Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard (Black)
by Logitech
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List Price: Our Price: $138.99 You Save: $41.00 (23%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $65.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Logitech diNovo Edge Keyboard (Black)
Customer Review: Update on Battery Issue
Summary: 5 Stars
Update May 28, 2010
The battery died just off warranty (3 years) but Logitech was really cool and agreed to replace mine anyway. This is great as I love this keyboard with the exception of the battery not being replaceable! However, I am hopeful this new keyboard may last much longer. The newer unit has what appears to be the same wall-wart charger except there is an apparent addition of a resistor in the cord. Taking my voltmeter to the old charger I get 11.1 volts. This newer charger with what appears to be an added resistor gives only 8.6 volts by comparison! Now I am not sure that the battery has not been changed. If not it may be that the older units were overcharging and prematurely killing the battery. So if you get a replacement DiNovo be sure that you do not use the old wall wart charger on it!!!!
Original review
It wasn't clear how this keyboard would work with Windows 2000 since it is only stated to be compatible with XP and Vista, so I will give a report of my experience for those curious.
This is the 2nd day of ownership. After unpacking, peeling off the protective plastic sheeting, inserting the bluetooth stick in my USB port, and turning the keyboard power switch on, I get a hardware recognition message from the computer and the keyboard is functional. All the standard keys work and I am pleasantly surprised to find the volume slider and mute key controls my Pandora music. Additionally the mouse pad is functional and contrary to the CNET review is quite intelligent. Rapid 1/2 inch strokes move the pointer the full diagonal length of the screen. Slower strokes move the cursor less distance but more precisely. It will take getting used to but is quite nice. The pad has left and right click buttons that function as well. However there does not appear to be a mimic for a mouse scroll wheel. All and all this is great and it is a keeper for me. It is drop dead gorgeous and is kind of a minimalist quality over quantity design that I prefer.
Thusfar what doesn't it do using Windows 2000? It appears that neither the accompanying 64 bit software or the net downloadable 32 bit software can be installed. So far I have found that 5 of the circular keys do not appear to function. I think these are zoom, sleep, and the media center launch key. So in the end I think I have a perfectly functional Windows 2000 keyboard that I can upgrade via the software when I finally get coerced into a Vista "upgrade".
Update after 3 months ownership:
This is one of my best purchases ever. Logitech is an impressive company. Guess what? They have released setpoint software compatible with Windows 2000 to control the DiNovo. Cool. This keyboard is sweet. I have a very nice computer but all anyone ever comments on is how cool my keyboard is!! Buy it you will not regret it!!
Customer Review: Perfect for my needs
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this keyboard because I was looking for something to use for my Home Theater PC. As it's not intended to be used on a desktop, I needed something that was both wireless, and included a pointing device.
This pulls off both of those requirements perfectly. It's also far thinner than what I was expecting to wind up with when I went shopping for a wireless combo, which is perfect for my application.
Installation was 100% plug and play. I inserted the dongle, walked across the room, switched on the keyboard (it has a mechanical power switch on the right edge,) and it was working instantly. I later installed the included software, which gave me the ability to program the buttons and fine tune the mouse, which I didn't feel the need to do.
I read several reviews on various sites condemning the "Touch Disk" for it's inaccuracy and difficulty of use. I find quite the opposite to be true. Yes, it took a couple of minutes to get the hang of it's scroll features, but once I learned how it functions, I find it to be VERY forgiving. As long as you start with a tap on the home point of either the vertical or horizontal scroll, it doesn't really matter much where your finger is, as long as it's moving in a vaguely circular motion. As for accuracy, it's about the same as most other touch pads I've used. It's perfect for navigating websites or operating the computer, precise enough to place a cursor between characters in a document every time, though I'd not recommend it if you're looking for something to do graphic design work or FPS gaming. One possible weakness/possible strength, depending on your point of view, is that the mouse buttons below the touch pad are a little less sensitive that I'd like, given their size. You have to be very deliberate when operating them. Of course, this also means that accidental clicks are less likely. Pressing the "Fn" key will reveal an ON/OFF above the mouse buttons that will turn the touch pad and touch sensitive volume control on and off.
The volume control is very responsive, but operates more like a volume wheel rather than a fader (which I would prefer.) It seems to require about three strokes of the control to traverse the entire range of the fader in Windows' "Volume Control."
As for the Fn keys, despite other reviews, F1-F4 and F9-F12 are programmable. Only F5-F8 are locked, and they function as the typical media function keys (play, pause, rewind, etc.)
I miss the number pad, but I can do fine without it. Then again, I learned to type when changing fonts meant changing the daisy-wheel. :)
The rest of the keyboard is just fine. It's quiet, and the keys have a shorter throw than what I'm used to (I'm not a laptop user), but I can type quickly and accurately with it.
Overall, I'm 100% satisfied.
Customer Review: Great Keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
My last keyboard was a diNovo multimedia keyboard, numeric pad and mouse combo. It was a very good board but not made to the same caliber as this one.
In construction this one is really second to none. Some have said there were some fit problems but my board arrived in perfect order. It looks and feels substantial. This board will not slide around on your desk. Where you put it is where it will stay.
Setup was a breeze and typying is pure pleasure. The key resistance is perfect not to light as to give no feedback and not to heavy as to make your fingers fatigue. Logitech must have done a lot of research on this board and on it primary typing function and it shows. I have never typed on a more perfect board.
