|
Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave
Introduction
There was a time before multimedia keyboards. The precursors were beige and grey, made of steel, and clicked. Snapped; rapport like military hardware. Before multimedia there were trailers of ergonomic keyboards (long after the clacking IBM models were replaced with Compaq and Packard Bell keyboards with rubber bubbles for springs), but these were nothing more than standard keyboards, cleft through the center, home row splayed like a book's broken spine. About the same time, rheostats for speakers started showing up, attached to keyboards--electrically resistant volume controls--and soon, entire consoles would be built into keyboards, taking up as much space as the keyboard itself. I blame caps lock and space bar for taking up too much room. They opened the door for these elaborate controls. As a keyboard snob, I have to preface this with a forewarning: I hate ergonomic keyboards. I find that they tweak my tendons (or don't tweak them enough) and muss with my muscle memory. They cause me to make typos and my fingers feel crammed together. I don't like scaled-down keyboards or keyboards that are missing keys due to the fact that most people don't use them. I use 'em all, even insert. (OK, maybe not scroll lock, but I'd use it in a pinch if I, er, knew what it did.) The truth is that the first keyboards and their mechanical predecessors needed little improvement. My grandmother, who shakes holding a pen, can still type faster than I can speak. Competitive typers all use straight keyboards, and rely on pianist's reflexes and ruler's-edge posture to crack out pages. The ergonomic multimedia keyboard does what an army of secretaries can't do: they make using a computer friendly. Logitech is pitching woo at people who don't like keyboards with this wireless desk set. How much you'll want this keyboard may very well depend on how little you want a keyboard in the first place. Oh yeah, there's a mouse, too. Both are very...friendly. First Looks Both the keyboard and mouse are big. Not the biggest examples of either I've ever used, but Logitech definitely shot for bulk. The effect is magnified for the keyboard because the keys all have very straight sides that reach deep into the keyboard. Following the Wave theme, the keys rise at the center and tail off, and all the buttons (along with everything else) are round and somewhat asymmetrical. The mouse, unlike the keyboard, is perfectly symmetrical, made for left- and right-handed use.    The pair runs off AA batteries, two each, which are included in the box. Their remote proxy is a regular wireless USB dongle, with an extension cord if you don't want to reach behind your computer to hit the connect button. The mouse has a power button to conserve batteries, but the keyboard doesn't. The installation CD had the most recent software, according to the website, but as soon installation began it found two updates. One to SetPoint, and a firmware update for the dongle.
Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: The Keyboard and Keys Page 3: The Mouse and Software Page 4: Conclusion 
Related Reviews Gaming Devices July 17, 2009
Gaming Devices February 11, 2009
Keyboards / Mice January 30, 2009
Keyboards / Mice October 16, 2008
Add Comment
3 User Comments 1 - Posted by
aireiq
on October 1, 2007 - 7:16 pm > Wireless keyboards usually get months of power off a single pair of batteries, and I doubt that I could really this one's life. I can haz a verb? 2 - Posted by
Kurtis
on October 1, 2007 - 9:09 pm Ha. Nice catch. Fixed. :)
3 - Posted by
Max Slowik
on October 5, 2007 - 2:22 am Joe: Boy, this sounds like more trouble than a moose on the interstate. A moose holding a sign: "Will do moose stuff for money" Moose: Hey, can ya help me out? I'm trying to get a couple of bucks for something to eat. Man: What's "Moose Stuff"? Moose: Eh, whatever you want it to be. I could have sex with ya, or I could just stand over there and drink from the lake, and everything in between. Man: Get in. Add Comment To add a comment without being a member, you may omit the password field, but you must enter your name (or nickname) along with your comment. * Denotes required fields. |
Recent Articles Editorials August 27, 2009
Editorials August 18, 2009
Editorials March 3, 2009
Editorials February 12, 2009
Recent News Destructoid Nov. 18, 2009 - 11:55 pm
Wired Nov. 16, 2009 - 11:56 pm
Ultimate Typing Championship Nov. 16, 2009 - 11:42 pm
Tom's Hardware Nov. 6, 2009 - 4:45 pm
Boing Boing Nov. 3, 2009 - 8:22 pm
Destructoid Nov. 3, 2009 - 7:14 pm
Fidgit Nov. 3, 2009 - 6:57 pm
|
|||||||||||||||
