Home > Consumer Reviews > Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave - with Mouse

I installed this product on my Vista PC with a minimum of fuss. I had to give permission for the installation procedure to access the Internet and I had to download one driver. Everything worked as it should, first time. The keyboard is lighter and flatter than I expected - I thought it was going to have one of those bulky rests for the wrists, but fortunately not. I particularly like the scroll wheel on the mouse, which allows you to move left and right over a document by tilting the wheel left and right. Because the novel features of the keyboard and mouse are ergonomic as much as functional, they may or may not be right for you. The unorthodox key layout will upset some people and delight others. The Home and End keys are aligned horizontally rather than vertically, which makes sense when you consider that they are most often used to go to the beginning and end of lines. The delete key is extra large, on the basis that it is frequently used. If you habitually use several different keyboards and like the keys to be always where you expect them to be, you may be irritated by these innovations. The keys are very quiet, but with a slightly spongy feel.

To know if this is right for you, you need to think about how you work. For instance, if you want a cordless keyboard so you can sit on a sofa some distance from a large screen in a games room or whatever, wouldn't you need a trackball rather than a separate mouse? Also, are you so pushed for space that you won't want this larger than usual keyboard? Personally, I love it. Being free of those cords has made life a lot easier.

This is not, in all honesty, a product that you really need - it is something that you might love to have. This product screams quality, from the packaging (Logitech pack their stuff well enough to withstand cataclysmic disasters, and attractively enough to make it feel like Christmas when you open it) through installation, to use. And the price is good.

Your upgrade path should be: Wait until you need a new PC, then buy one with Vista already installed (upgrading is a pain), then add this keyboard and mouse to your Amazon Wish List, a few weeks before Christmas, and start dropping hints.

Sometimes you buy something and you wonder how you ever lived without it. This is one of those things.

If you are using a keyboard that came with your computer, you don't know what you are missing. Buy a quality keyboard and mouse (any decent one) and give it a try - you won't look back.

I was dead set on buying the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX5500 Revolution (mouse & keyboard combination) instead, because I really wanted the MX Revolution mouse. However the MX Revolution mouse has two problems: firstly an in-built battery which (apparently - I have no personal experience of this) you cannot replace, and some people say has refused to recharge properly after a short period; and secondly (worst of all) no `document flip' feature.

On the contrary, the mouse that comes with the Wave keyboard takes user replaceable AA (not AAA) batteries, as does the keyboard; and has `document flip'.

* Document flip *: Document flip allows you to switch between screens/documents that are open unbelievably fast. While this might seem like a gimmick, it is not - it increases productivity massively. It is just so much faster than the old method. It is selected by depressing the central mouse scroll wheel.

As a bonus, when flipping, the default (for the document that you want to flip to) is the most recently opened document. This is entirely logical - statistically, the document you want to flip to is most likely to be the one last viewed. The net effect is that you find yourself switching between screens without selecting the screen you want to go into. It is almost as if the software knows the screen that you want. This increases productivity.

Document flip is available on the keyboard too, but having it on the mouse is far more efficient. To perform a copy & paste between documents takes a 4 key combination (copy, document flip, select document to flip to, paste) - easily performed with 2 keys on the mouse (document flip, select document to flip to) and 2 keys on the keyboard (copy, paste), but awkward if using three keys on the keyboard. (I programmed the two top left large silver keys on the keyboard to `copy' & `paste'). I never use document flip on the keyboard.

I would avoid the MX revolution mouse owing to the lack of document flip - it depends on how much you value having document flip on the mouse as well as on the keyboard.

* Tactile feedback of keys*: The tactile feedback from the keyboard and mouse is superb. I picked up my old mouse and keyboard and could not believe I ever used them - the key action is atrocious.

* Dust cover*: The keyboard comes with a solid, sturdy, clear plastic dust cover - it is extremely useful. It is actually the cover on the box - great idea.

* Transition to using an ergonomic keyboard*: I was originally put off the Wave keyboard as I thought I wouldn't get used to the ergonomic features - that I would keep hitting the wrong keys. Surprisingly this never happened - it seems that, although it is ergonomic, it is not that different to a standard keyboard regarding where the keys actually lie.

Buy a decent keyboard & mouse (any one) with document flip - you won't look back.

If you found this review useful, please say so - if people do, I might write reviews more often.

This works right out of the box, batteries were included, and I did not need to install any software. All of the keyboards I have used over the years were the normal, straight-key design. Until I tired this keyboard I had no idea how much stress I was placing on my wrist while typing for hours. I enjoy the natural feel of my hand position while using the Wave Set keyboard. The larger keys are much appreciated, as is the oversized delete key. No more hitting the Insert key by mistake while you are in fast type mode.

The keyboard is very comfortable to use but it is a little larger than a standard keyboard, but it does protect your wrist from fatigue. But if you have limited desk space you may need to take that into consideration. I prefer the comfort to the small amount extra desk space you lose. I feel like I am typing on an electric typewriter instead of a standard keyboard; for me that is a plus. It has increased my words-per minute. And I like that you are able to customize the F-keys on the board. This may not be a big deal but I love the convenient one-touch controls for volume and media playback. There are other buttons for photo gallery and more, but I use the volume control the most so it has come to the forefront of my attention.

The mouse that comes with the keyboard is ok. But I miss the functionality and comfort of my old Logitech mouse, and it is only a MX-700. I just got used to the many extra functions the other mouse can do. But if you have small hands you may love the mouse that comes with the set. Plus the mouse has a button control on either side of the mouse. It seems my left-handed friend loves the mouse that comes in this set.