Orange lights light keys when they are pressed. In my opinion this is more gimmick than anything else. But it is cute for the first day or so when you are using the board. The board is lightly programmable which is frustrating. Functions like single key strokes to bring up My Computer or My Document folder have been eliminated and in their place are four programmable Function Keys. I can live with that but it would have been nice if I could place these programmed keys as a default instead of constantly having to press the FN shift key and then the appropriate Function Key to get the response I want. Probably this only bugs me since I am used to their previous diNovo model which had a toggle for this default.
One thing that bears mentioning is the Touchdisc. It is a pad that takes over your cursor control and it is fabulous. It has eliminates constant mouse usuage and keeps your hands on the board. Why Logitech doesn't make more noise regarding this little gem is beyond me.
Another thing is the aluminum fronted palm rest. Perfectly designed with the right slant to support your hands and keep them in the right position for typing. The added benefit is that it almost always remains cool to the touch which, and this might sound touchy feely, soothes your hands. If I were Logitech I might have called it the strip the palm spa. OK maybe I wouldn't have but it sure feels good.
The board is solid and performs impeccably.
Worth every penny.
Note: Since writing this review I have gone onto the Logitech forum which does mention an erratic volume control on this keyboard. It is being postulated that it may be ambient light, interference from speakers or monitors or a bad charging station that may be the cause. I have not experienced the problem yet however if you are thinking about this board you may be well advised to check the Logitech forum before purchase.
The volume control and TouchDisc can be disabled using the Function Lock key and Off combination however that is not a solution for a board that costs this much.
Customer Review: A good professional's keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
(At the time of writing this review, I've owned this keyboard for about a month now.)
This is definitely a professional's keyboard. It's got a soft enough touch not to cause strain when you're typing for hours, but enough resistance, travel, and sudden reduction of resistance (I forget the proper term for how the key's resistance goes away once you've registered a keystroke) to allow you to type accurately. Being only 11mm tall, you don't need one of those cumbersome wrist rests -- your hands are barely above the table that you're typing on, so your posture is just naturally good. The keys are also a very good size -- I'm a touch typist (not trained; everyone becomes a touch typist if they type enough) and the keys are spaced very well to allow you to touch type without mistakes.
That the keyboard is pretty doesn't need further comment; it's also very solid. The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was that the keyboard was really solid. It may not be a cheap keyboard, but it's not made cheaply, either.
Thankfully the included receiver does bluetooth-to-usb conversion, so using the keyboard is simple plug-and-play, at least in Linux. (All of the keys work fine in Linux, there's still a bug in the mouse driver which disables the touch pad, but there will be a fix in USB mouse driver which fixes that, I believe -- a cursory google reveals at least one patch floating around.) I've never tried it in windows (I do embedded development in a Linux environment).
The battery life isn't an issue. Supposedly it can go a whole month on a single charge, but I can't fathom letting it go that long. As other commenters have noted, it looks good so good in its stand that when you finish for the day, you might as well put it there so that you have something pleasing to see when you start the next morning. Even so, I have gone close to a week without recharging it and didn't notice the slightest difference, so I believe the month-on-a-charge claim.
The bluetooth links is very reliable -- I've never missed a single keystroke. The touch-based volume control is really cool, and works quite well.
Oh, one other thing about it I love: instead of using an LED for caps lock, it beeps at you in one tone for turning caps lock on, and in another tone for turning caps lock off. I can't figure out who would use caps lock (and not a number pad) in the modern world, but as long as this mis-feature persists on keyboards, the beeping is extremely helpful for touch-typists who get a little sloppy with the left shift key.
In summary, I highly recommend this keyboard to any professional who can afford good tools. I'm very glad that I bought this keyboard.
Customer Review: Multi-media Keyboard for a Media Center
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this keyboard for over two years and I am extremely satisfied with it overall. I have used this keyboard is Windows, OS X, and even Windows Mobile.
PROS:
First and foremost, let me say that this keyboard is designed to be a multi-media keyboard and its design really does a great job for this function. Having said that, the strange layout that other reviewers have pointed out makes sense. I rarely have to use a numberpad with my Media Center, instead this keyboard makes it easy to control the computer with a dedicated Media Center button, volume comtrols, and a nice little touch pad that eliminates the need for a mouse to be clanking around as well. The zoom buttons on the left size of the keyboard also provide a convienent way to enlarge text on webpages on my Media Center. The touch pad scrolling takes some getting used to but it is very comfortable and natural after adjusting to it. SetPoint(Logitech's program for configuring the keyboard) is very well designed in both Windows and Mac, and provides very customizable options for the keyboard as well as precisely displaying battery information. I have had this keyboard in excess of two years and it is still functional, the battery life is still exceptional, and surprisingly, the glossy finish is not that scratched up at all. Especially since those years have been on and off at college, where this thing has gotten anything but royal treatment in packing and handling.
CONS:
The power switch has always been a pain to turn on and off. It is a very tiny switch under the right lip of the keyboard. I usually have to use my fingernail and the on/off direction seems to be opposite of what my brain thinks it should be. When charging in the charging base, the keyboard is ALWAYS on. This gets really annoying when I put my Media Center to sleep and put the keyboard in the charger as the Media Center gets the signal from the keyboard turning on and wakes up again. Also, the keyboard has to be lined up somewhat accurately for it to fit in. There have been many a time that I have tried to put the keyboard back, only to have it get stuck in charging base.
On the whole, the Logitech diNovo Edge is a wonderful media keyboard for media application. If you are looking to use this as the primary keyboard for a desktop, unless you don't mind the lack of number pad and the media-oriented layout, I would look for another alternative. A great feature set, solid design, and a brilliant battery life certainly make this keyboard a great choice.