Installation

Installation is fairly simple; after plugging in the receiver to both your mouse and keyboard PS/2 ports and turning your computer on, you'll need to "connect" or sync the keyboard and mouse to the receiver. The instructions are fairly easy to follow, and all you'll have to do is press the connect button on the receiver, then press the connect button on the mouse; then you have to wait for 20 seconds and repeat the process for the keyboard. About the only thing you'll have to note during physical installation is that the manual recommends that you place the receiver at least 20cm or 8" away from the monitor or any other electrical devices.

Then you can proceed to install the included software on CD; there are many packages that can be installed, including Logitech's Desktop Messenger and other stuff, but for the least amount of hassles, I recommend sticking to just iTouch and/or MouseWare as the other stuff isn't really needed and may just add bloat to your setup. It's good that Logitech gives users the ability to opt-out of useless stuff instead of just going ahead and including the "features".

I installed the software directly from CD, giving me iTouch version 2.20 and MouseWare 9.79; the latest versions will always be available on Logitech's website. From my experience, there isn't really too much new from other versions of the software. Starting with iTouch, the software allows you to not only configure the extra keys on the keyboard but also monitor the cordless status and battery life, among other things.

Hot keys configuration.

Calculator key options.

Other key options.

Other keyboard options.

Only four of the keys can be configured, and of that, only the calculator offers an extensive feature list. It can be set to open various special folders, or launch your webcam software, in addition to other features offered by the other keys. The remaining three keys can be configured or changed to launch a website, program, an on-screen menu of folders, programs and websites, or perform a keystroke. I can't say I found these to be that useful (or the default functions, for that matter), but the ability to make a customized menu of programs that will show up on screen (complete with your self-defined shortcuts) can be handy once you get used to it. And, once you get used to the Home and E-mail keys, they can save time as well, though I've already gotten used to assigning shortcut keystrokes for launching my most-used programs. The Back button is a bit superfluous for me since I have pretty well-defined browsing habits for that sort of stuff.

One of the useful things iTouch offers is the ability to monitor battery life and set a secure mode for the keyboard. The former feature is useful for knowing when a battery change may be needed, and the latter is nice if you're paranoid about people monitoring your typing habits. If you change the batteries in your keyboard, you'll have to re-connect it to the receiver, and with iTouch, you can do this from within the software; you'll have to use your mouse to navigate to this page, so make sure you don't change the batteries in it at the same time or else you'll have to resort to the physical way of connecting both to the receiver.

Cordless page.

Keyboard state indicator.

OSD.

iTouch also pops up a small window when you single click its tray icon; this window shows the status of the "lock" keys (since there's no status LEDs on the keyboard) and also shows the battery life and if the keyboard is in secure mode. iTouch doesn't disappoint in notifying you of any changes either; like some Dell keyboards and their software, it offers an on-screen display that activates when you press a hotkey, change the volume or press Caps Lock, for example. Overall, iTouch is a solid piece of software that you'll want to consider using to get most out of this Logitech keyboard.

MouseWare is a little less useful, with the mouse here having only three buttons and hence no software is required for full functionality. However, in addition to allowing you to configure each mouse button, (though I doubt many of you will want to change the default functions), you can also monitor the mouse's batteries and connect to it from MouseWare, much like you can using iTouch for the keyboard. Note that even though this is a PS/2 mouse, no option is available to adjust the PS/2 refresh rate from within MouseWare, as since the receiver is limited to 50Hz, increasing the PS/2 rate to anything beyond this will have minimal effect.

Configure buttons.

Available options.

Motion options are a little more than the standard.

Cordless page is handy.

The ability to connect to the mouse using the software and not having to press any buttons on the receiver or the mouse is nice, but in that case you'll have to navigate to the proper tab/page in the software using the keyboard when you change batteries in the mouse. I would have to say that unless you use some weird function for your mouse buttons, skip the usage of MouseWare since it's not really needed.

Testing

I've used this keyboard and mouse for roughly a month now, and while that's not nearly a lifetime of experience, I believe it's enough for me to form a good opinion about them. During this time, I've used it for everything I normally do, from regular OS usage to web browsing, document and image manipulation, some coding/programming, and of course, gaming.

The keyboard had a nice feel to it; the keys were very tactile and provided good feedback; at no time did the keys feel mushy or soft like that. At the same time, they were quite quiet, and so you shouldn't have trouble typing on this in the night-time, even if you have light sleepers around you. Although the keyboard was quite flat, I didn't have any comfort problems with it, and typing on it for extended periods of time felt fine. The wrist rest helped in this somewhat. And though this keyboard didn't feature the sloping down keys of previous Logitech keyboards, it still felt fine in that respect; but personally I'm not too picky in this area.

