Logitech Wireless Combo MK520

Logitech Wireless Combo MK520

I waited a few days before writing this review so that I had time to access the product properly, and as it turned out that was a very wise thing to do.

I originally bought the Logitech MK320 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse, and although the keyboard was fine, I had issues with the quality of the mouse. It was very small and the scroll wheel was course and unpleasant to use. I decided to try the MK520 instead, and although the difference in price was only £7.00, the MK520 is in a totally different league.

The first thing you notice about the keyboard is how classy it looks, especially with a lovely clear perspex trim encircling the whole keyboard which adds a real air of sophistication. The build quality is superb and far superior to the MK320. The keys have a bigger surface area than a standard keyboard, which means the keys are very close together with very little space between them. Your fingers can glide from one key to the other very smoothly which makes typing a real pleasure. I was also pleasantly surprised to find the Caps Lock key had a green LED indicator which is sadly lacking on a lot of wireless keyboards. The shortcut keys can be pre-programmed to individual preferences if you download the Setpoint software from Logitech's website, but in effect I've found this to be unnecessary as they are already programmed to open your homepage, emails and control your media player etc, so I really can't see the point, unless you need on screen alerts regarding the Caps Lock and Nums Lock.

The keyboard and mouse are connected to the PC with Logitech's Unifying USB Receiver, which has clearly been designed with lap tops in mind as it's so tiny you can hardly notice it when inserted into a USB socket. The USB receiver supplied with the MK320 is about 4 times as big. The only downside of this is that I found it cut down the range of the MK520 when compared to the MK320. Logitech quote a range of 10 metres or 30 feet with line of sight, but with the receiver inserted into the back of my desktop PC, I found this cut down the range to approximately half of the figures quoted. Nevertheless that still meant I could use the keyboard a good 15 feet away from the PC, something that you wouldn't want to do anyway as you wouldn't be able to see the screen, so in effect it's all academic and certainly not a problem.

The M310 laser controlled mouse that complements the keyboard is far bigger than the one supplied with the MK320 and has sculptured rubberised sides for a comfortable hold. I initially still had big issues with the scroll wheel though, it didn't seem any better than the MK320 mouse and was course, very notchy, noisy and quite unpleasant to use. This was a big disappointment as it was the main complaint that I had with the MK320, and the main reason I turned to the MK520 hoping for a better quality mouse. Had I reviewed this product on initial impressions I would certainly have knocked a couple of stars off of my rating, even with the keyboard being so impressive. I've now used this mouse for nearly a week and clearly it needed 'running in' as the scroll wheel is now far improved. It runs a lot more freely, feels far less notchy, and is now virtually silent. The mouse is also very responsive, works on virtually any surface except glass and is now quite a pleasure to use. It glides over my mouse pad effortlessly

Logitech quote a really impressive battery life for both the keyboard and mouse, naturally dependant on the amount of use, so I really can't comment on that aspect of the product yet, but both the keyboard and the mouse go into 'sleep mode' when not in use so there's no need to turn them off, they turn themselves off automatically.

All in all this is an absolutely superb product, the keyboard alone is worth the money, and with my issues with the mouse now resolved, I can highly recommend it.

I ordered this wireless keyboard and mouse to replace a Medion wireless system that was working OK but the mouse roller button had become smooth and slippy. The Logitech is a lovely design and looks good. Keys very responsive with enough travel and feedback. I downloaded the optional software which gives onscreen prompts when you hit the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys. There are plenty multi-function keys for sound, opening mail programmes, opening calc, locking pc etc etc. The battery life should be good given the statements by Logitech, I don't switch mine off but if you want to the K/B and mouse both have on/off switches - but just leave them on as they both have battery saving features putting them to sleep when not being used. The mouse is very comfortable and can be used left or right handed in comfort. I would certainly recommend this to anyone wanting to go wireless. Keep kool, Azzy.

The keyboard and mouse work really well, even right across the room from the remarkably small dongle.
Unlike other wireless keyboards and mice I have had, these ones have easily accessible on/off switches, so I fully expect battery life to be excellent.