我们的客厅开始摆满了许多不同类型的电子产品，无论是智能电视、HTPC（家庭影院 PC(Home Theatre PC)）、游戏机(game console)还是连接到大屏幕的 PC。但是所有这些都令人沮丧的是，当您想要搜索内容并且您必须键入或使用指针时，最糟糕的是在黑暗中。当然，摆脱这种体验的挫败感的首选解决方案是使用轻便的无线键盘(wireless keyboard)，更好的是，使用带有背光键和内置触摸板的无线键盘。在这个复杂的键盘世界中，我们收到了罗技 K830 发光客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)，并着手在不同类型的设备上对其进行测试。继续阅读，当我们回顾这个客厅(living room)友好的键盘，看看它是否能让我们享受沙发的舒适：
罗技 K830 照明客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)拆箱
它采用典型的罗技包装(Logitech packaging)，带有一个光面盒子，正面有指定环境中的键盘图像。该区域还显示了全名以及它具有美国英语布局的事实。罗技(Logitech)还以多种语言补充说，该产品是控制智能电视(Smart TV)
的最佳
方式，即使在黑暗中也是如此。
背面在同一张光面纸上显示了非常漂亮的键盘放大图像。此外，在这里，罗技(Logitech)以多种语言通知我们包装盒的内容，并为我们提供了重要技术规格的小清单（包括文本和图形表示形式）。
盖子很容易脱落，在里面你会发现键盘放在纸板托盘(cardboard tray)上，没有任何塑料包装(plastic wrapping)。一个有意义的选择，因为这是一种更环保的设备交付方式。
从包装盒中取出键盘后，您会看到纸板托盘(cardboard tray)有很多小隔间，其中包含所有特色配件。这种组织良好的运输方式是我们希望从其他制造商那里看到的。
在内部(Inside)，连同您的K830 键盘(K830 keyboard)，您会发现以下内容：非常小的罗技 USB(Logitech USB)统一接收器、微型 USB充电线(charging cable)、USB 延长(USB extension)线、多语言说明手册和(instruction manual)罗技(Logitech)的重要信息(Important Information)（安全(Safety)、合规性）和保修(Compliance and Warranty)）传单。
硬件规格
罗技 K830 照明客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)背后的理念非常简单：提供带背光按键的一体式无线键盘和用于(wireless keyboard)光标控制(cursor control)的集成多点触控板。不过，这不是您典型的桌面键盘(desk keyboard)，因为它旨在用于更随意的情况，例如坐在沙发或床上(couch or bed)。正如我们在上面看到的，罗技(Logitech)表示，K830将提供“轻松的 PC 到电视导航”(TV navigation)，即使在黑暗中”。一个有趣的描述，但并不像你想象的那么准确，因为它没有涵盖这种紧凑型键盘/触摸板组合可以提供的所有用途。我们将在评论的后面进一步回到这个观点。
K830呈长方形，侧边圆润，具有行政风格的外观(style look)，将两侧的深色外观与框架底部和顶部的反光银片相结合。(silver piece)键盘采用标准QWERTY 布局(QWERTY layout)，带有Chiclet风格的按键。罗技(Logitech)还包括 19 个多媒体按键，可提供许多额外功能。
罗技(Logitech)移除了专用数字键盘(number pad)，取而代之的是功能齐全的触摸板，配有鼠标左右键。此外，在触控板上方，我们可以看到三个音频控制键：静音、音量增大和音量减小(volume increase and volume decrease)。
此外，在键盘的右侧，您会发现一个小的圆形光传感器(round light sensor)，它会根据房间的环境光来调暗或调亮按键的背光。在它旁边的右上角(right corner)，您会找到一个电池指示灯(battery indicator light)。每次打开键盘电源或将其从睡眠模式唤醒时，它都会亮起。此外，此LED 指示灯(LED indicator)会通过闪烁的红灯让您知道何时需要为电池充电。
在框架的顶部，我们发现需要指出的三个重要特征。从左到右，我们首先看到一个鼠标(left mouse)左键、一个微型 USB 端口和一个开关。
键盘的背面很简单。平底仅提供四个放置良好的橡胶(rubber)脚垫和另一个位于中央下部的硬塑料小脚垫。
键盘采用嵌入式锂离子电池，可借助微型 USB 端口进行充电。罗技(Logitech)表示，它在充满电的情况下拥有 10 天的自主权。据推测，您应该在背光打开的情况下每天使用 2 或 3 小时达到此标记。
