Summary: Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710 is a keyboard/mice combo with some nice features like a laser mouse, long battery life and good ergonomics, but I also found some issues with it.

INTRODUCTION

Normally when we review mice or keyboards we go for high end stuff directed towards gamers. This time we are instead looking at an office/multimedia type mouse and keyboard combo, the Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710.

Here are the specifications:

The Wireless Desktop MK710 kit consists of the mouse Logitech Marathon Mouse M705 and the MK700 keyboard. It is possible to acquire the mouse separately, but the MK700 keyboard is only available in this kit.

The kit has some nice new features like the Logitech “Unifying” technology which I will explain further down in this review.

LOGITECH WIRELESS DESKTOP MK710: THE KEYBOARD

OK so let’s start by having a look at the MK700 keyboard and its features, which I must say are quite numerable especially considering that this is not a gaming keyboard. The first detail that catches the eye is the LCD screen; it alone makes this keyboard look advanced.

Another detail is the FN-key which allows us to assign multiple functions to a key. This immediately gives us double the amount of possible keyboard functions. The same idea is commonly used with notebooks. Yet another detail is the “Incurve Keys”, which means that the keys have a central concavity and softened edges.

There are two sets of multimedia buttons on the board. The first set is located to the left and right side of the LCD panel. Those are start/pause/stop/next/previous and the volume control buttons.

The rest of the multimedia functions are called by simultaneously pressing the FN button, a total of 16 pre programmed macro-keys which for instance start you mail client, starts your browser etc.

The monochrome LCD panel is centered in the top of the keyboard. The panel shows battery and audio sound level as well as if Num Lock or Caps Lock is active. The keyboard also features a soft and flexible surface to rest you palms on while typing.

Another nice detail is the on/off switch in the top right corner which is of course there to save battery. Logitech actually claims that the batteries for this combo will last for three years, and that goes for the mouse to.

The back side of the keyboard has two set of “feet” of different lengths. The back side also holds the battery compartment for two AA of 1.5V (included).

LOGITECH WIRELESS DESKTOP MK710: THE MOUSE

The included mouse is the Logitech Marathon Mouse M705, a wireless laser mouse of a smaller size than average laser mice. This mouse can be purchased alone from Logitech unlike the keyboard.

The Marathon Mouse M705’s body is made of plastic but the sides are made of rubber which gives it a nice feel in the hand.

The mouse has 3 buttons and the wheel which allows us to do scrolling both vertically and horizontally. This mouse incorporates one of Logitech’s newer technologies which enables “Hyper-fast scrolling” which can be practical many times. The small button just above the mice wheel controls how the scrolling is done, smoothly or by smaller “jumps”.

The laser sensor has a wavelength of 848nm and a resolution of 1000dpi. The laser sensor is placed a bit to the right which might annoy gamers which usually prefer to have the laser sensor placed centrally. But then again, this is not a gaming kit.

The pivot points are made of Teflon to maximize their durability and the displacement speed. The mouse feels balanced so they have succeeded in the placement of the pivot points.

LOGITECH WIRELESS DESKTOP MK710: ACCESSORIES

The manual is very good and explains in detail how to use the kit. For example the pages above explain the indications in the LCD panel and the Hyper-fast system scrolling of the mouse.

Above is a picture of the very small “Unifying” connector, which controls both devices and it is also possible to connect other Logitech peripherals which support the Unifying technology. Logitech has also included an extension cable for the connector which may come in handy if you are using a desktop computer placed under the table or somewhere else where the connector does not have clear view to the keyboard and mouse.

I would also just like to briefly mention that Logitech has included high quality batteries from Duracell in this package.

USER EXPERIENCE

I have used the Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710 during a month approximately. The general experience is very good, mainly with office tasks where the keyboard offers a very high comfort level even in longer sessions. What I have been most impressed by is the soft palm rest which really makes a difference.

The “Incurve technology keys” didn’t really make too much difference from normal keys but they feel a little softer for the fingers.

