Logitech Keyboard and Mouse

I’m extremely picky about the keyboard and mouse I use. Currently, I’m using the Apple BT Aluminum keyboard and Logitech VX Nano mouse with my Mac. I received this keyboard, expecting to just be able to use it with my Windows system, but how wrong I was…

First, the box is MISLABELED. It says you need a Windows XP or Windows Vista system. LIES. Second, the box shows the keyboard with no Apple-specific commands. LIES. The actual keyboard has the command logo on both Alt keys, as well as the Mac option key on the Windows button.

Bizarrely, the drivers included in the box only are for Windows XP and Windows Vista, which I cannot fathom for the life of me.. Make a quick trip to Logitech.com and download their drivers for the Mac, after which both the keyboard and mouse show up in the little Logitech control panel within System Preferences. Battery level and key bindings are all there and configurable!

Usage for keyboard:

Excellent. I was initially turned off by the layout of the keys, with its slight swoop and dip, but after using it for a bit, it grows on you and you learn to actually like it quite a good deal! The keys are soft, and not too loud, and very tactile. You definitely get the feeling of a quality keyboard. And the palm rest is lovely; a cushion-like affair. It uses two regular Duracell AA batteries.

On the Mac side, all the iTunes keys work, including play/pause/forward/back etc etc, and all the special keys for opening an e-mail or the calculator work, too! You can remap any of the function keys to open any Mac/Windows-specific application you want. Excellent!

The mouse:

A very comfortable mouse, with a “hidden” button where your thumb rests (it opens Expose in Mac OS X by default – nice!). There’s not a huge amount to say about the mouse, really. It’s sort of a cross between the Logitech MX Revolution (without the thumb wheel), and the VX Revolution. I really like it, and it doesn’t suffer from the input lag like the Apple BT mouse does. (Note: This is a right-handed mouse only…)

A very nice feature of the mouse, and this shows that Logitech cares, is that it uses a rechargeable battery. Now that by itself isn’t that impressive, but hear me out…. First, it’s user-replaceable, and second, it’s not just any old generic battery. It’s a Sanyo Eneloop AA battery, which is a high-quality battery that suffers very little battery drain when idling. The mouse can be recharged using the included AC adapter, or from your computer. So while it’s 2.4Ghz wireless, you can use it while charging it, which is great! The USB cable plugs into the front of the mouse, essentially turning it into a “wired” mouse (though it never actually stops being wireless in the sense that it always uses the 2.4Ghz adapter to connect to your PC/Mac).

Overall, I can’t even begin to state how impressive this set is. That said, someone at Logitech needs a good slap on the wrist to update the box to specify that this keyboard/mouse set really is DESIGNED for Mac OS as much as it is for Windows XP or Vista.

I can’t recommend this mouse and keyboard highly enough. 5/5

**EDIT**

Logitech, for no apparent reason, has updated their driver release from 2.6 to 2.7 for Macs, removing support for this keyboard/mouse set! If you want to be able to customize buttons etc on the keyboard/mouse, be sure to find the Logitech Control Center 2.6, not the latest (as of March 24, 2009) 2.7 version. I’m following up with Logitech about this madness…

Logitech’s Cordless Desktop Wave Pro Set builds upon the positives of the original Wave set. The Pro version adds improved range and a better mouse with the Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse. The mouse with this set is equipped with the added benefit of a convenient rechargeable battery. The Wave keyboard retains all of its design elements, including extra function keys and hot keys for some common tasks. Of course its main feature is the great Wave shape that I prefer to any of the other ergonomic keyboards. Considering the integrated number pad and wrist wrest, this keyboard is actually still small compared to similarly outfitted models.

The original Wave combo is still a solid keyboard and mouse set. But by adding the “Pro” set to the mix, Logitech has given customers some more choices to make. Assuming you already know that you want the “Wave” keyboard shape, here are my thoughts regarding your options.

THE CHOICES

1. If you are a right-handed (or ambidextrous) mouse user and you prefer a higher profile mouse like the Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse, then the Wave Pro Set is the way to go to get the ergonomic keyboard and top mouse combo.
2. If you are a lefty, but think you can adjust to a flatter (lower profile) mouse, the original Wave Set is the way to go.
3. If you are a lefty, or a very picky mouse user who wants to use a more powerful or customized mouse like the Logitech G9 Laser Mouse, then the corded Logitech Wave Keyboard is the way to go. Plug in the mouse of your choice and you only have to live without the wireless connectivity.

