Customer Reviews

Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac ( 967664-0403 )

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(59)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I bought my first Mac (an iMac, all very swish), about two weeks ago. I got over most of the initial oddities of the Mac and came to appreciate very much its overall strength and superior quality to any PC I'd ever owned (and I always owned good ones). The only lasting problem I had was the horribly annoying (for PC users) keyboard and mouse (I had the Mac bluetooth/wireless mighty mouse and keyboard . . . high end stuff for Mac). Traditional Mac users who've never used anything else, simply don't understand the ease of use which comes with most higher end PC mouse/keyboard combos. Though I tried very hard, I found the Mac keyboard and especially the mighty mouse to be simply too focussed on form and not enough on function. In particular, for the mouse, the right click function is just not good enough for ex-PC users, it's really not good enough for Mac in general, given the rest of their quality, but many avid Mac people will have difficulty in accepting this. I don't think it's a matter of preference, either, it's really just a matter of ergonomics and basic physics. Enter, then, the Logitech s530, the product that enabled me to finally find happiness and satisfaction with my iMac. Above all, it works really, really well in terms of system function, which is extended with lots of useful features (Mac addicts will say "I don't know why anyone would use these features, why not just learn six thousand different key combinations instead?!" to which I reply: why not use a single button with a nice little icon on it?!), and very very nice in terms of ergonomics. I bought the bluetooth mac mouse/keyboard with my iMac. I shouldn't have wasted the money. I should have bought this product FIRST and just chucked whatever combo came standard. We live and learn, but I hope mine helps yours.

The logitech s530 wireless keyboard for the Mac is very good. The keyboard's feel is much closer to a laptop (a plus for me), except with 'standard' size buttons.

The mouse, of course, being based on the Logitech 600 series is excellent.

An important caveat: the bundled software, as of this post (11 Mar 06) does *not* work with Intel-based Macs. However, all standard buttons (mouse and keyboard) work as intended.

Because of the absence of Intel-based support, the product warrants 4-stars (otherwise it would easily yield a 5).

I'll start with the positive:

* I really like the feel of this keyboard. It's better than all the PC keyboards I tried and it's much better than the standard Apple keyboards, which feel mushy to me. However, keyboard feel is of course a matter of taste, and I highly recommend trying one out in a store. I had previously bought a keyboard online based on positive reviews, and I hated the way it felt.

* Although I use this in a setting where wireless adds little value, it's still sort of nice. I can pick up the keyboard and put it elsewhere on my desk if I want to sketch something out on paper.

* The iTunes buttons (including volume control and mute) are great. They even work when the screensaver is on, which is not something you get with software-only iTunes controls. With those programs, the keys go to the password box (to unlock your screen) instead of directly controlling iTunes.

* The mouse feels comfortable and has decent buttons (perhaps too many). I've remapped one of the buttons to "middle click" so that I can open new tabs in my web browser.

A few negatives though:

* Being wireless, there's sometimes noticeable lag. This is more a problem for the mouse than the keyboard. It goes to sleep when you're not using it actively, so it takes some movement to wake it up again. With the keyboard on the other hand, I'm using it all the time so it has fewer chances to fall asleep.

* The drivers don't offer all the customization I'd like. For example, you can't reassign the iTunes keys to control another music player. (Note for Intel Mac users: the drivers now work on the Intel Mac.)

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. I'm a very picky keyboard user; I want the keys to feel responsive and give me feedback when the keystroke is sent to the computer. I've been looking for a new keyboard for about a year, and this one is the first one I've been happy with. It's not perfect, but it doesn't seem that my perfect keyboard is out there.

New drivers came our for the Intel Macs.
Owned for about 4 months, and really like this combo.

Small issues - back mouse button doesn't work in Safari,
but does in Firefox. Wish mouse was rechargeable.

Very streamlined, and great feel for both. Battery life on keyboard is very long ... mouse will depend on use.
I only use little receiver in back of Mac, and works great.
A+ for this design.

I am no expert. I've used Macs for 18 years, but my technical expertise is minimal. Given that, I've never been a fan of Mac keyboards--they seem unresponsive. (Laptops excluded). Plus, I was having trouble with the Bluetooth connection on my latest Mac keyboard. Is part of my problem that I started out on manual typewrters, pounding away, and if I was younger I would be happier with Mac keyboards? Dunno.

So I went with this Logitech Cordeless Desktop. Love it. It is reliable, and the keyboard is perfect for me--I can type quickly and accurately. I've had great luck with other Logitech products too.

For the record, Amazon got this keyboard to me quick at what I take to be a good price.

I've had nothing but trouble using any wireless keyboard and mouse with my PowerMac G5. I had an old Logitec wireless desktop that I used for a while but it had no software for the mac thus limiting its capabilities and ability to adjust the mouse. I also tried Microsoft's Laser 6000 series desktop. What a mistake! I could never get the mouse to work properly. Basic pointing and clicking just didn't work. Even typing had problems. The receiver was not even 24 inches away!

Thank goodness Logitech finally steped up and came out with a desktop exclusively for the Mac. I've only had it for about 24 hours, but so far it is working spectacularly! The mouse is very accurate. The keyboard is stylish and has a nice fell once you get used to it. Kind of like the old school pc keyboards. The software is very nice. I would have liked to see more available options for the buttons (like showing the desktop), but with a little experimenting you can get it to do anything you want. The preset buttons on the keyboard required no configuration and work just fine. I like that they are small and unobtrusive. Hopefully this will be a good seller for Logitec and they will continue to produce desktops exclusively for the Mac. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

After reading all the reviews on here I felt I had add my own once I received my keyboard and mouse.

