I have an I/R remote that works with Windows Media Player and use that when playing music and viewing pictures using my HTPC. I built the computer mostly to use as a music player, and some light web surfing. The diNovo is great for browsing the web and entering small amounts of text. After some practice using the very small keyboard, you can bet proficient enough to carry on a small IM chat, but it gets tedious quickly as mouse functions are awkward. Still, it beats having a full sized keyboard in the living room, that would only get used occasionally.  If you use a keyboard frequently on your HTPC there are better alternatives, but the size and Bluetooth connectivity is what won me over.