As you can imagine, installation was very easy for this keyboard and mouse. There were perhaps a few more considerations though, due to the cordless nature of the devices. You first plug the receiver into the computer - either using PS/2 for a desktop, or just the single USB connector for a notebook. Then, you connect the receiver to a power outlet using the AC adapter - this is to furnish the receiver's recharger. Logitech recommends that you place the receiver at least 20cm (8") away from other "electrical devices", and to avoid metallic surfaces, however, I placed the receiver on my metal external HDD enclosure, which sits directly atop my computer case, and had no problems.

   You of course need to install the batteries in the keyboard before use, and the manual also recommends that you charge the MX 1000 mouse before its use - interestingly however, the MX 1000 came fully-charged for me, as once I flipped the switch to "On", all LEDs were solid green indicating a full battery. To "connect" the keyboard and mouse to the base station requires a simple maneuver: First you press the "Connect" button on the receiver, and then the "Connect" button on the device that needs to be synchronized with it. It's a painless process and should only take a few seconds. Once connected, you shouldn't have to do the reconnect process until (maybe) you change the batteries or power is lost to the receiver.

   SetPoint is included on the provided CD, but I recommend that you grab the latest version off of Logitech's website - it may have more features and surely fixes bugs. SetPoint is the replacement for MouseWare and iTouch, and thus covers both Logitech mice and keyboards. For the MX 1000 mouse, the software allows pretty much full customization. Any button can be configured to do most anything, save the vertical scroll wheel, which must scroll up/down. The mouse configuration screen has a convenient picture that highlights every button as you select it for configuration, making the process very visual and easy to follow.

   Besides selecting the buttons' functions, certain functions can be further tweaked, namely the cruise control and side-to-side scrolling speeds. If you find the cruise control speed too fast, but the side-to-side scrolling too slow, like I did, these can be adjusted to your liking. Standard settings such as mouse cursor speed and scrolling speed can also be adjusted from within SetPoint, as well as the monitoring of the mouse's battery life.

   One new feature was the Game Settings page, which allows for certain changes to be made to the mouse's configuration in order to make it more useable within games. You can see some of these options from within the fourth screen shot from the left above. This feature will help if you have a lot of customized functions for your buttons. For example, if one of your buttons is assigned to a key press (as a shortcut within Windows or an application), that button not register as a mouse button in a game, but rather just as that keypress - so you may not be able to customize a control to be activated by that mouse button. With this SetPoint feature, the mouse button can be set to revert back to a standard mouse button press once a game is launched, thus keeping the mouse in its proper state depending on whether a game is active or not.

  The keyboard configuration options are equally robust as the mouse's, and may even be vaster since there are so many buttons that can be programmed. Indeed, you may not want to spend the time to customize everything as that would probably not be needed. But, should you want to, the software will not disappoint, allowing you to set keys to open folders, websites, applications, custom menus of applications/websites, or even perform keystrokes. The F-keys, should you choose to use this cumbersome function, are also similarily configured. Again, a picture of the keyboard along with what hotkey you're configuring are shown in the software for ease-of-use. Also, when you first press a programmable F-key or preset key, a helpful dialog box pops up to tell you how to set it - a helpful reminder that eliminates the need for a manual.

   The iNav wheel has its own configuration setting, and pretty much has the same options as the mouse's tilt wheel. Vertical, cruise-control and tilt scrolling speeds can be adjusted. A separate page houses the encryption options, where you can go through a process to secure the line of communication between your keyboard and the receiver, if you are paranoid about someone snooping in on what you're typing. I have no idea how secure it is since I don't know what sort of encryption standard/protocol is in use. This doesn't matter too much to me, since the keyboard is in use on my desktop computer, where the majority of the keystrokes would consist of 'W', 'A', 'S' and 'D', in some order. However, if you're using it in a business environment, it could be a worthwhile feature.

   SetPoint also offers two other features of note. Firstly, the Application Switch, which I've mentioned before - you can see that it's basically an improved Alt-Tab function, where applications can be selected using either the keyboard, either scroll wheel or a click of the mouse. Once you get used to pressing this button, available either on the keyboard or mouse, it can be very useful. Secondly, is the on-screen display, that notifies you when you use a hotkey to activate some function or launch a program, or more importantly, when you change the volume or press one of the "Lock" keys like Caps Lock. This is needed since there are no LEDs on the keyboard to indicate the status of these keys.

Testing

   Reviewing keyboards and mice seems to take the longest for me, as I like to spend my time getting used to them, comparing this with my initial impressions and then figuring out all the features available. I've been using the MX 3100 combo for close to a month now, and as usual have been using it for almost everything from general Windows stuff, web-browsing, image-editing, coding/programming and of course, gaming. (This is the summer, and I still have time to game more than I should.)

