Jonas Review Editor – Page 9

Evoluent Mouse Review

Posted on April 22, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) is a rapidly growing health care problem. True, no one is going to die from this condition, but there are plenty of folks out there developing hand and wrist problems. This should not be much of a surprise to anyone, as many of us now “live digitally.” We work at a computer eight plus hours a day, with infrequent (or no) breaks, to make a living. Then we go home for a few more hours of emailing, web surfing, blogging, shopping, gaming, and even planning our next vacation from all of this (which typically involves most of the above activities!). Unfortunately, this involves interfacing through the lowly mouse. Is there any wonder with all of this mousing around, that we have a growing problem? On top of all this, we have an aging population, with increasing amounts of arthritis in our senior citizens.

Computer mice were never designed with this many hours of use in mind. The first mouse was patented in 1964, and has not changed shape over the last 40-odd years. Very few things in computers can claim that sort of longevity with so few changes. Through the years, variations have been tried with mild success, such as trackballs, but nothing ever really gained mainstream acceptance. True, there have been evolutionary improvements along the way (both scroll wheels, and cordless technology to enhance the experience come to mind), but nothing truly revolutionary.

Evoluent built a different sort of mouse. In fact, this is the company’s sole product. Attempting to provide the user with a more comfortable mouse was the goal with their original Vertical Mouse (released in 2002). In the different forums I researched, I found that some folks swear by it for making their computing more comfortable. With Evoluent’s release of the Vertical Mouse 2, they have updated their mouse to make it more competitive with current offerings. The Vertical Mouse improved from using a mechanical to an optical engine, and the styling was updated. Before I get to the specifics, let me point something out: I have no doubt that Evoluent has its work cut out for it as it battles “the establishment.” As any salmon will tell you, it takes a lot of work to swim upstream.

The idea here is that the wrist problems develop from the angulations of the wrist during long periods. Using a gel wrist rest helps to reduce this, but not eliminate it (I personally use the excellent Belkin mouse pad with the gel wrist rest). I find that it helps a lot, but during long periods of computer use, there is still some stiffness. The Vertical Mouse 2 attempts to solve the problem differently. Instead of having the hand in a horizontal position, the hand is in a vertical position. This is a neutral position for the hand and forearm as it approximates a hand shake. With the vertical configuration, the pressure stays naturally off the wrist.

Enough of the biomechanics, let’s look at the product itself.

The Evoluent Vertical Mouse 2 is available in both left- and right-hand configurations. I evaluated the right handed model. The product is corded, and comes ready for USB, with a PS/2 adaptor included. This allows it to work with any computer, even notebooks. The mouse’s color scheme sports a matte black body with glossy purple buttons. This gives it a youthful, up-to-date look, but ensures it will match only the Abbey (the lab tech) on NCIS’s Gothic décor. It will look more in place on The Apprentice’s desk than in Donald Trump’s office. I personally would have preferred it without the purple, and either all glossy or matte, but this is just my opinion.

The optical sensor uses a high (1200) dpi configuration. This mouse tracks on every surface I threw it on including clear Plexiglas. The mouse covers more distance on the screen for a given movement on the mouse pad than some others I have tested. This does make the mouse a little jumpy when trying to execute a small movement, but I acclimated to it fairly easily.

The Vertical Mouse 2 is larger than most regular mice, especially in the height department. The size is 11.7 cm by 7.6 cm by 7.6 cm, and the cable is a generous 2 meters. For some perspective, the Logitech V500 Notebook Mouse was only 1.125″ high, and is quite hobbitlike next to the Evoluent unit.

The Vertical Mouse has three buttons along the right side, with the scroll wheel in between the 1st and 2nd buttons. There is an additional button along the left side which the thumb can press. There is a cutout on the left side that the thumb fits naturally into. When the mouse is first plugged in, without any driver or software installation, the 1st finger depresses the left mouse click button, and the 3rd finger depresses the right click mouse button. The scroll wheel also functions with no ‘clicks’ so it feels smoother, but I missed the feedback that the clicks provide. The middle button and left side thumb button are not enabled without the software installed.

