New Keyboard….
Well I have been using the Logitech G15 keyboard since it was released... the lcd screen and all the extra macro buttons were great. But now that I don't game as much on my PC as I use to I decided to get a smaller keyboard to free up some of my desk space. I ended up getting the Logitech S520 its a keyboard mouse combo. I really didn't need a new mouse since my MX 518 has been working really well for me but since this new set is all wireless I thought I would give it a shot.
Continue Reading for full opinion
The Keyboard
This keyboard is really need the keys kinda feel like a laptop. Which isn't too bad but since I have been using such a large keyboard this whole time I need to get used to the button travel on the keys. The volume button and the media keys are placed in a sort of a weird place compared to other keyboards with volume and multimedia keys but have it on the lower edge of the keyboard is pretty nice. The wrist pad area is a bit lame as its just a molded plastic so but it is fairly comfortable. The f1-12 keys have an fn modifier like a laptop which can be customized using the setpoint software. There is also a calculator key which opens the calculator but that can be changed as well. There are also zoom buttons on the lower portion of the keyboard I haven't really used them yet as I don't have any need to zoom into anything when I view websites I also haven't really done anything that required zooming.
All in all the keyboard is excelent it looks nice the size is good, the extra buttons are well hidden and flows really well along with the battery meter.
The Mouse
This mouse is a pretty big step back from the MX518 that I am used to. It smaller, the feet suck and there isn't any dedicated back forward buttons that have gotten used to. I did however changed the left and right scroll to act as a back and forward button for when I am browsing, and so far that has worked out pretty good. The feet issue I fixed but cutting a mirrored screen protector I took off of my Nokia E71x(it was too hard to see in sunlight) and using double sided tape to stick it to the bottom of the mouse. As of right now it slides really well, almost as well as using mouse skates on my MX 518. I am actually debating if I should stick with this mouse of go back to my MX518, having it being a wireless mouse is really nice.
The Verdict
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a nice wireless keyboard mouse combo under $100. The mouse is a pretty big negative but with a little creative thinking my biggest issue got resolved. The other problem I have with this keyboard and mouse set is the fact that it doesn't use the new universal logitech receiver. It uses the one that sits on your desk and has the num and caps lock lights on it. This isn't really a problem at the moment but if I wanted to get a different/better mouse then I would have to use another usb port. So besides those two issues/problems this is a pretty good combo.
A few notes
You can buy a mirrored screen protector on ebay for about $1-$5 shipped. I am sure you might be able to use something else or even a mouse pad(I am just using the mouse directly on my desk(I was using a plastic gaming mouse pad with my MX518 which is what I was comparing the new mouse to)). Both the keyboard and mouse uses two AA batteries, and are suppose to last almost a whole year, I cannot confirm this at the moment and I am not sure how fast rechargeable batteries will last. The setpoint software also shows an on screen display when you change the volume or use any of the special fn keys