I'm sort of split on the new layout. On the one hand, it saves space, which is good, but on the other hand it presents a design that isn't as familiar as ones we've been used to. The removal of the right-side Windows key to make room for the arrow keys didn't really bother me, but the different layout of the Home/End grouping took a while to get used to. I didn't mind the Insert key being relocated next to the Print Screen/System Request key, but the absolute removal of any Scroll Lock key bothered me; even though it's not widely used, there may be a time when it's needed, so I would have liked to see it somewhere, even as a secondary function of some key.

The rearrangement of Page Up/Page Down also took some time getting used to, but not overly long; the slightly moved arrow key grouping didn't bother me at all. Once you're adjusted to this keyboard, you'll be able to type just as fast, if not faster (since you won't be accidentally hitting the Insert key anymore), but the learning curve may put some people off, as it initially did to me. If you touch-type (or whatever they call it) and pride yourself on that, you may find yourself having to actually look at the keyboard at times when you're getting used to the new layout. (Yes, it's hard to believe... actually having to LOOK at a keyboard.)

As I mentioned before, I didn't find the extra hot keys too useful, but the volume control was nice; it would have been better if there was a "Media" key present that could launch your favourite media player. But then I suppose you'd need all the playback keys as well. However, what bothered me a little was the fact that the keyboard seemed a little sluggish when I was typing fast, and I've attributed this to the cordless nature of the device. It wasn't noticeable in games, but while typing things (like this review), at times it felt like the letters weren't showing up on screen as fast as they would've had I been using a wired keyboard. I suppose this depends on the distance the keyboard is from the receiver, the charge left in the batteries and any interfering devices that may be present, but it's just something I thought I'd note.

The mouse was quite comfortable to use, and since it's a pretty standard ambidextrous 3-button wheel mouse, I don't have too much to say other than it's the minimum you should expect from any decent/good mouse nowadays. It offers nothing fancy beyond its cordless ability, and does its job properly. It felt nice to use, thanks to its shape, which was not bulky or too flat. While it doesn't have any perks like shiny colours or nice rubberized side grips, it was good to use for long periods of time, and didn't disappoint on battery life either; after one month, the batteries still show as having a good charge.

Mouse Rate Checker Results.

The biggest turn-off for the mouse would have to be its effectively-limited 50Hz refresh rate, thanks to the cordless technology employed in it. Going from using something like the MX700 or any corded mouse, you'll definitely notice the difference, as it exhibits itself in slightly choppier movement of the cursor on screen. I understand that this limit is probably in place to conserve battery life, but perhaps a compromise could have been put in place whereby the customer/end-user could select either a "performance" or "battery-friendly" mode of operation. While this isn't really feasible for a product like this one, it's just an idea, since many gamers rely on a good refresh rate; since many people now use USB mice, with a polling rate of 125Hz, the 50Hz rate of this mouse will just not be acceptable to them. In all fairness, Logitech has not tried to portray this product as being for everyone, and they do offer several better-performing solutions.

Conclusion

I came through at the end with mixed feelings about this setup. While the keyboard and mouse both appealed to me on an aesthetic-level, what with their nice stylings and limited use of desktop real-estate, they had a few flaws that can't be ignored. For the keyboard, the new layout may take sometime to get used to, but of somewhat more importance was the slightly sluggish response I noted sometimes. For the mouse, the reduced refresh rate can be a minor annoyance as well. While I can't recommend this set to anyone who absolutely *must* have the most out of their keyboard and mouse (for them, Logitech has other options available), I can recommend it to someone who just wants a plain-and-simple cordless setup that's easy to use and doesn't want to be hassled by extra unnecessary features.

Pros

• Simple to setup and use

• New keyboard layout may save time typing

• Keyboard is quiet and tactile

• Cordless; no wires to tangle/mess with

• Batteries included

• Extra keyboard hot keys can be configured

• Mouse is ambidextrous

• Comfortable to use

• Stylish & space saving design

• Good battery life

• Decent software (iTouch & MouseWare) included

Cons

• New layout takes some time to get used to

• Keyboard a tad sluggish at times when typing fast

• Mouse refresh rate limited to 50Hz

• Only PS/2; no USB connectivity at all

Lastly, a big thank-you goes out to Logitech for making this review possible. Thanks!