- Joined
- Aug 26, 2002
- Messages
- 362
In Russian there is an expression idiots dream (not sure about its English analog), which means something you want very much
without really good reasons actually. For me wireless keyboard was such dream I wanted it pretty much just because. Plus gadget factor. All wireless gismos are automatically twice cooler, then corresponding wired ones.
Finally, I decided to give up resistance. I put my eye on a Logitech brand. There are plenty of them in Russian shops (and because of Cyrillic letters, ordering overseas was not an option), and I had positive experience with Logitech mice and joystick.
Would not describe the problems of choice and decision between laser mouse and batteries and normal optics and cradle. Enough to tell, I ended with buying rather randomly because of keyboard design. Yet it was a lucky one.
Now a few technical details. The kit (Logitech does not sell separate wireless keyboards) includes a MX 5000 keyboard and LX 1000 laser mouse. Mouse has rechargeable batteries, and keyboard uses usual ones. There is only one wire in all system power cord for mouse cradle. They havent invented a way to transfer enough power through the air safely.
Installation manual is, unfortunately, not too intuitive. On paper everything looked really easy, yet some moments, like timing of installations and turning ons (what should be finished before a next step) deserve some more attention. I ended with installing Bluetooth drivers simultaneously with Logitech software, which is not quite right. BTW buying such kit as a first keyboard and mouse without some traditional ones is not a great idea you need to make a few clicks to install it.
The main reason to get the keyboard was (honestly) show-off. And it does this job greatly. Black and gray plastic, absolute lack of sharp corners Just one heck of cool Hi-tech style.
Before testing the kit, I thought that it would be most comfortable for relaxed web surfing, and serious typing is better done in traditional position. It turned out vice versa. Relaxed surfing requires rather precise clicks on buttons. Which takes both large monitor to do from distance and firm mouse-moving surface. Yet typing is pretty comfortable. You zoom text abit, put legs on some high surface (chair will do), stand your keyboard upon knees, and tap-tap-tap It also looks arty.
Modified Caps lock button is truly neat. Every time you hit it, a warning about it on-off status is shown on a screen in large green letters. 100% When have I pressed it?-proof.
Block of first five F keys is also switchable into a system of programmable hotkeys. It could have been a wonderful feature, if not two small details. First each button has its intended function printed on it. Ok, running some alternative word processor with Microsoft Word button is not beyond me. Yet launching utorrent with it feels somewhat not quite right. Second current state (F buttons or hotkeys) is indicated by small sign in the corner of keyboard display. Unlike the Caps lock indicator it is really possible to miss.
Perhaps the main plaything of the keyboard is media functions. You can start a music playlist with keys under display. To control media playback there is a touch-sense block on the left side. You can turn on a player, start/pause a track, switch tracks, adjust volume and zoom in and out. During the first evening I played with it like a child read manga, zooming every page both ways, and searched for a perfect volume of each soundtrack. The first awe is gone, yet having these on fingertips is extremely comfortable.
Mouse is more streamline. Comfortable, precise enough for me yet has nearly no tangible bells and whistles (two main buttons, wheel, and 5 additional buttons 2 around the wheel, 3 under a thumb), except the 4-way wheel. You can scroll with it not only up and down, but sideways too! Exactly the why have no one thought this before thing.
So, before Certain Events (see a topic nearby
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=425039), I was ready to suggest this thing wholeheartedly as a nice toy. There was a couple of glitches, but in the end it did what I wanted it to do. Then I browsed the Logitech keyboard forum and understood, that I am quite a lucky bastard to make it work at all. Most of this forum is devoted to problems, and rather serious ones, with two Bluetooth kits MX500 and Di Novo. Well, I havent faced any great deal of them, but I found even supposed lack of polish disturbing. We are dealing with a piece of luxury, after all using it should be joy, not head-butting with your PC!
