Customer Reviews

Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5000 Laser (967558-0403)

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(44)

 

 

I've owned every top of the line Logitec cordless keyboard/mouse combo's since they began making them.. about 3 years ago. I'm not stating top of the line out of ego but more to let you know that I havent owned the more economical packages they have to offer and cannot comment on how they compare.

The previous version I owned was called the MX700. It was a cordless optical mouse and cordless keyboard that use FM to communicate to a base station/charging station for the mouse. They keyboards all use AA batteries. Funny thing was the first iteration of logitec keyboards took 6 batteries then they learned a little and the newer revisions only took 2.

The MX5000 brings in a few techie changes:

Laser tracking on the mouse
Added bells and whistles to the keyboard
Bluetooth communication and simpler interface to the computer

I just picked this up 4 days ago so I'm not really sure what all the extra stuff on the keyboard is for. But its back up to 4 batteries now. There is an on keyboard LCD display (non-color) that shows its status and other stuff. Lighted sliderbars and media player controls on the left side. This kit is pretty much the top of the line keyboard/mouse setup you can buy today.

Things I like:
Laser mouse tracking seems to have a higher DPI rate (accuracy) over the old MX700
Onboard mouse battery power meter
Bluetooth connection plug is much better than the old ps2/usb connectors.
Updated tilt/scroll mouse, back fwd browser nav thumb buttons.
General functionality of keyboard/mouse can be attained in Windows XP without installing drivers (I hate installing drivers when I dont need to and load my systray with junk programs)
It all just plain looks cool.

Things that kind of bother me but still ok:

The keyboard seems to have a sleep mode thats fairly short. I havent timed it but it seems like 30 seconds to 1 minute. It saves battery life but the fist key you type is delayed around 1/2 a second and you can notice the delay between keypress and when it registeres. Could be a problem if you're playing a game and use more mouse than keyboard.

Rechargeable mouse batteries are no longer easily accessable. On the MX700 version, I had to replace the rechargeable AA batteries after using it for 5 months. With the new battery meter, i can more accurately guess when I need to put the mouse on the charger so I can do a better job of charging (rechargeable batteries die after so many charges).

From the previous sets that I owned, I normally wear the mouse out in about 8 to 9 months and thats with one battery refresh. The keyboards seem to have no issue whatsoever and I never even have to replace the Duracel Alkaline batteries that come with it out of the box. Its always the mouse that I have the problems with. The recharge contacts become corroded. Sometimes the plastic around them gets warped from heat during the charge processess. The plastic guide feet on the bottom all wear completely off. The silver finish on the top of the mouse always wears down to bare black plastic.

Keep in mind though, I use my computer an average of 3500 to 4000 hours a year. So I am very hard on mice.

To sum it all up, I really like this keyboard/mouse combo. I like everything about it except the non-serviceable mouse battery and they short keyboard sleep delay. I think the majority of people that buy this setup, will never run in to the problems I do so you can consider this a 5 star product. Honestly, I dont really use any of the other offerings. I've seen them at the store, but the similiar offering from Microsoft, i hate the way the mouse feels. Actually I really dont like the way anyone elses mice feel. Plus, for cool factor.. Who else makes a laser mouse??? Sure it doesnt have any higher DPI resolution than the next down Logitec optical, but who cares.. Its like sharks with laserbeams!

I got this keyboard/mouse to accompany a new computer and I had generally had good luck with Logitech in the past. All luck was gone with this product - the bluetooth signal continually dropped out, leaving me with either just a mouse or just a keyboard or neither. If the product works for you, consider yourself fortunate, as worse than the lousy product is the customer service provided by the company. The support phone line is not toll free, they operate bankers' hours (Monday through Friday only), and after the usual 20 minute wait for a live person, I was asked to read off the serial numbers of all 5 pieces, necessitating crawling around with flashlight and phone to get this "critical" information to them. (I can understand the mouse and keyboard numbers, but do they really think I switched out a power cord on them and am trying to con them?)

Then, after a couple reboots, which failed to accomplish anything (I told them I had done that at least a dozen times, but they were not convinced, apparently), I was told that "probably" it was a bad USB plug on my computer, and the company could do nothing for me.

They did not stand behind this product even a little - it was as if they knew they had a lemon on the market and didn't want to get into replacing faulty equipment. For the record, I have a keyboard plugged into that suspect USB port and it works fine.

My $150 investment in this Logitech equipment? It is in a box gathering dust in the garage as it was so undependable and spotty I couldn't continue to use it. For what I paid for it, one would think some help troubleshooting, or some offer to replace faulty equipment, might come with the price.

Logitech has lost my faith and all goodwill I felt for the company.

