Reviews - Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 review

[HEXUS]

Love wireless? Hate batteries? Take a look at Logitech's solar-powered K750 keyboard.

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[Jay]

but I live in the north and we don't get much Sun. I was told that this will not be shipping to Scotland at all!

[kalniel]

Would be nice if this could act as a charging station/dock for wireless mice too.

[aidanjt]

It can be a bit annoying swapping batteries, but most logitech wireless keyboards will last almost a year on 2xAA batteries, so while it's an occasional minor annoyance, it's not that dire. What is dire, is some of the idiotic non-standard key layouts they've been doing the last few years. I don't need an epic gigantic delete key right beside the backspace key (which I use far more for correcting errors), I do need insert to be sanely positioned though. Also, I want my menu key back, thanks.

[OilSheikh]

Am I the only one who still use a wired keyboard ?

I dont see why you even need a wireless keyboard if you are sitting at your PC desk ?!

[Noli]

I agree that a lot of Logitech's keyboard layouts are getting irritating - they seem to have contracted the usual 6 key island of Ins, Del, Home, End, PgUp, PgDown to a vertical layout across many of their products. When I wanted a budget wireless keyboard from them, I had to buy and OEM one from ebuyer to get the correct layout.

I love Logitech peripherals (like my G9 mouse) but one thing I think the company really needs to start offering is proper mechanical keyboards. They should either license the mechanism in from Cherry for some of their premium range, or hell, maybe even develop their own proprietary mechanism - they're big enough to do it.

[miniyazz]

It can be a bit annoying swapping batteries, but most logitech wireless keyboards will last almost a year on 2xAA batteries, so while it's an occasional minor annoyance, it's not that dire. What is dire, is some of the idiotic non-standard key layouts they've been doing the last few years. I don't need an epic gigantic delete key right beside the backspace key (which I use far more for correcting errors), I do need insert to be sanely positioned though.

Non-standard layouts are generally silly and shouldn't be allowed. Nobody likes them.
As it happens though, I use Delete more than Backspace, probably because the latter has a nasty (useful) habit of taking you back a page on the internet. Sure, it doesn't do that in a text box, but if you're accidentally not in the text box, it can be annoying.

Also, I want my menu key back, thanks.

This. A thousand times, this. What is the reason for moving the Fn key from the established position at the right (I'm looking at you, Lenovo) of the left Ctrl key, to replace another key, leaving you with an unnecessarily massive left Ctrl key to use up the extra space? I presume it's purely to annoy.

[Terbinator]

So the Menu key is the Fn key, as i've never seen a Menu key?

[crossy]

It can be a bit annoying swapping batteries, but most logitech wireless keyboards will last almost a year on 2xAA batteries, so while it's an occasional minor annoyance, it's not that dire.

The K340 that I use every day lasts 6-8 months on a pair of (readily available!) AA batteries, so like you power isn't a big deal for me.

Am I the only one who still use a wired keyboard ? I dont see why you even need a wireless keyboard if you are sitting at your PC desk ?!

According to the H&S folks locally wireless is preferred because it's regarded as easier to get positioned "appropriately", the lack of a trailing cable is also regarded as beneficial for reducing clutter (he types, then rofl after looking at my current desk state)

Would be nice if this could act as a charging station/dock for wireless mice too.

+1 on that, makes a lot of sense - put in a wrist rest and use that to increase the charging area?

but I live in the north and we don't get much Sun. I was told that this will not be shipping to Scotland at all!

You need the "Northern Europe" edition - this has a removable pack (plus spare) that's charged by an optional wind turbine you can put in the garden. That said, it's currently gloriously sunny here at the moment, so the K750 should work fine.

While we're moaning at Logitech, here's my two contibutions:

• Not keen on some of the key sizes on my K340 - cursor keys are way too small (laptop?) and trying to get AltPrtScr is very awkward
• The trade-in deals are a good idea, but offering a voucher-based money-back scheme would have been a lot easier to use. I really loathe the Logitech eShop - some (undisclosed) issue prevents me using it

Anyone know if this K750 is a better (or worse) keyboard than the K800, or the one with the MK520 kbd+mouse set? I used to have the MK520 and I always found it to be a really great keyboard (the key lettering eventually wore off), but I really like the look of the K800.

[miniyazz]

So the Menu key is the Fn key, as i've never seen a Menu key?

Menu key: http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...w=1366&bih=559

[tygrus]

I would have like to have seen you test the keyboard with temporary covering the solar panels so they could not recharge. Let the battery drop for 10% or a week of heavy use. Uncover with a standard of lighting (e. 100LUX) and see how quickly it recovers.

I have a Logitech MK700 and find the large rounded but shallow keys to be harder to type with. It's harder to feel distance and location so it is vague and flat.

[baius]

Would be nice if this could act as a charging station/dock for wireless mice too.

That is a really good idea. You should email Logitech and ask for a cut of the profits when they implement it... EDIT: Alternatively, what about a solar panel on the mouse?

Non-standard layouts are generally silly and shouldn't be allowed.

Want an ergo-DVORAK, myself...

Incidentally, miniyazz, the menu/alternate-click/right-click function can usually be activated through Shift+F10, but I agree that it's a PITA not to be able to press just one button.

[miniyazz]

Dvorak's a slightly different kettle of fish being an entirely different layout rather than one key moved or removed for the lulz.
I used to use Dvorak but unfortunately decided to switch back to QWERTY as what with using lots of different computers at work, it was so much less hassle to stick to one keyboard layout than use Dvorak at home and QWERTY at work (changing layouts at work not an option).

Thanks for the tip, didn't realise Shift F10 did that

[baius]

Yeah, going from Dvorak -> QWERTY does sound hard; I find it tricky enough when latptops have moved delete and PgUp/PgDn keys.

[miniyazz]

It wasn't even so much that it's hard to switch between the two (I became surprisingly accustomed after a few months) - it's just that my typing speed on QWERTY dropped to around 2/3rds what it was before I started using Dvorak, and my Dvorak speed wasn't much better than my previous QWERTY speed (possibly influenced by not giving up QWERTY), so it just didn't make sense to stick with it.
No denying that Dvorak was a more comfortable layout to use though

[Pap]

Do you guys reckon it's worth it at £69?