Logitech Dinovo

Your average keyboard and mouse aren't very exciting, but Logitech is aiming to change that with its new wireless Dinovo. Finished in a sleek black and metallic grey, it certainly stands out.

A close look reveals that the keypad is separate from the main keyboard and has a small LCD screen. This is so the pad can be used as a standard calculator, with the results being pushed to the Windows clipboard. The screen also displays Windows or MSN Messenger messages, such as new email.

Where it really comes into its own is as a wireless remote. Logitech provides its own media software, which lets you view pictures, listen to music or watch a movie clip in a similar way to Microsoft's Media Center.

The media controls - track skip, play and stop - can also be used to control Windows Media Player and are replicated on the main keyboard.

The keypad does have its downsides, though. Most notable is the fact that it doesn't have any legs and lies flat on the desk, which can make it difficult to use.

The main keyboard is very responsive and works really well. The same can be said of the mouse, which has additional buttons to navigate web pages and switch tasks. It's comfortable and is designed to suit both left- and right-handed people.

We did run into some problems with installation, though. Logitech has opted to use Bluetooth, but the bundled software initially kept getting us to perform the pairing operation. At different times, the pairing was lost, and the mouse and keyboard became useless until we paired them with the PC again.

At £200 we didn't expect to run into these kinds of problems. It's a case of a great concept marred by a flaky implementation.

Contact: Logitech 020 7309 0127
www.logitech.co.uk

Specifications:

• Bluetooth
• Separate media keypad with LCD screen
• Rechargeable mouse cradle
• Scroll wheel mouse
• Media control keys
• Five-year warranty; Logitech media software