Product: Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution
Manufacturer:  Logitech
MSRP: $169.99    Find Lowest Price @ PriceGrabber
Author: Garret
Date: March 6, 2009

Bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard combinations are becoming ever more popular for the average user primarily due to the lack of cords. However, due to the latency time required to transmit keystrokes and mouse movements/clicks these devices have been a tough sell for the hardcore or even casual gamer. There is also the worry about batteries running dry right in the middle of an important project with no replacements in sight.

These have personally been major fears of mine and the main reason why I’ve steered clear of wireless keyboards and mice (especially while gaming). But when asked whether or not I’d be interested in reviewing such a product, I figured I’d give it a chance.

Initial Impressions:

My first thought when seeing the package was “Wow, UPS had fun with this one.” The box was definitely tossed around a bit wile in transit; however once I actually unboxed the package I noticed no defects primarily thanks to Logitech’s packaging. The side of the box has the words “Comfort happens…when things conform to you” with photos of people relaxing on the beach, a bed, hammock, and in a pool. It gives such a therapeutic impression when looking at it.

Upon unboxing I immediately noticed the display at the top of the keyboard and wondered if it was actually going to fit on my desk’s keyboard tray. Included in the packaging is a mouse, keyboard, Bluetooth dongle (Bluetooth 2.0+EDR compatible), Logitech software, instructions, mouse charging station and 4 AA batteries for the keyboard.

Taking it for a test drive:

When putting the keyboard on my tray my fears were quickly realized, it doesn’t fit underneath my desk when I try to slide the tray in. I’d say it’s too tall by about 1.5cm, for those that place their keyboards on their lap or on the top of a desk will have no complaints about this. I immediately started charging the mouse as the battery was completely dead when I turned it on. A couple hours of charging time gave me approximately two weeks high usage. Average time might be higher or lower depending on the usage.

If you have the most up to date version of Logitech’s SetPoint software installed from a previous device then you don’t need to install any software from the included CD. Windows Vista automatically detected the Bluetooth dongle once installed. Pairing the keyboard and mouse to my Vista x64 Ultimate system was extremely simple. Pressing the red “connect” button on the back of the Bluetooth dongle enabled pairing as well as launched the pairing utility included in SetPoint. Both the keyboard and mouse have similar buttons, once it’s pressed on the keyboard SetPoint generated a random number sequence that once imputed on the keyboard pairs the device. The mouse requires you to move the cursor through a box to pair. Once complete, the device did not loose its pair and never required reconfiguration for the entire duration of the test.

The keyboard is very comfortable, especially with the hard rubber palm rest at the bottom. Someone such as myself who manages multiple Linux shells needs a keyboard for quick typing as well as comfort. Something the MX 5500 was able to accomplish. To my amazement the device even worked during the machine’s post allowing access and configuration of the BIOS without having to attach a wired keyboard. The keyboard is full of hotkeys allowing for easier access to various programs and features within Windows. On the left side we find a button to trigger the 3D windows flip feature in Windows Vista as well as a zooming buttons that either flip the windows or zoom in on photos. Right next to it included volume controls and buttons for controlling media files. Each of the function keys on the keyboard launch various programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Default browser, IM clients, and more. F9-12 are programmable hotkeys that by default launch Media Player, Windows Search, Documents Folder, and the Control Panel. Below the number pad is 3 hotkeys for launching Windows Media Center, Photo Gallery, and Gadgets (Windows Sidebar) and once final hotkey at the top that allows you to execute various shutdown actions on your computer such as sleep, restart, or complete shutdown. One feature I’ve found quiet handy is the ability to use the number pad as a calculator. Pressing the calculator button brings up the smart calculator on the keyboard display and allows you to compute basic mathematics. When the smart calculator is active it disables the number pad within windows which was somewhat of a headache for me as I was constantly forgetting to disable the calculator.

The display is very nice, it has 6 tabs that are switchable via arrow keys right next to it. It displays the date/time, Media information by hooking into iTunes or Windows Media Player to display what’s currently playing, room temperature, what’s assigned to hotkeys F9-F12, a key counter, and messages in your Inbox if you’re using a mail program. At the time of writing this review I have logged just over 279,000 keystrokes. The temperature module I found to be fairly accurate in regards to the actual temperature of the room.

The mouse is extremely comfortable and loaded with buttons. It’s designed to conform to right handed users (sorry lefties) and does an extremely good job in doing so. At the top of the mouse we find the standard left and right click, the scroll wheel (more on that in a bit), a search button that when pressed launches your default browser and a search engine from a list of choices. Next to the thumb you find a wheel that partially rotates and presses in to serve as a button as well. When activated it too launches the 3D window flip and allows for rotation between windows and selection. Right above the thumb you’ll also find two arrow buttons allowing you to go forward and back while browsing the internet. The scroll wheel is something I’ve found to be quiet interesting and after some getting used to, very convenient. When scrolling through long windows you are able to give the scroll wheel an extra flick of sorts and the wheel unlocks internally and freely spins allowing for rapid scrolling until you grab the wheel again at which time the wheel locks once again for normal use. The mouse has a battery meter that illuminates when moving the mouse and changes from green to red when the battery life is critical. As I said earlier I’ve been able to get approximately 2 weeks worth of heavy use on a single charge.

Gaming with the MX 5500 definitely took some getting used to in terms of needing to compensate for the minor latency time of keystroke and mouse movements. Initially I thought gaming on this device was going to be an absolute nightmare. However, after a couple of weeks, I’ve found myself adjusting and not noticing too much of difference between my wired keyboard and mouse and this set.

Conclusion:

Overall I’m extremely pleased with the MX 5500 and has lived up to the high quality that Logitech is known for. Even while gaming I found the device to perform very well. At $169 the price tag seems a little steep but with that price point you are receiving a device loaded with features and options that you’ll come to use on a daily basis.

Pros:

+Comfort
+Cool Display
+Excellent response time
+Long battery life

Cons:

-Display makes it difficult to tuck inside keyboard trays
-Mouse won’t work if you’re left handed

Tags: Bluetooth, Cordless, Desktop, keyboard, Logitech, mouse, MX 5500, Revolution