PROS
+ Nice Wave keyboard I have grown to really like, very comfortable and durable
+ Keys are shaped to be closer to your fingers, requiring less hand movement
+ Integrated wrist cushion – comfy and convenient!
+ Integrated number pad in a nice form factor
+ Great wireless design for both keyboard and mouse
+ Nice MX 1100 mouse, which is perfect for most righties
+ Mouse is rechargeable conveniently via USB!
+ Improved wireless range with a supposedly more stabile connection
+ Included packaging can be used as a dust cover for the keyboard
+ Works well with Windows Vista & XP and Mac OS X
+ Weak battery indicator
+ Vista key shortcuts work nice!
+ Programmable smart keys
+ Batteries included!
+ Reasonable list price given improved mouse
+ Logitech software has improved a lot over the past year

CONS
- Mouse may still not be ideal for all; lefties and power users may need another
- Key design may not suffice for those who prefer full split ergonomic designs
- Key pad is stationary on the right side, also not-ideal for lefties

THE MOUSE

The MX 1100 is a great new design for mice that fits perfectly with this set. This mouse is very similar to the MX Revolution, and is also sold as a stand-alone product. The stand alone MX 1100 still uses batteries. This version of the MX 1100 has a convenient rechargeable battery that only requires plugging it in via USB once in a while.

One thing that comes as an unintended byproduct of the more powerful mouse are features that take some getting used to. For example, *turbo* mode allows you to click the scroll wheel and quickly scroll through long documents. If you are not familiar with this feature, you may think your mouse is broken. Simply click down on the scroll wheel to return it to *normal* mode and it should scroll in a slower / more controlled way.

The sad part of that is that the mouse from the original Wave Set has grown on me some. I used to exclusively use another mouse with the set, but recently had to go back to that one for a few days. It has a lower profile and is probably an easier adjustment for lefties.

THE KEYBOARD

The keyboard design has now been proven with almost a year of usage. The wave shape is REALLY nice, with nice sized keys that work very efficiently. This will please those who want something less extreme than full split keyboard designs but something more firm than the standard squishy keyboard. I’ve tried both wireless and wired models and they both perform very well.

The design of the keyboard is sturdy and comfortable. The function keys and the additional number pad are nice features. The integrated keyboard wrist pad is nice and comfortable, and the design gives you one less thing you have to have on your desk. This is a great keyboard that can be used well by lefties and righties, though it is perhaps less flexible than models with the moveable number pad such as the ambidextrous Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard. Still, the comfort of the Wave shape gives it plenty of positives for most people.

I have actually come to prefer this to the split keyboard design after using it for a period of months. I can move my hands less and let my fingers touch the keys with ease. As a result, my typing speed has actually improved slightly.

The added range will open up this keyboard for use with a media center PC. The original offered good working distances from the USB mini-receiver, but the 2.4 GHz band has to improve upon that greatly. That makes it a solid improvement for media center applications. I’ve yet to determine its full range, but I plan on testing that soon.

The only concern I have about the new frequency is that many more devices have moved into this 2.4 GHz range, creating the possibility of interference. Once again, I haven’t seen that happen to me yet, but I will definitely be mindful to note any such issues.

The keyboard is available in a stand-alone corded version, but most will prefer this wireless set unless you need or want to use a different mouse.

Many simply need the ergonomics of a split keyboard or other design. Of the many options for ergonomic keyboards, you may want to investigate these if the wave keyboard doesn’t satisfy you.

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000
Logitech Cordless Desktop Comfort Laser
Adesso Intellimedia MediaPro Flat Ergonomic Keyboard

CONCLUSION

This set is a nice improvement and absolutely should be on your list. The original Wave set was a strong 4 star product for me, but this one has just enough improvements to get up to 5 stars. While I rarely give 5 star reviews, this one deserves it as long as you are the intended audience. So if you are a right-handed, this should be a 5 star product for you. If you are a left-handed, we will have to wait and see if Logitech plans on offering this set in a *lefty* version.

Enjoy!

This is a great keyboard/mouse combination. In fact, it’s worth buying the Wave Pro set over the Wave set just for the upgraded mouse…which you cannot buy outside of this combo.

The keyboard is the best ergonomic keyboard I’ve used and involves almost no learning curve. In fact, typing feels more natural than I’m used to…even as a writer. The keyboard is responsive (albeit a little bit louder than I prefer, but then again no external keyboard will be as quiet as a laptop keyboard).

MAC USERS, READ THIS:

It is true that the Wave Pro DOES work just fine with apple OS X. What does NOT work is Logitech Control Center (commonly referred to as LCC). It’s not the LCC isn’t compatible with Mac OS X, it’s that LCC doesn’t recognize the Wave Pro keyboard.

