GigaOM » Apple

Logitech’s Wireless Solar Keyboard review: Here comes the sun

Charles Hamilton — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:31:20 +0000

I like the ergonomics of most Apple hardware, but I’ve never been entirely comfortable with the current Apple keyboards, mostly because of their flat key design. For the last couple of years, I’ve used and liked the now-discontinued Logitech diNovo Edge, Mac Edition, so I was interested in trying out Logitech’s new Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac.

At first glance, the K750 looks a lot like the Apple Wireless Keyboard, with the addition of a strip of solar panels above the function keys. It has the standard Apple layout, but adds a numeric keypad, something the Apple keyboard and the diNovo Edge don’t have. Although I don’t use the keypad often, it’s nice to have when I need it.

The keys on the K750 are very comfortable. They have just enough of an indentationthat my fingers know exactly where they are. As always when changing keyboards, it took me a couple of days to get used to the new layout, but I’m now typing as fast as I ever did (which isn’t all that fast).

I found that the keyboard worked right out of the box. It didn’t need any driver software or charging time, even though I placed it in a keyboard drawer away from any direct light source. The free Logitech Solar App for Mac lets you find out how much light the panels are receiving, and how much power the keyboard has in reserve. The app is cute, but it isn’t really necessary.

The K750 doesn’t use Bluetooth. Instead, it’s one of several Logitech products that uses 2.4 GHz wireless and is compatible with the “Unifying” wireless receiver, which allows a keyboard and mouse to share one USB port — handy when using a laptop with a limited number of available ports. I tried sharing the K750 and a Logitech M505 mouse, which generally worked well, although there seemed to be intermittent slowness in mouse scrolling. If you use the receiver with two or more devices, you’ll need to install the Unifying software.

The Logitech keyboard is missing a few features. Unlike the diNovo Edge, it doesn’t beep when you press the Caps Lock key, and there is no indicator light on the key. You can get around this somewhat using the Capster utility, which not only beeps when Caps Lock is pressed, it also displays an on-screen Growl notification. The K750 also doesn’t have illuminated keys, unlike most of Apple’s built-in notebook keyboards.

All in all, I am very happy with the K750. If you want a keyboard with the standard Apple layout, slightly indented, more comfortable keys and a numeric keypad, give it a try. Not having to worry about changing batteries or using a proprietary charger is a huge bonus, too.

The keyboard is available in several colors including silver and black, and is available for $59.99 from the Logitech website.

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Logitech Fold-Up Keyboard review: An iPad accessory that just fits

Dave Greenbaum — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:53:06 +0000

Like many others, I find the iPad on-screen keyboard lacking. I’ve got big hands, and the keys are just too small for serious typing. I’ve tried various keyboard cases. The problem with a combo keyboard and case is that the keyboard is limited in size by the size of the iPad. Luckily, Logitech has introduced a new accessory that works around that limitation.

Logitech solved this dilemma with its innovative Fold-Up Keyboard for iPad, which is reminiscent of the Apple Adjustable keyboard I feel in love with in the early 90s. As you can see in this video, when you open up the new Logitech keyboard, it extends beyond the iPad 2’s borders, giving you additional room to type. Nice!

Watch this video for free on GigaOM

The keyboard integrates with the iPad 2 smart cover, and leaves room for all the iPad ports including the headphone jack and dock. The keyboard connects via Bluetooth and charges via a standard microUSB port.

Typing on the keyboard was a dream. The feel of the keys is close to that of Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard, and was actually much easier to type on for extended period of time. I was even able to use it in ergonomic mode to match the position of my old Apple Adjustable keyboard. Similar to Apple’s solution, the keyboard supports a variety of shortcuts to make it even easier to use with the iPad.

There are really only two drawbacks to the keyboard. First, the iPad’s position is not easily adjustable. It can only be used in landscape mode, and if you modify the angle of the iPad, you are modifying the width of the keyboard. My second issue is that when collapsing the keyboard, the motion is accelerated by the weight of the iPad, making it slam shut if you aren’t careful. I found it best to hold the keyboard while collapsing the case to slow down how quickly it closes.