The software installed smoothly, and enables additional functionality. Now each of the buttons can be custom configured to your needs and tastes. I chose to make the middle 2nd finger button a “double click” button. This automatically double clicks the selected icon, with a single press of the button. The left sided thumb button I selected to be a backspace button. As my 5th finger never seems to be able to reach the backspace key easily on the keyboard, this worked well for me. Additional available options included adjusting the double click speed, and setting how many rows the scroll wheel go at a time. The mouse is reported to be compatible in Windows 98SE, ME, NT, 2000 and XP, as well as Mac OS 9 and 10 (extra driver and cost needed for all buttons), UNIX, and Linux.

I had the mouse installed on my main desktop computer for over a week and used it for all my mousing needs. The buttons on the mouse, though plentiful, took almost no time to get used to. There is definitely a very “natural” feeling to this mouse. It did feel a little chunky in the grasp, but it glided on the pad with minimal effort. I used it on my Belkin mouse pad with a wrist rest, and it was comfortable. The mouse proved an able partner in all computing tasks, including Web surfing, word processing, spreadsheets, and games. More than once it had me thinking “Why didn’t I think of this?” There was definitely a contemporary simplicity in its design and layout.

What were the downsides? Of course, there were a few. First, I felt a little tied down with the cord. I’ve gotten used to (spoiled perhaps?) the freedom of a cordless mouse, and with the Vertical Mouse, I was restrained to the mouse pad. No picking it up and using it on my thigh or another surface. Secondly, the height did not work well with my keyboard drawer. The Vertical Mouse 2 is about 3 times taller than most mice. With the mouse on the wrist pad, the drawer would not close. This in turn made it very difficult to reach the surge strip under the desk mounted on the wall. So I had to pick the mouse up on the desk, but the cord now was pulling with the drawer closed. I definitely was missing a wireless mouse with no cords in the way at this point. This is the type of uphill battle I was talking about: the world is set up for a certain type of mouse, and it is difficult to do anything differently. Finally, the size of the mouse precludes it from being portable, unless you think Dell’s USS Inspiron with the 17” widescreen and 10+ pounds of heft is perfect for toting on your next Hawaiian holiday.

This product is designed for the desktop computer user who suffers from RSI, or is at risk for developing it. While a retail price of $74.95 is expensive for a corded optical mouse, niche products always carry a premium price. Just like “fat free,” “no salt,” or lately “no carbs” are more money than the “regular” variety at the supermarket. As a mouse, the product is solid, comfortable, and the included software fine tunes the controls to your needs.

Strengths

very comfortable to use
programmable buttons
adequate cord length
excellent 1200 dpi optical engine
can be used both PS/2 and USB

Weaknesses

color scheme (this product is different enough without being purple as well)
corded, not cordless
too high to fit under desks with keyboard drawers
no clicks on scroll wheel
price
size precludes portability

Who should buy this mouse?
RSI sufferers who can give up life with a cord to be pain free.

Buy the Evoluent VerticalMouse 2 – Right Hand edition from Amazon

Special thanks to Evoluent for supporting this review.

Kensington Pocket Mouse Micro Optical Wireless Model 72237

Posted on April 12, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

The Kensington Pocket Mouse fits in between the other two mice: in size, features, and price. The mouse itself features a sharp black and metallic silver design. It reminds me of the interior of an Audi TT. The mouse is symmetrical allowing for left handed use. The mouse glides with minimum effort, and clicks satisfyingly. The scroll wheel is rubberized and works well. Included in the package is the mouse, the transceiver, a manual, and 2 Duracell AAA batteries, but no carrying case. The manual states that there is software to be downloaded off the company website, however the mouse worked just fine natively in Windows XP Home without any additional software.

The wide body allows the transceiver to be housed in the body of the mouse. With this slick design, pressing a button on top of the mouse pops out the transceiver, which can only go in right side up. The transceiver is small enough that even with closely spaced USB ports, it does not block the other ports. The space in the mouse gets covered by a pop up door to cover the opening which keeps dust out and maintains the sharp lines.

