Logitech K800 Illuminated Keyboard and Performance Mouse MX

After several years, my old Logitech MX3200 set was on it’s way out. The paint on the keyboards was worn off half of the left side of the keyboard. Keys stuck or wouldn’t click on the first press. Not to mention after years of use it had become filthy, despite my best efforts to keep it clean. The mouse was also randomly double clicking everything, making it frustrating to do anything. After it began to take several attempts to right-click and drag anything I finally had to accept it was time for a purchase.

After a lot of research and reading tons of reviews I settled on the Logitech K800 illuminated keyboard and Logitech Performance MX mouse. Neither of these are cheap devices, both running $99.99 retail. Luckily there’s eBay so I was able to get them for just over $100 together. So how do this keyboard and mouse compare? See for yourself after the jump…

Logitech K800 Illuminated Keyboard
Let’s start with the Logitech K800 keyboard. It’s a fairly simple keyboard. You won’t find an extensive set of macro buttons, dedicated media controls or other special features. There are some Fn+key functions but even then they are fairly simple. The main feature of this keyboard is the illumination functions. The backlighting is automatic by default but can be changed in the software. The keyboard also allows you to manually change the brightness as well as disable the backlight.

The keyboard uses Logitech’s newer Unifying receiver which allows up to 6 devices to be connected. The K800 is wireless (it also comes in a wired configuration) and uses a rechargeable battery. It’s charged by a standard micro USB cable. The battery life is excellent. With a lot of use, mostly with the backlight on, it still shows full battery after about 3 weeks. If you need a backlit keyboard and can get it for a good price, this is a definite buy.

Logitech Performance MX Mouse

The Logitech Performance MX Mouse is the successor to the popular MX Revolution Mouse. The Performance MX is a expensive device by most standards, costing nearly a hundred dollars retail. While that price will throw many off, I think it’s well worth the price if you can find it cheaper elsewhere. The Performance MX is a comfortable mouse that conforms nicely to the hand. The only issue I found it’s a little small for my hands. Then again, I have large hands so it’s something I’ve become use to. Even then, my fingers only hang off an inch or so.

The Performance MX has several buttons: a forward/back set, a zoom button and a application switch button on the bottom of the thumb rest. All of these can be changed in the default Logitech software. With the addition of the UberOptions add-on for Logitech you can add even more customization for the mouses buttons, even as far as setting specific rules for individual application. Another unique feature is the scroll wheel. I can be used as a regular scroll wheel like you can find on most mouses. Click the button located behind the scroll wheel and you suddenly have infinite scroll. This a excellent for scrolling through long PDF or zooming in and out of images. The battery life is good pretty good. I’m easily seeking a week or more of battery life from the mouse on a charge. The battery is replaceable so you could get even more from higher power battery. My mouse didn’t come with a battery so I used a Duracell 2450mAh rechargeable battery. I’m not sure what the rating of the factory battery is so your mileage may vary. You can charge it via the same micro USB cable that is used by the K800 while continuing to use it. The Performance MX uses the same Unifying adapter used by the K800 as well, so you only need to use one USB port.

Wrap Up
Overall I’m very pleased with the Logitech K800 Keyboard and Performance MX Mouse. While the retail price will probably be a deal-breaker for many, it’s easy to find both devices on eBay for much less. If you are in need of a new keyboard or mouse I’d highly recommend these devices for everyone, from the System Administrator to the Graphic Designer.