Logitech EasyCall Desktop
Starting at: $75.17

CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Matthew Elliott
- Released on:
- Reviewed on:
The good: Speakerphone delivers crystal-clear call quality; easy to set up; quiet keyboard; mouse and keyboard are wireless; includes headset for private calls.
The bad: Buttons on the keyboard and speakerphone that help you make calls aren't supported by all VoIP apps.
The bottom line: Despite the hit-and-miss nature of its VoIP-related buttons, the Logitech EasyCall Desktop is first-rate hardware for Internet callers, thanks to the stellar call quality of the included speakerphone.
Though the keyboard is littered
... Expand full reviewThough the keyboard is littered with shortcut keys and features a slick design, the real star of the EasyCall Desktop is the speakerphone. It's a full-duplex speaker phone that features Logitech's RightSound technology for clear, echo-free calls. We were able to carry on natural-sounding conversations in testing; the voices on the other end didn't drop out when we spoke and vice versa, and there was no echo of our own voice coming back at us from the speakerphone. We were impressed with the sound right from the start, but you can tweak the audio settings for both the speakerphone and the headset using included software, which Logitech dubs SetPoint. For us, everything worked out of the box. Once the speakerphone was plugged in (via USB) and batteries were added to the keyboard and mouse, we were up and running.
The speakerphone has the feel of a quality device; it's much heavier than we anticipated. Along the bottom of the front edge are volume control buttons, a mute button, and two buttons to start and stop phone calls. Along the side are headphone and mic jacks for the included headset. The headset worked well, too, though we can't see anyone other than a cube dweller using it, given the fine quality of the speakerphone.
The keyboard itself is exceedingly comfortable to use. The keys are soft, perhaps too soft for some. They're also very quiet, which is perfect for typing while Skyping. Around the edge of the keyboard reside shortcut and media control buttons. Along the left are typical media control buttons--play/pause, fast-forward, rewind--along with two other useful keys: one opens the media player of your choice, and the other is a shuffle button for toggling that feature on and off in iTunes, for example. All of the function keys serve dual purposes, and their secondary actions are listed by small, blue icons. F9 through F12 can be used as speed-dial buttons for frequently called contacts.
Hide ReviewMatt Elliott, a technology writer for more than a decade, is a PC tester, Mac user, and amateur photographer based in New Hampshire. Matt is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive.
User Reviews
See all user reviewsMost Helpful User Review
stars 5 of 5 users found this review helpful
"US Licensing prevents Skype functionality without workaround" By LionOfZion7
Pros Nice form and tactile response - great idea for VoIP
Cons US version does not support Skype without some tinkering (see below)
Summary This is due to a licensing issue with Logitech and the US versions of SetPoint.
To work around this issue, follow these instructions:
http://www.mstarmetro.net/~rlowens/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=SetPoint.Skype
I've verified they work on my 32-bit Windows XP.
Quick Summary:
1) Download the "BR" ... Expand full review
Most Recent User Reviews (Showing 2 of 2 reviews)
Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Compatibility: PC