Power is supplied by 2 AAA batteries. The battery compartment is accessed by pressing the black top in the center. There is no published battery life estimate. They lasted over 10 days of testing with no problems. The battery power indicator is the translucent scroll wheel, allowing the red LED to shine through. This is a very neat feature, which looks especially dramatic at night. Popping out the transceiver turns the mouse on and replacing the transceiver turns it off.

The Kensington Pocket Mouse uses a Quick RF technology (30% faster according to the package). I’m honestly not sure what this is supposed to mean, but it does work very effectively. It has a working range that matches the Logitech product, with a generous 12+ feet measured. I believe it uses the 27 MHz frequency. There was no interference with cordless phones or my WiFi network during testing.

The optical engine uses Diamond Eye technology. This is an 800 dpi sensor. It tracked accurately on every surface tested, except the very difficult glass window that fools most mice. It never hesitated or lost communication on a variety of surfaces including carpeting, formica, and my pants leg!

Overall, this was a strong entry. The Kensington Pocket Mouse also is LD Approved. While it retails for $49, the street price is less. One downside is that for users who like to keep their notebooks permanently set up with the transceiver in the USB port, there is no way to turn the mouse off without removing the battery cover. This may not be a big issue though, as the mouse goes into a sleep mode after five minutes to conserve battery power.

Belkin Mini Wireless Mouse #F8E825

Posted on April 12, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

The Belkin Mini Wireless mouse is an affordable choice for a notebook mouse. The mouse is the smallest of any tested which contributes to its portability. It is made out of plastic, and features tasteful silver buttons, a rubberized plastic black bodyand a rubberized scroll wheel as well. The body houses 2 AAA batteries for power. There is an on/off switch on the bottom of the mouse to save the battery when not in use.Adults with large hands may find the mouse is too small to use for extended time periods. For children, and adults with smaller hands, it is a comfortable, and a usable size.

To operate, the Belkin mouse requires plugging in a transceiver into a USB port. While not large, with the arrangement of USB ports in notebooks, it will probably obstruct the port next to it. As many notebooks come with 3 or 4 ports, this is probably not a major issue for most users.

The Belkin mouse operates on the safe RF frequency that many other mice and wireless keyboards use. The RF frequency is relatively uncrowded, and should not interfere with anything else you have. If other users are around using it, you should be able to find a clear channel (there are over 2000!). The range is stated to be 3 feet, but I measured only 2.5 feet in testing. If you need a little more range, the included 3 foot extender cord can be used to relocate the transceiver to a closer position. This was the only mouse to include an extender cord, and its generic USB interface could be used for other products as well.

The 800 dpi sensor performed well. It tracked across all surfaces, except glass, as expected. It tracked perfectly on a tabletop, however, on gray carpeting it would infrequently (once or twice an hour) lose its bearings for a few seconds. A more even surface remedies this, but I was pushing it to the limits for the purposes of testing.

The mouse included written documentation, as well as the driver on a CD. The mouse worked fine without the driver installed on my Windows XP Home computer.

While the mouse is small, the transceiver could be slightly smaller. It would be great if there was a case included (a mouse-house?), transceiver, and the wire, however, there is none. These are quibbles though. The mouse is a bargain at $29, and for the budget user with smaller hands, this is a solid choice.

It should be noted that during testing, Belkin introduced a newer model of this mouse In fact, it was so new, that none was available to complete the testing. We look forward to testing their newer model at a later date to see what improvements have been made. A smaller transceiver, a longer wireless range, and a case to keep the mouse and transceiver together on the road may earn this mouse the LD Approved rating.

Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse

Posted on April 12, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

If you want the “Wow” factor in a notebook mouse, look no further; this device will impress all who are in proximity to it. This notebook mouse takes the whole cordless mouse category a step higher, and puts many desktop mice to shame. I am a fan of Logitech mice and keyboards and view the company’s products as the BMW of peripherals. If the Bluetooth diNovo is their equivalent of a 745i flagship sedan, then their V500 mouse is their M3 sports car.