   Starting with the keyboard, the first thing I noticed was how the different layout of the Home/End grouping affected some typing, especially when doing heavy editing such as when one is coding. Though the Delete key is in roughly the same position, the new positions of the other keys (Home, End and Page Up/Page Down) result in some confusion when you're navigating through long documents or files. I am guessing that most of us use these keys by touch/memory of their placement, rather than looking at them first, so if you're used to the older layout, getting used to this one may take some time. I'm not fully used to it myself, but perhaps this is because I do most of my typing on my laptop, which has a different layout entirely. (The work computer also ties up a lot of my time, and its keyboard is of the old style as well.)

   This isn't to say I think the new layout is worse - I for one think it's better in a way, since it relocates the Insert key, which in most circumstances, isn't used often. (If you need to use it often, say for some terminal program or whatnot, I wouldn't recommend this since the Insert key is paired with Scroll Lock.) However, I do take issue with the smaller row of the keys at the top that are mainly made up of the Function keys. In my opinion, there was no need, other than maybe an aesthetic one, to make this row of keys half the width of regular keys, turning them into thin little keys that feel weird to press. Adding to this, they are less tall than regular keys, making a press feel even more different. There is also a bigger gap between F8 and F9 than on a regular keyboard. I realize I've made a lot of complaints, but that is just because I am nitpicky at times. I really just wished this hadn't been changed so drastically.

  The slight repositioning of the cursor keys actually felt better as this made them closer to the main block of keys. The fact that the last rows of keys was also sloped downward towards you also made typing more comfortable, and overall I found typing on this keyboard very comfortable. You may not get the tactile feedback of a clicky keyboard, but you'll certainly not feel stress or strain on this keyboard.

   I didn't really use the hot-keys all that much - I'm just stubborn, and too used to launching my instant messenger the old way, and just am too lazy to learn to do it a new and easier way. I did find the Calculator button useful though; since it's right above the numpad you won't be searching for it when you need it. The Media area is a nice addition, being close by. The volume control is a dial, which is easy to use, though the play and stop buttons are on opposite sides of the fast-forward/rewind buttons.

   The iNav area is a bit redundant in use, but the best part is the zoom features, which is helpful when using a web-browser or when working with documents. I didn't really use the scroll wheel all that much - if the scroll wheel on the mouse acts the same way, why would I bother to learn a new way?

   Moving on to the MX 1000 mouse, the first thing I will say about it is that it was very responsive and a pleasure to use. I had no accuracy problems, and it felt pretty much like using a wired mouse. Some out there will be diehards, and never give up their wired mouse, even for the world, but I firmly believe the MX 1000 is good for everyone out there... save the diehards. I had no movement problems when using this to play games, especially like Counter-Strike.

   Like the keyboard, it was also very comfortable to use. The contoured and soft-grip sides made holding it feel very natural, as if it was designed just for my hand grip. The extra buttons were all easy to reach, and didn't require any weird contortions of my hand. The buttons also have a distinct feel to them, so you know which one you're pressing without looking, even if they are close by each other. Also, being a bit lighter than a regular cordless mouse, movement was a breeze.

   Button response was also good - they all had a definite "click" to let you know when they had been activated, and none of them had too much play or felt too loose. This, combined with all the extra buttons, can really speed up things when you are using your computer - you truly will get the most out of your computer with this mouse. The scroll wheel was equally well-designed, not rolling too easily or being too stiff; it also ratchets when rolling to let you know when it's being used.

Conclusion

   The MX 3100 is Logitech's premiere cordless desktop combo, and it delivers on its promise. The keyboard offers a plethora of features but most importantly, is comfortable to use. It has a few quirks, such as the re-designed Function keys and the redundant features like the iNav wheel, but these are minor things. It was a breeze to use, and will help you use any modern desktop much better. The MX-1000 was equally comfortable and easy to use, provided you are right-handed, of course. The ability to quickly recharge it, which will then last for quite a long time, makes this mouse pretty much the best one you can get. Let's not forget its laser optics either, which make it very accurate, and Logitech's RF technology ensures that this cordless mouse is equal to any wired counterpart.

   About the only qualm I have about this setup is the internal battery of the MX 1000, which rules out user replacement of the battery. It is a Lithium-Ion battery, so it should last a few years - but, if you're like me, you want to be able to use something for a long time - more than just a few years. I still have another keyboard back home which I got with a system back in 1998, and I fully intend to use it for as long as PS/2 ports are available. Will the MX 1000 be able to do this? Logitech should perhaps offer some sort of battery replacement program.

   Overall, I can personally recommend the MX 3100 Cordless Desktop since I've had no big problems with it. It's a solid setup that'll add to any system, and make it look nicer as well.

Pros:

• Lots of extra keys and buttons

• New layout is more efficient

• Keyboard and mouse both comfortable

• Extra keys customizable

• Could not tell the difference between the MX 1000 and a wired one

• MX 1000 mouse is rechargeable, and lasts for quite a long time

• Looks pretty

• Easy to setup

• SetPoint software makes customization easy

Cons:

• Function keys re-sized to be smaller

• MX 1000 battery is internal/not replaceable.

Lastly, thanks go out to Logitech for making this review possible.