Specifications:

The overall look of the keyboard makes it resemble most other Logitech keyboards; it has a flat profile that can be changed somewhat by the use of the feet, and features a somewhat curved bottom along with an easy attach/detach wrist-rest. The keys are quite quiet and easy to work with, but also provide nice feedback, and like most other Logitech keyboards, extra buttons for launching applications like e-mail or instant messengers are included. The two notable additions that set the MX 5000 keyboard apart are the LCD and the touch sensitive area for, among other things, volume control.

Underside.

Included software.

Wrist-rest attachments.

Profile.

With its flat profile and black/metallic blue colour scheme, the MX 5000 seems to be well suited, at least aesthetically, for offices and professional environments. What is more important is the Bluetooth support, however, as most will have this in mind when buying such a device. With four AA batteries in it, the keyboard weights a decent amount but also feels like it has some quality to it; this is no flimsy device. It has the same foot print as a regular keyboard, and will not take much desk space, even with the wrist-rest, which I recommend that you use.

The general layout is pretty good, but if you're coming from an old-school keyboard you may take some time to get adjusted to the closer arrow key grouping as well as the smaller Function keys and Escape key - they have been resized to about half the normal height and thus may be harder to properly. While this may make the keyboard look better and save some space, I don't believe it was for the better. I would've been happier with all keys being full-size, since after all, this isn't a laptop keyboard.

As with other Logitech keyboards, common shortcuts are printed on the side of key caps to remind you in case you've somehow forgot them. The last row of keys also slopes downward, to provide a more natural curved surface to type on; this helps the most on the spacebar, and the end result is that your thumb isn't resting on an edge. I find this very comfortable, especially since I went back to typing on a regular keyboard for a few days.

Profile with feet.

Common shortcuts on sides.

Close arrow key grouping.

Touch sensitive-area.

The touch-sensitive area has replaced the area dominated by iNav controls in past Logitech keyboards, such as the one in the MX 3100. As I mentioned in that review, the iNav controls were mainly redundant, providing controls such as scrolling, which were easily available through the mice or other shortcuts. So instead of duplicating features again, Logitech redesigned the area and came up with the touch-sensitive design. The zoom feature, previously available as a set of buttons, has evolved into a simpler design: just slide your finger up or down to zoom in or out. Control is similar for volume adjustment and is both easy and nifty to use. Touch sensitive buttons in the area also allow you to launch your media player of choice and control playback. In many ways the touch-sensitive controls were like the touchpad of a laptop, both in feel and usage.

The zoom feature works well both in Internet Explorer and Firefox, as well as Office. Once you become used to it, it can be an invaluable time saver. One downside to the touch-sensitive implementation, despite its "coolness", is the lack of tactile feedback. Indeed, that was my concern. However, the touch-sensitive buttons will glow red when activated, and when the zoom or volume controls are used, the LCD on the keyboard not only displays adjustments but a clicking noise is also emitted by the keyboard's onboard speaker. Thus, at least some feedback is provided.

Like other Logitech keyboard, many hotkeys are included. The first group, on the left hand side, includes some buttons to quickly open folders in your "My Documents" folder. This can be reconfigured from within the software to perform other functions. The main button, however, is the Synchronize button that is used to sync your supported Bluetooth mobile phone or PDA with your PC. It's a quick way to perform a much-used function.

The next group of hotkeys, on the right side, allows quick access to programs such as your e-mail, instant messenger and webcam apps. You can also set your instant messenger status with a key here; like the others, these keys are also programmable. Below this, are the keys to put your PC into sleep mode and launch the calculator - but not the regular Windows calculator - more on that later.

Hotkeys.

LCD.

Programmable F-keys.

More hotkeys.

The next big feature of the MX 5000 is the LCD, a Dot-Matrix display with a resolution of 102 x 42 pixels. Prominently displayed in the center of the keyboard, it replaces the area that was dominated before by volume, media controls, and other hotkeys. The result is not only a useful display but also a much more cleaned-up appearance, with less clutter. Four slim buttons below the LCD allow you to control some of the features provided by the keyboard, such as selecting a playlist/radio station to launch. The LCD is angled slightly so that points towards you - it could have been angled slightly more for a better viewing angle, but as it is, it's quite easy to read and may only suffer from some glare if bright lights are right above you.

Much information can be displayed on the LCD. By default, it shows the date and time, along with the current temperature (either in Celsius or Fahrenheit - your choice) as detected by the on-board thermometer. When you are playing music/media, it shows the title/artist as well as the time elapsed, similar to how an MP3 player's display would. It can also notify you when either a new e-mail or instant message is received, which can be useful if you're in the middle of a full-screen app or game. (Though you probably shouldn't be gaming at work). The display also shows that status of the Caps Lock and F-Lock keys, as well as the battery level and whether or not the volume is muted, so those statuses are always available for viewing, a feature not available on most other cordless keyboards.

I would have liked if the LCD could display system stats, such as CPU/Memory usage or other information like that. It would also be nice if Logitech released some sort of SDK to allow regular people to program the LCD to display and perform other functionality outside of what Logitech's SetPoint allowed. In that way, people could download plugins to add functionality as they saw fit. In no time, you would see many plugins that would allow for the display of RSS headlines, to stock quotes, to perhaps even airline fares.

One last thing to note is that the LCD is not backlit. This isn't surprising though, as battery life becomes an issue if a backlight is used. Since this is intended for the workplace, and since most employers tend to be nice enough to provide some sort of lighting for their workers, this shouldn't be an issue.