Review: Logitech Wave Pro Mouse & Keyboard (Mk550 Combo)
Last Updated on Monday, 29 December 2014 10:53 Written by DarkKnightH20 Wednesday, 19 August 2009 01:19
Author: DarkKnightH20
Note: While the Wave Pro is virtually gone, this review can still apply to the Logitech Wireless Wave Combo Mk550. They keyboard is the same, but the mouse is different — a M510 instead. Keep that in mind when reading. Also, the USB wireless receiver has been improved — it is WAY smaller and comes with an USB extension cable for those who want to move it around.
The Logitech Wave pro is a 2.4ghz wireless keyboard and mouse set. I will talk about the two separately. Let it be known that this set cost me $80 from Amazon, but the price has changed. Also, I’d like to note that this product goes on sale every now and then for the price of $65.
The first thing you must do after receiving this set is go to Logitech’s website and download the newest SetPoint drivers/software. The software allows you to get the most out of the mouse and keyboard through many different configuration options. It also allows for the quick checking of battery life among other things.
The keyboard is called the Logitech Wave Pro. As you can see in the picture, it is called the wave for its wave-like design that is suppose to help with typing. Since it is a bit different than normal keyboards, it takes a little while to get use to. Some important details to point out is that there are no keyboard lights on here to indicate things such as numlocks being enabled/disabled, caps-lock, etc. Instead, whenever one of these buttons are pressed, yellow text shows up on the screen with a message saying “Caps Lock On”, etc. Like most expensive keyboards, it offers a variety of hot-keys. These come in the form of FN-type keys, as well as custom buttons. At the top, there are multimedia buttons to increase/decrease volume, mute, etc. The F1-F12 keys are in 4 groups of 3, which feels a bit odd at times, but you get over it.
One thing that I love about this keyboard is that the arm rest feels very nice while also looking sexy. A good combination! It runs off of two AA batteries, which are suppose to last for ages (3 years) — something I cannot vouch for until my first battery change. There is a battery indicator on the keyboard that will blink when the batteries need to be changed.
What about the range? Well, the range on this wireless keyboard is absolutely amazing. I can stand around 30 feet away down the hall and it still works.
The mouse that comes with this bundle is the Rechargeable MX1100 Cordless Laser Mouse. As indicated by the name, it is rechargeable — via USB cord. It is powered by 1 AA rechargeable nickel-metal hydride battery (NiMH), a battery of choice to many because it does not develop memory like nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries do, which kills overall battery life. The mouse is suppose to last while off of one charge. I’ve only had to recharge it once since purchasing, and that was because it didn’t come fully charged. I’ve read reviews where one charge has lasted for months, but again, I have not yet experienced this. A battery indicator light is on the mouse to let you know when you have to charge it. As stated earlier, the firmware also tells you and the life can of the keyboard and mouse can quickly be seen via the tooltip of the SetPoint systemtray icon.
The mouse lets you switch between two DPI modes that are set with the included firmware. DPI is mouse sensitivity, meaning that the higher the DPI the more your mouse moves across the screen with less movement. These buttons are easily reached and can help when switching between sniping mode and free shooting mode on first person shooters. One gripe is that the included firmware, as stated earlier, only allows two different DPI’s. I would prefer at least 3 — for low DPI, medium DPI, and high DPI…But that’s okay. Tracking is smooth with this mouse and just great overall.
As seen in the picture, the mouse is oddly shaped. For me, it is very comfortable, as I am right-handed and my thumb rests nicely on the side. This definitely isn’t a left-handed person’s mouse. It is also a bit big and has some heft to it compared to normal mice (I switched from a little optical mouse). Weight in a mouse can be a very good thing since it can with precision movement and provides a bit of resistance so your mouse doesn’t go all over the screen in a game. If lithium batteries were used, the mouse would be slightly less heavy. Lithium batteriess have a long shelf life, weigh very little, have lots of power, and therefore are great for wireless applications. You would lose the ability to recharge, however, with such a switch…therefore I only recommend lithium batteries for your keyboard. The contours of the mouse provide great comfort for long gaming sessions as well as for just working.
For people who do a lot of scrolling, you will be happy to hear that this mouse hyper scrolling. What’s that? Basically, there’s a button on the mouse right behind the scroll wheel, that if clicked, allows the scroll wheel to keep spinning without friction causing for very fast, long scrolling. I didn’t think that I’d use this feature often, but I was wrong. It’s so easy to enable/disable, that I do it often. There is the typical page forward/backward button on the side as well, right next to an invisible, mouse squeeze-activated button that displays your windows in such a fasion for easy selection (I’m on Windows XP, just for your information)–
The range on this mouse is a little less than the keyboard. It can reach the same amount of feet, but becomes a bit spotty when that occurs. This might have been remedied if I had a direct line of sight, but that’s okay. You should not need to move your keyboard that far away from your computer after all, though I’m sure some people would love to play Counter Strike from their bathroom!
A USB stick comes with this set obviously for the transmitting/receiving of the keyboard and mouse signal. Unfortunately, this set did not come with an USB extension cord so you are left wasting a front slot on your case. It’s unfortunate, but oh well. Also, this set works for Windows and Mac.
Interested in more information? Check our information at Logitech’s Website, Amazon, and Newegg. User comments are very valuable so read up on them. Wireless keyboard and mice usually are frowned upon by gamers because of slight lag times, signal drops, etc. However, I deem this set worthy of gaming. 5 out of 5 stars, A+! A video of the keyboard can be see here. Any issues I encounter will be noted here. If you have any questions about this set, feel free to ask. Also the latest price for the Logitech Wave Pro can be seen below (it lists the cheapest Amazon prices)–
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