So can I recommend it, or not? Its not cheap, does, actually, nothing, you could not do with normal keyboard/mouse, and you should be ready to face problems, especially if you going to use its Bluetooth capabilities. Yet I havent regretted buying it.
Finally, I decided to give up resistance. I put my eye on a Logitech brand. There are plenty of them in Russian shops (and because of Cyrillic letters, ordering overseas was not an option), and I had positive experience with Logitech mice and joystick.
Would not describe the problems of choice and decision between laser mouse and batteries and normal optics and cradle. Enough to tell, I ended with buying rather randomly because of keyboard design. Yet it was a lucky one.
Now a few technical details. The kit (Logitech does not sell separate wireless keyboards) includes a MX 5000 keyboard and LX 1000 laser mouse. Mouse has rechargeable batteries, and keyboard uses usual ones. There is only one wire in all system power cord for mouse cradle. They havent invented a way to transfer enough power through the air safely.
Installation manual is, unfortunately, not too intuitive. On paper everything looked really easy, yet some moments, like timing of installations and turning ons (what should be finished before a next step) deserve some more attention. I ended with installing Bluetooth drivers simultaneously with Logitech software, which is not quite right. BTW buying such kit as a first keyboard and mouse without some traditional ones is not a great idea you need to make a few clicks to install it.
The main reason to get the keyboard was (honestly) show-off. And it does this job greatly. Black and gray plastic, absolute lack of sharp corners Just one heck of cool Hi-tech style.
Before testing the kit, I thought that it would be most comfortable for relaxed web surfing, and serious typing is better done in traditional position. It turned out vice versa. Relaxed surfing requires rather precise clicks on buttons. Which takes both large monitor to do from distance and firm mouse-moving surface. Yet typing is pretty comfortable. You zoom text abit, put legs on some high surface (chair will do), stand your keyboard upon knees, and tap-tap-tap It also looks arty.
Modified Caps lock button is truly neat. Every time you hit it, a warning about it on-off status is shown on a screen in large green letters. 100% When have I pressed it?-proof.
Block of first five F keys is also switchable into a system of programmable hotkeys. It could have been a wonderful feature, if not two small details. First each button has its intended function printed on it. Ok, running some alternative word processor with Microsoft Word button is not beyond me. Yet launching utorrent with it feels somewhat not quite right. Second current state (F buttons or hotkeys) is indicated by small sign in the corner of keyboard display. Unlike the Caps lock indicator it is really possible to miss.
Perhaps the main plaything of the keyboard is media functions. You can start a music playlist with keys under display. To control media playback there is a touch-sense block on the left side. You can turn on a player, start/pause a track, switch tracks, adjust volume and zoom in and out. During the first evening I played with it like a child read manga, zooming every page both ways, and searched for a perfect volume of each soundtrack. The first awe is gone, yet having these on fingertips is extremely comfortable.
Mouse is more streamline. Comfortable, precise enough for me yet has nearly no tangible bells and whistles (two main buttons, wheel, and 5 additional buttons 2 around the wheel, 3 under a thumb), except the 4-way wheel. You can scroll with it not only up and down, but sideways too! Exactly the why have no one thought this before thing.
So, before Certain Events (see a topic nearby
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=425039), I was ready to suggest this thing wholeheartedly as a nice toy. There was a couple of glitches, but in the end it did what I wanted it to do. Then I browsed the Logitech keyboard forum and understood, that I am quite a lucky bastard to make it work at all. Most of this forum is devoted to problems, and rather serious ones, with two Bluetooth kits MX500 and Di Novo. Well, I havent faced any great deal of them, but I found even supposed lack of polish disturbing. We are dealing with a piece of luxury, after all using it should be joy, not head-butting with your PC!
So can I recommend it, or not? Its not cheap, does, actually, nothing, you could not do with normal keyboard/mouse, and you should be ready to face problems, especially if you going to use its Bluetooth capabilities. Yet I havent regretted buying it.