Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard

Synopsis:
1 - Introduction
2 - Design
3 - Keys
4 - Functions: tactile orders
5 - Functions: other orders, pilot
6 - Performances and the Bluetooth connection
7 - Conclusion


1. Introduction

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The Logitech range was for the time being dominated by the only sets of office. With its diNovo Edge, the Swiss firm launches its first keyboard wireless telegraphy sold separately, without being delivered with a mouse. What however has so particular this keyboard to deserve such honors?

2. Design

The diNovo Edge is before all a superb part intended to as it should be decorate more high-tech offices. It proposes a design with the very tended lines and the undeniable success, which will certainly charm the lit amateurs, but also all one each one. The eyes are irremediably attracted by this object on the brilliant plexiglass surface made up. This mirror effect associated with puts back wrist not out of plastic but out of superbly brushed aluminium give him a seal without similar.

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In addition, Edge is very fine with only a little more than one centimetre thickness and is of course deprived of telegraphic connection, since it uses Bluetooth technology. It is thus distinguished immediately from its traditional counterparts, even those with the most required designs. Even its towards, of one surprising orange and without any artifice, seems to have to dissociate itself.

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But no description could return justice without mentioning to him its partial retro-lighting. This one, it also orange, come to illuminate the whole of the auxiliary controls of the keyboard during their activation, quasi-invisible in normal time. In short, the diNovo Edge is a true work of art, and one of the most successful keyboards aesthetically ever marketed.

Like considerable works of art, it should however sometimes be interdict to touch it: each contact on brilliant surface leaves disgracieuses traces. It is thus not in vain that the keyboard is delivered with a siglé black rag of its name!

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3. Keys

Like its predecessors of the series diNovo, Edge is equipped with keys with low profile. Contrary to those, these keys are however not truly keys of portable computer: they are indeed well too resistant to be able to correspond to this name.

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Actually, from a point of view of the touch, those appear completely disappointing to us. Whereas the preceding keyboards diNovo were true wonders of comfort, the increased resistance of these keys to dome saps all the efforts made until now in this field. The pressure which it is necessary to exert on them appears well too important us within the framework of a calm use. On the other hand, that they are adapted to an intensive ludic use thanks to a good reactivity, but is this concedes really the goal of this keyboard?

The very resistant rubber domes employed for the mechanics of Edge have however as a merit to offer to its keys an extremely deaf sonority, making them particularly discrete.

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Remainder, the keys adopt a traditional provision, but one heavily deplores the absence of numeric keypad, which one does not even find not off-set on a second element as it was the case with the preceding diNovo. Were also sacrificed, the block of 3 X 2 keys theoretically located above the directional keys which adopts a different provision, as well as the diodes announcing the activation of various lockings… and due, only locking capital letter still remains! Its activation and its desactivation are actually announced by small a beeper, emitting sounds of two different tonalities.

4. Functions: tactile orders

To limit the diNovo Edge to its principal keys would be extremely reducing. It is indeed equipped with a couple of rather interesting tactile orders, located on the right side of the keyboard. The first of these orders takes seat just on the right directional keys and constitutes actually the true good idea of Edge from a functional point of view. It is about a tactile disc making it possible to control the pointer without calling upon a mouse; this order thus explains the absence of mulot in its bundle! It is thanks to this one that the user is supposed to move the pointer of the bottom of his settee while using in all and for all only one peripheral.

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Actually, if this order is well an excellent idea, it suffers from some defects which will make it remain with the row of auxiliary solution. Indeed, if the precision of displacements is still acceptable, their fluidity is clearly lacking. In addition, the very insufficient surface of the disc will oblige either to begin there very often to carry out a complete displacement, or to increase the sensitivity in a too excessive way to preserve a sufficient precision. To activate acceleration in the pilots of the keyboard will be able to improve the situation, but will require a certain control there too.

This disc is however well thought and goes until integrating the management of two axes of run. On the basis of one of the two barbs present on its surface, it is possible to make ravel the page by circular motions of the finger, as well vertically as horizontally, according to the starting barb. In addition, one finds under the disc two buttons replacing the principal buttons of the mouse, and which can even be actuated in a simultaneous way to simulate a third click. The design of the keyboard also made fly by envisaging on the opposite left side a button intended to simulate the left click of the mouse: the device is thus fully usable by holding the keyboard of the two hands, which is all the more simple being given its smoothness and its featherweight. Let us note finally that it is possible to decontaminate the whole of the tactile device.

It had been larger, slightly more precise and it had guaranteed more fluid displacements, this tactile disc would actually have constituted a perfect substitute with the mouse; an excellent idea, but still to improve!