它的手持式设计只有 14.4 英寸（36.7 厘米）长、4.9 英寸（12.53 厘米）高、0.65 英寸（1.65 厘米）深。轻巧的全塑料结构重 17.5 盎司（495 克）。
此键盘的完整规格可在此处找到：Logitech K830 键盘(Logitech K830 Keyboard)。
使用罗技 K830 照明客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)
在设计方面，边缘的铝质饰面(aluminum finish)是一个有趣的元素，似乎与键盘其余部分的柔软触感涂层发生冲突。(coating present)这种深色涂层(dark coating)对指纹和划痕极为敏感。您可能已经在上面的一张图片中看到了一些指纹。对于在客厅(living room)中找到位置的键盘来说，这似乎真的很糟糕，人们想象，它会被以前浸入一碗薯片中的手使用。它的塑料外壳(plastic shell)扭曲，当放置在平坦的表面上时，它并不总是稳定的，尽管它的防滑橡胶脚。尽管如此，这些都是轻巧的全塑料结构的典型缺点，该结构足够窄，您可以用一只手抓住它。
让我们把目光转向K830的核心，也就是按键。它们的总体尺寸足够大，我们可以快速打字，平坦的顶面提供了良好的支撑。尽管我们认为按键间距太近，但这是制造商能够降低键盘整体尺寸的唯一方法。这些钥匙提供了一个柔软且相当长的行程，可以随意使用，但它不会帮助你写长篇论文。我们真的很喜欢他们不会发出很多噪音的事实。
为了清楚地展示其控制客厅(living room)媒体中心和/或 PC 的能力，制造商添加了一系列媒体快捷方式。有两种不同的类型：一键式功能键 ( F1-F12 ) 和需要您先按Fn 键(Fn key)的功能键（ins、del、退格键、大写锁定、Page up、Page down、home、end）。花时间了解他们每个人的工作将大大改善您的多媒体体验(multimedia experience)；所有这些都在说明手册中进行了解释。有些人可能不喜欢 F 键的标准 PC 功能只能通过使用Fn 组合(Fn combination)来访问。不过，从客厅的角度来看(living room point)看来，媒体控制工作得非常好，是这个键盘的一个加分项。
我们还想讨论出现在顶部边缘的两个特征。在这个区域放置鼠标左键(left mouse button)非常适合客厅环境(living room environment)。如果您想在双手握住键盘的同时舒适地操作键盘，这个额外的按钮可以让您在用左手点击东西的同时用右手使用触摸板。此外，颜色编码的开/关开关起初似乎有点难以操作。但是，为了更容易识别，我们可以告诉您，绿色表示开启，橙色表示关闭。
K830最有趣的功能之一是按键的背光。毕竟，这是一款专为媒体中心设计的键盘，并且通常必须在黑暗中操作（你不能在开着灯的情况下观看恐怖电影）。背光提供两个级别的光强度，由环境光传感器(ambient light sensor)控制。罗技(Logitech)还提供了一个按键 (F1) 来手动调节背光。我们真的很喜欢这种提高和降低亮度的单键方法。当键盘电池电量不足时，背光会自动关闭，并且在正常使用时，它会在您停止使用后 5 秒内消失。
背光的强度使键盘非常适合黑暗到中等亮度的房间。尽管如此，即使光传感器(light sensor)在黑暗和昏暗的区域工作良好，我们发现它在较亮的环境中效果较差。尽管我们使用它的房间有足够的光线，但传感器有时会激活低强度背光(intensity backlight)并且必须手动校正。罗技(Logitech)也忽略了为我们提供无限期开启或关闭背光的选项。总而言之，这些都是小问题，因为键盘在黑暗中使用时非常有效。
回到keyboard/touchpad combination，我们必须说这是一个非常有意义的设计功能。(design feature)它完全消除了对单独鼠标或触摸板(mouse or touchpad)的需求，即使对于那些计划在旅途中使用它的人来说也是如此。尽管这种并排设计可能需要一些时间来适应，但随着时间的推移它会成为第二天性；它类似于笔记本电脑触摸板背后的想法，唯一的区别是它位于侧面而不是键盘前面。至于触摸板本身，它很流畅且反应灵敏。我们没有注意到手指在触摸板上的移动与屏幕光标的移动之间有任何延迟。因此，比例匀称的触摸板（3.1 x 2 英寸）提供了一种让导航变得轻松的愉悦感觉。
如果您是需要在家中与所有设备保持连接的PC 到电视(PC-to-TV)用户之一，那么Logitech K830 发光客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)正是您所需要的。即使键盘不是很厚，它也可以安全地放在您的膝盖/膝盖上，并且可以很好地握在手中。
连接和软件