The Logitech designers, in fact, could teach a thing or two to the automotive industry about sleek. The fused aluminum skin and integrated left/right buttons exude a modern technology appearance. Careful examination reveals a “4-way solid state scroll panel.” This touch sensitive panel replaces the traditional wheel. This also eliminates moving parts and makes the whole device more rugged and mobile. With the scroll panel, you can scroll both vertically as well as horizontally. This is the only mouse tested here with horizontal scrolling (great for heavy spreadsheet or graphics users). It is very easy to acclimate to and use. For scrolling a long distance, just hold your finger down in that direction at the end of scroll panel, and it keeps on going. The scroll panel works so well, I would be surprised if it didn’t appear on some premium desktop mice in the next year or two.

The mouse uses 2 AAA batteries, and is claimed to last for 3 months. While I can’t verify that claim, I will say that I left the Logitech mouse on for over 48 hours by accident (after the photo shoot), and had plenty of power left to complete testing. There is an LED at the back of the mouse that glows green on initial start up if the battery is ok, or red if weak. This is the only tested mouse which provides battery status information.

The Logitech mouse is a little larger than the other products in terms of its width, but I found it more comfortable to hold and use. This also allows the USB wireless transceiver to fit within the body of the mouse for storage. This is a key feature making you less likely to lose the transceiver (the smallest tested), and making it easier for travel. The small transceiver fits nicely in the USB port, and did not block the neighboring ports from use. The transceiver fits into the mouse either right side up, or upside down making it easier to pack up when they announce final boarding in the Dallas/Fort Worth airport. A case is included for the mouse to make transit easy as well. Another nice feature is that the mouse pops up via a switch on the bottom; it goes up ¼” inch, which is 7 degrees. This makes the mouse higher in the back resulting in a more comfortable feel, especially for larger hands. The switch that pops the mouse up also turns the mouse on and off. The mouse is symmetrical, so it can be used by both left and right handed users equally.

The Logitech product also has the best optical sensor here, the “all terrain” optical sensor. While I won’t be trading it in for my four wheel drive in the next blizzard, it uses a leading 1000 DPI camera, the highest of any portable mouse I encountered. The mouse tracks accurately on EVERY surface I tried. This mouse even tracks on a glass window, the elusive “holy grail” for optical mice, and something no other mouse in this article can do. Heck, very few desktop mice can accomplish this feat including the Logitech MX 900 (part of the diNovo desktop package). Gamers will especially appreciate its fast and accurate tracking on a variety of surfaces. This is a great feature on the road, as it means you can leave your mouse pad at home, and have one less thing to carry.

The wireless technology for the mouse is also a standout here. The other mice here use an RF (radio) interface. The Logitech unit uses the 2.4 GHz frequency (also shared by Bluetooth, many wireless phones, and WiFi “b” and “g” networks). Interestingly, it is stated that this is a Logitech proprietary interface, so don’t expect a free Bluetooth transceiver here. That said, despite the crowded frequency, I experienced no interference with wireless networks, Bluetooth devices, or the cordless phone. I was able to surf the Web on a WiFi network using the mouse with no slowdown at all. The range is stated at 30 feet, far longer than anyone would use a wireless mouse from their notebook. I was able to verify the range to 12 feet, but with my notebook’s 12” screen, everything became a bit of a blur anyway.

The packaged contents include written documentation, the 2 AAA batteries, a travel case, and the software on a CD, as well as the mouse and transceiver. The mouse performed fine without the software installed on a Windows XP Home notebook; the software needs to be installed for the horizontal scrolling to be enabled.

Is there a downside to all these standout features? Of course, there has to be one. In addition to the longest range, highest dpi sensor, and smallest transceiver comes the highest price tag. At $69 retail, this mouse crosses the magic $50 barrier. Looking around, some retailers sell it for less, but it is still more than an impulse purchase. Something this finely crafted will likely outlast one or even two notebooks, so from a long term perspective it is reasonable. The price does give the user some exclusivity; I think this is the best mouse for the road warrior who can purchase it on a corporate account. Tell your boss it will increase your productivity on those spreadsheets, and leave out the part about Unreal Tournament after hours at the Doubletree on their wireless network. The Logitech V500 Notebook Mouse is LD Approved.