First impressesion is that both keyboard and mouse feel really good. I am used to a natural keyboard, so it is going to take a little time to get used to a "normal" keyboard again. I don't know why natural keyboards aren't popular enough. Try and find a wireless keyboard for your Mac...now try to find a wireless NATURAL keyboard for your Mac...impossible. There are Windows wireless natural keyboards, but I don't want that for my Mac.

Anyway, first I'd like to respond to a couple of reviews here.

To the guy that say that the keyboard was too flat and there is no way to adjust it. You are right about being too flat. But, there are little legs at the back of the keyboard that allows you to raise the back.

Also, to confirm, the keyboard does work on a Windows box. I have the extension piece attached to my PC and I use the USB dongle to switch between my Powerbook and my PC. We'll see how well that works.

All the keys works as expected. The initial set up by the Logitech Control Center of the email and web browser keys where a little strange. The Mail key was set up to open a 'mailto:' url which opens up a new message in your default mail program. The web browser key (home) opens up an empty URL that Firefox give an error on. I guess you are meant to put in your home page address in the settings. I just set it to open Firefox.

The keyboard is pretty clicky. I like how it feels. It's going to get used to like any other keyboard out there. The mouse is pretty good so far. I found it was a lot more sensitive than my old Logitech USB mouse that I was using. I had to turn down the track settings. The forward/back buttons on the mouse are handy. The volume controls on the mouse are nifty, but I don't see that I'll be using those that much.

In answer to the guy that was complaining about the Delete and Backspace keys. They work as I would expect. The 'Backspace' key does a left delete and the 'Delete' key does a right delete.

The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because it isn't a Natural Keyboard. I was expecting what I got, but just to encourage Logitech or other keyboard manufacturers to think about creating a natural wireless keyboard for the Mac.

I just purchased a new Intel Dual Core Mac mini, and was surprised to find that the Logitech software isn't compatible. Though a version is due out by April (according to the company), the lost functionality is a great disappointment. Most of the mouse features can be recreated using USB Overdrive, but there's no way to activate the volume up and down buttons (the mute button works just fine). Unfortunately, USB Overdrive doesn't work with keyboards, so the extra keys (used to launch iTunes, iPhoto, and your e-mail program, among other things) become window dressing.

The keyboard is good, and provides excellent feedback with just enough resistance. The command key is slightly smaller than on the standard Apple keyboard, so you might end up hitting the edge of the option key until you get used to it.

I felt the mouse was too light, even with the two double-A batteries, but this is more of a pesonal preference than anything else. The mouse would also definitely benefit from the additional scrolling buttons ("Cruise Control") included in the Logitech MX1000 Laser Mouse.

If you're looking for the added shortcuts the keyboard provides and have one of the new Intel Macs, wait until April when Logitech updates the software. Otherwise, this is a solid replacement for the standard Apple keyboard and mouse. If you're looking for a really capable mouse, and can afford the extra cost, check out the MX1000 Laser Mouse.

Logitech has always been known for the high quality of its products. I work everyday on a PC environment and recently (December, 2007) bought a new iMac for my home. I love my iMac and my first impression at looking at its new titanium sleek keyboard and the mighty mouse were that those were very cool artifacts. But as you many now know, I find the Apple sleek keyboard irritating and a pain for writers. There is zero ergomics there and the keyboard has a funny feeling that over the times is quite disturbing. The mighty mouse is also a pain to use, and very very slow no matter how fast I set it to be in my system preferences. Desperate for a solution and after reading all the reviews of the third parties solutions, and also considering the quality of Logitech products I decided to buy this keyboard and mouse solution. Let me tell you that the IMPROVEMENT in the user experience of my iMac has has a 180 grade turn. The Logitech keyboard while being sleek is a pleasure to write on, not like the chiclets like awful Mac keyboard. I almost like to write more than I have too, this keyboard is really a pleasure. The mouse is also very accurate and blasting FAST. Is like a 10x improvement in accuracy and speed in comparison of the not so mighty mighty mouse from Apple. This keyboard and mouse is like riding a Mercedes Benz with the reliability of a Toyota. Totally recommended.

Normally, I would not write a review about a keyboard and mouse. In this case I will. I read a lot of reviews that either liked the product or did not. Therefore, I put off buying this product until April 2007. For me:

1. The keyboard (5/5) has been great. Absolutely no problems - but - I did have to get a replacement because the "A" key and "Tab" bar stuck on occasion. Other than that - no problems. It does not feel cheap and it is very comfortable to type on. Oh and Amazon was great in replacing the unit, quickly and professionally.

2. The mouse (4/5) is not as good as my Logitech Revolution, but that is to be expected. The main reason I continue to use the S 530 Mouse vs. the Revolution has to due with the use of my virtualization programs - Parallels and VMware. For some reason the Revolution causes all sorts of problems and at times my iMac will lock forcing a hard reboot. Upon switching to the S 530 Mouse - I have not had any problems, go figure.

3. Using the S 530 with the Logitech Control Software version lcc213 has not presented itself with any problems - none - zip. I have read more posting trashing this software than I can ever remember. For me - I have not had a problem. When I switch in and out of Parallels or VMware - granted not all the features work and to me this is no big deal. Once I close those programs, after a short time all the programed keys on the S 530 return to normal function.

I hope this review will help others that may be on the cusp like I was. I took a chance and for me it has been great. The S 530 replaced the Revolution, MM and Apple's Bluetooth Keyboard. While I would really like to see a BT version, the S 530 has been one of the better investments I have made.