A funny thing happened on the way to this review, I fell in love with a wireless keyboard from Logitech, but not the one I initially planned to review. Let me explain.
I’ve been working with the Logitech PR folks for the last several years and have reviewed several of their Mac-based products. When the new Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard was announced I asked to be placed on the list for review units. After waiting for a few weeks I was notified that the unit was available and I could go to their Web site and place my order. While I was there, another keyboard caught my eye, so I decided to purchase the second one on a whim. More about that one later.
The Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch arrived and I immediately set it up on my office MacBook Pro which is docked and has an external monitor and had an old Logitech keyboard that was about to give up the ghost. I am also using a wireless Logitech 500 series mouse with this set-up. The pairing with the new Easy-Switch went flawlessly. It first found my MacBook Pro and then I paired it with my third gen iPad, and finally my iPhone 4. The Easy-Switch has three buttons that allow one-touch switching between three different Bluetooth devices. I already use the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover on my iPad, and I love it, but using the Easy-Switch keyboard with my iPhone was a wonderful experience compared to my stubby little fingers finding the correct keys on the virtual keyboard on the iPhone.
Some of the other features in the Easy-Switch were Laser-etched backlit keys that allow you to type easily in low light and even in the dark. Back lighting ensures the keys are sharp, bright and always easy to read in any light. Only the key characters are illuminated, so you see just what you need to see without distraction. It also has auto-adjusting illumination that automatically adjusts to suit the light conditions in the room. You can also manually adjust the brightness of the illumination using the F5 and F6 keys. I loved the hand proximity detection which is a motion sensor that detects your hands as they approach the keyboard and turns the backlight on/off to help you save power when you are not typing. The Easy-Switch has USB charging and special power management to give you the longest possible use between charges.
So what’s not to like about the Easy-Switch? It’s not really what I didn’t like, as much as what I needed in a keyboard. I have always used a full size keyboard and this Bluetooth model is smaller then a regular keyboard, similar in size to the Apple Bluetooth keyboard. I am also a person that loves the numeric keypad on the side of my keyboard and I use it regularly for work. The Easy-Switch also lays almost flat on the desk and I like a little angle to my keyboard when I type. Because of these three personal objections, the Easy-Switch was not a good fit for me at the office. I find it much more useful at home where portability and it’s compact size becomes more of a positive aspect then a negative one. It may be perfect for you, it’s a matter of how you use it.
So that brings us back to the second keyboard I ordered, it’s the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 for the Mac. It’s wireless, but not Bluetooth. It turned out to be love at first sight. It fit all my needs for a keyboard, full sized, numeric keypad, Mac key layout, and so much more. It’s powered by light, Good-bye, battery hassles. Light keeps your keyboard charged and ready—even indoors. You pop the tiny Logitech Unifying receiver in your notebook and leave it there. You can even add more devices, I added the Logitech mouse I’m using. It comes in 5 colors, silver, black, blue, red and green. Set-up took seconds and the keyboard has movable feet on the bottom which allows me to angle the keyboard or type flat on the desktop. It’s only a third of an inch thick, but is solid as a rock when you type. As I mentioned, All the keys are exactly where you expect them to be, including music and brightness controls, command keys and the eject key. And it all works right out of the box. No software installation required. I love everything about this keyboard.
So as you can see, what started out as a review of the new Easy-Switch keyboard, turned into a review of the Wireless Solar K750 for Mac keyboard. As I mentioned, a keyboard is as individual of a choice as a mouse. Your needs may be different then mine and that’s just fine. I am certain of one thing, if you visit the Logitech Web site, you will find a keyboard that fits your needs.
The retail price of the Easy-Switch Keyboard is $99 and the Solar K750 is $59.