Notebook Mouse Roundup

Posted on April 11, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

With each passing year, notebook computers constitute a greater percentage of overall computer sales. Soon, for many folks, their only computer will be their notebook computer. One of the disadvantages of a notebook compared to a desktop is their inferior interface. Keyboards are cramped and have limited key travel. They never have a mouse. To control the cursor, they have either a pointing stick or a touchpad interface (or in a few cases, both). Personally, I greatly prefer the touchpad, but both options have their proponents.

Many newer touchpads have a scrolling function built in. Homebodies and road warriors alike use their notebooks ever increasingly and they seek both comfort and ergonomics, not to mention trying to avoid RSI (repetitive stress injury). This is why users need a portable mouse. These tend to be smaller than a standard mouse in order to make them convenient to carry around. I chose to focus on wireless mice because they are the newer products with the latest technology. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first attempt to compare these products against each other in such a fashion. As usual, here at LIVEdigitally.com we set the bar just a little higher.

Just a note of caution: None of these wireless mice (or any other wireless anything) should be used on an airplane. You probably don’t have enough room for a mouse anyway with those cramped tray tables. If you did, than you would need a wired mouse to comply with airline regulations. In other words, don’t blame me when the Flight Attendant is reporting you the Sky Marshall for mousing at 40,000 feet.
Continue reading →

Flash Card Memory Roundup 2005: Introduction

Posted on April 1, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

Which Card Will Quietly Dominate and Why

The humble flash memory card quietly provides the storage for today’s electronic devices. Handheld computers, iPods and other portable music players, digital cameras, and even some cellphones and camcorders utilize flash cards. These cards are available in more varieties than Baskin Robbins ice cream flavors, and there’s always some new smaller card that just came out with some reported advantage. Thankfully, selecting a memory card format to invest in is not as random as selecting a roulette number at Vegas, and the key is putting the house advantage in your favor. This article reviews the current cards on the market with their potential advantages and uses, and highlights some future directions. No one likes choosing a dying standard, and I’ll point out the likely winners of this high wager business. After all, no one needs a drawer full of expensive, but outdated and useless memory cards.
Continue reading →

Logitech diNovo Media Desktop

Posted on February 17, 2005 by Jonas Review Editor

I built my last computer a little over a year ago, and I tried to keep it within a tight budget. I reused an old Pentium-era IBM keyboard, and a bargain optical mouse (not too much excitement in the mouse/keyboard industry over the last decade). I selected a small form factor case from Shuttle, which freed up valuable desk real estate, but the keyboard and mouse took up quite a chunk of the desk. Real estate on my desk is almost as valuable as land in downtown Manhattan; it’s always at a premium.I view Logitech as the BMW of computer peripherals; premium products for the discriminating taste, with a hefty admission price. While I have tried “multimedia” keyboards before (and been less than impressed), this one takes the category further. The whole package comes in a black and dark gray color scheme accented by green and blue LEDs and silver buttons. It is very cool and ultramodern with a European flair. But design is only the extra touch. I will explain who can most benefit from this progressive hardware and why.

The product I am talking about is the Logitech diNovo Media Desktop. Di novo in science means to synthesize from the basic parts, and this is an apt description of this input system. There are four major hardware components to the system (all are wireless): the keyboard, the MediaPad, an optical mouse, and a hub. Also included was an AC adaptor, 6 AA Duracell batteries (4 for the keyboard, 2 for the MediaPad), 2 NIMH batteries (1800 mA) for the mouse, as well as a software package on CD. The package is made even sweeter with the inclusion of a five year warranty.
The setup went fairly smoothly, and took a little under one hour including software installation. An hour is a long time for a keyboard and mouse, but this is not your run-of-the-mill keyboard and mouse! I followed the setup poster as there was no printed manual (the interactive software does function as a manual, but I still prefer something to carry around and read when I have some time). I was a little apprehensive taking my old keyboard and mouse away, thinking “if there’s a problem, how would I recover the system with no working input device?” This theoretical concern quickly vanished as I proceeded.