Originally gave this product 3 stars, and now I wish I could lower it to 2. I wound up deciding I just couldn't deal with the keyboard's shortcomings (see below) and decided to return the item. Unfortunately, the uninstaller left some registry keys in Microsoft Outlook and now every time I launch my email, I get an error message saying Logitech software is missing. After 2 hours on the phone with Logitech (as some have mentioned, the email support is REALLY a joke), the support person gave up and said they would call me back with a solution within 24 hours--that was 4 days ago. Probably spent 10 hours troubleshooting my registry and whatnot and still haven't found the registry keys in Outlook that were left by the uninstaller. So even the software on this particular product seems half-baked.

I'm still very partial to Logitech mice, but I doubt I'll ever buy another keyboard from the company. Bought a corded Microsoft Natural keyboard and have been impressed. This bluetooth thing for keyboards and mice just hasn't been done to its potential yet. To that end, the touch sensitive controls on this board are nothing more than a gimmick. For instance, for volume, you have to run your hand over the slider over and over to get the volume down--and there's about a second pause in between each action. It's the most inefficient thing...useless and frustrating. The mute button, also, barely functions and is really tough to access. And that's a button you want to access quickly. Here it's out of position and you have to touch it very precisely for it to work. Really stupid.

For volume, the "wheel" in the center of the Elite keyboard, for instance, was an enormous step up above this mechanism and Logitech should have stuck with that. As a result of these flaws, there's basically no useable volume control on this keyboard--inexcuseable for a keyboard in this price range. The "zoom" control also, mostly a "neato" gimmick feature as shortcuts are much faster controlling zoom in any application.

Also, the digital display is useless as well. A display has tons of potential, but this doesn't even begin to scratch it. Gimmick-city.

So some definitely silliness and gadgetry prevents this keyboard from being truly superb. Why did Logitech have to overthink this? However, aside from the fact that the rechargeable battery in the mouse can't be removed (like the MX700, etc.) the mouse is close to flawless. Very smooth, comfortable, and accurate. No complaints here. But the software problems and idiotic keyboard layout prevent this from being a workable unit IMO.

Hi everyone,

I just got this new setup today and it has been nothing short of wonderful.

First thing you should do when you purchase this product is go to the Logitech website and download the newer version of the software. This will make the process much smoother and you will enjoy your purchase a lot more. If you choose not to update software, it is much more difficult to manage.

I am a software engineer and an avid gamer. The mouse is wonderful for both and the keyboard has a lot of unique and fun functionality.

If you are reading other reviews and thinking "wow this must be pretty horrible hardware" think again.

Here is what you do:

1. Install the software that comes with the CD.

2. Go to Logitech website and download the update.
2a. During the install, choose all the recommended settings. Microsoft will keep popping up warning that the driver is not supported (you will need to push the continue anyway button ~10 times).
2b. Restart the PC when prompted and make sure everything reconnects properly.

3. Go into the settings for your new keyboard and mouse and setup everything to work the best for you.

4. Enjoy your new purchase.

If you follow this advice, there is a 100% chance you will enjoy your new purchase :)

The mouse accuracy is excellent and the keyboard has great functionality.

This is the first product review I have written on Amazon because I really felt like this product was not being represented accurately via the previous reviews.

The software updates make all the difference. Logitech released bleeding edge technology and the software has now caught up with their ambition.

Give this product a shot and you will not be disappointed.

-M.V.

Like many of the previous reviewers, I have owned a number of Logitech keyboards and mice, most of them the top of the line. This is, without question, the first and only one that I have truly been disappointed with.

The keyboard is the major problem. Logitech's implementation of Bluetooth just is not ready for prime time. The keyboard has a very serious issue with lag time. There is a very slight, but definitely perceptible lag time between the time you hit a key and the time when a letter appears. For someone who can type reasonably fast, this is very annoying. Also, if the keyboard has been resting for several minutes, it often repeats the first key you hit. This is a very serious problem if the first key you hit is a number you are entering on an on-line auction like e-bay. If you aren't careful, you will find yourself bidding $550 when you intended on only bidding $50. This is VERY frustrating.

The so-called touch sensitive medial controls are totally worthless. They rarely work, and they are hardly touch sensitive. I find that the only way to get them to work is to literally press on them with some fairly significant force.

Just typing this review has been a problem because the keystrokes lag behind what a normal keyboard does.

The mouse, on the other hand, is generally pretty good. I don't think the laser tracking is as accurate as Logitech claims, or as accurate as regular optical mice I have had in the past. I suspect that the problem is, again due to the poorly implemented Bluetooth technology.

I have been waiting for Logitech to post some fixes on their website, but as of this date I have found none. If Logitech does not fix these issues, I suspect I will be very quickly tossing this keyboard in the trash and looking for a new one. Its a shame because I have always liked my previous Logitech products.

*****
UPDATE:
I couldn't take it any longer. The delayed keystrokes and multiple key strokes were driving me crazy. I tossed the MX5000 and bought an MX3100. I'm back in love with Logitech. The difference is dramatic. The MX3100, using the "old" technology, works perfectly. Key strokes are accurate, the mouse and all other functions work instantly without delay.