Purists will balk at the fact that the case doubles the weight and thickness of the iPad, but serious typists will welcome not having to make the sacrifice between a too-small integrated keyboard or a bulky external. Logitech’s Fold-Up keyboard is the perfect balance between the two extremes, and a welcome addition to the iPad 2 family.

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Logitech’s G13 Advanced Gameboard

Christopher Ryan — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:00:05 +0000

While many don’t see the Mac as the ideal game platform, it still holds its own against Windows PCs and console systems. Many hardcore gamers love to trick out their systems with beefier graphics cards, extra controllers and special, high-performance input devices, and Mac users are no exception.

Today, we’re looking at Logitech’s G13 advanced gameboard. Our verdict? It makes playing games a little bit cooler.

The Basics

Unboxing and setting up the device was a snap. Unfortunately, this is a wired device, so you will have to give up a USB port. Some might have preferred a wireless solution, but there’s likely too much data going back and forth between the device and the LCD to really be super responsive over Bluetooth, and it would likely be very draining on batteries. Not exactly something that gamers would want to switch out in the middle of World of Warcraft.

System Requirements

256MB RAM
20MB of available hard drive space (according to Logitech, but my install took 140MB)
CD-ROM drive
USB port
GamePanel LCD requires software that supports Logitech’s GamePanel technology. See the list here.

This device is compatible with Windows (XP or Vista) and Mac OS X 10.4 or later (including Snow Leopard, which is the platform I tested it with).

What Makes It Cool

Unlike a gaming keyboard or gaming mouse that may have special features or extra buttons that can be reserved for gaming purposes, the gameboard is specific for gameplay and works in conjunction with your existing keyboard and mouse. For Mac users, that means you can keep your sleek and stylish Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse.

Also unique to this gameboard is customizable backlighting (which is entertaining in and of itself, and great for low light situations) and a unique LCD that can provide you with specific game information (health, stats, etc. if it’s a supported game).

As it is marketed as a gameboard, it’s intended to be used in games instead of your keyboard, and as such is setup for left-hand usage (assuming your right hand is using a mouse or other type of controller).

Something Borrowed, Something Learned

Avid gamers may remark that this is not the first type of gameboard on the market (though the first from Logitech). In fact, this gameboard is similar to other gaming pads such as the Nostromo SpeedPad. Taking the best of the Nostromo and refining it with extra features like the LCD and customizable backlighting, the G13 represents an improvement over the SpeedPad, and a more intuitive and contoured design for longer game-playing. Similar to the SpeedPad, the G13 features an analog stick controller that rests perfectly under your left thumb. This is more comfortable than the SpeedPad’s “DPad” controller, in my opinion.

The Bells & Whistles

The 160×43 pixel LCD really adds a degree of sophistication to the gameboard. Similar to the one built into Logitech’s G15 keyboard, it provides users with important stats like health, ammo, and other game-specific information. I was a bit confused as to why a user would be paying attention to the gameboard for this information instead of viewing it directly on their screen, but perhaps there’s additional value to this that I’m missing. The LCD also supports providing system information (CPU and memory usage) and other add-ons, like a built-in clock. As mentioned earlier, users can completely customize the color of the LCD and backlighting to any color they desire and program the keys to run commands, macros or keystrokes.

The device also supports storing gaming profiles directly on the device. The beauty of loading the profiles onto the device itself is that if you take the gameboard to another computer, all of your functions still work just as you’ve programmed them.

In Use

Setup of the device was quite simple. After plugging it in, I downloaded the latest software from Logitech’s web site (force of habit) and was instantly tricking out the gameboard in a chic turquoise backlight color. Since many hardcore gamers love using their keyboards during games, they may find it a bit of an adjustment to switch to the G13. The device itself is quite compact and very rigid and comfortable to the touch. The stick controller works well for movement in games, however other actions, like jumping or crouching, will require you to use one of the programmable keys to achieve this functionality, and it can be a bit awkward in usage.

Also, old habits die hard, and while you can add functionality to the gamepad, it’s sometimes difficult to adjust to the natural location of keys on your traditional keyboard. In several games, I would instinctively aim for the tab or escape key as if I was still using my keyboard. As such, there is a lot of functionality to the device, but users will need to take time to find the settings that work best for their needs.

