| Logitech diNovo Media Desktop | ||
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Device: Logitech diNovo Media Desktop
Intro: With flat-panel monitors, pre-modded cases, and all the other bells and whistles a computer can have, the keyboard and mouse, or at least the keyboard, can be often overlooked as vital and stylish parts of a complete system. Today is the day when your perspective, if it is such, may change completely in regard to how much the input devices can make a computer. While certain components in a computer may change yearly, or possibly more often then that, the keyboard and mouse, along with a monitor, usually remain the same in an upgrade. That being said, a combo like this, priced as it is, is an investment. Let’s see if that investment pays off.
Packaging: I still remember when my first keyboard came back from the store, packed in a shoddy brown cardboard box with a sheet of paper describing how to plug it in and whatnot. Since then, times have evidently changed, and the packaging of the diNovo reflects that.
Components: The diNovo Desktop comes in 5 pieces, the power adapter, charging cradle/ bluetooth hub, mx900 optical mouse, ultra flat keyboard, and media pad.
The bluetooth hub is the centerpiece of the entire desktop, it ties everything together and it hardwired to the power connection and usb port. The power connection plugs into the usb connector (which has been modified) of the hub, and runs back up the line with the data transfer cable into the station, eliminating the need to have an extra cord running on your desk, which makes sense. The hub also acts as the charging cradle for the mx900 mouse, tying these two functions together, much like the receiver in Logitech’s similar MX Duo desktop. As bluetooth is a technology that is rapidly developing, the hub for the keyboard and mouse can also be used to connect other bluetooth devices to your system through the bluetooth console in the included software.
The keyboard is quite unlike most keyboards; it uses the standard key setup, but with laptop keys, giving the users the best of both worlds with the space of a normal keyboard, but the soft keystroke of a laptop. Keeping with the media theme, the board has volume control and mute buttons, a rounded d-pad for stop/skip/play functions, a button programmable to open the media player of your choice, as well as the 3 internet navigation buttons and a standby key. As is common to most of the newer Logitech keyboards, the diNovo also has an F-lock function which can change the F keys into keys to control outlook and be used in word, along with instant link keys to the most popular Windows XP folders.
The media pad is quite an ingenious and useful thing. It is based on the standard numpad section of a keyboard, which has been detached and suped-up, per say. In addition to the standard functiosn of the numpad, it has an LCD display which can show new mail, display media information, or even be used as a calculator. Like the keyboard, the media pad also has the media and volume function buttons, which when teamed up with the LCD display and the extended range of the bluetooth connection, can enable this to serve as a remote control for music on your computer from almost anywhere in the house.
The mouse, which may look familiarly like the mx700, is classed the mx900 due to the usage of bluetooth communications instead of standard wireless R/F. It features 6 programmable buttons in addition to the standard left an right click, allowing the mouse to become quite handy in switching applications, moving forwards or backwards in a series of webpages, or any other function from a long list built into the software.Usage The Setpoint software that comes with the diNovo is distinctly different from the iTouch and mouseware software that other users of Logitech products may have experienced. It includes a full-featured bluetooth console which allows you to use the hub to connect other bluetooth devices. The Setpoint software also lets you configure the particular buttons and behavior of the keyboard, mouse, and media pad, which I particularly liked, as I commonly use Winamp for media functions instead of WMP. The program also keys you in to battery statuses on all three devices, warning you when you need to charge the mouse and when the batteries on the KB/MP need changing. As far as the mouse goes, the performance is much better than I expected. Mouse resolution is even better than my previous Logitech optical mouse, which was hardwire, defraying the myth that latencies in cordless products make them inferior to wired components. As seen in the picture, the mouse is nicely contoured to fit your hand, and provides more comfort than the typical oblong mouse. Before, when I had tried out mx700’s briefly in local shops, I didn’t like the feel, but within 10 minutes of use I had adapted to using it, and now it’s the regular mice that feel weird! The eight buttons on the mouse are very easy to reach without having to move your fingers very much, making them quite useful after you have configured them to perform the functions you want them to. The mouse also has rechargeable batteries, which, depending on how much you can use it, can last up to two days or more between charges. The keyboard is also a gem to use. With the new ultra-flat design, the user’s wrists are bent less, leading to a smaller strain while typing, which can mean faster typing, as well as the ability to type for longer times before being fatigued. The usage of laptop-style keys also facilitates faster typing, and much quieter typing, as the familiar click and clack of keys is lost due to their low profile. The addition of volume and media keys is also a nice feature, because often the media pad may be on the other side of the room so it can be used as a remote control for mp3 or other media playing. The extended of range of bluetooth technology also benefits the keyboard well, giving it a range of over 10m, which, while it may seem absurd in a typical desktop situation, could be very useful for a presentation, where the user may be quite far from the system setup with the projector, but still may be needing to have keyboard functionality at that range. As far as battery life goes, the keyboard uses four-AA batteries, which give it an operational lifespan of roughly six months by average usage standards. The media pad in itself is quite a good idea, as I have often found myself having to constantly get up or stay near the computer while listening to music, whereas now I can sit down and get comfortable with a book but still maintain some control over what I am listening to and at what volumes. I am constantly reading up on overclocking, and many times I have found myself having to dig through the accessories folder for the calculator to combine the FSB and multiplier of a chip to see what speeds it has reached. Now, with the media pad’s calculator function, that power is at my fingertips. Another good way to use, which I have taken advantage of myself, is the usage of this keyboard in an area in which you sleep, so that if your favorite song is playing on your computer right as you are going to bed, you can let it play, take the MP with you, and stop or mute the system from your bed. One thing that irritates me about the MP, though, is that it lacks the flip-down risers that the keyboard has, so that if the keyboard is elevated, and the media pad is juxtaposed with the keyboard, there is a noticeable difference in the heights of them, which may or may not throw off the user who is switching between the two frequently while they are next to each other.
Conclusion: Overall, the functionality and usage of the diNovo was very satisfactory, and even blew me away in some areas where I expected a wireless setup to lag behind. While often the old complaints were about latency problems, the only noticeable times this exists are when the system is just powering up (though this does not interfere with BIOS access) and when the mouse has just been taken off the charger, times when the bluetooth connection is initializing and there is some latency, which goes away in a few seconds. The comfort level of this combo is absolutely superb, and while the price may prove to be a bit of an initial difficulty for this product, it is well worth it in my opinion. Lets break it down: Pros: + laptop-style keyboard Cons: - media pad lacks risers like keyboard has In the end, I give the diNovo Media Desktop a 9.5/10, its only true fault (which may or may not be a problem, depending on the size of the wallet of the reader) is the price, which is a bit steep, but only a matter or perspective. Otherwise, this is a very fine product, with high points in style, functionality, and comfort, all of which wrap up into a very good desktop combo. Many thanks go to Logitech for providing this sample and giving us the opportunity to look at some of their bleeding-edge technology which will certainly be leading us into the new century of input devices. |
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