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Logitech Cordless Elite Duo MX

Logitech Cordless Elite Duo MX

Written by John Yan on 6/25/2003 for PC  
More On: Logitech Cordless Elite Duo MX
Ever since the release of the MX 700 mouse from Logitech, gamers now have a cordless mouse that will keep up with the latest fast paced first person shooters and real time strategy games. No longer are we confined to the cord of the mouse to get top-notch performance. Well if you have a cordless keyboard you’d have a completely wireless setup to play. Logitech decided to combine two of their best products and what they have is the best cordless gaming setup around in the Cordless Elite Duo MX.

The Cordless Elite Duo MX combines a top-notch cordless keyboard and the best cordless mouse found today. The keyboard has a multitude of multimedia functions and the mouse contains rechargeable batteries. Seeing as the products are a combination of the two, here are excerpts from the two reviews of the original products.

Keyboard:

The keyboard’s slim profile, known as the Zero Degree Tilt, gives you a comfortable reach to the keys. Shape-wise, the keyboard’s layout is the same as a regular keyboard. I’m more partial to the ergonomic design though so I’m hoping that Logitech does release the same setup with that type of keyboard. Looking at the keyboard, you can see a whole mess of buttons and dials included with the regular setup. I’ll go clockwise from the left and touch some of the keys in this review. On the left side, you see two buttons and a dial that’s the same as a mouse wheel. Of course, the dial functions the same as a mouse wheel in web pages and more. You can do such things as adjust the volume, scroll through your favorites, and zoom in and out. One of the side buttons opens up an input box to enter a URL to surf to. The other side button allows you to go back a web page. With the two buttons and a scroll, you can do some casual browsing if you don’t need to click on links. I like the look of the keyboard with the mostly black and silver look giving it a slick appearance. Rather than the bland white or eggshell keyboards that are abundant with computers, Logitech has given the keyboard a nice color scheme.


The keyboard is powered by two AA batteries and offers a plethora of functions at your fingertips. I do like the tactile feedback from the keyboard. It’s silent and gives you a good response when pressed.
Mouse:


The MX 700 is in essence, the wireless version of the corded MX 500. The design of the mouse is nearly identical with the exception residing in the absence of the cord and the difference in weight. The MX 700 requires 2 AA batteries to be inserted into the unit, adding quite a bit of weight. This actually works out to be an advantage, it adds more weight to the mouse and makes the entire unit feel much more sturdy than the corded mice, I was already beginning to fall in love with it.

Unlike Logitech’s last cordless mouse, the MX 700 features rechargeable batteries so that the consumer can be spared the chore of having to purchase batteries. The charger itself is in the receiver of the unit, which plugs into the wall and into the USB port of the computer. To recharge the batteries you simply just place the mouse onto the cradle and the charger does the rest of the work. This integration of receiver and charger is definitely a huge plus in the convenience department.

Battery life is much more longer than I had expected, I accidentally left my mouse off the charger at night and awoke to find the mouse still fully operable. In fact it lasted me for the better part of the morning but required a recharge by midday. If I had to estimate I’d say that the battery life is in the neighborhood of 5-10+ hours on a full recharge. Charging time is also kept to a minimal and is convenient since the unit can be recharged when it’s not being used.

Much like the MX 500 the mouse features 5 additional buttons that populate the surface of the mouse. There are two buttons that essentially perform the functions of the scroll wheel, the forward and back buttons and an especially neat addition in the task switch button. The task switch button is by far the best thing to happen to mice since the wheel and the optical eye. Essentially, it allows you to perform the alt+tab function with the press of a button. Perfect for office work and people who are multitasking, you can change tasks with the click of one button.

The design itself is a nice blend of black and gunmetal. The top portion and the left and right clicks appear to be one construct but actually operate separately. The sides of the mouse are rubberized to offer maximal grip while the thumb groove allows for a comfortable hold. There is also an additional groove on the right side of the mouse to accommodate the ring finger of your right hand. Sadly though, southpaws might find themselves having a hard time with this mouse. Everything seems to be designed with right-handers in mind including the grooves and the buttons.

