Every company - especially with electronics - is going to release some duds. This is the reason for warranties. Any of the people complaining in their reviews could easily call Logitech for a replacement easy. As a system admin, I've talked to them before. I've also have had to get replacements for everything from Macs to SIP phones as soon as they came out of the box because they were defective. Please don't judge products by defects out of the box. Get a replacement, and if you have the same problem, either the company has poor QA, poor design, or you could even be doing something wrong. Typically, you do need to keep a keyboard and mouse in straight forward, direct view of the receiver, free of any possible electrical interference.
I received one of the sets that didn't come with a unified receiver. I'm still undecided on whether I'm going to try trading it in. Despite all the melodrama in these reviews over it, I haven't had a single problem with them. Same performance quality as my M550, at a third of the cost.
No skipped keys with typing, and no issues with mouse precision. And I use both A LOT for my work, which includes writing high tech articles and documentation for corporate officers and IT firms. There's always holes in my silicone keyboard covers, so I have to replace them every couple months... just to give you an idea of how hard I am on my PC peripherals.
It is a bit of a bummer this doesn't use the unified receiver, but to be completely honest... it's not a deal breaker for me. I've got a small drawer FULL of them because I've never lost them and never had one malfunction, even though the equipment they came with is all long gone. I bought this set for the keyboard and mouse, NOT for their receiver.
While my M550 is quite comfortable to use at my desk, they're not really ideal for use where I put the keyboard in my lap. I've been having to work from bed lately because my knee is messed up. Rather than give my laptops built in peripherals a beating that may render them useless, I sought out a cheap keyboard and mouse that are lower profile.
The first set I got was the same price as this one. They were okay. That's about the most I can say for them. Cheap construction, and despite the mouse being advanced optical, it still couldn't really keep up with the smooth precision of a laser mouse on my bedsheets. Decent set though for its price, and I would've stuck with it if I hadn't seen THIS.
This is the first time Logi has released an entry level laser mouse, and it's even more shocking they made it part of an entry level set. More shocking still is the price. Logi doesn't typically go around offering keyboard and mice sets for $20.
I almost can't believe I got such a great set for this price. It's typical Logi construction, minus the weights they put in their products to give them a heavy feel. This is what people are talking about when they say this set "feels cheap." They're literally complaining about the lack of little metal weights, and don't even realize it.
The keys are like a hybrid between normal "clicky" keys and silent "chiclet" keys. They are raised and click a little as you type, but they're also cushioned so the clicks aren't annoyingly loud, and they're easier to strike accurately, and harder to strike on accident. ALL LOGI KEYBOARDS ARE DESIGNED IN THIS FASHION. I don't know why some reviewers seem to think it's only this keyboard, but I guess that's a good example of how ones perspective can warp their perception of reality.
I love the keyboard because it's slim profile and portable, while not negating quality in workmanship. The only thing I don't like is they still put those annoying flip out feet on the bottom. Watch out for those, because they will pop out of their spindle and get lost in a heartbeat.
The mouse is laptop sized - so it's about half the size of a regular desktop mouse. It's still ergonomic and comfortable to use. I do wish they included side scrolling, but it's not a major issue to me that they didn't. Since it's laser, it is responsive and accurate on any surface you put it on. Honestly, it's a perfect technology for mobile devices, so it makes me happy that it seems Logi caught on to this.
Both devices can be turned on and off manually, which helps extend battery life by a mile. A lot of companies DON'T include this, and as a result no matter how power savvy the devices are, they'll usually flake out within a week or two because the batteries have gotten drained from being on all the time.
I'm sorry I had to be so critical of others in this review. However, I have noticed a trend in people expecting something to be better than what they paid for, then kick up a fuss because it's not. Is this on par with their $60 sets? No. Is it a great value for $20? Heck yes.
One month later... I'm still loving this set! It's totally perfect for my laptop when I'm not at my desk.
| Processor | 2.4 GHz pa_8200 |
|---|---|
| Wireless Type | 802.11abg, 2.4 GHz Radio Frequency |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 3 years |
| National Stock Number | 7025-01-497-7849 |