I would have preferred a different mouse, but the lowest rating I would have given the set is 4 ½ stars; the keyboard is five stars, so overall I had to rate it a 5. Note: I have never used a split comfort board and I am running Windows XP Pro. So with that in mind I can say that I can highly recommend this keyboard.

Received my keyboard and mouse today and have to say they are great. Very easy to install, software is easy to follow and there are many customisable keys with functions such as; shut down pc, open windows media player, etc, but you can choose what each button does, e.g. open files, open folders, launch programs, etc. The keyboard itself did not take long to get used to, in fact I'm using the keyboard to write this review and have yet to make a mistake whilst typing! The wave design is very comfortable and feels natural to use once you are used to the difference. Key touch is very soft and wrists are well supported with the soft wrist rest. However if you are not a fan of wrist rests you can't remove it. The keyboard is very light which is great if you want to move with it. There are also 3 heights; flat, 4 degree angle and 8 degree angle. The mouse included is also very good. Its the first laser mouse I've had but it is very precise on any surface. There is a side button on each side, which is again customisable, and I've yet to press them accidently. Also I'm left-handed and this mouse is symetrical so can be used with either hand comfortably.

Overall the package is great I would fully recommend this product to anyone but, especially those who do a lot of typing as the keyboard is so comfortable! Well done once again Logitech!

I've been riding this Wave for about three weeks now, and I could not be happier. I was never all that interested in going cordless, but I wouldn't go back to a traditional keyboard or mouse now if you made me. All those days of fighting my mouse as cords got tangled or I inadvertently placed something on the cord are gone forever. As for the keyboard, I love its shape and feel, not to mention how much quieter the keys are than those on my old standard keyboard. It even comes with its own dust cover - sure it's just see-through hard plastic, but it certainly does the job. I'm constantly fighting a war against dust over the well-being of my computer equipment, and I really appreciate having this new defensive capability on my side.

Have you taken a look at keyboards lately? A lot of the standard ones are barely large enough to hold all of the keys. Those cheap, awful things make life particularly irritating to me because I need something to support my wrists but absolutely despise the bulky wrist pads that some people put in front of their keyboards. This Desktop Wave keyboard gives me the comfortable palm support that I need and want. Speaking of comfort, I would note that you have three distinct height choices with this keyboard- you can let it lie flat (and I do mean flat), or you can select between two different sets of legs to find the amount of tilt that works best for you.

My favorite thing about this keyboard is a little thing. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally hit the Insert key instead of the Backspace key while editing a document, then found myself overwriting the next set o f characters on the screen. That is no longer a problem; not only has Logitech moved that insufferable Insert key well above the Delete key, they've also made the Delete key twice as tall. This makes a huge difference for me. Another little change I love is the addition of a Calculator button near the top right of the keyboard. I find myself needing to use a calculator quite often, and it's always such a pain to navigate through my Start Menu or find the Calculator icon on my desktop - now I can just push a button and voila, there it is. One-touch keyboard access to common utilities is a wonderful thing, and you'll find much more than a Calculator button on this keyboard. You can open and control media with a set of media control keys at the top of the keyboard, while Vista users can instantly launch exclusive Vista features such as Flip, 3D, Zoom, Photo Gallery, and Gadgets from buttons located on the left side of the keyboard. If that isn't enough customization for you, you also have the ability to program all twelve of the function keys to do your bidding.

The mouse packs quite a punch itself. The soft rubber grip and distinctive shape of the mouse make it feel as if it were made exclusively for your own hand. The mouse wheel (which I could not live without) is a wonder in and of itself - not only is it incredibly quiet (unlike every other mouse wheel I've ever used), it also has a Tilt functionality built in to it, and Vista users can activate Flip 3D with a simple click of the wheel. You might not even notice them at first, but there are also two unobtrusive buttons on the sides of the mouse which let you page forward and backward in browsers or Windows folders. You can't get much more convenient than that.

Naturally some time to adjust will be required of anyone stepping up to the Wave Desktop experience, but I only had to deal with two minor issues. I use F5 a lot to refresh my browser, and it is now the middle key in a set of three rather than the first key in a set of four (all the function keys are grouped in threes rather than fours on this keyboard), but it didn't take long to break the old habit that had me hitting F4 rather than F5 for. I also Ctrl+click a lot, and so I'm used to sending my pinky finger to the bottom left key on the keyboard, which means I was hitting one of the Vista-specific keys by accident for several days.

So how does this cordless stuff work, anyway? Well, you have a small receiver that plugs into a vacant USB port, and that receiver communicates with the keyboard and mouse with some kind of laser technology. You can put that mini-receiver almost anywhere you want to in the vicinity of your computer, although you probably don't want to place it in close proximity to your speakers. I actually have mind in the floor off to my left, and I haven't had any communication problems. You will need two sets of AA batteries for the keyboard and mouse, but Logitech actually includes four AA batteries in the Desktop Wave box - and quality batteries, at that. If you're like me, though, you're thinking these batteries can't last very long; however, the estimated battery life for the keyboard batteries is an amazing 15 months, while the mouse batteries can last up to six months. That's pretty amazing to me. Both mouse and keyboard also have a warning light that lets you know when the batteries need replacing.

I think many would agree that Logitech is by far the premier manufacturer of computer peripherals of this type, and they've done nothing to hurt that well-earned reputation with this Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard and mouse.