Almost a Dream Combo Come True… Almost

For all the emphasis on CPU speed and accelerated graphics, multimedia capabilities and the joys of DVD burning with a dual-core processor, PC buyers often overlook the simplest details. On a day to day, minute to minute basis, the most important elements of a computer are the main points of contact between us and the machine, namely the input devices and the display. These are the two things we are in persistent contact with on a PC, and nothing is more irritating than poor design in one or the other.

I have been in search of the perfect keyboard and mouse combination for years. My latest combo was a personal hash of two Logitech products. The Wave combo benefits from a superb contoured keyboard that fits the hands well, and generous shortcut keys on the far left and top rows for great flexibility. The problem was that the mouse that comes with the Wave is pedestrian compared to the magnificent MX Revolution Mouse, also from Logitech. The Revolution has a deep well for the thumb and a thumbwheel for 3D task switching in Vista. Its unique two-stage scroll wheel can shift into a super-fast free-wheeling state that accelerates through spreadsheets and long documents very quickly. The problem with combining the two products, the Wave keyboard with the Revolution Mouse, is that each works on a different wireless wavelength and I needed to use two separate USB receivers. And worse, some of my other peripherals, like the 802.11g router and wireless 5.1 speakers interfered with the keyboard and mouse signals, producing uneven responsiveness.

Enter the purported cure for my ills, Logitech’s Bluetooth-enabled Desktop MX 5500 Revolution. The combo pairs the Revolution mouse with a fancy keyboard and puts it all on a single Bluetooth signal that seems pretty resistant to interference so far. The keyboard uses replaceable batteries (4 AAs) and the mouse is rechargeable via its own plug-in charging cradle. The USB Bluetooth receiver is the shape of a USB storage key and is immediately recognized and configured.

The Mouse is as superb as the MX Revolution ever was. The keyboard is, well, a bit less usable than the excellent Wave. This unit uses a straight key layout, rather than the gently bent and curved array of the Wave. It does have a rubberized palm pad, which is comfortable, and the media player keys to the left are handy. Curiously, there are no extra shortcut keys for command functions like launching email or Word. These functions are available via the F function keys but require that you also press the Fn key. I prefer the direct launch button approach. The keyboard also has an LCD screen that shows time, displays nearby temperatures and shows you the title of the music track you are playing. Personally I find the LCD gimmicky and hard to read anyway. Dedicated Vista users will like the dedicated keys that bring up the Sidebar, Media Center and Photo Gallery.

Honestly, I would have preferred that Logitech paired its best mouse, the MX Revolution, with its most usable keyboard, the Wave. Am I whining? Probably. But it does go to show how integral the input devices are to our overall experience with a PC. Here I am trying to re-teach my fingers where the keys are after months of enjoying the large keys and their excellent positioning on the Wave. Does it make me a bit surly? Actually yes. In my mind the only truly satisfactory answer is for manufacturers to use the same wireless protocol for all their devices so finicky curmudgeons like me can mix and match elements as we see fit.

Am I spoiled? Probably. But keyboards and mice are a bit like shoes. You have to pound on them hour after hour and feel it with every step. The fit should be perfect.