For More Than Just Gamers

What really intrigued me about this device is that it can be configured for more than just casual gaming. Since the keys can be programmed for a variety of tasks, professionals in other markets may find use for it, repurposing it for quick shortcuts for a variety of other uses or applications. While this device is targeted primarily at gamers, the ability to use it outside of games gives me reason to keep this device on my desk even if I’m not battling Greece in Civilization IV.

Retailing at $79.99, some may find this peripheral to be a bit expensive; but come on, that’s less than a MobileMe membership and probably a lot more fun. My final thoughts are that it’s not absolutely necessary for gamers to have this device, but if you’re heavy on your keyboard when you’re switching weapons or pulling up inventory, or any of a bunch of other gaming scenarios, you might find comfort with the G13.

It’s only slightly cheaper than the G15, Logitech’s gaming keyboard. Depending on your needs, that might be a better solution for you. But if your old keyboard is just not cutting it for your gaming needs, look into supplementing it with the G13. Logitech’s G13 is available through most electronic outlets or via Logitech’s online store. If you’ve used the G13, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it!

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Logitech V550 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse

Charles Moore — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:30:50 +0000

The Logitech V550 Nano wireless mouse is marketed as a notebook mouse, but the real story is that this is just a really superb mouse, whatever sort of computer you use it with — notebook or desktop.

I never thought I would say that about a wireless mouse, having not been a fan of wireless input devices. There’s the hassle with batteries, the pairing tedium with Bluetooth, batteries make wireless mice heavier. Then there’s the latency that has plagued wireless mice — that microsecond of hesitation before the cursor responds. Drives me nuts.

I’m not really being inconsistent here. The V550 Nano is the first wireless mouse I’ve tested that gives me nothing to complain about regarding responsiveness. The Nano is there instantly as soon as the computer is awake and there’s no cursor response latency I can detect. Tracking is excellent. All presumably thanks to the 2.4 GHz RF wireless technology which Logitech says provides an exceptionally robust signal that exchanges data 300 times faster than conventional 27 MHz wireless. I’ll take RF over Bluetooth for mouse wireless anytime.

The V550 Nano’s USB RF receiver is tiny, protruding less than a quarter-inch from the USB port. You should be able to leave it plugged in when you carry your laptop in a computer case or backpack.

The receiver also can be stored inside the mouse’s battery bay. If it ever gets lost or damaged, or if you want a second one for another computer, spares are available for $10.00.

The V550 product bundle contains the mouse, an external USB receiver dock with USB extension cord, two “Clip and Go” docks in silver and black, a metal box to store the spare dock and supplied dock removal tool, two AA alkaline batteries, two solvent cleaning wipes to prepare the laptop surface for attaching the dock modules, and a Quick-start guide.

The V550 with its two AA batteries is heavier than my featherlight MacMice DangerMouse, but so well-engineered and comfortably-balanced I can live with the extra inertia of rest. Generously-sized, slippery glide pads on the mouse bottom help.

“Notebook mouse” notwithstanding, the V550 Nano is larger than some “full-sized” mice I’ve used, and I find it comfortable. The styling is attractively understated, sort of like how Mercedes-Benz automobiles don’t knock you out with their styling, but look tastefully classy. The analogy carries over to the V550′s materials and build quality, and the feel of its scroll wheel and button switches, which have similar positive and reassuring tactile feedback to switchgear on high-end European cars.

Speaking of control feedback, I’ve long advocated low-effort, short-travel input controls, and the V550′s buttons are among the lowest-effort I’ve ever encountered, to the point where their hair-trigger responsiveness has resulted in some unintentional clicking. I can’t quite bring myself to complain about this, since I’ve lobbied vigorously and long for low-effort controls, but I’ve had to make some body-English adjustments. The buttons have a positive action, and the MicroGear metal-alloy scroll wheel feels substantial and precise, shiftable between freewheeling and click detent action with a downward click. In freewheeling mode the metal wheel has enough inertial weight to keep rolling for some time when spun.

Getting to the V550 Nano’s marquee feature — its Clip-and-Go dock — lets you clip the mouse to the outside of your laptop, making make it easier to use a mouse with a notebook when moving from kitchen to living room or one’s desk to a meeting. You won’t have to choose between grabbing your mouse or a cup of coffee.