The weak point of the keyboard is the LCD panel which is just not powerful enough. It was hard to read what it said in a dark room or from a slightly skew angle.

In my view, the weak link in this package is the mouse. I am a gamer with big hands so I am used to big mice. This mouse is just too small for me. I know that many of you are used to smaller sized mice since you use mice indented to be used with laptops on the road, but I just cannot appreciate smaller sized mice.  Otherwise the mouse is exact and responsive.

The best thing about this rather advanced kit is really the simple fact of the extended battery life. Of course I cannot confirm that the batteries will last for three years but I can confirm that the battery indicator didn’t move from “full” during my testing period.

CONCLUSIONS

Logitech usually do solid products and they have succeeded here as well. However there are some minor faults which I recommend them to fix for newer revisions of this product.

One of the things that annoyed me a bit was the low luminosity of the LCD screen. In some conditions I just couldn’t read it properly. The second thing is the fact that the mouse just feels a little too small for a desktop set mouse. I would have liked to see a little better mouse at this price level, perhaps the Performance Mouse MX? Again, what you think about the size of the mouse is of course something that differs from person to person, but for me it was too small.

Overall this is a good kit though, especially if you can deal with a mouse of smaller dimensions. The long battery times; the Incurve keys; the padded palm rest are all things which are very convenient for a desktop kit. Also, we shouldn’t forget about the Unifying technology and the FN button.

The price level at around 100€ is a little steep for a desktop kit, at least in my opinion. If the keyboard had been of the ergonomic “natural” type it would have made more sense to me. Still, I do recommend this kit mainly for office workers who are sitting long hours in front of the computer and who need a wireless kit.

Pros:

• Construction quality and materials
• Ergonomics
• Extra features
• Comfort of use
• Drivers with excellent functionality

Cons:

• High price
• Poor LCD screen
• Too small mouse

The final score is 81 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Logitech Wireless Desktop MK710″ our Recommended Award.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: The “Logitech Performance Mouse MX” is a newly released high end laser mouse which I will be taking a closer look at today. Two innovations which brought my attention were the “Unifying” wireless technology and the new “Darkfield” laser sensor technology.

INTRODUCTION

It is not a secret that the Performance mouse MX is first of all intended as an “all tasks” mouse. Of course I tested its gaming capabilities as well which you can read about further down in this review. Without a doubt, the Performance Mouse MX has some really interesting specifications as you can see from the table below. One of the most prominent features is the new “Unifying” technology which connects up to 6 devices to one single USB receiver. The only downside is that this technology is not compatible with older wireless products from Logitech.

The other innovation I mentioned above: “Darkfield”, is actually an improvement of the laser sensor which makes the laser work on surfaces which normally does not work with laser mice.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The mouse comes in a regular cardboard box with Logitech’s branding all over it as well as pictures of the mouse and explanations of its new technologies.

When I opened the box I found the mouse and the Unifying receiver displayed in a fashionable way within the box. Logitech clearly knows how to present their products. I noted that the Unifying receiver was really small as you can see from the pictures below. I took everything out from the box and apart from the mouse and the receiver Logitech has included a black case for the accessories, a printed documentation and a CD with the drivers. In the case, I found the cables for recharging the mouse, either through an USB port or directly from the power grid. I think it’s great that Logitech makes it possible to charge it in both ways, since it facilitates everything when travelling.

LOGITECH PERFORMANCE MOUSE MX IN DETAIL

What is important when choosing a mouse? Of course that is a question which answers depend on your specific preferences and what you intend to use your mouse for. However, one thing that always is important is the ergonomics of the mouse, because if you don’t feel comfortable with it, how are you going to be able to spend all those countless hours in front of the computer doing whatever you do? This mouse has a somewhat unorthodox design and it takes some getting used to, but once you have familiarized yourself to it, I think it will be hard to go back to anything else.

