Logitech Wave

While it is hard to make a key board and mouse stand out from the crowd, Logitech does a reasonable job with their latest combo, the Wave. It won't do anything radical like make you breakfast (call us when you find a keyboard that does), but it combines an ergonomic design with a ton of function keys and wireless connectivity, making it an attractive proposition for users looking for an unwired setup.

Ergonomic key layouts typically take a little while to get used to. They are slightly curved, with the central keys sitting slightly higher than the outside ones. Such a design is intended to make the typing motion more natural and is great for users who spend long hours in front of their PCs. There is also a relatively comfortable wrist guard and while it does make the keyboard significantly bulkier it is quite comfortable.

The keys themselves are quite tactile and easy to type on. After a few minutes adjusting, we found our typing speed improved a little from the standard desktop keyboard we were using before. The keys also make relatively little noise which, while not a big issue, may be a concern for some.

These days a keyboard wouldn't be complete without a set of shortcut buttons, and the Wave has these in droves. To the left is a special Windows Vista key which gives access to functions like Zoom, Flip 3D, Photo Gallery and Gadgets, while running along the top are the usual array of media controls. The function keys are also programmable allowing you quick access to applications, folders and Web pages.

Aesthetically the Wave keyboard is fairly stylish, with a black and metallic blue colour scheme. It should fit in nicely with most modern PC setups.

Also accompanying the keyboard is a mouse using laser technology, which is fast becoming the favourite over the older, optical sensors. It operated well on every surface we tested from paper to mouse mats to a glossy white desk (typically the bane of sensor-based mice) and while we'd recommend a proper gaming mouse to hardcore gamers, it does fine for the occasional bout of doom between Word documents.

The wireless connectivity operated well and we experienced no slow down or drop outs at all. The connection is established using a USB dongle which can either be plugged directly in to the machine or docked in a small adapter to help position it better. It is plug-and-play; however, the software is required to use some of the programmable keyboard functions.