Customer Reviews

Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical Mouse and Keyboard

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

If you're not a gamer, then get this product. They keyboard is very slim and it works great. If you ARE a gamer and are thinking about this product, please read on.
I bought this product because I wanted to control my comptuer from across the room, and the product definitely delivers what it is supposed to. The multi-media control works very well and lets me set the volume without having to touch my speakers or use my mouse. I've heard re-programming all the buttons isn't much fun, but I only use the email and Home one's.
But I bet you're wondering 1 or 2 things. First of all, 4 batteries for the keyboard and 2 for the mouse. How long will it last? Well, the keyboard lasts anywhere from 6-12 months, depending on how often you use it. The mouse on the other hand, only goes about 2-3 months, then it dies very abruptly. Yes, there are power levels, but they're only in vague words.... so it doesn't help very much.
And the second question you're asking is just how well does it perform. Let's start with the keyboard. Normally, the keyboard works fine, just like any other keyboard, but if you want to make sure you're keystrokes aren't being picked up at some frequency and logged (most likely.......they're not), but you have the option of encrpyting everything you send. This does take a toll on the response time though, but nothing drastic. I can still play CS or SC with hotkeys and bindings all intact.
But the big problem comes with the mouse. Your average PS/2 mouse is sampled at something like 40 Mhz in Win98/Me and 60 Mhz in Win2k/NT/XP. You can also tweak it up a bit too. Your average USB mouse runs at 125 Mhz, and while some gamers do go crazy and pump it up to 200 Mhz, most people can't tell the difference.
So what about this mouse? Well the limiting factor is the definitely communication rate between the mouse and the receiver. Thus, through some tests, it clocks in about an average of 50 Mhz. So yes, taking aim in CS will be much more difficult (stats courtesy of dansdata.com).
Personally, I have a USB port in the front of my computer, so I switch to my mouse when I need to be far away, then switch back to a optical USB mouse when I'm gaming.
Oh, and one more thing. If you're comparing optical cordless mice, and you're thinking about the MS Wireless Intellimouse, it's sampling rate is something like 35 Mhz. Pretty sluggish even for a non-gamer....

I recently ordered this product. It's a wireless keyboard and mouse that use radio frequencies to transmit its signal. it comes with batteries to power it and is USB compatible. It's a really great product for people who would prefer to lay down in bed or lean back in a chair while they type. And the mouse is very comfortable. Everything should work fine as long as you keep the reciever away from your computer itself. All in all a good product.

I was very excited to get this keyboard/mouse because I had great expectations after reading so many reviews online that were generally saying "a must-have." Now that I've had this keyboard for almost half a year, I have alot of POSTITIVES and NEGATIVES. First, I'm a serious computer user who sits and types and mouses around at least 8 hours a day...

POSTITIVES: came with 6 non-rechargeable batteries, easy to set up, cool-looking factor, quick access buttons [especially the volume control and side-scroll], keyboard batteries last a long time [couple of months without a problem], mouse scroll is smooth and quiet

NEGATIVES: batteries [whether rechargeable or not] in mouse lasts barely 2 weeks so you better have at least 4 new backup batteries [or the mouse will just suddenly go dead], mouse only takes 1.5V batteries [most rechargeable batteries are 1.2V] mouse sometimes disconnects or stops working and you have to shake it, mouse form is not very ergonomic even for right-handers [those indentations for your thumb and pinky are horrible], mouse clicks are loud, keyboard scroll doesnt work in frames, both keyboard/mouse customizations reset unless you load them in startup menu for windows, keyboard clicks loud, keyboard weight is overburdened by batteries in the front so having it in your lap tends to slip, keyboard is hard to grip if you are carrying it since you may accidently press the power-off/sleep button

OVERALL: if I had known about how the mouse sucks up batteries power like a desert sucks up water, then I would've just bought the keyboard alone. the optical mouse is definitely not for gamers who need accurate surfacing, it is okay for photoshop. the keyboard is a good buy - but the problems with the mouse really devastates the whole Cordless Freedom package.

I would still buy this keyboard and mouse again, but want you to know about two issues: 1) keyboard is slightly larger than my previous one due to the handy scroll button on the left side. So it doesn't fit well in the slide out tray on my desk. 2) make sure you push the connect button on all three devices. The red button on the mouse is extremely small so its easy to miss. Wasted a few hours reading tech support FAQ to find out why my mouse doesn't work when all I needed to do was push the button.

My brother-in-law has the Microsoft wireless optical mouse which I compared to this. The Logitech mouse just fells better and with a lower price, I recommend it over the Microsoft one.

I love this product. I've been using it for 6 Month. Downloaded the XP Drivers and installed them, but you do not need the drivers unless you are after the special Keys and functionality. I have it connected to a MultiSystem Switch with W2K Servers and XP workstations which I use for testing Software and it works without any special drivers. I use it for work and mouse intensive games and I'm happy with it. I use rechargable battery Sets which works out very well. I wish they had a NumLock and Caps Lock LEDs.

