Design & Features

The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution keyboard physically resembles the new Logitech G15 in design. The MX 5500 keyboard has lots of buttons that map directly to functions of Windows Vista by default. The keyboard has a LCD display built in as well.

The mouse is where the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution shines with a MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse. The mouse features the hyperfast scroll wheel that the Revolution line of mice is famous for. The Bluetooth mini receiver can be used as a Bluetooth hub as well.

Keyboard

The MX5500 keyboard has a full complement of media control keys including mute, volume up and down, forward, back and play/pause located on the left side of the keyboard. Immediately to the left of the media keys are a rocker switch for zoom in and out and a button to access flip 3D. When you press the Flip 3D button you can then scroll through open windows via the zoom in and out keys.

The F keys can also be modified with a built-in fn key to give direct access to applications like Word, Excel, desktop search, your calendar, Internet Explorer, chat application, email and the Internet. The F9 to F12 keys are also labeled with letters A - D and you can program whatever applications or websites you want to be opened when pressed in conjunction with the FN key.

On the top of the keyboard above the full number pad is a direct key to the calculator and for turning the PC on and off. Below the number pad are three keys for controlling Vista Media Center, Photo Gallery, and Gadgets.

The most noticeable feature of the keyboard is the LCD screen, which looks just like the LCD on the new G15. The screen is backlit with black with white numbers and letters. You can choose what is shown on the display from the time and date, media playing, temperature, key counter that shows how many keystrokes have been made on the keyboard, and new email notification. One screen on the LCD also shows what you have mapped to the A to D custom F keys.

The typing feel of the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution keyboard is decent. The keys have a spongier feel than I prefer and lack backlighting which would have been most welcome. Typing feel will be good for most users. The keyboard has a soft touch plastic coated wrist rest that isn’t removable.

Mouse

The mouse uses rechargeable batteries, whereas the keyboard is powered by four AA batteries. A charging cradle is included with the mouse as well. The best feature of the mouse is the scroll wheel that has free wheel mode allowing you to fly through long pages. The mouse wheel also features a click mode when more accuracy is needed.

The Logitech software allows you to set the mouse to change from free wheel to click scroll automatically or you can set the mouse where clicking the mouse wheel changes the scroll mode. I didn’t care for the automatic change mode; it never seemed to pick the right scroll method for the task at hand.

In addition to the free wheel scroll the mouse also has another wheel on the left side that activates Flip 3D in Vista. Above the side wheel are two buttons mapped to browser forward and backward by default. Under the scroll wheel is a button for one click search as well. The mouse buttons can be customized in the software. The design of the mouse is right hand only.

Logitech doesn’t specify the sensitivity of the Revolution mouse used in the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution. It feels like 800 dpi, though you can accelerate the pointer if you want things to move faster. I found the accuracy of the mouse when pointer acceleration was on to be less than ideal for my tastes. On the default setting the mouse was very accurate, but too slow after being used to 2000 to 3200 dpi gaming mice.

The Bluetooth wireless connectivity is good for a range of 30 feet, which would mean users preferring full sized mice and keyboards with HTPC machines can use the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution from across the room.