Though the design and construction of the mouse is excellent, nothing can compare to its performance. This is by far the most accurate mouse ever designed, using the new MX technology, you’ll get the smoothest mouse movement in the business. The optical eye just does an amazing job of picking up on even the slightest of movement, allowing me to have a much easier time picking off enemies in first person shooters. Just by tracking my cursor in Windows with my eyes, I can notice the amazing improvements. The cursor moves across the screen much smoother than my old Microsoft Intellimouse Pro Optical and seemed to be far more responsive. The improvement in the technology is immediately apparent; once you go MX you’ll never want to go back, period.

The range on the mouse is also quite exceptional. I’ve been able to receive non-lag gameplay from distances of about 8-10 feet from the receiver. I did experience quite a few problems after that so I wouldn’t recommend you going any further than that. If you have a setup where you own a wireless keyboard and work with a projector or some sort of output then you should seriously consider using this mouse. It can provide adequate range without substituting performance.

Now the recharging unit for the mouse doubles as the wireless receiver station for the two units. On the front of the base are three LEDs that indicate if the Caps Lock is on, Num Lock is on, and the function keys are on. Other than that the shape’s the same as the base for the MX 700 mouse.

The performance is spectacular for games. Playing through Medal of Honor, Generals, Dungeon Siege, Unreal Tournament 2003, and others I experienced smooth lag free game play. I was able to do a diagonal forward jump by holding down three keys in order demonstrate that the keyboard can send multiple keyboard signals at once. The mouse is smooth as silk and reacted perfectly to my quick movements. Being an avid user of the MX 500 I had very little trouble adjusting to the slightly heavier MX 700.

While the only component that’s rechargeable is the mouse, the battery life of the keyboard is pretty good, as I’ve used it for a few weeks without having to change them. Indicators in the icon tray will let you know how well your batteries are doing so you won’t be caught in a middle of a game and have it die in you without any knowledge of how much power is left. It’s a great set even if you’re not a gamer and want a good wireless setup.

In my earlier review, I wanted Logitech to come out with a cordless natural keyboard, as that’s my preferred setup. For experimental purposes, I took the Logitech Cordless Comfort Duo’s keyboard and tried to synch it up with the Elite Duo MX’s base. Sure enough, the cordless natural keyboard had no problems and I was able to combine the two setups. I know have the normal keyboard for any others who want to work with my computer while having the ability to easily switch to the natural keyboard when I am at the station. While the keyboard on the Cordless Comfort Duo doesn’t have all the options of the Cordless Elite Duo MX’s keyboard, I do enjoy the shape better and am more comfortable with it. I also tried a few others of Logitech’s cordless keyboards and they connected fine. That leads me to believe Logitech could bundle any keyboard they choose with the MX 700 since the recharging base seems to recognize a good slew of them. Maybe someday Logitech will allow you to mix and match the keyboard with the mouse so you can have a preferred setup of your own. But for now, the keyboard that comes with the Elite Duo MX is exceptional and one of the best out there today.

For a good price of $99, you can get the set if you don’t have either product. If you do have one or the other then it’s obviously more cost effective to purchase the missing component. But for those who haven’t taken the plunge into wireless keyboards and mice, the Cordless Elite Duo MX is the set to pick up if you’re an avid gamer. Logitech’s wireless setup is great for gamers who want to clean up the cords around their desk. While a bit more expensive then the traditional corded counterparts, the Cordless Elite Duo MX gives gamers a true wireless setup that won’t hinder their gameplay.
Two great Logitech peripherals are combined into a nice package that had me leaving my corded counterparts behind. Gamers will be really pleased with the performance.

Rating: 9.1 Excellent

* The product in this article was sent to us by the developer/company.


About Author

I've been reviewing products since 1997 and started out at Gaming Nexus. As one of the original writers, I was tapped to do action games and hardware. Nowadays, I work with a great group of folks on here to bring to you news and reviews on all things PC and consoles.

As for what I enjoy, I love action and survival games. I'm more of a PC gamer now than I used to be, but still enjoy the occasional console fair. Lately, I've been really playing a ton of retro games after building an arcade cabinet for myself and the kids. There's some old games I love to revisit and the cabinet really does a great job at bringing back that nostalgic feeling of going to the arcade.

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