Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro

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http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/accessories/0,39100116,49299489,00.htm

What you need to know

We like:

Comfortable keyboard design; rechargeable mouse only available in this package; impressive list of customisable features

We don't like:

Not that much cheaper than buying each device separately; media keys in awkward place on keyboard

CNET.co.uk judgement:

Although you don't get that much of a discount by buying the package instead of the individual devices, we still consider this one of the best mouse and keyboard packages on the market. It combines an even better version of our favourite mouse and an equally adept keyboard at a very reasonable price

Score:

8.3 Excellent

Full Review

Reviewed 3 November 2008

Reviewed by Justin Yu

The Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro marries the popular Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard with the highly rated MX 1100 mouse. Although £70 might be more than you're used to paying for a mouse and keyboard, the package combines two of Logitech's flagship input devices and the price reflects a substantial improvement over a budget set in features and build quality.

Logitech adds more value to the bundle by including a rechargeable version of the MX 1100 mouse, so this package looks very promising for office typists, home users and light gamers alike.

We're very impressed with the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave's uniquely curved design. After using the keyboard for almost two weeks, we can confirm that the keyboard only gets more comfortable with time. Your experience might be different, but in all cases, the staggered heights and the overall shape of the key panel help speed up the learning curve associated with a nonstandard keyboard design.

The Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard is powered by two AA batteries (one set included) that you can turn off to save battery life, and both the keyboard and mouse connect via a single USB 2.0 dongle. We also like the perforated wrist pad that sits at the bottom of the keyboard and keeps your hands at an ergonomic level, cutting down on the wrist pain that typically occurs after long typing sessions.

It's disappointing that the media and shortcut keys are placed along the top edge, but you can work around it by using the two smaller buttons above the numeric keypad. They're preassigned for the calculator and power on/off shortcuts, but you can change their functions in Logitech's SetPoint desktop software, which is included in the bundle.

The impetus of this package is Logitech's decision to include a rechargeable version of the MX 1100 wireless mouse. At the time of this review, you can only get the rechargeable version of the mouse in this bundle; if you buy the mouse separately, it comes with the standard alkaline nonrechargeable battery. You still have the option of buying your own rechargeable batteries for the standalone MX 1100, but it's just an annoying aftermarket purchase.

The mouse that comes in this bundle also includes a USB mini receiver and adaptor to charge the single NiMH battery. You can check how much juice you have left in SetPoint as well as customise all of the button shortcuts. Logitech reports two months of life per charge, and after more than a week of daily usage, the software still informs us that its energy level is 'very good'. Read our full Logitech MX 1100 review here.

The Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Pro package can be found online for around £70, whereas the two products together will costs slightly more at around £80. Also bear in mind that you'll save money on batteries thanks to the rechargeable mouse. In either case, both products are some of the finest in Logitech's line of peripherals. We recommend both of them separately, so purchasing them together is a no-brainer.

Edited by Rich Brown
Additional editing by Nick Hide

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