A call to Logitech support revealed that the infrared receiver for the Wave Pro combo differs from the Wave combo. It’s the infrared receiver in the Wave Pro set that makes LCC unable to recognize a connected keyboard or mouse. It seems strange that Logitech would support OS X on the lesser priced version of this combo and not the Pro version, but that, unfortunately, is the case.

There have been stories of the difficult to find LCC version 2.6 (currently in version 2.7) working with the Wave Pro set, but such was not the case for me. If you want to give it a shot yourself, grab it from logitech’s public FTP page here: ftp://ftp.logitech.com/pub/techsupport/mouse/mac/. You’re looking for the “lcc260.zip” file.

It’s both a blessing and a curse that LCC isn’t supported for the Wave Pro on OS X, as it has been the reported problem of SOOOOOO MANY problems, including a blue screen of death, kernel panic issues, program crashes, and random freezes. We mac users are definitely not used to such issues.

If you want to map your mouse buttons, simply download the VERY popular SteerMouse program. Problem solved. As far as the keyboard goes, I personally haven’t found a good 3rd party keyboard mapping software to regain the functionality of the media and specialty keys on the keyboard itself. Note that the volume and iTunes controls DO work, out of the box, just not the zoom, webcam, settings, calculator, and other launcher keys.

If anyone DOES know of a program to map these keys, I’d love to know about it.

In conclusion, if you’re a mac user considering this combo, don’t let the problems with Logitech Control Center deter you. As I mentioned before, it’s both a blessing and a curse. At least you can the very stable SteerMouse to regain functionality of the many wonderful mouse buttons.

I’ve always loved the Logitech cordless mice but been less a fan of their cordless keyboards. But since I really liked my stand-alone Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse (910-000718) and was happy with my 2 corded Wave keyboards, I thought I’d give this combo of a try.

I’m glad I did. It pairs a premium version of my favorite MX1100 mouse with what so-far is my favorite cordless keyboard.

My concerns with past cordless keyboards have been lack of ergonomics for extended use for the many computer hours I spend daily, and lag/key-repeat problems which manifest most obviously in PC gaming, but I notice in other usage also. Neither of these are problems with my new Wave.

The Wave keyboards (both corded and this cordless) have a great level of responsiveness. The programmable and multimedia keys offer full functionality but aren’t “in the way” for people like me who don’t use most of them. The keys have some firmness, giving feedback to my typing but not so much that I have to check that each keypress took. The slight undulation (the namesake “Wave”) of the keyboard seems to fit the natural reach of my hands without having a learning curve.

I put the new cordless and old corded Waves side by side and they appear entirely identical, except the symbols on the multimedia keys are black (on this Cordless Wave Pro) instead of white. No other visible differences.

Versus my old corded Dell keyboards and the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3000 Laser (967553-0403) that this set replaced, I seem to typo less and type a little faster.

I’ve also tried the Logitech diNovo Edge and S500. I prefer the Cordless Wave Pro hands down to both.

The built-in wrist-rest of the Wave is the exact right size for my hands and angled well; I don’t miss my separate wrist-rests at all.

Now for the mouse: the ergonomics of the older MX1000 (which I liked, but never QUITE worked for my hand, always felt a little too small) are addressed in the MX1100. Sensitivity and layout is just right; the thumb grip reminds me of the Logitech 931689-0403 MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse (Black) without the added bulk of that mouse.

Versus the stand-alone Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse (910-000718), the bundled MX1100 in this set is a lighter mouse with a single rechargeable/replaceable battery and a mini USB port on the mouse that attaches to a plug-in power adapter that lets you work while it recharges. I like this design better (lighter, no disposables). Although it seems odd for Logitech to design two nearly identicaly but notably different mice under the same name.

The software works well and is easy to understand. It’s a great multi-button mouse that doesn’t require additional configuration. It’s a great keyboard with expanded functionality that doesn’t get in the way of basic keyboard usage.

Quibble: The keyboard function (F) keys are a little small if you use them much. And that’s my only quibble!

At this writing, I’ve been using the set for about 3 weeks.
Highly recommended. This is the best on the market today.

**** Update****

If possible, I would lower my score to either 2 or 3 stars. While I still enjoy many of the features I have become very unsatisfied with mouse. Specifically, the scrolling wheel can be maddening to control. I find that while scrolling through a document I can not “Stop” at a precise location – instead the document “bounces”. It is hard to describe, but this is a very annoying effect, especailly when scanning/scrolling through emails.
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The “Logitech Wave Pro” is very similar to the “Logitech Wave” and this is a very good thing. The primary difference is that the Wave Pro seems to be even of a higher quality. This makes the “Wave Pro” the finalist keyboard and mouse combo available on the market – in truth I can not think of a single way to improve it (except making it more fully Apple compatible!)

