Logitech Cordless MX Duo

Reviews: Peripherals

Accessories | Gaming Devices | Keyboards / Mice | Printers

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Kurtis Kronk
Brian
Logitech
Dec. 23, 2003

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Testing

The Cordless MX Duo was tested over a period of several weeks.

Obviously the biggest selling point here is the fact that the Duo is Cordless. Unlike experiences I have had with Microsoft mice, I experienced very little lag. Just the fact that the devices are wireless means that they will not be capable of the same speeds as wired devices (at least not with current technology), but they are the closest to wired speeds that I have seen as of yet.

Keyboard

Throughout testing of this keyboard I found it to be extremely comfortable. With that said, I only found the keyboard to be comfortable with the legs extended. Without legs extended, the keyboard is virtually, if not completely, flat thanks to its Zero-Tilt Design. I'm not exactly sure why Logitech has decided to implement a Zero-Tilt design, I don't see the point. Having a keyboard completely flat causes strain on the wrists, that is why keyboards have extendable legs. With that said, the keyboard is comfortable with the legs extended, so the Zero-Tilt Design doesn't matter.

I was satisfied with the layout of the keyboard overall. However, the top of the keyboard could have been made significantly smaller. The Media keys and other various shortcuts could have been designed to take up less space. I must give credit, however, for Logitech taking up minimal space with the Navigation Wheel, Back button, and Go button on the left side. On the Eumax EZ-8000 I tested recently, the Navigation Wheel was huge and made it hard to fit on my desk's keyboard tray.

As far as functionality goes, this keyboard has got it all. Not only does the keyboard have most of the "vital' features including media controls and shortcuts, but it is highly customizable. You can set each of the shortcuts to perform a non-standard task, such as open a specified website. Even the Navigation Wheel can be customized. If you click on the wheel, a menu will pop up which will let you choose from several options including Customize iNav (shortcuts on the keyboard), or switch between Navigation Wheel features (Favorites, My Pictures, My Music, Volume, Edit, Switch Applications, Zoom, or the default: Scroll Vertically).

Something that I would like to note before moving on is the volume dial in the Media area. I found that it is a little bit buggy, at least in how it is displayed on screen. If you turn it too fast, the volume will be adjusted appropriately, but either MAX VOLUME or MIN VOLUME may flash on the screen repeatedly as the volume goes up or down. Sometimes it even says MAX VOLUME when you are trying to turn the volume down, and it is clearly not actually at max. Not a big deal, but it is a little bit annoying! To counter this annoyance you may turn off the On-Screen Key Effects in the iTouch Configuration window under the Options tab.

One nice touch is that when you hit Caps Lock, Num Lock, or F Lock, green text will display in the lower middle part of your screen showing you the status of that function ("Caps Lock On," etc!). This feature can also be turned off in the iTouch Configuration window under the options tab by un-checking Show Lock Key Notifications.

Mouse

Out of all the wireless mice I have used, I would definitely have to say this one provides the best tracking by far. There is a tiny bit of lag between moving the mouse and seeing the cursor move, but it is because it is wireless. For comparison's sake, the Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer lacks precision and it does not pick up very small movements and there is also a noticeable delay between moving the mouse and the cursor moving. Whilst using the Logitech MX700 the response time seems faster and it picks up even the slightest of movements. For some, this may not matter, but if you do any sort of graphical design, or any work on the computer that requires precise mouse movement, this is the mouse you need if you want to break free from the wired World.

I would also like to note that if you leave the Intellimouse Explorer idle for a little while, and then move it, there is a delay. This means to wake the Intellimouse up, you have to shake it for a second. The MX700 does not have any delay period after being left idle. This is good news for gamers, allow me to explain! Often times when playing CS with the Intellimouse, I would camp (yes, I know camping is lame), and then when I would see an enemy I would try to aim at them and shoot them, only to have the cursor go crazy on me from the mouse waking up. With the MX700, you won't get shot by your enemy because your mouse is asleep.

