Customer Reviews

Logitech Cordless Comfort Duo Black

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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I was wary of this package after reading the bad reviews by recent customers here, especially the comments about the awkward key layout. I went ahead because I use a keyboard 8 hours a day or more, practically every day of my life, and I want comfort, wirelessness, and the kind of functionality Mac users usually demand.

The page-up/down keys are unusually placed, but anyone who spends time with the board will get muscular memory going in a short time. I hit those keys without looking any time I choose. It took a day to master without misses.

This keyboard is better than any other I have ever used - full sized, compact, corded or cordless, adb or USB, - I've used them all. This one has the wrap-around key layout that keeps my wrists straight, and a wrist rest that absolutely prevents forearm fatigue I usually get after an hour or so of keyboarding. The key action is wonderful, providing the resilient resistance that makes touch-typing easy and error-less.

The mouse was a wash; it's in the trash, but I didn't buy a mouse; I bought a keyboard. I still use my Kensington wireless, which has superior tracking and accelleration. It's been over a month on the original batteries that came with with the keyboard, two AA's, which makes it dirt cheap to keep in power. Battery consumption is low. The board is a little narrower than some other ergonomic boards, which means it will fit on my lap regardless of which chair I use, wide or narrow.

All in all, this is one of the better purchases I've ever made, and I recommend this keyboard to anyone with high expectations for computer hardware. This is a professional level board, possibly the best there is.

I bought the Comfort Duo to replace a "Natural" keyboard made by another well-known manufacturer. In recent years though, that model has become really cheap and very uncomfortable and awkward to use for anything but the most casual typing, with wobbly keys that bind and cause tremendous frustration.

The Comfort Duo on the other hand is *outstanding* with one small exception. The keyboard feel is very nice, with good but not obtrusive tactile feedback, good key placement, a nice wrist-rest and it looks nice as well. The mouse is superb, although the buttons seem a little closer together than I'm used to with other mice (I keep missing the right mouse button hitting the mouse housing instead) but I'm sure I'll get used to it.

The only disappointment (and this is a big one, I'm afraid - the reason I didn't give this set five stars) is the placement of the Insert/Home/PgUp/Delete/End/PgDn keys. Instead of placing them in the "standard" layout of two rows of three keys each, ordered as I typed them above (heck, even my laptop uses that layout!), Logitech has opted for a screwy three-row layout that places the "Delete" key right where your hand expects the "Home" key.

It's bad enough that touch-typists like me had to adjust to placement of the "6" key on the wrong hand when they started making these "ergo" keyboards, but it's a shame that Logitech had to go and spoil an otherwise perfect keyboard for no reason that I can tell, other than allowing them to shorten the keyboard by a half-inch....

I've been using the original MS Natural keyboard for years and I love it. But I wanted to go wireless so I bought this set. Unfortunately, it falls far short of being functional. Overall, the keyboard and mouse have a nice solid feel to them. The keyboard especially has a nice feel to the keys. Reception has not been a problem at all.

Here are the problems:

Keyboard:
1. The strangely laid out home/end/pg up/pg down/insert/delete keys that everyone has mentioned.
2. In order to conserve space, the different key pads are placed uncomfortably close together. The letter keys, the home/end/cursor keys and the numeric keypad are so close together that they are almost one continuous keypad. This makes it difficult, tactily, to move from one set of keys to another. This sort of defeats my purpose, which was to buy a full-sized keyboard for my laptop. For instance, when I use the page up/down keys, I have to be careful not to press on the numeric keys. These are not things I need to be thinking about when I am touch-typing.
3. Again, a space-saver issue. They have brought the function keys right down on top of the letter keypad and the scroll-lock/print scr/pause keys down right on top of the numeric keypad. I use the numeric keypad a lot and because they have basically added a 6th row of keys at the top, my hand is always positioned on the wrong keys and I'm typing all the wrong characters. Same with the function keys, which I also use a lot. Not only are they right on top of the number keys of the keyboard, they have these sort of random spaces between them, which again, makes them very difficult to use when touch-typing. With this keyboard, I've been forced to resort to hunt-and-peck typing a lot.
4. One last negative. Yet again, a space saver issue. The right shift key has been reduced to nearly a "normal" letter-key size in order to squish the cursor keys right up against the letter keyboard. This makes the "enter" key stick way out past the shift key. And again, tactily, I constantly end up pressing Enter instead of Shift because the shift is a good 3/4 inches in from the end of the Enter key.

Mouse:
1. Huge mouse. Not good for small hands, which I have. It is also a right-handed only mouse. So if you're a lefty, you're out of luck. I'm not a lefty but I mostly use my left hand for the mouse and I switch to my right, when my hand get's tired. It is nice to have that versatility.

I suppose once you get used to these inconsistencies, it would be an adequate keyboard. But I wonder why I should have to relearn to type to suit Logitech's quirks? P>The one thing that the old MS Natural keyboard and that none of these new split keyboards have is the reversed "stand" (can't think of a better word) where it tilts the keyboard AWAY from you rather than toward you like they all do now. When the keyboard is tilted away, it is much much much more comfortable. I have seen other people mention this as well. I wonder why they did away with that excellent feature. Right now I've propped up the Logitech with a piece of wood under the wrist pad. Makes a world of difference.

