Developer: Sandberg
Publisher: Sandberg
Platform: USB devices with media player functions
Sandberg StreamBoard – Hardware Review
Over the years we’ve tried out many gaming keyboards, in many different sizes, one being more visually pleasing than the other, while others heavily focused on features and sturdy building quality. Nonetheless, many of us like to take a break now and then and just relax and watch a few good movies or series from the comfort of our sofa, or even bed. This is why we were curious about Sandberg’s line of mobile keyboards, and more specifically the Bluetooth StreamBoard, which seemed to have a lot of options for something that comes in a very compact size.
Design
The StreamBoard is rather simple looking, but still fairly good looking for something that is desired to be practical above anything else. You’ll be treated to a normal looking keyboard, be it with a small curved shape where the left and right side are a bit taller than the rest of the keyboard, which gives the device a subtle yet stylish appearance. The shell itself is made out of hard plastic, while the buttons are made out of a soft rubber, which creates a lovely contrast. Other than that, the keyboard doesn’t have any special notable features, safe for the clear white prints when it comes to the letters, and red/orange influences to indicate which buttons have a double function.
Comfort
Comfort wise the StreamBoard doesn’t fall short, safe for the fact that the middle buttons are somewhat harder to reach with your thumbs if you have slightly smaller hands. Nonetheless, Sandberg thought of pretty much everything by making the device light, sturdy and the buttons big enough to make it feel a bit like a ‘bigger’ keyboard. Other features include a spacebar on both sides of the touch pad, extra buttons for the left and right mouse buttons, and so on. You’ll immediately feel as if you’re not missing anything from the comfort of your sofa or chair, whichever you prefer while watching your favorite series and movies.
The buttons feel rather soft, yet they feel sturdy enough. Grease stains don’t really show on said buttons when you mess around with the keyboard, which is certainly a plus. There’s no real gap between the plastic of the frame and the soft buttons, thus it prevents too much grime and dirt getting in-between the casing and buttons.
Specs
- Transmission Distance: Up to 10 metres
- Rechargeable polymer Lithium-ion battery
- 3 LED indicators
- Touchpad
- Left and right mouse click buttons
Overview
Sandberg’s StreamBoard is a plug and play device which is immediately recognized by your PC, or those who have a small streaming device with USB ports will also be glad to hear that it’s immediately recognized to do what it’s designed to do, after inserting the wireless dongle. Truth be told, there’s not that much to tell when it comes to basic functionalities, as the keyboard works as a keyboard should work, and Sandberg added a touchpad, which recognizes a click when you tap it, but they’ve also added buttons for a left and right click. Other than the buttons you can find on a normal keyboard, there’s also a FN button, like you find on most laptop keyboards. Pressing this button will allow you to use several other buttons’ second function.
The overall device is very sturdy and works properly, but we noticed that there is one flimsy button on the entire keyboard and that’s the on/off switch. It sometimes felt very fragile, and more than often we had to flick the switch rather hard in order to properly activate the device, as it didn’t always respond properly.
You’ll be pleased to hear that this device doesn’t work with normal batteries, thus you can simply charge (and use) it via a normal USB plug on your PC or streaming device. The battery life also seems to be reasonable, which means you can go several weeks without charging, as the device turns itself off after a few minutes.
Conclusion
While Sandberg’s wireless StreamBoard might not be the cheapest solution when it comes to a small Bluetooth keyboard for your streaming device, it’s one of the most reliable ones, and if you compare to other products on the market, you’re getting a lot of value for your investment. Many cheaper devices already cost more than half of this device and don’t offer an internal battery, hardly any functions and feel extremely flimsy and unreliable. If you want a trustworthy companion to get you through the seasons of your favorite shows, without ever having the leave the couch, safe to get more snacks, the StreamBoard is your ideal partner in crime.
Sandberg StreamBoard - Hardware Review,
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