The dock modules are for one-time attachment only, and can’t be removed and replaced or switched to another computer. They’re engineered with adhesive that sticks tenaciously to a properly prepared (solvent-cleaned) surface, so need careful positioning exactly where you want them the first time. If you do need to remove the dock module, the supplied removal tool will help do that without damaging your computer’s surface.

Logitech offers replacement modules for a nominal $2.00. You can find out more about that here.

Attaching the mouse to the dock is easy and it seems fairly secure once attached, although in certain circumstances, such as carrying the laptop under your arm in a crowded area, present some danger of it being bumped off in contact.

The mouse powers up instantly when moved on the mouse pad or when the computer wakes up, with none of the response lag that is typical of Bluetooth wireless mice. A power button located on the mouse bottom also facilitates manual power-on/power-off. Battery life is claimed to be as much as 18 months, which addresses another reservation I’ve had about wireless mice.

The V-500 Nano mouse is designed to be plug-and-play so you don’t need to install any software drivers in order to use the basic mouse features, but if you download Logitech’s Control Center driver software (or have it already installed to support another Logitech device), the scroll wheel can also be configured with scrolling and acceleration speeds to your preferred levels of response, and to support horizontal scrolling by nudging the wheel to the left or right.

There is also an application button located behind the scroll wheel that allows you to configure your choice of Finder actions in the Control Center. All good stuff.

I think this probably all-round the best mouse I’ve ever used. Excellent even if the Clip-and-Go feature isn’t particularly appealing, and of course if it is, the Logitech V500 Nano will be uniquely interesting. The Logitech V550 Nano cordless laser mouse for notebooks sells in the U.S. for $59.99.

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Logitech Premium Notebook Headset Review

Brian Warren — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:39:09 +0000

I received the Logitech Premium Notebook headset at a very good time; I was doing some podcasting at the moment and my setup was a bit complicated. Also, I had several Skype chats on a pretty regular basis. This gave me a great opportunity to put the headset through some extensive testing in a short period of time. I found it’s an excellent headset with only a few minor flaws.

First Impressions

The first thing that really impressed me about the headset was that I didn’t have to do a thing to get it to work with my Mac. Plug the USB cable in and boom, it’s a sound output option. No drivers, no nothing. I highly recommend using this simple menubar tool called SoundSource by Rogue Amoeba. It enables super-simple switching of audio inputs and outputs on your Mac.

Sound Quality

The second thing that impressed me in my experience is that this headset has excellent sound quality. It’s far better than the iPhone earbuds I was using at the time, and if you don’t mind the extra gear attached, it’s a nice pair of headphones to have around. I found myself on a number of occassions just keeping the headset on, listening to music, after my Skype chat was finished.

On the other side of this sound quality coin is the quality of the mic. You will not be disappointed. It’s fantastic. It minimises room noise while still getting a nice rich result. I wouldn’t recommend recording your next chamber music concert with it, but for voice work it performs well beyond the price range of this headset.

Comfort and Ease of Use

I found this headset to be a little awkward to get on your head and adjust. The way the earpieces slide in and out can be a little tricky to get positioned well. Once you get it how you like it it’s no big deal. However, if you’re like me, and you need to move it around from office to home, or for traveling, you’ll find yourself fiddling with it a bit more than you’d expect. Thankfully the headset comes in a nice hard-plastic case making travel a bit easier.

All in all…

I’m pretty impressed. I expected this to be a handy tool for the work I needed to do at the time, and in the end I found myself really raving to my friends and colleagues about how handy and cool this little headset is. You can pick up the Logitech Premium Notebook Headset for nearly 50% off on Amazon.com.

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Logitech G5 Laser Gaming Mouse

Jason Terhorst — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:00:44 +0000

I’ve never really liked the Apple mice that I’ve gotten with my machines, and I usually try to get something a bit nicer, like a Logitech or even – *cough* – a Microsoft mouse. These 3rd-party devices feature more buttons with more customization, and better ease-of-use than dealing with the annoying touch-sensitivity of Apple’s recent offerings. Most of the time.