The AC adapter connects to the USB connector which provides power to the Bluetooth hub (which is also the mouse charger – very cool). The hub is about the size of a Palm cradle and connects to the desktop via USB or a keyboard ps/2 connection. With batteries installed in all the devices, I powered up the whole system. The mouse worked right away, however the keyboard did not. After noticing and depressing a ‘connect’ button on the bottom of the keyboard and a similar button on the wireless hub, the keyboard worked as well. A similar procedure got the MediaPad working. The same connection step is also shown under each of the three components. Interestingly, the setup poster, which detailed the battery installation, did not list this step, but did place it on the reverse side as a “solving setup problems” procedure. With a working keyboard and mouse, I continued on to install the software.

The software is called SetPoint (version 1.05b): Logitech diNovo Media Desktop which is designed for Microsoft Windows XP and 2000 only; older operating systems and Mac users are out of luck. As the software is installing on your PC, each part verifies its connection to the wireless hub to ensure secure communications. It reportedly uses 128-bit encryption across 70 frequencies, and as long as you don’t work at the CIA, this should be adequate. The software includes optional installation of Windows Media Player 9, and a Bluetooth phone utility. It also asks which media player you wish to use by default; I selected Winamp 5.08C which I favor for music files.
While I have heard about Bluetooth for several years, this is the first Bluetooth device I have owned. Bluetooth is supposed to have a 10 meter range, I had at least that, and that was through interior walls. The Bluetooth hub is designed to act as a wireless hub for other Bluetooth peripherals, an added function of the whole system. There is a utility included in the software to set up other Bluetooth devices (up to seven can be connected to the hub). The hub holds the mouse when not in use and charges it through direct (probably gold plated) contacts. As a nice touch, when the mouse needs charging, its LED glows red. When placed in the cradle the same LED flashes green, and then glows a steady green for five minutes before turning off. The same LED flashing red, and then green reminds me of the two color LED on a LiteOn optical drive – always very cool.

The mouse supplied is the Logitech Mx 900 Bluetooth optical mouse. The mouse alone retails for $100 with the Bluetooth Wireless Hub. The included mouse is clearly made for right handed computer users. It has just the right amount of weight to it to impart a sense that it is finely crafted. It tracks just fine across just about every surface except a piece of glass (I still suggest using a conventional mouse pad to save your desktop surface though).The mouse also features a rubberized scroll wheel, and there are two scroll buttons to facilitate scrolling through very long documents. Near where the thumb rests, there are two shortcut buttons that correspond to the forward and backward buttons on a browser. The final button sits on top and when pressed brings up the “Logitech Quick Switch Program Selector.” This handy feature allows one to the quickly select between open windows on the desktop. Ergonomically, the mouse fits very well in my right hand. For those of us that spend more than a little amount of time with their computer, a comfortable mouse is a necessity, and in my opinion, this one fits the bill for the vast majority of users.

The next component in the system is the Bluetooth keyboard. The keyboard features a zero degree tilt design, as well as some additional keys. The flatness of the design and the slightly less key travel gives this the feel of a notebook keyboard (except it doesn’t sag in the middle). Even the rarely used “F” keys across the top are given the half size design similar to many notebook keyboards. For the “two finger typist” this works well, and is equally comfortable for standard typing technique. The keys have a dulled “clack” to them which provides good feedback and is reassuring as well. There are also some additional keys on the keyboard which stand out because of their silver color.