对于K830，罗技(Logitech)提供了其Unifying RF 接收器(Unifying RF receiver)，该接收器应连接到您的计算机或客厅媒体电子设备(computer or living room media electronics)上的空闲端口。它的好处是单个接收器一次最多可以配对六个罗技无线(Logitech wireless)设备。这款小型USB 加密狗(USB dongle)提供 2.4GHz无线连接(wireless connectivity)（不是蓝牙(Bluetooth)）和 33 英尺（10 m）的坚如磐石的范围。请注意，如果您将用于键盘充电的USB 数据线(USB cable)连接到 PC，它将不会被识别为输入设备(input device)；只有无线电加密狗(radio dongle)允许您使用键盘。在任何情况下，K830都可以在充电过程中使用。此外，USB 延长线可以在(USB extension)USB 端口(USB port)隐藏时帮助您使用Unifying 接收器(Unifying receiver)，并且您希望将接收器放置在更暴露且信号接收更好的地方。Logitech Unifying 接收器(Logitech Unifying receiver)是一项很棒的功能，它提供了稳固的连接并且易于使用。
注意：(NOTE:)您只能(only)在 WINDOWS 驱动的设备中将多个Logitech设备添加到单个接收器。
接收器立即连接到Windows 7和Windows 8.1。但是，要充分使用键盘，您必须从罗技支持(Logitech support)网站下载并安装必要的软件，请点击此处(here)。Logitech Unifying Software和Logitech Software Options这两个程序将帮助您控制接收器并访问(receiver and access)键盘的所有功能。首先，在(First)罗技软件选项(Logitech Software Options)窗口的右下角，您将看到电池状态(battery state)的图形表示。然后在第一个选项卡中，键盘(Keyboard)，在键盘本身的图像下，您会发现一个小复选框，可让您在 F 键的标准功能和媒体功能之间切换。
该程序的下两个选项卡将允许您自定义触摸板的某些功能，例如调整其灵敏度或管理触摸手势。我们不得不说触摸板在Windows 8.1上运行得非常好，它允许您使用这个特定操作系统中(operating system)可用的所有滑动手势。由于罗技集成了一系列简单的手势命令，(Logitech)导航(Navigation)非常简单：用一根手指点击表面左键单击或用两根手指点击右键，向上/向下或向左/向右拖动两根手指以滚动或捏合放大或缩小。
在手势方面，罗技(Logitech)配套程序(companion program)的最后一个选项卡使K830真正可定制。它允许您更改或禁用更高级手势命令的行为。例如，我们发现在Windows 8.1中，用一根手指从右侧边缘(right edge)水平滑动将自动激活Charms，或者从左侧执行相同操作将允许您切换已打开的应用程序。
这些手势命令的可用性取决于您使用的操作系统(operating system)，尽管K830的最佳匹配似乎是Windows 8.1。我们在Windows 操作系统(Windows operating)上使用它时注意到的唯一问题是手势并不总是像应有的那样响应。当我们滚动时，我们不得不不时地重新调整我们的手指，因为触摸板并不总是能识别我们所做的动作。但同样，这是一个小问题，它不会影响键盘内置触摸板的便利性。
远离微软(Microsoft)的操作系统，我们必须说，如果你拥有一台Mac ，这个键盘将在(Mac)Logitech Unifying 接收器(Logitech Unifying receiver)的帮助下立即连接到它。它将接管输入功能，您将能够使用键盘和触摸板(keyboard and touchpad)的基本功能。第一个问题出现在您想要使用Mac 操作系统(Mac operating)的多点触控选项时，因为K830不支持它们。您只能通过System Preferences-Accessibility Options调整触摸板的一般行为（(System Preferences-Accessibility Options)延迟和速度(delay and speed)）。然后，你会认为你可以通过安装罗技来解决这个问题配套程序(companion program)，但令人惊讶的是，他们提供的软件无法在您的Mac上运行。因此键盘可以在Mac上使用，但您将无法使用触摸板的高级手势命令。
此外，由于它是作为客厅键盘(living room keyboard)销售的，因此它也应该适用于您的智能电视(Smart TV)。通过将Logitech的 Unifying 接收器插入符合(Logitech)USB HID标准的开放式USB 端口(USB port)，您应该能够连接到电视。但是，进一步的支持取决于Smart TV环境中的每个单独的应用程序，并且有时触摸板可能无法工作。此外，K830 的特定功能取决于(K830 depend)用户拥有的智能电视(Smart TV)，罗技(Logitech)建议所有未来购买者查阅其电视手册以获取有关兼容性的信息。
