- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 7 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Extremely impressed all-round"
Pros: Simple setup, sleek & stylish, very functional
Cons: Mouse isn't brilliant
Summary: I have to admit I was a tad sceptical when I bought this setup. I had read some mixed reviews so with some trepidation, I unpacked it and set about the installation.
To my great delight all my fears quickly disappeared as the setup was a breeze. I should add here that I was replacing my existing keyboard, a Logitech MXDuo. I didn't particularly like the keyboard as it was uncomfortable and the mouse was no longer in use as the recharge station simply refused to recognise when I put the mouse in it. That being the case I uninstalled all previous Logitech software to avoid any conflicts.
Detection couldn't be any smoother, press the connect button on the receiver, then on the mouse, then do the keyboard and finally the remote. Now I didn't use the mouse bundled with it as it's a little bit basic for my liking, there's nothing wrong with it but I have been using the Logitech MediaPlay mouse which is substantially better. Even so, the receiver was fine detecting that mouse and recognising it for what it was.
Setting up the SetPoint software is very straight forward and quite customisable but I wouldn't mind seeing an option to completely customise a function like shutting down the PC. Overall, the level of customisation is excellent.
I use iTunes for my music and after configuring a button on the remote to open iTunes it worked a charm. You should note that if you use iTunes 5 then you need v2.4 of the SetPoint software. I also tried the MediaPlay software bundled and I have to say it is quite impressive. You can navigate through your system via the remote and play music or movies or look at your pictures.
The range of the remote is quite literally astounding. I first tested it at about 15 feet with no problem at all, then 20 feet around a corner, still works, then at 25 feet around 2 corners and through a couple of walls...not even a delay! I can't see me needing to use it from that far but it's reassuring that it has such a good range. A minor gripe with the remote is that although you can control the volume, it resets whenever you restart so if your volume dial on your speakers is way up, but turned down via the remote, be prepared to be blasted through the wall if you forget to adjust the volume before you shutdown. Also maybe an LCD screen would have been cool but not essential.
The keyboard is very sweet, great feel to the keys, not clunky but not too soft. The build is sturdy despite its extremely slim form factor. For me the wrist rest at the front is comfortable once you get used to it. This keyboard does feel slightly 'out' when you first use it and for the first 10 minutes found myself to be hitting the keys below the ones I wanted. I think this is due to the wrist rest which gives a subconcious illusion that everything is lower down than it appears. This really is minor as it takes very little time to adapt. All that said, I love the keyboard.
Overall this is one of Logitech's better offerings. I was initially looking at the diNovo bundle but this wins out by having the remote included. I deducted a point for the minor gripes I had before and also because the instructions are quite basic and could make an inexperienced user a bit nervous. When all is said and done though, this is by far the easiest way to convert your PC in to a Media PC without having to shell out for a new OS as well.
- 2 replies to this review
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Just wondering how much control you get in iTunes just using the remote. Can you easily move through the Playlist, Genre, Artist, Album and Song panes ?
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Hello. I would like to know what is the longest operating range for keyboard and mouse? Is it as long as for remote control? Thanks
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