Logitech unveils curvalicious Wave keyboard, Cordless Desktop

Logitech's certainly been on a hot streak of late, and the firm's latest duo of input peripherals prove that the heat is still on full blast. The Cordless Desktop Wave and Wave keyboard both feature an innovative "wave key-frame design, a U-shaped constant curve, and a cushioned, contoured palm rest" in order to elevate your level of comfort whilst banging out those month-end reports. Moreover, the units are compatible with both Windows and OS X, and sport an array of programmable hot keys to launch those heavily use applications with a single button press. The Cordless Desktop Wave keyboard / laser mouse combo is expected to be available worldwide late next month for $89.99, while the corded Wave keyboard will be out on its lonesome for $49.99 this October. Check 'em out in detail below.

Gallery: Logitech unveils curvalicious Wave keyboard, Cordless Desktop

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[All In One Printer @ Jul 26th 2007 11:05AM]

The only concern I have after seeing the image of the keyboard is whether it is comfortable for a wrist to rest on it. The border looks pretty hard.

Signed,
All In One Printer

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 26th 2007 11:07AM]

I like it all except the mouse.

It should be an MX1000 at the very least, but I'm also spoiled to death on the stupid thing.

[jps @ Jul 26th 2007 1:42PM]

You know, some people have small desks, or enjoy putting keyboards in their laps.

Why do all the keyboards with bells and whistles have to be ginormous?

[Neel P. Sahni @ Jul 26th 2007 11:35AM]

DiNovo.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 26th 2007 11:46AM]

Yes, that's brillant. Let's make a keyboard with a whole bunch of extra features and buttons- then make it really, really tiny. That won't annoy anyone.

[Deluxe @ Jul 26th 2007 11:28AM]

That keyboard is butt ugly.

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 11:33AM]

I refuse to buy any keyboard with the stupid Giganto-Delete-Key Layout. Who thought this was a good idea??

[MasterCKO @ Jul 26th 2007 12:01PM]

once you get used to it, it's great. The keys are placed in a way that makes sense (PgUp above PgDn, for instance). And the simple fact that typists use delete ALL THE TIME and Ins relatively sparingly means making Del huge (like backspace) makes sense, too. Seriously, I think you should give it a shot before you dismiss it out of hand.

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 12:24PM]

The "delete used often, insert used infrequently" arguement is decent, except it's not a good enough reason to mess with the layout of the other keys. Note that PGUP/PGDN have always made sense on the traditional layout, plus HOME/END did, too (they don't with the new layout):
http://www.logitech.com/repository/68/jpg/268.1.0.jpg

As a programmer, I'm probably more reliant on that key cluster than the average typist. I think it's telling that Logitech's own "gaming" keyboards don't mess with the layout, as I'm sure it would mess things up for gamers who use keyboard controls:
http://www.logitech.com/repository/122/jpg/607.1.0.jpg

Oh, and while I'm whining about this: PLEASE stop messing with the F-Keys! I don't see the advantage in making them smaller, particularly on big fat keyboards like these. Again, we programmers/gamers/others use these keys a LOT.

Here's a great example of an otherwise beautiful keyboard that commits both sins:
http://www.logitech.com/repository/84/jpg/472.1.0.jpg

It's too bad, because I otherwise like the feel of Logitech's keyboards and some of the gizmo features, even if they do go overboard often.

[Mile @ Jul 26th 2007 12:33PM]

Personally, the Delete key isn't large enuff on kboards, imo.

I want one the size of my hand so I can lay the smackdown on it quickly and efficiently.

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 12:47PM]

LOL - why not get a foot pedal instead?

Interestingly, it looks like Microsoft (who I believe started the Giganto-Delete-Key trend in the first place) is going back to the traditional layout on their latest keyboards (although the small F-Keys survived):
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/images/signature/mk_NED7k_otherviews_1.jpg
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/images/signature/mk_wld6k_otherview_4.jpg

[MasterCKO @ Jul 26th 2007 1:44PM]

oh whoops, I think that I meant Home-End makes sense in the new layout. I personally like where they are in the new scheme, because most of the time in word processing (at least for me), Home and End are used to reach the Home and End of a line and not a page, hence the left-right orientation.

I really just think that it comes down to using it for a bit and getting used to it. I could BARELY use that cluster when I first got a keyboard like that, but now, I can't even think of using the old way unless I have to.