判决
在纸面上，罗技 K830 发光客厅键盘(Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard)看起来很棒。拆开之后，依旧印象深刻。设计令人愉悦，材料令人赏心悦目，我们欣赏触摸板及其宽大的按钮、滑动表面和键盘的一般轻盈。但是，很快，我们开始后悔它对指纹的不自然吸引力以及您必须经常清洁它的事实。它肯定会帮助您控制客厅(living room)设备，但据我们了解，它是一款适用于Windows 7或 Windows 8.1 的键盘。只有在微软(Microsoft)的操作系统上，您才能在同一个统一接收器上连接多个设备并访问(receiver and access)所有这些可用于触摸板的出色手势命令。最重要的是，K830 keyboard/touchpad组合旨在与连接到projector/TV screenPC(Windows PC)或基于 Windows 的家庭影院 PC (HTPC) 一起(Home Theater PC (HTPC))使用。Logitech K830可与Mac配合使用，但只能用作提供基本打字功能的移动键盘和不支持多点触控输入的触摸板。此外，您可以在智能电视(Smart TV)上使用此键盘的，但其高级功能取决于电视本身和您安装的应用程序。不幸的是，制造商并不总是就标准和合规性达成一致，有时似乎唯一的出路就是“买来试一试”。如果您想要一个用于大量打字的全时键盘，您可能应该继续寻找，但如果您想要一个在黑暗中使用的客厅伴侣(living room companion)，这就是您的键盘。由于其轻巧的设计、发光的按键和媒体功能，Logitech K830对于那些经常使用客厅(living room)（甚至卧室）媒体中心的人来说是一个不错的选择。
Reviewing The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard
Our lіving rooms are starting to fill up with quite a few different typeѕ of electronics, еither а smart TV, an HTPC (Home Thеatre PC), a gаme console or a PC connеcted to a big ѕcreen. But the frustrating thіng about all of them is when you want to search for content and you have to tуpe оr use a pointer, worѕt of all in the dark. Of course, the go-to solution to escape the frustration of this experience is to use a light wireless keyboard and, better yet, оne that has backlіt keys and a buіlt-іn touchpad. From this complicated world of keyboards, we received the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard and we set out to test it on different types of devices. Read on, as we review this living room friendly keyboard and see if it will let us enjoy the comfort of our couch:
Unboxing The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard
It comes in a typical Logitech packaging, with a glossy box that has the image of the keyboard in its designated environment on the front. This area also shows the full name and the fact that it has a US english layout. Logitech also added, in multiple languages, that this product is the best
way to control your Smart TV, even in the dark.
