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Logitech Cordless Desktop S530 for Mac

Something for your Mini, sir?

In addition to the standard keys, the S530 provides, on the left-hand side, power, email, and home keys, an up-and-down rocker, and a backspace button. On the right-hand side are controls for Spotlight, music playback, iTunes activation, iPhoto activation, a volume up-and-down rocker, and a mute key. I'm not sure why the volume controls are below the iPhoto key and not up with the music controls, but that's the way it is. All the keys, on both sides, are customisable except for the music and volume controls.

logitech cordless desktop s530 mac

Alas, the non-standard buttons were poorly printed, with icons not only not centred on the button's surface but often set at angle, all of which leaves the keyboard looking cheap.

Physically, the keyboard is quite thin, though the keys have a good travel to them with almost no springiness to the board as a whole. The downside is it's not as quiet as, say, a notebook keyboard, but in the office, it certainly failed to make its presence felt above the clatter of keyboards being used by other Register hacks. The rake is very shallow - Logitech describes it as "ultra-flat" - but that's the trend these days, and it's certainly a better angle than the notebook's own, flat keyboard. You'll definitely want to flip out the two legs built into the base of the keyboard - I'd have liked to see them extend even further.

I've never been a fan of wrist-rests, but the one built into the S530 is better than most I've tried. It gives you something to rest your palms on without feeling like they're being lifted up above the keyboard.

Over to the mouse, one of Logitech's now discontinued MX 600s. Contoured to fit the hand - well, a right hand; if you're left-handed this mouse isn't for you - I found the mouse very comfortable to use - much better than Apple's own rodent. It moves smoothly on four pads, and has enough weight to give you something to push against without feeling heavy. The scroll wheel has a ratchetty feel - it's not a smooth as the ball on Apple's Mighty Mouse, for example, or some other mice I've tried - but it's not unpleasant. Pushing it right or left provides a horizontal scroll control.

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