Paying more than £120 for a keyboard and mouse package seems a bit steep to
us.
However we can’t deny that
Logitech
has packed a lot of clever features into the MX5500 Revolution to try to justify
that price. A fair chunk of that is down to the fact that the
MX5500
uses the latest
Bluetooth
2 wireless technology to connect to the computer.
This provides a wireless range of up to 10m, so it could be handy for those
who have to make presentations as it will allow them to control a presentation
from the back of a conference room or another fairly large room. The mouse is
one of Logitech’s MX
Revolution
models, a rechargeable unit that provides high-speed scrolling through long
documents.
However it’s the keyboard that really catches the eye – not least because
it’s one of the few keyboards we’ve seen to have its own screen. Most of the
time this simply displays the date and time, but if you slip in a CD or DVD the
panel displays track or chapter information, as well as allowing the user to
control playback using the various buttons on the keyboard.
We wonder how useful this really is, as you can generally see this
information on the computer screen anyway. Like most modern keyboards the MX5500
is packed with programmable buttons that can be used to launch programs and
control CD and DVD playback.
And if you’ve got Windows Vista on your PC there are buttons specifically
designed to control Vista-specific features such as the Gadgets sidebar.
Installation is straightforward thanks to the Setpoint software included with
the MX5500, which does a good job of setting up the wireless connection between
the PC and the mouse and keyboard.
To be honest, though, the on-keyboard display seems like a bit of a gimmick,
and doesn’t provide any really practical advantages over less expensive
keyboards. As a result, the MX5500 Revolution is probably most suitable for
business users who want a fancy keyboard and mouse set for their plush offices.
Also consider the
Logitech
Cordless Desktop Comfort Laser.
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