The backside shows a quite beautiful zoomed-in image of the keyboard on the same glossy paper. Also, here, in multiple languages, Logitech informs us about the contents of the box and gives us a small list of important technical specifications (both in text and graphic representations).
The cover comes off quite easily and inside you will find the keyboard sitting on top of a cardboard tray without any kind of plastic wrapping. A choice that makes sense as this is more environmentally conscious way of delivering devices.
After removing the keyboard from the box you will see that the cardboard tray has a lot of small compartments which contain all the featured accessories. This well organized way of shipping is something we would like to see from other manufacturers.
Inside, together with your K830 keyboard, you will find the following: the very small Logitech USB unifying receiver, a micro-USB charging cable, a USB extension cable, an instruction manual in multiple languages and Logitech's Important Information (Safety, Compliance and Warranty) leaflet.
Hardware Specifications
The idea behind the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard is quite simple: to provide an all-in-one wireless keyboard with backlit keys and an integrated multi-touchpad for cursor control. Still, this is not your typical desk keyboard because it is meant to be used in more casual situations, like sitting on a couch or bed. Logitech states, as we have seen above, that K830 will offer "Effortless PC to TV navigation, even in the dark". An interesting description, but not as accurate as you might think, because it does not cover all the uses this compact keyboard/touchpad mix can offer. We will come back to this perspective further down in the review.
Rectangular with rounded side edges, the K830 surprises with an executive style look that combines the dark appearance of the two sides with a reflective silver piece on both the bottom and the top of its frame. The keyboard features a standard QWERTY layout with Chiclet style keys. Logitech also included 19 multimedia keys that provide a lot of extra functions.
Logitech has removed the dedicated number pad and in its place we get a fully functioning touchpad, complete with left and right mouse buttons. Furthermore, above the touchpad we can see three audio control keys: mute, volume increase and volume decrease.
Also, in this right side of the keyboard you will find a small round light sensor that, based on the ambient light of the room, will either dim or brighten the backlight of the keys. Next to it, in the top right corner, you will find a battery indicator light. It will light up each time you power on the keyboard or wake it up from sleep mode. Also, this LED indicator will let you know when it is time to charge the battery, by a blinking red light.
On the top part of the frame we find three important features that need to be pointed out. From left to right we first see a left mouse click button, a micro-USB port and the on-off switch.
The backside of the keyboard is, well, plain. The flat back only offers four well placed rubber feet and another small one made of hard plastic in the lower area of the center.
The keyboard features an embedded Lithium-Ion battery that can be charged with the help of the micro-USB port. Logitech states that it has an autonomy of 10 days on a full charge. You should, supposedly, reach this mark while using it for 2 or 3 hours a day with the backlight on.
Its handheld-friendly design measures only 14.4 inches (36.7 cm) in length by 4.9 inches (12.53 cm) in height by 0.65 inches (1.65 cm) in depth. The lightweight, all-plastic, construction weighs 17.5 oz (495 grams).
The full set of specifications of this keyboard can be found here: Logitech K830 Keyboard.
Using The Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard
In terms of design, the aluminum finish of the edges is an interesting element that seems to clash with the soft-touch coating present on the rest of the keyboard. This dark coating is extremely sensitive to fingerprints and scratches. You might have seen some fingerprints in one of the pictures above. This seems really bad for a keyboard that finds its place in your living room where, one imagines, it will be used by hands previously immersed in a bowl of chips. Its plastic shell twists and, when placed on a flat surface, it is not always stable, despite its non-slip rubber feet. Still, these are the typical downsides of having a light, all-plastic construction that is narrow enough for you to grab it with one hand.
