Author: Naota
Product: Logitech S520
Price: Around $55.00
Date: 11/7/2009
Rating: 3.0/5
OS Used in Review: Windows 7 Ultimate Edition 64 Bit

Note: You may read the Logitech S510 Keyboard and Mouse Combo Review here.

Pros:
New fresh design. Keeps sleek look. Laser mouse. Impressive hotkey/multimedia functionality.

Cons:
Keyboard still has learning curve. Wireless range needs to be improved. Poor build quality. Little functionality on mouse.

The Logitech S520

After finishing my review of the Logitech S510, I felt that it was time to review its successor, the Logitech S520. I get very excited everytime I come across a Logitech product, as they always have an innovative approach with their products, and offer attractive designs. Lets continue…

Profile View of the Logitech S520

Design and Functionality
Like its predecessor, the Logitech S520 is extremely slim and attractive. The F-Keys at the top also double as hotkeys, just like in the previous model. This time however, the multimedia keys have been switched to bottom. Additionally the wrist rest has been extended further out. The multimedia keys worked well on our media players and required no setup in Windows Media Player and worked with Winamp after enabling the hotkeys. The battery life indicator was also moved down to the lower portion of the keyboard as well. The Logitech logo has also been changed to a light color, vs the dark color used in the previous model for both the keyboard and mouse.

The Logitech S520 Is an Inexpensive Wireless Solution

larger, was slightly awkward and less ascetically pleasing. Like the S510, this model has flat and awkwardly shaped keys, so there is still a learning curve for users of this keyboard. Rest assured, once you get use to it, you can type just as effectively as you can on a regular keyboard.

Aside from the logo, the mouse visually looks the same as the previous version. Under the hood however, Logitech has upgraded the mouse from optical to laser. This will please many, as this means you will get more precise mouse movements. Like the previous mode, the mouse worked on most surfaces we gave it, but glass is always a problem. There is a battery indicator on the top of the mouse next to the scroll wheel.

The Logitech S520 Mouse

The scroll wheel still performs standard scrolling and has tilt wheel as well. No additional features have been added to the mouse. Like the previous model, it will enter sleep mode when it is not being used, to save battery life.

Just like the previous verison, there is a small USB receiver that connects to your computer. It thankfully has a long cord so you may put it on your desk. Try to keep this visible to your keyboard and mouse to minimize problems, but if you cannot it should be fine.

Build Quality:
Both the mouse and keyboard feel solid but there have been many quality control problems with this set. Many users report specific keyboard keys becoming less responsive to the point where some lose all responsiveness. Additionally users have been getting faulty battery-life indicators. Other users have been getting a defective mouse that runs out of battery in a week, and gets less than 5 feet of range. This is a big disappointment, as the previous model had excellent quality control.

Installation:
This is a plug-in-play product. There should be no setup needed unless you want to do additional customization with the hot keys. I found everything to work without having to set anything up. This is Windows 7 Compatible (32/64 bit) and works on previous versions as well.

I was able to get approximately 8 feet away with both the keyboard and mouse before losing responsiveness. I noticed that this product does not need to be in sight of the infrared receiver to work, which is a major plus.

Battery Life: The product claims up to six months battery. A more frequent user will get around 2 months of battery out of the mouse and 2.5 months out of the keyboard. However in this case, many users report far less battery life than this. The keyboard takes two AAA batteries, while the mouse takes two AA batteries. Both the keyboard and mouse come with batteries in the packaging. I would recommend getting a pair of rechargeable batteries for these, as the standard battery can cause contact problems later on. If you would like a lighter mouse, get the lightweight, Lithium batteries.

Conclusion: This could have been an excellent addition to Logitech’s lineup if those quality control problems did not exist. I really like the new placement of the keys and the fact they upgraded the mouse. At such a low price, this product could have been a great deal. Hopefully these things will be improved. I also hope they had more functionality to the mouse in the next model. Due to these issues, I rate this product a 3/5.