Bottom line: Do not buy the MX5000. The Bluetooth technology is not yet ready. Stick with what works. If you were considering the MX5000, you will be much happier with the MX3100 (and a little richer too).

I had a very poor experience with the Microsoft Media Center infrared keyboard and I wanted to replace it with a bluetooth solution that would - I thought - get rid of all connection problems.

I was wrong. The hardware is very nice but the software keeps on dropping connections.

AS usual, I was very careful: I always read manuals and properly install the software before using any product - I don't want to fail the installation for a very simple reason: the package doesn't come cheap... I am a software developer - I have half a dozen computers at home - and I did everything as instructed. I found the software to be very average in terms of usability (why do they try to do all these fancy effects??), but that's not very important when it works fine.

Unfortunately, after just a couple of days, the keyboard stopped working. I finally managed to get it back by removing the batteries and rebooting the computer (both step were required - the on/off switch didn't work - same thing for the connect button which is totally ineffective). Now, the mouse keeps on dropping connections. After a couple of hours of inactivity, the mouse simply stops responding.

This is simply unacceptable. Logitech knows that this product doesn't work and keeps on charging customers for something that is simply not usable because it wasn't tested properly.

It is a very frustrating experience because the hardware is great. Don't buy this product, you could be very disappointed.

Note that I have seen another installation done by professional Windows system administrators that had the exact same problems.

Now don't get me wrong: the hardware is very nice. I would highly recommend the Logitech VX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks
which is great and had none of the issues I have mentioned there.

I got this keyboard when we got a new PC from Dell. Since I'm using company money, I figured why not get a nice keyboard since I felt that my old wireless keyboard and mouse lagged a little bit. I thought to myself, I wanted my next one to be as precise as they can come! So I put this order together with the PC.

And boy was that a mistake!

This got to our office a few days before the PC came in, I liked the styling and I was so excited to use it, so the moment the PC got delivered, I was raring to go. It worked without installing the drivers and I went immediately online as soon as I got the PC hooked up. I read the reviews and was wondering why other users here gave this wireless combo such bad reviews. I didn't pay attention to the other reviewers and proceeded to install the drivers... and that's where my frustration all started. After several crashes, unwanted reboots and driver installation restarts... I was able to somehow get lucky and install and actually finish the software installation process. The LCD screen kinda impressed me and I even thought to myself how this is all going to be great. Upon using the keyboard and mouse more, however, I find that I'm agreeing with with most of the comments left for this poor attempt for a bluetooth combo. Keys are responsive enough and I like the solid feel, but when you leave it for a minute or two, say you were doing something with your mouse and you suddenly type a command, your keyboard tends to ssssttttuuuuttteerrr... then ofcourse you press enter and the command does not work, which can be very irritating especially when your working with CAD applications. You wonder why your command didnt go thru then you read on the command prompt that you typed SST instead of ST.

Now the mouse! I used to laugh about one of the comments in here where the reviewer complained how the mouse tend to get REALLY slow when it decides to, I even thought that whoever that was who wrote about that must be using a really slow PC which tends to freeze and affect the mouse's speed. WRONG! It does happen, and it happens alot! I have a dual core PC with 1 GB Ram and 256MB Graphics Card and I often feel like I'm dragging a cursor that's tied down by bricks! Did anyone say carpal tunnel ? I think I can FEEL it! The funny thing is that, well, it really is not funny but this happens even if you only have ONE applicatoin running. Believe me I gave this mouse a chance and closed all of my other applications and just stayed on Photoshop thinking that will solve my "slow mo-use" issue but my cursor still behaved erratically with only ONE app running! It works so bad that I couldn't even find where my cursor was at times! the left and right mousewheel is worthless too! especially when you use the middle button function a lot for 'panning' around. Good thing I can disable the left and right function.

SIGH!!! One good point though is that the bluetooth hub works and I am able to connect my phone to my PC... Mouse and keyboard wise though, you can do better. Infact, when I got this, I ordered a Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 with Media Remote for my desktop at home and I never had a problem with that! I'm so happy with that model that I'm actually thinking of getting another one to replace this junk!

So, if you're considering getting a cordless keyboard and mouse combo, and wanted this one because it has the bluetooth function. Think again!

I DON'T BELIEVE IT: I have a Intel mac pro, so I expected to have to return this keyboard asap, but; it was on sale and I liked the look of it so I figured lets give it a try. I plugged in the blue tooth and everything worked right away. Mind you that this was not even made mac compatible. The blue tooth aspect of this device works flawlessly, It has not missed one key or froze up or had to re-boot, nothing of the sort. I think the keyboard has a nice weight to it but it is not too much. The mouse is also very comfortable and user friendly. Actually I can't say a bad thing about it.