As I said earlier, the ergonomic design of the MX700 makes being a computer dork much more bearable (holding a mouse for the greater part of each day has proven to be painful sometimes). Aside from being comfortable, the grips on each side make it easy to lift the mouse. The Back and Forward functions on the mouse are pretty standard these days, but the buttons on the top are not. The Glide Up, Glide Down, and Switch Programs buttons are nice to have. I've grown pretty accustom to just using the mouse wheel, but the Glide buttons can be customized to scroll at different speeds than the mouse wheel, which might be useful for some situations. The Switch Programs button is also very nice. I have seen a similar function on a keyboard I recently tested (Eumax EZ-8000), but it was not executed nearly as well. On the keyboard, the button acted as a sort of flawed Alt + Tab function. On the MX700, pushing the button pops up a menu at the cursor's current location, which lets you select from any of the open program windows. This function is much more useful than the Alt + Tab function which is a part of windows.

As with any optical mouse, the surface used is critical as well. If you have a wood grained desktop and no mouse pad, expect the cursor to skip around every few seconds. If you are going to get a high quality mouse, be prepared to buy a high quality mouse pad to improve tracking. Granted, the mouse will work with a fuzzy generic pad, but I recommend trying the RatpadzGS or a similar product.

Base Station

I haven't really talked about it much, but the base station is very nice. Wireless mice tend to eat up batteries, and Logitech countered this by including rechargeable batteries, and making this recharging base station. The base doesn't just recharge though, it receives the wireless signals from both the mouse and keyboard. It is recommended that you keep the base a couple of feet away from your monitor for minimal lag, but I never noticed any difference no matter where the base was on my desk. Also on the base there are three green LEDs that show whether or not Caps Lock, Num Lock, and F Lock are on. It would be nice if these were on the keyboard itself too, but that would probably use up the keyboard's non-rechargeable batteries much quicker.

I also found that the base station is capable of recharging the MX700 very fast, as Logitech claims. After being nearly completely drained, the batteries can be fully recharged in just a few hours. The best way to make sure that your mouse doesn't die on you is to get in the habit of placing it in the base every time you step away from your computer. Once you get into this habit, your batteries will never go dead on you (aside from the batteries becoming old and not taking a charge).

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Page 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Page 2: Taking a Closer Look
Page 3: Testing
Page 4: Conclusion & Extra Images

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7 User Comments

1 - Posted by fhetw on January 5, 2004 - 8:32 pm

picked one of these up last week at CUSA for $60. mainly got it for the mx700 since it costs $70 alone, but damn is it a nice product. there's no lag whatsoever, though the futhest away the keyboard has been was been like 3feet, due to my 15" laptop screen at 1600x1200. damn im getting blind. this has been my first keyboard with all these fancy buttons, i dont really use and of them. there also arent lights for caps lock/#lock etc... which i dont like. I havent had an "bugs" with the volume control. the mouse, is simply AMAZING. if you dont want the set, just go get the mx700 you wont regret it. its extremely comfortable and the quick nav buttons are great if youre lazy. upgrading from a 400dpi mouse to this 800dpi one, it feels so much smoother and more precise, especially during games, granted i only play blizzard games as of now, and played CoD single player(not worth it, about 5 hours of gameplay).

go get it and GREAT REVIEW

2 - Posted by Kurtis on January 5, 2004 - 10:19 pm

thx for the feedback and im glad you like the duo... one thing id like to mention is that there ARE caps lock LEDs etc, look on the base station. I guess it would be nice to have it on the keyboard too, but its sort of a trivial thing.

3 - Posted by fhetw on January 7, 2004 - 12:23 am

wow thx, i didnt even notice those lights

4 - Posted by Guest on February 17, 2005 - 8:17 pm

What should I do if my rechargeable batteries have died? Will it still be able to charge if I put regular batteries in the mouse or do I have to buy rechargeable batteries to make it able to charge?

5 - Posted by Guest on February 18, 2005 - 4:12 am

when i put my mouse on the base or charger for an extended period of time and then take it off to use the red light is blinking. how can i make it so it charges?

6 - Posted by Guest on February 21, 2005 - 6:28 am

After I charge it and then take it off the charger the light on top of the mouse is still blinking red. And do the regular batteries only last a certain amount of time because mine don't seem to last very long?

7 - Posted by Guest on May 22, 2005 - 11:58 am

where can I buy a 3MR600 2/3AA NI-MH battery for a
LOGITECH cordless freedom headset mic?????

Harold Schutzman W2RII@JUNO.COM

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