Slim Profile = More Desk Space!
Written: Mar 17 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: space-saving, cordless, keyboard hot keys, multimedia functions, speedy mouse, easy install
Cons: not all functions work with a KBM switch
The Bottom Line: An excellent keyboard and mouse system. Cordless is wonderful!
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Logitech S 510 (967555) (DH967555) Keyboard and Mo... |
I received a gift several months ago and have been enjoying it! I can’t believe how a simple computer accessory like the Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 has changed my desktop work space.
Description
This desktop set comes with a cordless keyboard, cordless mouse and a receiver unit. All the pieces have a contemporary look in silver, gray and black. The set is designed to use with either a desktop or notebook PC.
The cordless keyboard has a sleek look and is slim ... it’s thin at 1/2" and measures 18" long x 7 3/4" deep. The zero-degree tilt keyboard has a built-in palm rest that is slanted for comfort. Along the left side are buttons that control the standby/sleep function, zoom and rotate buttons as well as a button programmed as a shortcut to the assigned internet home page. The right side of the keyboard is a media control panel with buttons that open the default media player, play/pause/fast forward/reverse controls, shuffle the music tracks, volume and mute buttons.
Along the top of the keyboard are F-keys numbered F1 through F12. Four of these F-keys are programmable to open favorite web pages, files, documents, etc. The other eight F-keys offer one-touch shortcuts to frequent tasks: check battery status, open MS Word, open Excel, open PowerPoint, Redo, Undo, Print, Save. A “mode” button allows the F-keys to be used for regular F-key tasks, too.
The cordless optical mouse has two buttons and a tilt wheel. Not only does the tilt wheel scroll the screen horizontally ... but it also scrolls vertically. The wheel also acts as a third button that can be programmed to do a variety of functions. A low-battery indicator light is also on the top side of the mouse. Fast RF makes this mouse fast.
When I first saw the receiver unit, I thought, “What an unusual design.” It resembles a bowed L-shape. There are three indicator lights on it that show whether the Caps Lock, Number Lock, and/or F-Lock is on. Logitech uses encrypted, secure technology to avoid interference.
Set-up
It is easy to connect the keyboard, mouse and receiver to the computer. In the box is a large double-sided sheet of illustrated instructions in English, Spanish, French and Portugese. The contents of the box include: a keyboard, a mouse, a receiver, four batteries and a software CD. The receiver has a cable with two connectors: one for the keyboard and one for the mouse. The keyboard cable can connect either using a USB port or the PS/2 port connector. When installing the receiver, Logitech recommends placing the receiver away from electrical devices and metallic surfaces.
The installation only took minutes:
1. Turn off computer and plug receiver cables into it.
2. Open bottom of mouse and insert 2 AA batteries.
3. Open bottom section of keyboard; insert 2 AAA batteries.
4. Turn computer on.
5. Press “connect” button on the receiver, then the mouse.
6. Press “connect” button on receiver and then keyboard.
7. Insert software CD and follow instructions.
The mouse and keyboard will work without installing the software; however, the software allows special configuration of the keyboard and mouse features. The software CD contains SetPoint software. This keyboard and mouse are not compatible with Logitech iTouch software, so if you were using a Logitech keyboard and/or mouse that used iTouch software, uninstall the software prior to installing the SetPoint software. Also, if you have MouseWare software installed, the SetPoint software will override it.
My Experiences
My fairy godmother must have heard my muttering as I shifted papers from side to side around my large keyboard. I loved the keyboard; however, it hogged too much of my workspace. I needed a keyboard with a slimmer profile. Logitech advertises this set as: “The Cordless Desktop for your flat-screen monitor”. I do have a flat screen monitor, and this keyboard looks fabulous with it. However, this keyboard and mouse work equally well with a CRT monitor.
The L-shaped receiver can be positioned several different ways. It can sit on the desktop (either upright or on its side), or it can hang over the desktop so that the indicator lights are easily visible. The arch in the receiver allows one to view the indicator lights for the Caps, Numbers and F-Lock lights even when the receiver is partially covered with a paper.
At first I wasn’t sure if I would like the mouse. The mouse is low where the two mouse buttons are located and sits high at the back where the palm rests. Once I started using it, though, I loved it. This is the fastest responding mouse I have ever used. At times I wonder if I should reduce its pointer speed. The cursor travels fast across the screen ... sometimes zooming so fast that I lose sight of it. Reducing the speed would solve the problem, but I admit that I like the fast response.
The keyboard is a joy to use, and it is streamlined to take up less space. I love the way it is laid out with the narrow left and right vertical column of buttons along each outside edge. At first I had to become used to the new location of the Home, End, and Delete buttons. Quickly, though I adjusted and appreciate the enlarged Delete button, which is the size of two regular keys. The dual-function F-keys are helpful, too. I programmed the four F-keys (F9 - F12) to open my four most-visited websites. The keyboard has a great feel, too. I can type a long time and not feel hand fatigue.
This system has a "sophisticated battery management technology". Logitech says this means that battery life is estimated at six months or longer. So far I have not had to change the batteries in either the keyboard or mouse. The battery indicator on the keyboard and/or mouse will start to flash red approximately ten days before the batteries need replacing. It’s great that I’ll some warning when the batteries need changing.
Using This Set with a KBM Switch
A few months after I received my Logitech Cordless Desktop S510, my brother bought the same thing. He didn’t even know I had one until we started talking about keyboards. My brother has a unique setup for his computer. The keyboard and mouse are hooked up through a KBM switch that allows one to use the keyboard and mouse between two different PC systems. He installed the SetPoint software. However, Logitech does not support a KBM switch, so my brother is unable to use some of the special features of the keyboard. His SetPoint software doesn’t even show some of the options that my software does, and we are running the same version. For instance, he cannot program the four F-keys (F9 - F12). The F-keys (F2 - F8) do not perform the special shortcut functions such as opening MS Word or Excel. However, the F1 key does test the keyboard battery status. On the left side of the keyboard, the rotate and zoom buttons do not work. The right side of the keyboard with the multimedia buttons works fine. One thing about the volume, even though the volume button works, there is no way to know how much the volume is increasing or decreasing. When the SetPoint software is functioning, a horizontal line of green bars briefly appears on the computer monitor, indicating how much the volume is being increased or decreased. The mouse works fine with the horizontal and vertical scrolling; however, the SetPoint software does not allow the middle button to be programmed.
Purchasing
This keyboard and mouse set was a gift. However, I liked it so much that I purchased one from Best Buy for my parents. I paid $70.00 for the set.
Summary
I thoroughly like the Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 set. The keyboard freed up space on my desktop so that I can more freely spread papers out. That’s a big bonus. I enjoy the feel of the keyboard, and the mouse certainly has speed. It’s a testament to this set that I bought one for my parents. And they love it just as much as I do.
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
System Requirements
* PC with either Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP
* One USB port or two PS/2 ports
* CD-Rom Drive
Product has a 5-year limited warranty
Please read my other reviews:
Logitech V200 Cordless Notebook Mouse
Logitech MouseMan Dual Optical Mouse
Logitech Harmony Universal Remote Control
Sony MicroVault 512mb USB 2.0 Flash Drive
SanDisk ImageMate 12-in-1 Card Reader with Docking Station
Dazzle 6-in-1 Card Reader
Belkin UPS Emergency Battery Backup – F6C-750AVR
Concord Eye-Q Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot A400 Digital Camera
Koss KTX-PRO1 Headphones
Toshiba Satellite Notebook Computer with 15.4" diagonal widescreen
Antec Notebook Cooler – to prolong computer life
Copyright 2006 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 70.00
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