Another outstanding feature of this mouse is the amount of buttons that incorporates (a total of 9). Four (+2 normal) of these buttons are located on top of the mouse, easily in reach of you digits and thumb. The area for the thumb is made in some kind of smooth rubber.

There are three LEDs which indicate the charge level of the battery or in another mode display DPI´s current settings. There’s a special button placed behind the wheel which controls the scrolling speed of the wheel. This comes very much in handy for fast configuration of the wheel.

The connector for recharging the battery of the mouse is placed in the front side. The connector is of the type micro USB and Logitech has included cables for charging through an USB port or directly from the power grid. This is actually the most elegant solution I have seen, it just works perfectly.

When flipping the mouse over and looking at its underside, you will notice that the mouse rests upon three pivot points with rather big individual surfaces. There is also a power switch which completely turns the mouse off and saves batteries. The mouse is powered by a single AA (1,2V) battery.  There’s not much to say about the laser sensor other than that it looks like an ordinary laser sensor, but the “Darkfield” printing next to it suggests otherwise.

In the image above you can see how small the receiver is. The size is so small that we can let it be always plugged in without risking damaging it or the USB port which is a common problem with bigger USB receivers.

INSTALLATION AND TESTS

The installation of the drivers was no great mystery, I just inserted the CD and clicked “next” until it said it was finished. The software controlling the settings of Logitech’s devices is called “Setpoint” and you can have a look at it in the images below.

The first thing you need to do is check the button settings and the laser sensor resolution. Even though Logitech doesn’t market this mouse a gaming mouse, they have included a separate tab with settings important for gaming, for instance you can choose to turn off all acceleration of the mouse.

The configuration of the Unifying receiver is a piece of cake. To add a new Unifying compatible unit, all we need to do is have all units turned on and then click “Add” and all found units are connected automatically.

One of the features I liked was the possibility of horizontal scrolling with the wheel. It is really one of those functions you cannot live without once you have gotten used to it. The mouse felt wonderful in my hand after I got past the initial resistance I felt with the ergonomics.

Another very interesting new feature is the applications swapping enabled by the button closest to your thumb. Once you push it you are prompted with all the open applications and you can switch between them fast and easily. Really useful. Below is an example of what it can look like when pushing the button.

The function I spoke about earlier that controls the scrolling speed of the wheel comes in handy when working with bigger documents or when browsing longer web pages.

Logitech puts a lot of emphasis in their new Darkfield sensor, they say it can be used on almost any surface, even glass. To test this I used a mouse pad made out of glass (3mm thick), the SteelSeries Icemat 2:nd Edition, famous by its good performance and its incompatibility with laser mice. My conclusion of this test was that it works, but it didn’t work extremely well. However, Logitech recommends a thickness of at least 4mm so I can’t really draw any real conclusions from this little test since the pad I used was of only 3mm thickness . When I used the mouse with the Ozone Ground Level mousepad which is mate of a textile fabric, it worked flawlessly. It is truly a pleasure to use this mouse with a pad like that.

Logitech does not market this mouse a gaming mouse but of course I had to test it out at 1500DPI with some of the latest FPS games. The results were very good but not exceptional.

The duration of the battery must also be mentioned as in important factor. I used the mouse for 16 days straight without turning it off and the charge level was still at half power. The charge process lasted approximately 2 and a half hours in USB mode but of course you can continue to use the mouse while charging.

CONCLUSIONS

Weak points? I really can’t think of much. But one should remember that we are all different and some of you may not like the design or the ergonomics. This is quite a big mouse which might be a problem to some. It fitted my big hands greatly though. Doubtless, Logitech has yet again put out an innovative and high quality product with great features and ergonomics.

The quality and feel of the used materials and the construction of the mouse seems very good. The charging options are also outstanding as well as the USB receiver.

Perhaps the unique thing that I have to put on the negative side is its rather staggering price at around $100 (90Euros). But of course, it is a high end mouse directed towards people who accept nothing but the best.