Let us turn our attention to the actual heart of K830, namely the keys. Their general size was large enough for us to type fairly fast and the flat top surface offered a good support. Even though we think that the keys are too closely spaced, this is the only way manufacturers are able to keep down the overall size of the keyboards. The keys offer a soft and fairly long travel which is ok for casual use but it will not help you in writing long dissertations. We really liked the fact that they do not make a lot of noise.
To clearly demonstrate its abilities in controlling your living room media center and/or PC, the manufacturer added a series of media shortcuts. There are two different types: one-touch function keys (F1-F12) and those that require you to first press on the Fn key (ins, del, backspace, caps lock, Page up, Page down, home, end). Taking the time to learn what each of them does will greatly improve your multimedia experience; all of them are explained in the instructions manual. Some of you may not like the fact that the standard PC functions of the F keys can be accessed only by using an Fn combination. Still, from a living room point of view, the media control works really well and is a plus for this keyboard.
We also want to discuss two of the features that appear on the top edge. The placement of a left mouse button in this area is well suited for the living room environment. If you want to comfortably operate your keyboard while holding it with both hands, this extra button will allow you to use the touchpad with your right hand while you click on things with your left hand. Also, the color coded on/off switch seems a little difficult to operate at first. But, for an easier identification, we can tell you that green means that it is on while orange means it is off.
One of the most interesting features of the K830 is the backlighting of the keys. After all, this is a keyboard designed to be used with a media center and will often have to be operated in the dark (you cannot watch horror movies with the light on). The backlighting offers two levels of light intensity and it is controlled by the ambient light sensor. Logitech also offers a key (F1) to manually adjust the backlight. We really liked this single-key approach for raising and lowering brightness. When the keyboard is low on battery, the backlight is automatically switched off and, in regular use, it fades away within 5 seconds after you stop using it.
The intensity of the backlight makes the keyboard great for dark to mid-lit rooms. Still, even though the light sensor works well in dark and dim areas, we found it to be less effective in brighter environments. Despite the fact that the room we were using it in had enough light, the sensor sometimes activates the low intensity backlight and has to be corrected manually. Logitech also neglected to offer us an option of keeping the backlight on or off indefinitely. All in all, these are minor issues because the keyboard is very effective when used in the dark.
Coming back to the keyboard/touchpad combination, we must say that it is a design feature which makes perfect sense. It completely removes the need for a separate mouse or touchpad, even for those of you who plan on using it on the go. Even though this side-by-side design may take some getting used to, in time it will become second nature; it is similar to the idea behind laptop touchpads, only difference being that it sits to the side rather in front of the keyboard. As for the touchpad itself, it is smooth and quite responsive. We didn't notice any delay between the movement of our fingers on the touchpad and those of the onscreen cursor. So, the well proportioned touchpad (3.1 by 2 inches) offers a pleasant feel that makes navigation easy.
If you are one of the PC-to-TV users who need to remain tethered to all of your devices from around the house then Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard is exactly what you need. Even though the keyboard is not very thick, it will safely sit on your lap/knees and you will have it well in hand.
Connection And Software
For the K830, Logitech delivers its Unifying RF receiver that should be connected to a free port on your computer or living room media electronics. The great thing about it is that a single receiver can pair up to six Logitech wireless devices at a time. This small USB dongle offers a 2.4GHz wireless connectivity (not Bluetooth) and a rock solid range of 33 feet (10 m). Note that if you connect the USB cable for charging the keyboard to a PC, it will not be recognized as an input device; only the radio dongle allows you to use the keyboard. In any case, the K830 can be used during charging. Also, the USB extension cable can help you with the Unifying receiver when the USB port is hidden and you want to place the receiver somewhere more exposed and with a better signal reception. The Logitech Unifying receiver is a great feature that offers a solid connection and it is easy to use.
NOTE: You can add multiple Logitech devices to a single receiver only in WINDOWS powered devices.