In the upper left there are shortcut keys for opening your internet browser to its home page, opening Outlook, and initiating a web search. In the upper right side there are short cut keys to control volume output. These functioned very well on my system and saved the need to redo the master volume when switching programs (thereby fixing a bug!). The final set of additional keys is the media launcher button, and controls to play/pause, forward, reverse, and stop to control music or video playback. The same control is duplicated on the MediaPad. Finally, when the Caps Lock key gets depressed, it gets displayed in bright green on the computer monitor. I think all keyboards should have this feature, rather than some tiny LED you don’t notice until 10 characters are capitalized. While the keyboard does not have a wrist rest, it does have two flip up spots to give it some angle. I found it more comfortable that way. After a few minutes, I was comfortable with the keyboard, and the old IBM was on its way down to the basement for storage.
I have saved the best component for last. The MediaPad: Bluetooth Remote Commander. This is a separate wireless Bluetooth component which at first appears to be the numeric keypad to the keyboard. While at first I was disappointed there was no way to lock it onto the keyboard to make one component out of the two, after playing with the MediaPad, I was duly impressed. It features a black and white LED display above the keys which displays the date and time – even with the computer powered off. Along the right side are volume controls, and the media launcher and controls, similar to the keyboard. But they act a little differently.

When used to control Windows Media Player 9, both the title and artist information were displayed on the LED screen which was quite amazing. Unfortunately, this did not work in MusicMatch, nor in Winamp. However, all three players could be controlled in terms of play, stop, forward, etc. An additional feature is that the MediaPad can be put into calculator mode, even when the PC is off. After all, even though we have a computer with a bajigahertz processor, many of us keep a calculator handy for quick math needs. The answers are displayed on the LED readout, and can easily be cut and pasted into on screen applications such as Excel. The third mode for the MediaPad is used to navigate the Logitech Quick Media Launcher. When used this way, it becomes a remote control to navigate music, picture, and video files stored in appropriate My Documents folders. This is ideal for a home built media center pc by adding some of the features of a Windows Media Center Edition.
Overall, I am very pleased with the diNovo system from Logitech. It is probably the most advanced wireless keyboard and mouse combination made today. Frankly, I haven’t had the opportunity to try out many others, but there is a lot of evidence to back the statement up. This is the top of the line from Logitech, and better than anything from Microsoft. Very few other units use Bluetooth with its extended range, frequency hopping technology, and ability to connect with other devices. Most use RF wireless which is limited to keyboard/mice. In addition, this is the only keyboard with a separate MediaPad and display.

I really had to get down to a fine detail level to even find a fault with it. The only drawbacks I have (and they are minor, at best) are:

Long setup with “connect” not a separate step
Number of batteries to power device
Need to keep powered to keep mouse charged

I think this is the first of many trouble free Bluetooth peripherals I hope to enjoy over the next several years. If my old reliable keyboard is a Bic, the diNovo is a Mach3 Turbo!. Both will do the job, but this is definitely the way to compute with a balance of style and performance.Finally, who should actually buy this? I’ll take a look at who I think can most benefit from this great hardware and justify the $249 admission price. After all, this is a premium product, and not for cash strapped budget pc user.

Power users who are comfortable building their own PCs.
This is an ideal choice for a home-built media center pc and is designed with that user in mind. With its wireless range and MediaPad it is a great choice, and with its slick design it fits in well in a living room, den, or dorm. With the Media Desktop software designed for distance use, a user would not miss the “real” Windows Media Center Edition which is not available to install on a home built pc.
Computer users looking to clean up the clutter.
Another potential user is the business executive who wants fewer wires on his or her desk, and who wishes to impress his or her colleagues who have already seen the 21″ LCD flatpanel monitor. Also, when not working with the computer, the keyboard and MediaPad can be placed elsewhere to free up valuable desk space for that “big project.” Having other Bluetooth peripherals to connect and not needing a separate hub increases the functionality of the product.
A number-cruncher
An accountant would utilize the calculator functions of the MediaPad, which would make the system worth the price tag in increased productivity over time. Besides, the MediaPad looks way cooler on a desk than any calculator.

Finally, there’s always the gift for the “Live Digitally” user who seems to already have everything. Trust me they’ll be impressed.

Interesting links
Buy on Amazon Logitech official site

« Previous Page