USE: I do not use it for gaming or excessive typing, but I do use it for online business and in a recording studio.

WHAT THE HECK IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT: The batteries are 4 AA so I have no idea what some guy is talking about that "they are not user replaceable." Others seem to be having all sorts of bizarre problems but I seem to think that it is probably their computers or installation process went wrong and not this product.
Maybe I am just lucky or just less picky than others but I did not feel other people were giving fair reviews for this product so there it is.
Thanks for reading my review

Before you buy this delicious looking combo read reviews. Problems with keyboard connection and making connection if you are succesful will take between 30 to 60 min(!!) of your time on regular basis. Tried to set up USB bus so it is not disconnected by Windows (to save energy) helped nothing in resolving the connection issue. Tried probably everything. Nothing works to fix connectivity issue. Unless you uninstall ane reinstall software every single day. Simply stay away. Don't even bother.

Previous to this keyboard/mouse set, I had the Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite for Bluetooth, and compared to that product, this is a significant upgrade.

First off, because my dekstop doesn't have built-in Bluetooth, I've had to and will continue to need to use a USB dongle. The MS dongle was huge, and because of its design, it had actually gotten bent over two years of use. (And previous to WinXP SP2, I had to hack it to make it work with my other devices).

The Logitech dongle is much smaller, and is less likely to break in the long run. In addition, with the MS set, there was a latency in response at startup or from sleep that was frustrating to an extent that whenever I restarted the machine, I had to tap the space bar for several seconds for the keyboard to "start up," delete whichever spaces that were entered into the password field of the Windows login screen, then actually type my password. This type of latency was existent even when returning to the computer and after the keyboard and mouse had "gone to sleep."

There is no such latency I've experienced with the Logitech, except when the computer's processor is under heavy load, and even then, it has been miles ahead in performance in comparison to the MS set.

Secondly, the battery life. The MS mouse required a new set of batteries almost every other week (the keyboard, every other month), which forced me to get rechargeable batteries. Even then, it seemed silly that I had to continue to replace the batteries as often to begin with, and there was no simple way to gauge how much battery life was left.

The Logitech mouse is rechargeable, with a small, unobtrusive docking station. In addition, there is a bettery meter built into the mouse that allows me to gauge when I should dock the mouse. I've also noticed that the amount of time the mouse needs to fully recharge is relatively minimal -- a few minutes of recharge is enough to get it going again after a fully depleted battery, and I usually leave it docked at the end of the day to let it recharge fully, although the mouse can go several days (longer than the MS mouse ever did) without recharge.

Thirdly, the functionality of the features is comparable to the MS set I used to have, but with one key drawback. On my machine, an AMD Athlon 64 machine with WinXP Pro, the Logitech SetPoint software crashes every time I receive messages in Outlook, thereby rendering most of my customizations useless. This, however, only affects the six customizable keys on the keyboard, so it's not detrimental to the overall performance in any way -- the rest of the keyboard works just fine even when the SetPoint software crashes.

That said, there are some quirks in the "hardwired" keys:

The Media Control Keys: the "touch" keys on the Logitech is somewhat gimmicky, but they do work. The only problem (and this is a really small, nitpicky issue) is that, as compared to actual buttons and keys, the feedback is not tactile but visual. You have to look at the button to see where they are and to determine if the keys have been pressed, since you don't get the tactile feedback of a button press, and the key lights up instead. It looks nice, and this is a small tradeoff. ANother problem is that, with the MS desktop, I also used to get an on-screen feedback (e.g., for volume, Play, Mute, Caps Lock, F Lock, etc.), which I do not get with the Logitech.

Calculator key: rather than launching the Windows Calculator, the Logitech keyboard has a built in Calculator that shows the calculations on the Keyboard's screen, then copies the result figure into the Windows clipboard. I much prefer using the Windows claculator for a variety of reasons, but there is no way to change this feature.

NumLock key: this might only affect people that play games, so it may not be a tremendous deal, but there is no NumLock key on the Logitech keyboard, and I've asked Logitech whether I can somehow hack this in. No response as of yet.

Synch key: if I were using a Nokia or a SonyEricsson mobile phone, this may be a handy feature to have a Synch key on the keyboard, but I don't use it -- instead, I've assigned it to open a spreadsheet I use regularly.

Other general keyboard related: the overall feel of the keyboard is much better in myopinion than that of the MS keyboard. Also, the Logitech keyboard is much smaller in its footprint, which has opened up my desktop space considerably.


Overall, I'm pretty content with the upgrade, save for a major glitch in the software, which may just be an issue specific to my machine -- I'm waiting for Logitech to fix these issues in a patch some day. In the meantime, however, the rechargeable mouse, the small footprint, the "feel" of the keys, and the overall aesthetic are all significant upgrades, and I am happy with the purchase.