Pros:

• Ergonomics
• Unifying and Darkfield
• Excellent charging solution
• Advanced and practical Software

Cons:

• Price

The final score is 96 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Logitech Performance Mouse MX” our Editor’s Choice Award.

As you know, TestSeek collects all expert reviews of many different product types. Head over to our Mice category to find all expert reviews of alternatives to the Logitech Performance Mouse MX.

Thanks goes out to Logitech for letting me review this mouse.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Logitech has given us a chance to take a look at one of its latest creations, the Logitech G13 gameboard. It’s a real jewel for game addicts like us.

Logitech’s G13 gameboard is a revolutionary peripheral, and well worth a look.

INTRODUCTION

Gamers spend a lot of time using keyboards specially designed for gameplay, called gameboards. Although Logitech entered this market only a couple of months ago, it has used all its experience and knowledge in the world of keyboards to give players what is possibly the best gameboard on the market.

The Logitech G13 is a small board that brings together a large number of keys, a small joystick, and a big LCD screen that gives you all the information you need about your game.

Let’s see exactly what Logitech says in its packaging for the G13:

Dig in. Get comfortable.

• Naturally contoured design: Follows the natural shape of your hand and fingers for increased comfort during long sessions.
• Large, concave buttons: Let you locate buttons by touch on the home row.
• Solid, stable design: Helps assure that your gameboard will keep up when your game gets intense. Strategically placed feet. Stable weight (650 grams).

Take command.

• Twenty-five programmable keys: Customize keys to suit your style of play.
• Quick macros: Assign complex actions to single keystrokes—on the fly.
• Programmable mini-joystick: Maneuver quickly and easily. The control you need is under your thumb.
• Backlit keys: Let you easily locate the right key in low-light conditions or lights-out play. Plus, you can customize the keys with any backlight color that you want.

Go mobile.

• Onboard memory: Saves your profiles so you can take your personal preferences with you.
• Portable design: Keeps the game going wherever you go.

Stay informed.

• High-visibility GamePanel™ LCD: Gather tactical information, including live stats, system info, and communications from fellow players.
• Public software development kit (SDK): Upload the latest enhancements developed exclusively for GamePanel™ by the Logitech open-source community.

Logitech’s G13 can definitely be a special gameboard for the most interesting games on the market, with features that are clearly superior to the competition’s.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

As soon as we saw the packaging of the Logitech G13, we thought, “this looks great!” The serigraphy is striking, with nicely contrasting colors. The back briefly lists the main features that Logitech has given the product: its ergonomic shape, keys with configurable LEDs, LCD screen, and many other features that we’ll cover, little by little.

The back of the box describes the G13 in six languages and explains some references included in the description.

The images on the package don’t show a lot, but they don’t need to, since you can see almost the entire product without taking it out. When you open the box, there’s not much to see: just the gameboard, user manuals, and a CD with G13 drivers and programs. That’s all you need, so we won’t say anything more here.

A DETAILED LOOK AT THE LOGITECH G13

At first glance, the G13 is very impressive. Though you may not notice it at first, it’s pretty big. But even more than by its size, the G13 impressed us by its large number of keys, its built-in joystick, and the large LCD.

Logitech has worked hard on the G13. You can see it in its shape, which is designed to provide the greatest possible comfort. The wrist rest has a rubber base, which keeps your hand from slipping during long gameplay sessions.

The built-in joystick is to the right of the keyboard. It’s well located so you can use it with your thumb. But at first, it was somewhat hard to use the joystick and the two joystick buttons at the same time with the same thumb.

The most important thing is the keys, right? That’s what dominates most of the gameboard. There are 22. They’re large, and quite high. The main ones, which you would use to move around in most games, have a notch that lets you easily recognize them by touch.

The area below the LCD screen has four rectangular function keys. You can use the first 3 to load profiles that you’ve created. The round keys let you turn the LCD and the keyboard LEDs on and off, as well as navigate the various applications that you can use with the G13 and see on the LCD screen.

