Feb 23 2006
Logitech Cordless Desktop S 530 Laser for Mac
I’ve used Logitech peripherals for years now. They’ve always worked well on Macs, but it is nice to get some special attention. And the attention to detail in this Cordless Desktop is appreciated.
This soft-touch keyboard, white and silver to match your new Apple hardware is equipped with three Mac-specific quick-launch buttons: iTunes, iPhoto, Safari, Mail and Spotlight. Of course, these are fully programmable. The keyboard includes a back button and an onboard scroll buttons.
It’s a different looking keyboard – rather than including an optional wrist-wrest attachment, it has one incorporated into the keyboard. The zero degree tilt is nice, but if it isn’t your style then you can pop out tilt legs on the top of the keyboard to put it at an angle.
While the keyboard is slick (the buttons are smooth and have a solid feel) I was more impressed with the mouse. And the highlight of the mouse is the left-right scroll. The scroll wheel tilts left and right to scroll (you guessed it) right and left. It is a little jerky despite my tweaking of the preferences, but it is the next best thing to a Mighty Mouse (which incidentally does not come wireless).
The mouse itself is similar to Logitech’s popular MX series – with a smooth curving body and buttons incorporated into top. On the left side of your index finger, Logitech has thoughtfully placed a mute/volume up/volume down control. The unit also has browser back and forward buttons.
The keyboard and mouse are both battery powered, and Logitech promises an extra long battery life (6 months)*. Indicators remind you in advance to change waning batteries. The mouse is a laser mouse, making it uber-accurate. I didn’t notice a huge difference, but those who do lots of detail intensive work like photo editing might appreciate this more.
The wireless receiver is small (think USB dongle) but comes with a stand that you can thread to the back of your desktop for easy “docking”. The receiver is bus powered, which saves you an outlet. So the Cordless Desktop works well with laptops and desktops, or even back and forth between them.
If you, like me, spend a lot of time on your Mac you deserve a comfortable set of peripherals. While the set isn’t cheap ($99) it isn’t expensive either, and it is the most feature-full keyboard and mouse you’ll find for the money. For the style-minded you can afford a wireless set that matches your mini.
If you’re going from a corded keyboard, you will miss the USB ports, and once installed I did notice that my Mac took a little more time to sleep on command. Aside from that the performance was as-expected, even when plugged in through a hub rather than directly into the Mac.
After a season of neglect, one of the best peripheral makers has something very nice for the Mac community. If you are looking to upgrade your keyboard and/or mouse, this one has to be on your short list.
* In real life use, I found the mouse batteries to last only 2 1/2 months. I did not make a habit of turning off the mouse during periods of low use.
