Wii Warm Up: QWERTY

by JC Fletcher { May 2nd 2008 at 9:00AM }

The Wii now has the rarely-discussed ability to receive input from USB keyboards. You can type in the Wii Message Board and (most importantly) the Internet Channel using the charmingly quaint "hitting buttons with pictures of the letters you want to put on the screen" method instead of the vastly superior, futuristic "pointing at the letters one at a time on your TV" method. But are you?

Tags: internet-channel, keyboard, message-board

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

samfish @ May 2nd 2008 9:07AM

uh nope-nope-nope-nope!

TrumpetTruck @ May 2nd 2008 9:09AM

I use a wireless keyboard all the time with the opera browser and of course on the message boards!

Retroactiv @ May 2nd 2008 9:37AM

i want to pick up a wireless keyboard with a decent range... any suggestions TrumpetTruck??

MBJ @ May 2nd 2008 11:22AM

I don't even use the internet channel since I deleted it to make room for the Brawl save file.

Mr Khan @ May 2nd 2008 9:20AM

Retail keyboards, the ones sold separately from PC's, seem to be marketed as luxury items for "ultra-ergonomic experiences" or some such

So i haven't found anything economical yet

rich966 @ May 8th 2008 1:57AM

I am still looking for a good keyboard, what I want is a wireless keyboard (hopefully Bluetooth, I guess it would have to have a USB dongle on the Wii end, but it needs to be bluetooth b/c the Wii isn't in either of the rooms that I have the TVs in (I can discuss my setup more if anyone would like), and the keyboard would hopefully be white or maybe black (definately not off-white of any kind). Ideally it would be first party, white, Bluetooth and not need a dongle, but i think that is setting my expectations too high. I would like to hear which keyboards people are using with the Wii.

Jumbo @ May 2nd 2008 9:47AM

Unless you're playing Typing of the Dead..

Why would you need a keyboard?

Who really uses the wii to "surf teh webz!"

Nate @ May 2nd 2008 10:27AM

I would more if I could jump from a web page to a game and back with no fuss. Setting up brawl matches would be much easier.

Jeremy @ May 2nd 2008 10:56AM

Check out http://www.surfthechannel.com/ and you will use your Wii to "surf teh webz!". Here you can watch movies and tons of TV shows all free without having to sit at a computer. That is my main reason for using my Wii Browser.

TheOverlord#2 can has Mario Karts?(MK:2578-3517-9859) @ May 2nd 2008 3:40PM

People with broken computers like me. :P

Jeremy @ May 2nd 2008 9:48AM

I am interested in a wireless but with my setup I need sometime with a range of around 15 feet. Does anyone know of one with that range or do all wireless keyboards have a range like that. I have not really shopped around so I am not in the know.

Tesche @ May 2nd 2008 10:02AM

I have never used a keyboard with my Wii....

In response to the questions about keyboard with good range...I am a high school teacher and use the Microsoft Desktop 7000 keyboard and mouse combo that both run on bluetooth and have excellent range. I can take my keyboard or mouse all over my room and still use them in conjunction with my computer and projector.......also, the dongle is quite small. I have the black color...don't know if it comes in white....

Jeremy @ May 2nd 2008 11:02AM

Do you know if the bluetooth dongle is compatible with the Wii?

Tesche @ May 2nd 2008 11:07AM

I do not know if the bluetooth dongle works with the Wii for sure as I have not tried it...but I don't know why it wouldn't.............but what do I know......? I will be taking my keyboard home for the summer after the school year, but I won't know do that for another month...sorry I couldn't be of more help.

baby sea tuna @ May 2nd 2008 10:13AM

While the Wii remote and virtual keyboard is a better input method than the 360 or PS3, a USB keyboard is still the most efficient way to do it. Especially if you've got to enter a ton of friend codes and nicknames at the same time...which seems to happen right around any big online enabled release.

Roto13 @ May 2nd 2008 10:13AM

I don't type enough with my Wii to warrant the purchase of a keyboard.

baby sea tuna @ May 2nd 2008 10:27AM

I don't *use* my Wii enough to warrant a separate purchase, but I'd be surprised if most people didn't have a spare USB keyboard just lying around. Hell, I've probably got 3 or 4 of them.

Roto13 @ May 2nd 2008 10:32AM

How so very nice for you.

Gewurztraminer says: R.O.B. is the last Cylon! @ May 2nd 2008 10:33AM

I just finally broke down and got a wireless logitech keyboard last weekend. I'm sure I didn't get a deal or anything, but I had been eyeing it for almost a year now.

Point is, now I have a spare wired one so I might give it a shot with the Wii but so far, no, I have not tried out the feature.

RitchCORRUPTION @ May 2nd 2008 11:11AM

I keep meaning to use it. But I can't be bothered? Another perhipheral to stash behind my tv isn't on my list of MUST HAVES

I've gotten pretty efficient with the wii remote to be fair

Jezreel @ May 2nd 2008 11:25AM

I've been using a keyboard for months now. Life is much easier that way.

James @ May 2nd 2008 11:59AM

I would strongly advise against getting a bluetooth keyboard for the Wii -- I'm not aware of any that use BT to communicate, but present themselves as a standard (HID) USB keyboard. If you're using a BT keyboard that presents itself as a BT device, and just includes a BT USB dongle as a bonus/extra, don't expect it to work on the Wii.

Here's a test: if you can plug your dongle into a pristine XP installation and have your keyboard work, it should be fine on the Wii. If you need to install any sort of drivers, look elsewhere.

hohum @ May 3rd 2008 4:43AM

We've used my 'mate's Logitech DiNovo BT kb on the Wii without any trouble. I thought for sure that it wouldn't work, but it did... I'm thinking I'm going to purchase a DiNovo Mini soon for the Wii...

MC=Mii @ May 2nd 2008 12:40PM

Not using either. My Wii is connected to the same screen as my pc which is also acts as my tv so I don't browse on my Wii.

Neal Eaton @ May 2nd 2008 12:14PM

Apple makes a a great wireless Bluetooh keyboard...it is not cheap (natch') but it is very high quality.

Have not tried it with the Wii yet...as I just got it last week, but I don't really surf much with the Wii.

Anyone used one of these with their Wii?