It is interesting that they didn't change things on the gaming keyboard, though. I think you're right about why. On a gaming keyboard, keeping the layout that gamers have become used to is important, I suppose.

The small F-keys, I feel you on, though. That particular trend, while not completely unusable, is quite annoying. Remember in the good old days of "keyboard reform" when the new "special" uses of the F-keys were the default? Oh god, that made me want to smash something.

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 1:47PM]

Yeah, I was going to bitch about the "special use" F-keys, too, but decided I'd complained enough for one post. =)

[vl @ Jul 26th 2007 4:56PM]

For copying and pasting, I'm often use the ctrl-insert and shift-insert shortcuts instead of ctrl-c and ctrl-v. So, can you imagine what happens when I highlight some text to copy and end up pressing ctrl-delete? Yup, very annoying...

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 4:58PM]

vl: Ah, yes, thank you - I was trying to remember what very common thing I did that drove me crazy on that new layout! I use CTRL/SHIFT-INS a ton, too.

[Matt @ Jul 26th 2007 11:33AM]

Heat is on full blast indeed. It looks like someone took a heat gun to a normal keyboard and melted it. I like it. What I don't like, however, is the RF mouse. I have a BT logitech mouse, why do they do wireless any other way?

[aquatoad @ Jul 26th 2007 11:37AM]

I dunno, I have a logitech cordless mouse (mx700 or something similar) and while the mouse feels & works great, the charging station really sucks. Half the time you have to spent several minutes wiggling the mouse in the charging station and waving a dead chicken over the thing just to get it to trip into 'charging' mode, and even once it's done that it sometimes randomly stops charging and you still come back to a dead mouse. I'm not sure if it's poor design coupling or simple contact corrosion (cleaning the contacts seems to help a little, for a short while) but it's pretty much put me off logitech cordless gear until they move to some sort of contactless induction charged system.

[mattclarkie @ Jul 26th 2007 2:08PM]

I had that mouse, just upgraded to revolution. I noticed the mouse stopped charging properly, replaced the batteries with the same spec and the problem continued. I spent many an hour wiggling. The revolution is a good upgrade from it, but logitech keyboards are really poor now. If you bought the MX700 as a desktop Cordless Desktop Deluxe that was one of their best boards.

I upgraded to vista and am really annoyed that my beloved keyboard isn't supported in setpoint, but the same board in the bluetooth version is. Why on earth.

This new board looks really uncomfortable especially for a touch typist like me. And they need to return to their old enhanced F-Keys. Now 3 are used up with Word, Excel and Powerpoint by default. What was wrong with the My Documents, Music, Picture, Computer, Save, Print, and more layout they used to use. I know they are customisable, but without the pictures you have to remember that you have changed them to the useful defaults they once used.

I know this is a rant, but I will likely not buy another Logitech Keyboard, and I just prey they don't ruin the mice the way they ruined the keyboards.

[Rynth @ Jul 26th 2007 11:38AM]

I got this keyboard through logitech today! I'm typing on it right now, tis' a shame I have to send it back after "testing", but I'll see if I can wangle it.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jul 26th 2007 11:39AM]

Ehhk :^(... Is it so much to ask for the inclusion of some type of glide pad or mouse ball on the keyboard as a 2ndary mouse control? Some of us may want to use it in the den or living room on an HTC/Big screen combo, and guess what? Those entertainment center rooms usually don't have DESKS!

[MasterCKO @ Jul 26th 2007 12:03PM]

Then you want the diNovo Edge:

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/192&cl=us,en

[wyatt @ Jul 26th 2007 12:52PM]

or if you wanna save $50+ and avoid annoying fingerprints on the Edge's black gloss finish, go for the Bluetooth Entertainment Keyboard 7000 from M$. comes with a rechargable mouse and has a touchpad on the keyboard.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=081

is it just me or is the black gloss getting more and more tired by the second?

[MasterCKO @ Jul 26th 2007 1:48PM]

@wyatt:

Yes, it's just you. 8^D

[Kelmon @ Jul 26th 2007 12:14PM]

I quite like Logitech's hardware but I really hate their software for OS X. The Logitech Control Center drivers that I had to download to use my VX Revolution mouse didn't recognise it. New versions later the drivers do now recognise the mouse but also crash my MacBook Pro occasionally. I'm using 3rd party drivers without any problems but I doubt that I'll find any to use with this keyboard, which is a shame as it looks pretty good. I didn't have this problem with Microsoft's drivers so I don't know what Logitech is playing at.