Pros-

- Amazingly quiet typing. Pushing on the keys is like typing on individually air cushioned coils. This produces both a quieter and less fatiguing experience (less impact on your fingers -which may not be a big deal for most of us, but a secretary may truly appreciate this).

- No worries battery life. The mouse is fully rechargeable and the key board is equipped with batteries that will last for three years.

- Comfort ergonomics of the keyboard. The keyboard seems to be designed with you’re the curvature of your hands in mind.

- Loads of features. I will not go into the details of the many features (since they are described above) but they all work well. In some cases – like the zoom function and volume control how you were able to live with out them. While I still use XP (so I am unable to take advantage of these extras) the Wave Pro is loaded with additional features for users of Windows Vista.

- The mouse seems to function on any surface. You can say goodbye to your space eating mousepad. The mouse that comes with the Wave Pro will operate on any surface.

- Well built construction – everything (including the scroll wheel on the mouse) seems to be built with high quality standards. Everything seems firms and built to last.

- Easy to install – It takes about 5 minutes to go from the box to typing.

Final tally – if you are using a PC (and probably an Apple too but to a lesser extent) you will not be able to find a better mouse/keyboard combo. While the cost is on the higher side I would be very surprised if you were not completely satisfied with your purchase. 5+ stars.

I’m not normally too enthusiastic about keyboards and mice, but this cordless desktop sets a new par in quality, comfort, and ease of use. Right out of the box the keyboard and mouse worked as soon as I plugged in the wireless key and removed the plastic battery covers. I really hadn’t intended to use the keyboard immediately, but since it was working I waited a day until I installed the SetPoint keyboard and mouse software. On my PC, most of the settings worked instantly without the installation of the software, but once I installed the software I was able to customize my hot keys to do exactly what I needed them to do.

One thing I set up immediately was the power key to turn off the computer. Right out of the box when I hit the power hot key in the upper right hand corner of the keyboard it would actually just put my laptop to sleep, but once I edited the settings, it actually shut down the laptop, saving me some mouse work.

The calculator hot key right next to the power button comes in very handy, as I’m computing things several times a day. There is also a hot key to My Pictures, Windows Media Center, iTunes, movie playback buttons such as ff, rw, pause, play, and volume. Perhaps the most useful button in this section is the mute button. What a time saver when the phone is ringing!

I’m glad I waited a few days before writing this review, because it gave me some time to run the keyboard through it’s paces. One very interesting thing is that I programmed the upper left hand hot key to start WinDVD, which is very useful for my daughter when she wants to watch a movie on my laptop. She doesn’t have to do any keystrokes or even use the mouse. She just presses the hot key, and from there can use the play button.

I also set the bottom left hand hot key to start Word Perfect for her when she needs to do school reports. This, along with all the other hot keys are completely customizable to start executable files, open URLs, open folders or files, do their assigned default task, show a custom menu, or even can be programmed to do particular keystrokes for the ultimate in customization.

Onto the mouse.. the mouse is set up for right-handed users. I’m not quite sure what to tell lefties other than if you are not able to use a right-handed mouse, that you’ll probably want to skip this product and just go for the keyboard only. The mouse has a few cool features that make it my favorite mouse to date. The scroll wheel can be set to do smooth (non-clicking scrolling) which I prefer, or to have measured clicks as you scroll down a page. It also has forward and back navigation hot keys which is very useful on the Internet and a great time saver. I also find this laser mouse far easier and more accurate to use than my Logitech optical mouse. The mouse is also conveniently rechargeable through a wall cord which also has a detachable USB cord, so you don’t have to worry about running out of juice. You can just plug it in and keep using it while it charges, either through the wall outlet or the USB port.

My only complaint is that the mouse Flip 3D function does not work for me. When I initially installed this set, it said I had some conflicts, which is probably the cause of the problem. I have a Pen Tablet with a mouse, a laptop with a touch pad, and of course this keyboard and mouse. That is a lot of input devices to be running at the same time, and I’m surprised I don’t have more problems.

Also, two of the hot keys, the ones I customized to start Word Perfect and WinDVD, took about 24 hours to work. I was about to call tech support and then they started working. I’m not sure why there was delay but my computer was restarted a total of 3 times before those functions worked.

Finally, the keyboard is just plain comfortable to use. The wrist rest is made out of a soft matte material, so it doesn’t get cold, and the keyboard has 2 height adjustments.

After having used a corded Wave keyboard for a few months, I decided to splurge and pick up the cordless version so I could use a Wave at work and at home.