I've tried several different wireless combos, and this is by far the best for the price. I would recommend that you do not install the software that comes with the package, as it's not needed. Just plug it all in, reboot and you're set! Good tactile feedback on keyboard, and the mouse is comfortable, unless you're a lefty, in which case this won't work... They make a lefty kit, so go for that instead.

I'd been wanting to get an ergonomic keyboard for some time, as I type an awful lot and I thought I'd give it a try. I found this Logitech combo (Logitech's a name I've used and found dependable) that was cordless to boot, and perfectly competitive price-wise with wired devices from other makers. I couldn't be happier. I can't believe I waited so long to go ergo, and to go cordless for that matter (well, cordless headphones still suck). This combo has worked flawlessly for me. The software is just perfect, letting me adapt all buttons on mouse and keyboard to my needs--on a Mac no less, the last, and only, bastion of one-button mouse design. I tested the keyboard to see how well I could send commands from a distance. I was amazed to find that not only did it work wihout a hitch at 6 feet or more, but also even facing in the opposite direction against a wall. I think these products prove beyond a doubt that cordless input devices have finally made it--prove to me at least for sure. Highly recommended.

Having just received a used version of this product from an Amazon reseller today, it seems appropriate to write a review using the LOGITECH CORDLESS COMFORT DUO. Everything but batteries was included in my like-new purchase, including a shrink wrapped Setup manual with a 2002 copyright date.

Showing beginning signs of repetitive keystroke irritation, continued attention to better ergonomic solutions is important. Already I have a fully adjustable Herman Miller Aeron chair, under-desk keyboard drawer, and Logitech Marble Mouse trackball accompanying my standard Mac extended keyboard.

LOGITECH CORDLESS KEYBOARD

[Edited March 10, 2007: Keyboard periodically malfunctions -- either becoming unresponsive to keystrokes, repeating keys with no hands on the keyboard, or locking caps. This may be symptomatic of a defective unit, a serious design flaw or poor battery life. See customer comments.]

I like the fact that the split keyboard is curved in a more natural wrist position. Small legs beneath the keyboard tilt the keyboard forward but can introduce rocking when the palm rest is not securely attached. Just make certain it is securely snapped in. With or without the attachment, the keyboard does not fit in my under-desk tray so it sits on top of my desk. (Therefore, the original keyboard remains in the tray allowing me to use either one.) There are no USB ports on the wireless keyboard.

It does not take long to get used to typing on the split keyboard. Because of the angle, it is easy to accidently transpose the Shift and Return (Enter) keys with my right pinky. Just noticing personal behavior, I tend to rest my left palm on the wrist rest and elevate my right hand so that only finger tips are touching. (The ergonomic manual advises against resting either palm on a surface.) Keys require full depression, which may annoy some touch typists. (I learned to type on a manual typewriter so am used to pressing hard.) Number keys are appropriately split between the 6 and 7. Keys are slightly louder than my standard Mac keyboard with the spacebar providing the most acoustics.

Function keys are from F1 through F12 (typical on Windows keyboards) instead of F16 on the standard Mac extended keyboard (but extra 4 customizable buttons are included on the Logitech keyboard). Modifier keys are clearly labeled with Mac and Windows symbols. There is no light on the Caps Lock key to indicate it is enabled. It's pretty much a given that a keyboard skin for this odd shaped layout is unavailable. Too bad, since I am frequently rinsing the one for my standard keyboard. Perhaps the different location, on top of the desk will keep the Logitech one clean.

It is possible to use the peripherals without the Logitech software (at least on the Mac) but installing enables configuration of four (supposedly five) hot-key buttons on the cordless keyboard and five on the cordless mouse. The installer was straightforward without a hitch on OS X 10.3.9. The same Logitech Control Center can assign actions to my Marble Mouse trackball buttons. Hot keys can open folders, launch documents/applications, go to a Web page, or perform a keystroke, adjust monitor brightness, or eject a CD. Only the so-called power button did not respond to any assignments.

There's a IR connection between the base, keyboard and mouse rather than a battery draining Bluetooth. This is good since there is no switch to turn off the mouse or keyboard. IR range is excellent. Though I could not read the text, the up and down keys scrolled from across the room (about 12 feet) even when the keyboard was turned away from the base. So you could use the keyboard as a (rather large) remote control when watching DVDs. However, the dedicated media control keys (pause, stop, backward, forward) affect iTunes, not DVD Player. The IR apparently also interferes with Screensaver during DVD playback. Normally, the Mac OS does not go sleep or activate Screensaver when viewing movies in full-screen mode; the cursor even fades into oblivion if not used. However, since connecting the COMFORT DUO the cursor remains visible when playing DVDs full-screen and I had to reset the Screensaver not to activate for a couple of hours so I can view an entire movie.