[omf @ Jul 26th 2007 12:31PM]

Unfortunately, their Windows software is bloated and not particularly stable, also. It's better than it used to be, though: maybe there's hope for the OSX versions...

Some companies need to jettison their programmers and have someone else do the work. Whoever's doing HP's inkjet and mulitfunction printer drivers needs to get sacked as well.

[Upsidedown @ Jul 26th 2007 12:27PM]

What is better for a wireless keyboard? Bluetooth or some of the 'proprietary' setups used on keyboards like this or from Microsoft?

[buzweaver @ Jul 26th 2007 1:24PM]

The might mouse (bluetooth) for the mac has some latency in acceleration, typically after its been idle for a while. I don't know if the same can be said for other Bluletooth mice.

[mattclarkie @ Jul 26th 2007 2:17PM]

iTouch was very reliable, I used it for 4 years with no crashes or hicups with the Keyboard or Mouse.I now have setpoint for my revolution, and regularly the buttons and functions don't work, and whenever in IE the micro-gear switches to free-scroll, the only way to get it back to clicky scroll is to go to the desktop, scroll really fast to make free-scroll kick in, go back to IE while the mouse is 1 notch before clicky scrolling and then move it one notch. But the instant you move window it gets stuck in free scroll in IE again.


On XP it is fine, the same mouse with the same version of Set-point, but the Vista set-point is really buggy.

[buzweaver @ Jul 26th 2007 4:59PM]

I'm a fan of logitech products and enjoy my multi media keyboard (corded), this would be like an iteration of that model. Being a gamer the G-15 might be my typical choice, however I don't like the small keys (standard size) that are on the G-15.

The wave looks to be an improvement over the multi media keyboard so I'll probably look into getting one. I'm not interested in the mouse, I'm not sure why the mice are bundled with keyboards as of late.

[wyatt @ Jul 26th 2007 3:22PM]

ha ha! gimme softtouch any day. durable, scratch resistant and harder to drop. black gloss is just too fancy if you ask me. might as well be glitter paint.

[jeremy @ Jul 26th 2007 5:17PM]

when are back-lit keyboards going to become the norm? i refuse to have anything else.

[phez @ Jul 26th 2007 6:20PM]

The MX Duo is still the greatest kb+mouse combo ever.

[mattclarkie @ Jul 27th 2007 6:25AM]

That was the one I spoke about. In Europe they called it the Cordless Desktop Deluxe, but it is the same one.

Greatest keyboard ever, and it actually shipped with the best mouse they had the MX700. Now all the desktops ship with the low-end mice, despite being really expensive.

I just wish they would Vista the damned thing, all those great hot-keys and none of them work because I didn't pay £70 more for the bluetooth one.

[Naveed @ Jul 26th 2007 7:15PM]

the wave design makes sense considering your fingers in the middle of the hand are longer, surprised no one thought of it before.

[wesmantooth @ Jul 26th 2007 8:54PM]

the "wave" feature sounds vaguely familiar... oh right. Microsoft came out with this feature many years ago... its called "comfort curve". i mean... microsoft's wireless keboard is cheaper, better, has a way better name... and also has hotkeys for frequently used programs. AND microsoft's mouse is way better. the only thing i like about this keyboad is the small reciever.

[oxfdblue @ Jul 26th 2007 11:15PM]

Instead of overloading their keyboards with more stuff, how about the geniuses at Logitech make their wireless keyboards actually hold the wireless connection for more then a few minutes. If they had to give a nickel for every time I need to "reconnect" the keyboard, Logitech would be out of business real fast.

And yes, the small F-keys suck... I'm a long time WordPerfect user (since Version 4!) and the little F keys here are a nusiance.

[Galley @ Jul 28th 2007 8:33AM]

"I'm melting..."

[skip @ Aug 4th 2007 8:00PM]

I have the mx1000 can I use it with just the keyboard and does this keyboard have usb problems like the [MS4000]

[Jan @ Aug 8th 2007 6:58AM]

This keyboard looks like my Microsoft Wireless Desktop Elite keyboard, with only slight differences in the extra button layout - is this Logitech ripping off MS, or Logitech improving on a design that MS has ripped off from them?