This logitech combo is great, love it, i got one at home after having such great success with it at work. A lot of people complain about the battery life/strength, BUT if you run the mouse on a solid colored mouse pad that is also light in color it will increase the battery life by at least 4X-5X. This really works, we tried this with the ones at work, it allows the laser light to rest more, i.e. to go into sleep mode when not in use.

I've had this combo for about 3 years. I've NEVER had a problem with it. I've only replaced the batteries in the keyboard once (as far as I can remember, anyway...they really do last that long). I bought a couple pairs of Panasonic rechargeable batteries for my mouse and they do last a good amount of time for someone who lives on their computer, like me ;-).

I'm heavy into web browsing, doing homework and project work (which is generally ALL computer-based) so the batteries in the mouse get a lot of use and do last a good amount of time thanks to the different power save modes.

The mouse has been through the ringer too, let me tell ya'. It's flown off my desk several times, thanks to inertia (I've retracted the pull-out keyboard/mouse shelf from my desk pretty fast before and the mouse just glided right off!) but it's sturdy as a rock and has zero problems still today. The keyboard's palm rest still functions after the little clips that hold it in place all broke off, thanks to other users of this keyboard that weren't terribly friendly to it, but alas, its functionality remains.

I recently tried to upgrade to the MX700 keyboard/mouse combo, but the newer buttons on the keyboard are mostly useless to me, like the 'webcam' button (i don't even have one), all those retarded F-Lock keys (I rarely use Word, let alone any other Microsoft productivity software) and several other buttons they moved around so it just throws me off, however, the raised buttons for the media playing (play/pause, stop, next, back) are all nicer and more pronounced when pushing them as opposed to this cordless freedom keyboard, but that's a minor observance.

I really wanted to like the MX700 mouse, but it's shape is a little bulkier than the MouseMan, and my hand is pretty small for a guy (they're ony millimeters smaller than my last girlfriends' hands!!!) so my hand just didn't feel comfortable on it and cramped up often. Also, the placement of the thumb buttons just didn't feel natural, as i'd have to move my thumb up constantly, as opposed to down (which i feel is a more natural movement for the thumb) on the MouseMan.

The main reason for this feeling is I have the thumb button on the MouseMan set up as the Alt button because I use a 3D program called Maya that relies on pressing the Alt key plus the left and middle mouse button to pan, scale and move around the 3D scene (which is a CONSTANT occurence) and it's much easier for me to have the thumb button on the MouseMan depressed constantly as opposed to the MX700's thumb buttons. Also, I felt that the 'cruise' buttons and the 'quick switch' button on the MX700 mouse are just too far apart for natural hand movements and really made me strain to reach them. Again, this is probably just because of my small hands, but maybe Logitech could release a slightly refined, smaller MX700 mouse for guys (and girls of course) like me. :-)

Well, that is it. I'm going to buy another one of these sets to have when the one I'm currently using finally dies...if it ever does!!

This keyboard caught my attention mainly because of the color (my moniter was black but my keyboard was white) and of course the wireless components. It is awesome, the keyboard works great, though I am waiting for an update for the software (the media key does not support winamp version 2.8). The mouse works great. I found that it is jumpy if you use a mouse pad. On a regular desktop though it is fine. Also, both the keyboard and mouse work well outside of the suggested 6 foot range. Battery life is my only concern. I got a message on my computer saying the battery level in the mouse was "critical." This after only about a month and a half of normal use. However, I haven't changed the batteries yet and the mouse is still working fine. When the batteries do die, I will replace them with NiMH recharchables anyway. It's expensive, but well worth the price.

It's a nice product if you're just interested in having a wireless mouse and keyboard, and the iTouch buttons on the keyboard work really well.

The problem is that sometimes when you're playing games, the keyboard sends the keystroke signals in the wrong order. I know that sounds strange, and it is. For example, if I quickly type: <enter> hello <enter>, sometimes the game responds as if the letter "o" was typed after you pressed enter. Pressing "o" while in chat mode, and pressing "o" while in gaming/movement mode can mean very different things. Very annoying.

Also, the mouse just isn't that accurate. Granted, this could be because I've been using a Razer Boomslang mouse (which is about as accurate as a surgical instrument), so perhaps I'm hypersensitive. As a gamer, I think the mouse just feels...nerfed. It's fine for desktop and web application use, but it's just not smooth enough for a serious gamer.

I don't want to say, "Don't buy this product," because it's not a bad little setup. It's great for someone who just uses the computer for internet and desktop applications. For the serious gamer, however, this cordless deal just doesn't cut it. I'm returning mine to the Bestbuy where I got it and getting the corded versions of both products.

This is a great setup. Really freed up my desktop. Everything works very well, easy to setup. I am not crazy about the wheel on the mouse - It can be jumpy sometimes and unresponsive others. I also prefer the right mouse button to be set further towards the outside edge of the mouse, or maybe just a little bigger. For my money it was a good value overall. I would definitley recommend it to anyone looking to go cordless. As with anything that is battery operated, don't expect those batteries to last forever!