Logitech’s new MK850 Performance Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Comb is the company’s latest in its lineup of input devices for power users, combining a full-featured ergonomic keyboard with the company’s M720 Triathlon wireless mouse. Although the MK850 doesn’t exactly have a Mac-like aesthetic, don’t let that fool you, as Logitech’s Options software is fully Mac-compatible and Mac-aware, providing support for controlling all of the usual keyboard functions, and mapping mouse gestures to swiping between desktops, bringing up Mission Control, LaunchPad, Exposé, and more. Further, Logitech has introduced a new “DuoLink” feature that pairs the mouse and keyboard to work together, allowing a second set of actions and gestures to be assigned to the mouse buttons that can be triggered when holding down the Fn key on the keyboard.
For example, if you regularly listen to music on your Mac, you could set up the mouse so that holding down Fn and middle-clicking or tilting the scroll wheel pauses or switches between tracks, or scrubs forward and backward between tracks.
The keyboard also features a cushioned palm rest to provide full wrist support when typing along with a curved keyframe for a more natural typing position. While users of traditional Apple keyboards will find the depth of the keys takes a bit of getting used to, we found ourselves adapting and typing with ease and comfort within the first 20-30 minutes of use. Logitech’s Easy-Switch technology lets both the mouse and keyboard be paired with up to three different devices, including multiple Macs or even your iPad, iPhone, or Apple TV, and switch between them at the push of a button.
Both the keyboard and mouse both use Bluetooth Smart technology, so pairing them with your Mac or iOS devices is straightforward, however Logitech also includes a Unifying USB receiver allowing you to use the kit with older Macs or Windows PCs that don’t support Bluetooth. The keyboard runs on two AAA batteries, promising 36 months of battery life on a single set, while the mouse offers 24 months of battery life on a single AA cell.
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