Accuratus Toughball HiVis Keyboard - where so i stand?

[Alistair]

I bought ones of these direct from Ceratech
http://www.ceratech.co.uk/cpages/key...ughball-hi.htm

It works perfectly in Windows but is an absolute nightmare when trying to enter my BIOS or boot from cd/dvd to install an OS.

I have contacted the manufacturer/seller twice over the last couple of weeks via their onsite support form & got no response. Earlier this week I contacted them via a support email address & copied to their sales email too.

The tech guy repled the other day:

"Hi

I have been asked to reply to your email, Unfortunately the toughball does
not work under DOS it is intended for Windows based"

I am able to get the keyboard working under 'dos' but I have to remove the USB RF dongle several times & replace it before I can get it to pair with the keyboard. This is very frustrating. I have one of their previous RF keyboards a Saturn which doesn't exibit this strange behaviour.

There is nothing on the website indicating that either keyboard isn't supported out of the windows environment. I feel as if I'm being given the brush off by them.

Should I just send it back & say its unfit for the purpose - I've tried asking if the dongle is faulty becuase it does pair eventually out of windows. But it is a real pain having to get the old keyboard out so I can work in my BIOS

Any advice/thoughts greatly appreciated

[noobieocer]

rofl, yea i would just return it and buy a differnt one

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by noobieocer

rofl, yea i would just return it and buy a differnt one

I've had a it for a month or so but this was the 1st time i wanted to go into the BIOS does this make any difference about returning it ?

[toolsong]

I recently bought one and think it's easily the best HTPC keyboard for the way I use it

On that basis I'd keep it and have an old PS2/USB keyboard in the cupboard for BIOS changes or OS installs (actually would grab the wired keyboard from my main PC).

YMMV

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by toolsong

I recently bought one and think it's easily the best HTPC keyboard for the way I use it

On that basis I'd keep it and have an old PS2/USB keyboard in the cupboard for BIOS changes or OS installs (actually would grab the wired keyboard from my main PC).

YMMV

I was also impressed by it just not their crap after sales - the reason i bought direct was because I thought (foolishly so) that I might get better CS if I had any probs.

Could you do me a favour?
see if you can get into the BIOS after a reboot without having to fiddle around removing the dongle and/or re-pairing it again with the keyboard. If it works OK for you the guy who eventually emailed me is talking BS
TIA

Alistair
PS the Saturn is a RF Keybd that they used to do & it doesn't have this problem. My HTPC is my only machine now

[Hicks12]

I have problems using some USB keyboards during bootup, my MS ergonomic 4000 had it everynow and then and even my new g15 which forces me to use a cheapy usb silicon keyboard if i ever need to enter bios... PS2 works fine though!

[UseItNow]

Folks, could it be that your BIOS settings aren't compatible with the peripherals and need to be adjusted? Sorry, if you've already tried.

However, like toolsong & Hicks12 have said, always a good thing having a spare PS2 keyboard! I have found it to be so!

Best of luck!

Edit: Nice keyboard BTW!

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by UseItNow

Folks, could it be that your BIOS settings aren't compatible with the peripherals and need to be adjusted? Sorry, if you've already tried.

However, like toolsong & Hicks12 have said, always a good thing having a spare PS2 keyboard! I have found it to be so!

Best of luck!

Edit: Nice keyboard BTW!

Thanks,
Thing is their other RF keybd doesn't do this on the same system with the same BIOS settings - it pairs up in or out of windows & thats it. Whereas the newer one looses the pairing when you rebooot & try & go into the BIOS or boot from an OS CD/DVD, but when it gets back into windows its OK?

[toolsong]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Could you do me a favour?
see if you can get into the BIOS after a reboot without having to fiddle around removing the dongle and/or re-pairing it again with the keyboard. If it works OK for you the guy who eventually emailed me is talking BS
TIA

Just rebooted the HTPC and messed around in the BIOS, rebooting three times with zero problems

Mobo is a Gigabyte MA78GPM-DS2H

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by toolsong

Just rebooted the HTPC and messed around in the BIOS, rebooting three times with zero problems

Mobo is a Gigabyte MA78GPM-DS2H

Thanks m8, as far as i'm concerned the dongle i have is faulty. I will email this thread to the tech support guy.

I have spent around 5 mins pluging & unpluging the dongle & pressing the button on top of it but if I have to restart (even a soft boot) I have to go through this process again - nightmare

[Alistair]

Just to upate this thread. I emailed the tech support guy on Friday & had no response by yesterday. So I forwarded the email to the sales email address & copied him requesting an RMA No. As they will not recognise the fault then it must be unfit for the purpose & I wish to return for a refund - no response from either so have now contacted my Credit Card Company to pursue it through them. Should I send the goods back without an RMA ?

[Alistair]

Tech support sent me an RMA No & they have the keyboard back now. They can't find the fault that I was having & have tried it on 6 different machines. Its very strange as my saturn, which I'm back to using doesn't give me this problem, ever.

They have offered me a replacement or a refund - unsure what to do because I really like the keyboard but found it very frustrating with the issues I was having.

Any further thoughts on what I should do or what might cause the issue?


TIA
Alistair