LOGITECH CORDLESS MOUSE

Wireless is nice but the position of the right finger key is not natural for the size of my hand. Though I would like to lose the cord, the trackball is more comfortable and requires less real estate to navigate large monitors. Scaling is surprisingly very good; I can move the cursor from one end of a 1920 x 1200 pixel display by sliding the mouse laterally only 3 inches. The scroll wheel works but feels very stiff with preset clicks resulting in jerky page scrolling. The cursor jumped around too fast until slowing down the tracking speed with System Preferences: Keyboard & Mouse. My fingers are long so the position of the right finger button is not natural for me. I still prefer to use my two-button trackball.

The Logitech Control Center software assigns actions to two fingertip buttons, the scroll wheel (normal or so-called "accelerated" scrolling), scroll wheel click, and right thumb click. I mapped the Tab key to the right thumb button. Though not intended for left handed users, the mouse feels reasonably comfortable in either hand; the thumb button can be clicked with the left ring finger.

BUYING RECOMMENDATIONS

The CORDLESS COMFORT DUO has been all but disowned by Logitech. There is no information about it found on their Web site, hence no available driver updates if required for the next OS. In its place is a similar Windows-only CORDLESS COMFORT DESKTOP LASER with a new mouse, same keyboard layout, and different palm rest. What that means for Mac users is there is no software to configure the hot keys but very likely basic functions of the keyboard and mouse will still work.

If you can find a used CORDLESS COMFORT DUO, it can save you more than half the cost of current offerings. The money saved may be useful in searching out a good mouse replacement. If you use a Windows machine, check out reviews on the LOGITECH CORDLESS COMFORT DESKTOP LASER with software for XP and Vista.

SUMMARY: I'm quite content with this -- it's the only split key cordless keyboard I found. I can clear my desk quickly. I type much more accurately and without wrist strain. But there are some things to know. The worst is that the key board isn't quiet and Mac users can't customize the F-keys. DETAILS: The space key has a definite resound. (You might find that annoying or you might consider it a welcome trumpet that you've managed to squeeze another word from your tired brain.) The shut down key doesn't power up. (The receiver is off, right?) So you need access to your computer to power up. Be sure to download the latest software from the website, rather than rely on the disk. Installation's a snap (on Mac, anyway. Follow the instructions!) The manual incorrectly requires you to press a connect button on the mouse. (There is none! But you don't need it.) Once installed, you don't have to reconnect each start-up. For Mac users, the software supports the latest Intel chips; it also has the command and option keys in the correct, Apple positions (Windows keyboards reverse them); but it does not support configuring the function or regular keys for customized purposes. (Boo-hoo.) You can at least customize five special keys and the mouse. (I now use the thumb and wheel clickers to page up and down.) On-line help isn't good but you can easily call and talk to tech support, (isn't that easier?) I can't compare this unit to others. This has the two features I wanted and it works. The cordless feature w/ optical mouse (and so no mouse pad) makes it easy to clear my desk quickly. The split keyboard makes it easier to reach all the keys with my pinkies (small hands?) and I make far fewer mistakes. (Now if I only had something to write about.) It probably also helps reduce wrist stress. It works fine, so far. The receiver only needs one USB port for both mouse and keyboard

I love the look of this keyboard and mouse because its black and matches all my computer parts. The only problem is setting it up is a little troublesome because they have these "connect" buttons on the IR receiver, keyboard, and mouse that you have to press in a certain order to set it up or else one of the devices won't work. (Receiver, Keyboard, Reciever, then Mouse).

After you get it setup, it works flawlessly. One complaint is the layout of the "Home, Insert, Delete, End, PageUp, PageDown" keys is not to my liking. I prefer them to be 3 across and 2 down, but this one is 2 across and 3 down because I like the "End" button to be just above the "Up" arrow key like it is on most keyboards.

Another complaint I have is that you can only tilt the keyboard up from the back so it slants towards you. I like being able to tilt the keyboard up from the front so its slanting away from you (like some Microsoft keyboards) because I use a keyboard drawer which places the keyboard lower around elbow height. But this is just a minor issue.

Also I don't know why they only included a USB connection for the keyboard and NOT the mouse. If you wanted to use this with a late model laptop that only has USB connectors and no PS/2 then you would run into some problems.

Other than that, its a great keyboard and mouse. I actually have 2 of these (one at work and one at home!)

I just recently purchased this combination wireless keyboard and mouse and am very impressed. I had tried several other wireless mice before and none have measured up to the funtionality and ease of use as this logitech combo. The keyboard has a lot of optional keys to use as shortcuts, they are kind of fun to play with but for the most part superfluous. I would definitely reccomend this product, and I think that it's a great value. You can get an even better deal if you go for the traditional style keyboard as amazon is currently offering a substantial rebate for that option. The split key formation for me, however, is the best choice.

I'd like to submit, simply, that I'm very pleased with this combination. I've read these reviews, and it seems to me that the whiners are nitpicking. The mouse is *better* than my "wired" mouse: more responsive, smoother. I'll hang in and find out about battery life, but it's so smooth and nice, I'm not too trepidatious about keeping this thing in batteries. It's so nice to finally be able to sit back and type! Take care, techies!