The screen may be the G13′s strongest point. As with Logitech’s G15 or its newer version, the G19, it can display lots of information, either from programs supplied by Logitech or by others. It displays 160×43 pixels. You can completely customize the lighting color for the LCD and the keys, within the RGB palette.

There’s nothing notable about the base of the G13, although Logitech has installed a fairly large metal plate with the model name on it. The gameboard is supported by 6 feet, of which 2 are on the upper part, 2 below the joystick, and 2 on the lower part. They all have a small rubber pad, which ensures that the G13 stays securely on the table, offering a perfect grip.

INSTALLING THE G13 SOFTWARE

As soon as we connected the Logitech G13 to our Windows PC, the system automatically recognized it. But to use it, you still have to configure many options. The installation process is pretty standard, but the interface is outstanding. We opted to install only the Logitech software.

After the installation is done, you are offered various options. These include two configuration screens. The right-hand picture is in Spanish, but English is of course available. The screen shown there thanks users for buying the product. It lets users see compatible software online, gives information on profiles and macros, offers info about the LCD screen and included applications, and lets users create profiles.

Before you do anything else, we recommend that you watch the Flash presentation that Logitech has created for G13 users. It explains all of the gameboard’s important features and shows some of the things you can do with it, like saving game profiles in the unit’s built-in memory.

The left-hand “Global Configuration” screen lets users configure what they see onscreen in various ways. The right-hand one lets users set how to switch between applications, and adjust the screen’s brightness and contrast.

Among other things, the screen show above lets users activate and deactivate various included Logitech programs, such as its LCD countdown program, a multimedia function, a performance monitor, an RSS reader, and an e-mail application. You can also configure programs that you install yourself.

The screen above shows the result of searching for user-configured profiles for various games. The first two lines are “Find new games…” and “The profiler has completed the search.”

The key configuration screen offers incredible customization power. You can configure the lighting for the LCDs and the keys, customize all of the programmable keys, and create time-saving macros. You can also save profiles here, using the G13′s built-in memory. This is very useful if you use the unit with more than one PC.

The screen above lets you configure profiles for various games.

PLAYING WITH THE LOGITECH G13

Logitech is noted for giving users practical, high-quality solutions. The G13 is no exception. When we started using it, it took us awhile to adapt, especially because of the lack of references for the various keys, and because it took awhile to learn to handle the joystick well. We suppose that’s normal, since it always takes some time to adapt to new peripherals, or at least it always takes us awhile.

The screen above shows the LCD countdown on the left and includes a chronometer on the right.

After over 3 weeks with the G13, we’ve become accustomed to its feel, and the location of its keys. Above all, we’ve learned to handle the joystick. The G13 offers so many keys and possible configurations that it’s almost not necessary to use the macros, or to change profiles during play.

It’s clear that you can use this gameboard in any type of game. But in our experience, its virtues are clearest when you play FPSs or strategy games, since in both genres you use many action keys and lots of motion, just what the G13 offers.

Logitech offers practically unlimited options with its G13, and we’ll surely use them all at some time, though not intensively. The LCD screen is tremendously useful when you need information about a game, such as the FPS rate or CPU memory use. It can also be very useful beyond games, for checking if you have new e-mail or seeing what time it is.

CONCLUSIONS

Logitech is always improving its products. Because it understands users’ needs, it released the G13, a special keyboard for gamers, with great materials quality and finishing.

The options are almost infinite, thanks to the 3 profiles that you can create for each game, along with customized macros, which give you complete control over any kind of game. However, our testing shows that it will give you the best performance in strategy games and FPSs.

The LCD screen is another of its great advantages. It lets you monitor a multitude of system options, from e-mail, to the use of system resources, to the FPS rates you get while you play.

Any videogame fan who wants to have the best tools and get extra performance should keep the Logitech G13 in mind. It’s the best gameboard on the market today.

The final score is 92 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Logitech G13 Gameboard” our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks to Logitech for letting us try out its G13 gameboard.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Ed Winograd