Compared…

I replaced my Logitech MX310 with a nice G5 Laser Mouse. When I looked at the box initially, I was surprised to see something pretty weird: the box copy said something about weights, and some kind of cartridge to place them in. What on earth could that be for? Well, that’s one of the key physical features of the mouse – the mouse is initially very light, and you add any combination of weights from the included tin into a plastic cartridge, which then “snaps” into place in a slot underneath the mouse. I have a minor dislike for the fact that it doesn’t have a “door” over that slot, but it’s not a big deal. It seems to be held in there fairly securely.

Custom Weight system

The weights are available in 1.7g and 4.5g measures. You’ll get 8 of each – so you can fill all eight slots in the cartridge with the same weight (make it really heavy or really light – your choice), or mix and match to find exactly the weight that works for you. This helps to allow you to customize the mouse to your liking. If you’re one of those hardcore gamer types, this could definitely help you in keeping the precise control you need to get that smug satisfaction of beating the foul-mouthed 13-year-old from Toledo.

Improved Build Quality – Doesn’t feel cheap like a Blackberry

I also love the nice build quality of the G5; it’s something new for Logitech, and it shows that they’re getting better. When you combine the solid feel of the mouse with the weights, it feels like a mouse that will last. There’s some nice textured feel to the mouse as well, not like the weird cheap feeling that my 310 had. My hope is that the paint job will last longer, but only time will tell. I’ve only had my 310 for a year, but after moderate use, the coloring has worn off of the plastic.

Software is Windows only

Now the bad news: on the box, I noticed that it only mentioned Windows. Logitech usually has decent support for OS X. But not this time. Since it is a gaming mouse, I guess we should expect that. The mouse still works, of course, and you can even use the nice horizontal scrolling (tilting the scroll wheel left and right), but the side buttons and clicking the scroll wheel does not work. Also, the advanced precision control of the laser, as well as speed customization aren’t configurable in OS X. The CD that comes with the mouse is useless in OS X.

Custom “speed” control

You can still control the “speed” of the mouse cursor with the buttons on the top face of the mouse, but I found them annoying, since it only speeds it up from my comfortable setting that I chose in System Preferences. However, it was useful when I was playing a few FPS games, because I could move my player a bit more quickly by bumping up the setting.

In a nutshell…

All in all, this mouse isn’t quite as useful to Mac users unless we boot into Windows. However, if you’re looking for a mouse that you can scroll with in four directions, adjust the speed, and has a nice build quality with customizable feel, then this mouse could work for you. It’s currently priced at $57 on Amazon, so I’d recommend at least trying to boot into Windows to get some use out of the extra buttons to get the most value from it; then, it’s sure to be an awesome mouse. At the very least, it serves as a nice alternative to the annoying (IMHO) Mighty Mouse.

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Why I have not installed Leopard (Though I own it)

Brandon Eley — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 04:06:18 +0000

I was one of the many loyal enthusiasts that pre-ordered Leopard and couldn’t wait to install it on all my Macs. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t work out that way.

If you haven’t heard of the installation problems with Leopard yet, there are a few. It seems the very popular third-party application Application Enhancer does not work well (at all) with Mac OS X Leopard.

I did a quick inventory of my software, and sure enough I had APE installed (along with several APE plugins). After attempting to uninstall APE, I was almost ready to try my Leopard upgrade and noticed a blog post about Logitech Control Center mouse software issues.

Of course I have two Logitech mice, and have the Logitech Control Center installed. It appears Logitech Control Center uses APE in the background. Logitech has instructions on removing the old software and installing a new version. Unfortunately, their instructions are flawed as they reference downloading and opening a DMG file and running an uninstaller, and upon downloading the zip archive from their software download page I only found an installer application.

Their online help mentions a manual uninstall, but does not give the instructions. After several unsuccessful attempts to find the instructions via Google, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I have removed most preference panes and locations that APE or Logitech appear in my hard drive (through the shell) but am still not convinced it is completely removed. When I try to run the updated Logitech software installation, it promptly gives me an error and quits.

So, I’m left to do an Archive and Install which will likely leave me having to reinstall several applications and clean off enough hard drive space to have two concurrent System folders (at least until the installation has completed). With only 10 GB free on my 100 GB hard drive, that will be hard.

I hope to have my backup complete tonight and will remove most of the files (like my massive iTunes collection) in order to perform the upgrade.

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