Entered CNET Catalog: 11/20/2007
SKU: 0810699010095
Manufacturer: Trust Computer Products
Manufacturer description
Trust Computer Products provides a complete, innovative and affordable range of technological products. The key principle in developing products is to offer variation, pleasure, relaxation and excitement to the user, a principle Trust aims to fulfill. PRODUCT FEATURES: Sophisticated wireless keyboard and optical multimedia mouse including USB receiver; Ideal set for controlling Windows Media Center Edition and Media Player applications; Keyboard with scroll wheel, 19 multimedia buttons, volume control wheel and 4 additional Media Center Edition buttons; 9 button mouse with play/pause, stop, previous/next track buttons to control Windows Media Player and Media Center functions; Fully compatible with Windows Media Player in Windows Vista, XP MCE and XP without the need to install a driver.Product summary
The good: Comfortable, low-profile keyboard with lots of useful hot keys; easy-to-use media buttons on the mouse provide basic play control.
The bad: Initial setup a little tricky; no dedicated Windows Media Center launch button.
The bottom line: It's not as fancy as any of the higher-end multimedia input devices from Logitech or Microsoft, but we found the straightforward features of Trust's DS-3250 Optical Wireless Multimedia worthwhile and easy to use. And at less than $70, its price is right, too.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 11/26/2007
Unlike the recent gaming mouse and headset we reviewed from U.S. newcomer Trust, the DS-3250 Optical Wireless Multimedia Desktop is actually a fairly competent set of hardware. For $65, you get a mouse and keyboard (both wireless, as the name implies), each geared toward controlling the various digital media functions of your PC. If you're looking for a set of basic wireless input devices, we found Trust's set provided most of what we look for.
With no software to install, you only need to install the included AA batteries in each device, plug in the USB receiver, and then pair the receiver to each device. To make that connection, you press the receiver's Connect button, then hit the corresponding button on the mouse and the keyboard. You need to connect both devices within the same connect session, so it requires a little bit of dexterity to make sure you can get at both buttons quickly enough, but once you're connected, you likely won't need to worry about the process again.
There's not much else to do once your computer recognizes everything. As detailed in the brief manual, you can use Windows' default keyboard configuration software to make any changes to the default launch programs or to customize keys. You might want to dedicate one button for launching Windows Vista's Media Center, for example, which has no hot key in the default setup. Otherwise, you can simply plug it in and go.
Of the various keys on the keyboard, you get dedicated media control buttons, including mute and volume knobs, as well as a set of Web-browsing buttons, application hot keys, and buttons programmed to launch the Windows Calculator and My Computer, among others. We appreciate the latter two especially, since we don't recall seeing them before, but they make perfect sense. For basic typing, the standard-layout keys are perhaps a bit "clacky" but they have a responsive feel overall. It has a comfortable low profile, similar to the Logitech diNovo Edge. You can also prop it up with two snap-down feet on the bottom.
The optical mouse is similarly straightforward. In addition to the typical five-button arrangement (two main, one scroll, two thumb-side) you also get a small ring of media control buttons below the scroll wheel. This is no Logitech MX Air mouse, so you won't be replacing a dedicated remote control with the Trust mouse, but we can imagine driving an already-opened media application with the mouse away from a desk.