Like the corded Wave, the keyboard is very comfortable and has a fairly decent key feel. The palm rest is padded and feels nice, and typing with the keyboard on my lap feels just as comfortable as having it on the desk.

I run Linux on my desktops, and so far Logitech doesn’t seem to be in any hurry or have any great desire to come out with Linux drivers for their keyboards. This means you’re stuck with basic keyboard functionality and that many of the function keys aren’t available under Linux. Media keys work as do a couple of the programmable silver keys, but that’s about it. Something to consider if you’re not going to be using this keyboard with Windows.

For some inexplicable reason, there are *no* Caps/Num/scroll lock indicator lights on the keyboard like there are on the corded version. Don’t know if Caps/Num lock status is indicated in some way by a taskbar applet in Windows, but the only way to tell Caps/Num lock status is to start typing.

The keyboard uses 2 AA batteries, but unlike the mouse, can’t be recharged via USB/wall wart. This would have been a nice addition to the keyboard and made it more convenient to use rechargeable AA batteries in the keyboard.

The mouse has a nice feel to it, and the mouse wheel can be switched between hyperscrolling and click scrolling modes with a push of a button. The mouse uses 1 AA rechargeable battery, and can be charged via USB or wall wart via the micro-USB connector. At close to 170g, the mouse may feel a little on the hefty side to some.

The USB receiver I have plugged in to the back of my computer and about 2′-3′ away from the mouse/keyboard. Haven’t experienced any reception problems so far.

Always been a Logitech user. I especially like their mice. But I’ve had trouble with cordless. So when I bought this, I was explicitly looking for a product with a decent range – as in more than 10 feet – for my home theater PC. This one fit the bill perfectly!

Pros:
Range – works at 15 feet and then some!
Mouse – like the old Mouseman, it’s shaped to your hand (for right-handers)
Keyboard – a sleep button that works and is recessed to avoid accidental pushing. Lots of other buttons like volume control. This keyboard is a very good fit for my application – my Home Theater PC (HTPC).
Dongle – the USB dongle is the size of a small WiFi adapter. No long cords, no magic button pushing – it just WORKS!

Cons:
Mouse – is for right-handers only. Also lots of buttons that can be accidentally pressed. May want to disable some of them in the control software.
Cost – a bit pricey unless you need the range. No other wireless comes close to the range of the Wave.
Keyboard – size is a bit large. For the home-theater PC people, it would be very nice if Logitech were to make a similar product with a mini keyboard. Or maybe a combo mini keyboard and trackball?

Do I recommend it? Absolutely! 5 of 5 stars!

I’ve done a more extensive review of the mouse here Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse (910-000718). The short answer is it’s the best mouse I’ve ever used. Yes I own two copies of this mouse, the standalone version and the one bundled with the keyboard. There are a couple minor differences between the two which I’ll mention below.

The main difference between the mice is that that standalone version can run on 1 or 2 batteries while the bundled version only runs off 1 and can be recharged via USB. It comes with 1 Eneloop AA rechargeable battery and a USB cord so you can recharge it from the mouse. Of course you can also use regular AA batteries in it. Just remember not to charge it if you put in non-rechargeables. The standalone mouse can use rechargeables but you cannot recharge the batteries directly from the mouse.

The other difference is how the SetPoint software displays battery life. It only gives general estimates such as ‘Good’ or ‘Low’ whereas the standalone version actually gives me detailed estimates in days (e.g. 284 days left).

The keyboard is large so you need plenty of desk space for it. The ergonomic wrist pad is nice and comfortable. The pad is dimpled like a golf ball and those dimples are magnets for crumbs to get stuck in. Keep a can of compressed air handy. There are a lot of extra keys and they are useful. There are dedicated keys for the calculator, default music player, volume controls, etc. You can map most of those keys to other functions as well. The keys have a nice feel and have just about the right amount of clickiness to them. I noticed the lettering on the keys appears to be stickers instead of stamped on. I hope the stickers never come off. The keys are also not perfectly even, but are angled slightly. I guess it’s some ergonomic thing. It looks a little unusual but I haven’t found it makes any real difference to me either way.

I have one major gripe about the keyboard that bring the overall usefulness down a notch – non-standard arrangement of some important keys. First, the function keys are in 4 groups of 3 instead of 3 groups of 4. Second, the ins/del/home/end/page up/page down keys are not arranged in 2 rows of 3. I’ve had too many years being trained in a specific layout and Logitech went against standard convention to confuse me. I constantly hit the wrong keys because of this.

Overall the keyboard delivers a lot of useful features but it’s odd key layout makes it more difficult to use than it should be. 5 Stars for the mouse but only 3 stars for the keyboard.