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One finds on the diNovo tactile Edge one second order: it is about a slide of adjustment of volume, similar to that which one one already found on the MX5000, but which illuminates here orange with the passage of the finger. It has however as a disadvantage of taking seat with very the plexiglass hull, which makes it particularly sensitive to the finger marks various. In spite of this dimension of trap with maniacs of cleanliness, this order is precise and pleasant, and which more is assisted of a button activating the dumb mode.


5. Functions: other orders

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Deprived of dedicated orders multi-media, the diNovo Edge allows nevertheless the multi-media control of readers thanks to the double function of its F1 keys F12. This one is activable on pressure of the Fn key, beside the bar spaces, and illuminates in the passing the witnesses oranges corresponding to these functions, for a visual effect the most succeeded of. One also finds some useful orders (opening of the navigator, customer email, etc) like 4 entirely programmable orders. One however deeply regrets the absence of clean reading commands, rather incoherent on a keyboard primarily intended for set on PC Home Cinema.

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Other orders take seat a little everywhere on the edges of the keyboard: in top, on both sides of this one, one finds two other short cuts intended in theory to put the computer in day before or to extinguish it on the one hand, to launch the favorite multi-media reader on the other hand. An ordering of zoom also takes place on the left side by three buttons (enlarging, reduction, return to the initial zoom).

The whole of these orders is managed in a relatively effective way by the SetPoint pilots who accompany in a traditional way the diNovo Edge. It is possible to personalize them almost all, and in particular the tactile disc, in a very precise way, with a crowd of very varied parameters.


6. Performances and the Bluetooth connection

The large weak point of the keyboards diNovo equipped with Bluetooth technology was their performances a long time. Although reagent in the absolute, the keyboard of the diNovo Laser suffered for example from a certain number of bugs and intolerable imperfections taking into consideration its price. Sold to more than one hundred of euros, Edge must him also approach the perfection. Successful bet?

From a strict point of view of the performances, it appears to us incontestably succeeded. The reactivity of the keyboard is absolutely excellent and no latency is to be regretted, even after a certain idle period. An integral pleasure! The stability of the connection seems to us excellent and we did not have to deplore any virtual blocking of key throughout our test which was however spread out over 3 weeks of intensive use. The range is it also excellent and reaches without sorrow ten meters.

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Only, there is difficulty! Logitech seems here perfectly to have controlled technology Bluetooth 2.0 EDR from a software point of view, which a long time constituted the black spot of its products. Actually, this success was done at the price of the suppression of the functions of hub of the receiver. The pilots indeed do not seem to comprise any stack standard Bluetooth, software element essential to the connection of other peripherals (PDA, telephones mobile, etc).

In these terms, the merit of Logitech appears quite thin. However, if receiver functions well on version limited of Bluetooth and is able of appairer only with only diNovo Edge (what it does in a way similar to any connection traditional wireless telegraphy RF), the keyboard is him fully compatible with this technology. In other words, it is perfectly usable with a hub standard Bluetooth, like that integrated into a portable computer for example. It then becomes completely possible to do without the provided receiver, while possibly connecting other peripherals. However the performances of Edge are completely excellent within the framework of such a use and no counter-indication seems to come to be opposed to it; why deprive itself some?


7. Conclusion

What to think of the diNovo Edge of the final one? It is undoubtedly about a keyboard innovating, absolutely superb and which will make its effect on most luxurious of the offices, without to be stripped of interest, in particular by its concept of tactile disc. In addition, even if its receiver is attached in its function of hub, the diNovo is perfectly suitable for connection with another receiver while preserving its excellent performances, which do not make him once for at all defect.

But - since there is one “but” - why to have used such resistant keys? Those sap according to us an immense side of the advantage of the keyboards diNovo, namely their excellent comfort of striking, completely sacrificed here. What to think of more than absence of numeric keypad and its some other defects, in particular taking into consideration its price?

Precisely, this price is without any doubt the element more except standard of all the diNovo Edge, since it reaches the appox. Rs.12000 Knowing that price is that of a keyboard alone, whose appointed receiver is unable to be used as hub Bluetooth, there is what to give to reflect even for the most fortunate amateurs. Actually, one wonders well who will be ready to spend such a sum for a keyboard far from reaching the perfection.

The question that I am having:
Telegraphic keyboard: ok! but can one use it in the BIOS? if one boot on PC DOS, netbootdisk, Ultimate Boot CD, etc… it is not sure! In which case the ideal is to have a connector USB on the keyboard to be able to attach an optional cable USB to it.

Is it compatible with Mac and Linux?

The support of the keyboard on which comes to take care the keyboard seems to show a recurring defect at Logitech. Ergonomics is not sufficiently well thought to allow a frank contact. they is same the concern as there is with the mice MX 1000 and Revolution.