS supported	Supports Windows 2000 and later. Other operating systems may be supported as long as they comply with HID (Human Interface Device). Linux (except for Windows hot keys).
Technology	2.4 GHz radio frequency, 8 Channels with 16 bits, 65536 IDs per channel. 10,000,000 cycles per key with less than 10msec bounce time.

 

 

The Package

Much like the Leira, the Vivar arrives in a black cardboard box featuring the “K” for Koribo, a picture of the keyboard along with some of the features.



The back of the box shows the various media center controls including the scroll wheel, optical trackball, battery indicator, non-skid surface and media center controls.



The Contents:

• The Koribo Vivar Wireless Keyboard


• 2x 1600mah AA Batteries (rechargable)


• Wireless Receiver


• USB charging cable

The Koribo Vivar Wireless Keyboard

The Vivar has a relatively compact design with quite a bit of depth to it. It is suprisingly light, portable and kind of reminds me of a large version of the Koribo Mini.



As you can see, the Vivar is oval shaped. The media center and internet hotkeys are situated above the keyboard, just like the Mini and the Leira.The buttons, from left to right, are: (Internet hotkeys) Internet, E-Mail, My Computer, Pre-Page, Next-Page, special switch-to-gaming key, (Media Center Controls) Play/Pause, Stop,Pre-track, Next Track, Mute, Volume down, Volume up.



The trackball is on the left of the keyboard and the standard mouse buttons (left/right) are on the left side of the keyboard.





On the right edge (near the trackball) you’ll find the standard left mouse button. The left side (near the two mouse controls) is where the scoll wheel is situated. In the middle, you’ll find the connect button, USB charging port and a Gaming/Normal switch (Not entirely sure what this switch is for…).





If we turn the Koribo Vivar over we can see that it has a total of three rubber feet; two large ones on the left and right and a smaller one on the lower middle section. The battery compartment is located at the top of the Vivar, the wireless receiver can also be stored here when not in use.

Testing and Usage

I tested the Koribo Vivar by using it as my main keyboard and occasional mouse over a two day period; this meant I got to use the Vivar ’s keyboard a lot due to writing reviews/programming and controlling Windows Media Center.

The Vivar feels like it has  little weight to it on the left and right sides, but at the same time it feels relatively portable. I like the fact that whilst testing, I found myself using the Vivar like the Koribo Mini because of the scroll wheel and mouse button on the edge, this gave it an even more portable feeling.

I attempted to use the optical trackball which went fairly well during testing, I think that maybe if a rubber ball was used, it would be a little easier to control and would be slightly quieter as the plastic rubbing against the inside became a little annoying after a while.

The internet hotkeys and media center controls all worked as great as the did on the Mini and Leira.

The connectivity options available are great; the first is the wireless receiver which picked up every key that I pressed, and the second is the ability to recharge the included batteries using the USB cable which just plugs straight into a USB port. I think that the rechargable aspect of the Vivar’s batteries is a great selling point which I don’t think I’ve come accross on a wirelss keyboard before.

The size is also ideal as it isn’t too small or too big if you wanted to rest it on your lap whilst typing. When using the Vivar on my desk, the rubber feet worked great and it didn’t slip at all during either normal usage or gameplay. I tried to see what happened when switching from normal to gaming by using the front switch but I did not notice any change (unless I completely missed something?).

Regarding the comfort during usage, the Vivar rated fairly high due to me being able to rest part of my hands on the front of the keyboard. Whilst holding the Vivar, I found that the curvature of the keyboard and also the rubber feet on the bottom allowed for a very comfortable experience as wel