http://www.gadgetspeak.com/gadget/article.rhtm/758/360322/article.html

Wireless Keyboard with rollball mouse 

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A true wireless keyboard, small in size and your only loss is the numeric keypad, it also has the possibility of being a mouse substitute as it has a rollball and mouse keys, ideal for use with a media centre type PC.

The FK-760 - sold by Gizoo details at the end - is available according to the box in Black or Silver or Red I was sent the more normal Black. However for lounge use the other colours might get a look in.

First the all important dimensions, it is 38x18x5cm and it weights around 800grams. It feels great when held with the mouse rollball and mouse buttons on the top edges easily operateable by thumbs and fingers. Placing it over my normal keyboard there is a space saving of between 8 and 11cm on the width.

Open the box and there is the keyboard, the four AA batteries and the wireless link that fits into a USB port. The manual consists of a folded piece of paper. To install place the link in a USB port a press a small button on it's face, the unit flashes, now press the ID button (top left on the face of the keyboard) and now both the keyboard and the integrated rollball work.

Being a belt and braces person at this point I disconnected my original PS/2 keyboard all still worked fine. Now I switched off and then restarted, no error messages that used to arrive without a keyboard attached 'keyboard error press F2 to continue' these would be funny if they did not happen for real. Now I disconnected my mouse and shutdown and restarted again, no errors. The only difference I noticed is that the PC is unresponsive for a few seconds longer after boot up, apart from that no difference.

I have been using the FK-760 for about two weeks not only on that PC but also on another that has Windows ME on to check it works on earlier models with exactly the same results.

This is a 86 key keyboard with only the function keys being smaller than normal. There is no numeric keypad and this is replaced by an FN key and blue additional symbols on 15 keys as well as on 4 of the function keys, perfectly useable and similar to what you have on a notebook keyboard. On the top left are the two mouse buttons with the scroll wheel under the left top edge. The top right has the rollball and a second left mouse button under the right edge, these work very well when used as a conventional keyboard on a desk or when the keyboard is held as with media centre operation. Above the function keys are 13 buttons all clearly marked as to their purpose and a single small LED in the centre that will only come on when the batteries are low.

For anyone used to using a notebook there is really no problem, for those who hate trackpads or worst still the erasure type button that used to be popular on some notebooks then the rollball and buttons will be heaven.

My Windows ME system is nowadays used mainly for transferring my LP's onto CD's and as such the keyboard and mouse take up a lot of space in a confined area where it now is, the FK-760 is ideal there and line of sight between the keyboard and the wireless link is not required, in fact it has to travel through my old audio system where the LP's are played and transferred by lead to the sound card.

The FK-760 is stated to work at up to 10 metres from the wireless sender, my eyesight is not good enough for that but I have certainly used it about 2.5 metres away without the slightest problem.

The price is currently £36.90 including post and packing from the link below and while this is not cheap it does allow you flexibility and in my case it allows me more room where a separate mouse and keyboard are not really able to fit.

http://www.gizoo.co.uk/Products/PCGaming/Wireless/WirelessKeyboard.htm

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Comment by Karl Otto Kipp, 23 May 2009 18:10

I can appreciate the benefits of this keyboard you mention. Have you seen the DSI utube video of the Keyboard? My FK 760 I purchased here in the States does everything you blogged about. I had questions about some of the funtion keys and I got a real person who answered my questions and emailed a user manual that spelled out questions/solutions I had not come across. There are many manufactures of this Keyboard but who is offering customer support? I purchased mine 3 years ago from notestation.com.    
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Comment by Charlie Huxter, 5 Sep 2007 8:51

I can say we do sell this product in the UK we are the main UK distributers, Accuratus. Please go to www.ceratech.co.uk and you will find our keyboard here Accuratus Toughball.<br><br>Charlie
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Comment by petew, 23 Jul 2007 16:59

hmmmm - lots of places in the US selling this, including Amazon. The only place I've found in the UK is Avrio - which has the FK-760 keyboard for £49. Link:

http://www.avrio.co.uk/acatalog/Wireless_RF_Keyboards_with_Trackerball.html

Amazon price in the US though is only $48 - and with an exchange rate of 2USD to the £ - might be worth importing it!

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Comment by JP, 23 Jul 2007 14:56

I phoned Gizoo about this. They tell me that this webpage article is wrong. The keyboard they are selling is made by Trust, looks totally different and the trackball is inferior in that it is NOT optical! I haven't been able to find the product shown on this website anywhere in England but if somebody does know where I can pick one up for a good price, perhaps you could add a comment please?
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Comment by jstephens, 21 Jul 2007 8:32

This review would appear to be incorrect.  

The Wireless Keyboard for sale on Gizoo.co.uk does not match the information posted in this review, and the FK-760 keyboard mentioned in this review looks completely different from the keyboard that Gizoo are selling.

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