The receiver instantly connected to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. But, to fully make use the keyboard, you have to download and install the necessary software from Logitech support website, here. The two programs, Logitech Unifying Software and Logitech Software Options, will help you take command of the receiver and access all the features of the keyboard. First of all, in the lower right corner of the Logitech Software Options window, you will see a graphical representation of the battery state. Then in the first tab, Keyboard, under the image of the keyboard itself you will find a small checkbox which will allow you to toggle between the standard function of the F keys and the media functions.
The next two tabs of the program will allow you to customize some features of the touchpad, such as adjusting its sensitivity or managing touch gestures. We have to say that the touchpad works very well with Windows 8.1, where it will allow you to use all the swipe gestures available in this particular operating system. Navigation is very easy thanks to a series of simple gestures commands that have been integrated by Logitech: tap the surface with one finger for left click or with two fingers for right click, drag two fingers up/down or left/right to scroll or pinch to zoom in or out.
On the subject of gestures, the last tab of Logitech's companion program makes the K830 really customizable. It allows you to change or disable the behavior of the more advanced gesture commands. We found that in Windows 8.1, for example, swiping horizontally with one finger from the right edge will automatically activate the Charms or that doing the same action but from the left side will allow you to toggle through your opened applications.
The availability of these gesture commands depends on the operating system that you are using, though it seems that the best match for the K830 is Windows 8.1. The only problem we noticed when using it with a Windows operating system is that the gestures are not always as responsive as they should be. We had to readjust our fingers for time to time when we were scrolling because the touchpad didn't always recognize the movements we made. But again, this is a small problem and it does not take away from the convenience of having a touchpad built in the keyboard.
Moving away from Microsoft's operating systems, we must say that, if you own a Mac, this keyboard will connect to it immediately with the help of the Logitech Unifying receiver. It will take over the input functions and you will be able to use the basic functions of the keyboard and touchpad. The first problem appears when you want to use the multitouch options of the Mac operating system, because the K830 does not support them. You can only adjust the general behavior of the touchpad (delay and speed) through System Preferences-Accessibility Options. Then, you would think you could solve this by installing a Logitech companion program, but, surprise, the software they offer does not work on your Mac. So the keyboard will work on a Mac, but you will not be able to use the advanced gesture commands of the touchpad.
Also, as it is marketed as a living room keyboard, so it should also work with your Smart TV. You should be able to connect to the TV by plugging Logitech's Unifying receiver into an open USB port that has USB HID compliance. Further support, though, depends on each individual app from the Smart TV's environment and it is possible that sometimes the touchpad might not work. Moreover, particular functions of the K830 depend on the Smart TV owned by the user, and Logitech advises all future buyers to consult their TV's manual for information about compatibility.
Verdict
On paper, the Logitech K830 Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard seems awesome. Once unwrapped, it still impresses. The design is pleasant, the materials are flattering to the eye, and we appreciate the touchpad and its generous buttons, the swiping surface and the general lightness of the keyboard. But, very soon, we came to regret its unnatural attraction to fingerprints and the fact that you have to constantly clean it. It will surely help you take control of your living room devices but, as we came to understand, it is a keyboard that will work great with Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Only on Microsoft's operating systems will you be able to connect multiple devices on the same unifying receiver and access all those great gesture commands available for the touchpad. The bottom line is that the K830 keyboard/touchpad combination was designed to be used with either a Windows PC connected to a projector/TV screen or a Windows based Home Theater PC (HTPC). The Logitech K830 will work with a Mac, but only as a on-the-go keyboard that will offer basic typing functions and a touchpad that does not support multi-touch input. Also, you can use this keyboard on Smart TV's, but its advanced functions depend on the TV itself and the apps you installed. Unfortunately, manufacturers don't always agree on standards and compliances, and sometimes it seems that the only way to go is the buy-it-and-try-it approach. If you want a full-time keyboard for extensive typing, you should probably keep looking, but if you want a living room companion to be used in the dark, this is the keyboard for you. Because of its lightweight design, illuminated keys and media functions, the Logitech K830 is a good buy for those of you that constantly use their living room (and even bedroom) media center.
