Installation

Installation was quick and easy. After charging the mouse initially, you simply have to plug in the Bluetooth mini-receiver and turn on your keyboard and mouse. This can all be done while the computer is on, and Windows XP SP2 will recognize the devices and install the appropriate drivers. However, if you want to use the extra features of the keyboard and mouse, you'll have to install Logitech's SetPoint software, included on the CD.

When installing SetPoint, you'll be asked if you want to use Windows XP's Bluetooth drivers, included with SP2, or Logitech's. I chose to use Logitech's, and had no problems. The software may also have to connect to the Internet to grab any available updates to SetPoint. After the install, the software goes through an initialization procedure where it detects both the mouse and keyboard to establish a secure connection between each and the receiver. This process takes a few minutes and requires you to do some things, like press connect on the keyboard/mouse when prompted. After that, everything was ready to go - new icons were added into the system tray, both for SetPoint and one for "My Bluetooth Places", showing all the connected devices.

Mouse button config.

Gaming options.

Keyboard configuration.

SetPoint has always been particularly useful for people wanted to customize operation of their mouse and keyboard. With the MX 5000, nothing has changed, as you can customize the 10 functions of the mouse easily to your liking. Scrolling speeds of the wheel can be adjusted to your liking, both vertical and side-to-side. There's also a "Game Mode" setting that can detect when a full-screen game is in use, and change/disable certain mouse features that you wouldn't want in a game, such as acceleration or your custom mouse button assignments. You can also set the normal things like mouse speed and so forth from within SetPoint, and the mouse's battery level can also be shown. However, since this is already shown on the mouse LEDs whenever you are using the mouse, this is a bit redundant.

Keyboard configuration options are similarly detailed. All of the extra buttons can be configured to your liking, though I doubt you'll have to change them all. The F-keys can also be configured, but I can't see most of us using that feature - I like to have my normal function keys, thank you. New to the MX 5000, however, are the LCD configuration options. Firstly, you can set up which playlists and radio stations are available for selection on the keyboard's LCD and while it's useful, it's somewhat limited. You can also adjust settings for things such as the thermometer format - either in Celsius or Fahrenheit, or enable/disable the touch-sensitive controls. Notifications on the LCD can also be configured.

F-keys.

LCD Music List options.

LCD options.

Notification options.

Like the mouse, you can also monitor the keyboard battery life within SetPoint - however, the keyboard's LCD also has a low-battery indicator, so this isn't necessary. Overall, SetPoint offered a decent array of configuration options for both the keyboard and mouse, allowing you to tweak it to your liking. The only thing I would've wished for was more customization options for the LCD - it should be able to do much more.

Testing

I've used this keyboard a lot over the three-week Christmas break at my parents' afforded to me by University life. During that time I've used it for a wide range of things, from regular desktop usage, web browsing and the like. I've also used it for a decent amount of gaming, mostly in the form of CS, Battlefield 2, Guild Wars, and a bit of The Sims 2 - over the Christmas break I tend to spend more time gaming than usual.

The keyboard was well-received. Having been used to this layout for sometime, I was able to type quite fast on it, for extended periods of time and with no discomfort. The feel was great, and while the keyboard was relatively quiet, the feedback was decent - I don't think most people will have trouble with how this keyboard feels when typing.

The touch-sensitive controls were easy to use - they didn't require too much pressure to activate, but at the same time, I didn't find myself accidentally activating them by an errant finger sweep. They were most useful for the volume adjustment and zoom functions - I didn't really use the media buttons too much, but they were there just in case. The calculator feature was also very natural, as the button was right above the numpad - and the use of the numpad for on-keyboard calculations was very intuitive as well. Being able to copy the result to the Windows clipboard could also be helpful.

The only gripe I had with the layout was the smaller Function keys and Escape key. I didn't really see a reason this was done, other than to save a little space. I'd wager that most people would want full-size keys here, especially for the Escape key. Another quirk was the volume control - while it worked fine, the volume level display on the LCD was a bit weird. When adjusting the volume, bars are displayed on the LCD to show the increase/or decrease, however, these don't properly correspond to the actual volume. For example, you could be adjusting the volume until the bars were half-way - this wouldn't mean, however, that the volume in Windows was 50%. However, the keyboard did report the proper volume in percent, but just not graphically. Other than that, the keyboard works great and with its sleek look, fits in well with most PCs.

Moving on to the LCD, while it was very convenient to have it display the date, time of day, and the room temperature, as well as the song title when media was playing, I would've hoped for more options and features from it. There is a menu on the LCD that can accomplish some tasks, but overall the three options available were rather bland. Two of the three are for selection a playlist or radio station defined from SetPoint, and the last is for configuring one the four Smart Keys that can only be used when F-Lock is on, which disables your Function keys.

It would have been much better to offer some sort of programmable ability, where features could be added as plugins. However, members of the online community have already done this with the LCD on Logitech's G15 gaming keyboard, so hopefully, somebody will come along and do the same for the MX 5000, however, this may take more time since the MX 5000 isn't targeted as gamers like the G15 is. Lastly, it's worthy to note that the keyboard operated well outside of Windows, such as in the BIOS.

The mouse was joy to use. It was very responsive and accurate, both in games and outside of them. It felt very comfortable to use, and the shape fit inside of your grip. The buttons were all very responsive, and were easy to reach except for maybe the upper cruise-control button. The scroll wheel was responsive, and provided a nice feedback to let you know it had been activated.

The mouse glided well and shouldn't slow you down on a variety surfaces. Battery life was also decent, as a I got about 7 eight-hour days out of it before it feel to a low-battery indicator light and a full charge took about 3-4 hours. About the only problem I could see with the mouse was if you forgot to recharge it and then ran out in the middle of doing something important. As long as you don't mouse with your left hand, you'll find the mouse to be one of the best out there.

Conclusion

The MX 5000 does not disappoint. While aimed at a business/professional market, it will work well with anyone who wants Bluetooth functionality and a great keyboard/mouse combination all in one package. The many extra features offered, such as the LCD, touch-sensitive controls and rechargeable mouse, complement a comfortable setup, one that not only looks great but performs well too. The keyboard and mouse work as well as any corded counterpart, but have the benefit of freedom of movement.

The real question comes from the price - at a $150 USD / $230 CAD retail price, it's quite a steep investment. As mentioned, the LCD could have offered more functionality, but one should remember that most keyboards do not even have an LCD. Most importantly, however, is the Bluetooth functionality added with this setup. It's a great combination and surely will aid those accustomed to using supporting devices, and when it's added to a great keyboard and mouse, the end result is sure to be good.

Pros:

• LCD on keyboard

• Both keyboard and mouse are comfortable

• Low battery indicators on mouse/keyboard

• Keyboard/mouse buttons can be reconfigured

• Touch-sensitive controls are easy to use

• Built-in calculator works well

• Mouse very responsive/accurate and rechargeable

• Easy to setup/install

Cons:

• LCD limited in functionality

• Smaller-sized function keys

Thanks to Logitech for making this review possible.