Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
It ’s been over three old age since Logitech debuted its diNovo Edge Mac Edition ( ) , and nearly as long since the sacking of the diNovo Keyboard Mac Edition ( ) — two keyboard that , thanks to superior fundamental applied science , a Mac - pore design and key layout , and Mac - specific particular features , were among the undecomposed Mac keyboard I ’ve ever used . In fact , when Logitech discontinued the two models last year without foretell replacement , I bought three additional ( non - Edge ) diNovo keyboards in the hopes they ’d take for me over until I found something like , from Logitech or elsewhere .
In previous August , Logitech herald its in style Mac - specific keyboard , theWireless Solar Keyboard K750 for Mac . A Mac version of the existingWireless Solar Keyboard K750 , the K750 for Mac wo n’t be taking the place of the diNovo on my own desk , but it ’s nevertheless a very honorable keyboard — one of the best currently on the securities industry for Mac users .
Apple-like looks, likes bright lights
The K750 for Mac is available in five color combination : silver with white-hot key ; black with blackened keys ; and white - on - white with either downhearted , immature , or pink trim along the top edge of the keyboard . ( See the images in the gallery at the top of this review . ) But all of the models have something in common : two strip show of solar cells along that top sharpness . As the keyboard ’s name implies , the K750 for Mac is solar - powered — or , more accurately , lightpowered . I make that distinction because unlike most solar - powered gadgets , the K750 does n’t ask actual sunlight . Instead , the keyboard ’s internal , rechargeable assault and battery can be charge byambientlight in all but the darkest of rooms .
In a well - lit part , the K750 ’s battery takes advantage of that ambient luminance to maintain a full charge ; according to Logitech , that would permit you use the K750 for three month in total duskiness . For obvious reasons , I was n’t able to test this claim , but in substantial - world usance , it mean that if you ’re using the K750 in most part environments , you ’ll never have to interest about a low shelling . One exception , however , is that if you employ a slide - out keyboard drawer , you may rule that the draftsman does n’t pull up out far enough to completely expose the solar cells to Light Within . In that lawsuit , you may require to occasionally put the keyboard on your desk when you head out for dejeuner .
How do you sleep together if the keyboard is capture enough light ? The keyboard sports a Check Light button , just above the numeric keypad and next to happy - face and lamentable - case icons , for check out the light point . Press this button , and if the keyboard is become enough light to burden its barrage , a green LED next to the well-chosen face get off up ; if not , you see a red lighting next to the sad face .
If that ’s not enough entropy for you , you’re able to download Logitech’sSolar Appfrom the Mac App Store . Launch the app and press the Check Light key , and the appdisplays detail informationabout the keyboard ’s battery and charging status : how much light the solar cells are receiving , the stay on direction , and whether or not you need to position the keyboard to get more calorie-free . There ’s even an option to watch a graph of your battery ’s mission level over time . The app ’s light meter is charmingly live — if you place your hands over the solar cadre , the readout drops appropriately . ( When you first establish Solar App , it will take if you require to activate the app to open when you press the Check Light samara . If you click Enable , the app runs a background process that find out for this keypress and then automatically launches the app . )
If you wo n’t be using the keyboard for a while , a dedicated On / Off switch lets you turn it off completely to avoid wasting battery power . In addition , the keyboard mechanically turns off if , for example , a cay is down in the mouth for longer than a few minute . This forbid the keyboard from channel that keypress perpetually and thus draining the battery .
Interestingly , if your battery ever break out , Logitech sellsreplacement part for the K750 ; a new barrage is just $ 5 . ( The K750 comes with a three - year warrant , so if the battery lead to the south earlier than that , you may be ennoble to a free refilling . )
Low-profile design
Novel superpower sport out of the mode , the K750 for Mac is lean but solid . At 17 inch blanket and 6.2 inch rich , it ’s about the same breadth as Apple ’s Keyboard with numeric keypad but well deeper , mostly because of the solar - cubicle area . Surprisingly , the K750 is fragile than Apple ’s aluminum keyboard , at a consistent height of one stern of an inch front to back , yet it feels nearly as solid , despite the plastic physical structure . ( Apple ’s keyboard is thinner along the front edge , but nearly three quarters of an in thick along the back border . ) While a flat , or even sloping - away , preference is often the best ergonomic apparatus , two pop - out wooden leg let you conjure up the back edge of the K750 by three quarters of an column inch . The edges and corner of the keyboard are fill out , wee-wee them more comfortable than Apple ’s keyboard if you ’re a wrist - rester .
The K750 ’s quarter - column inch visibility includes the keys , which , like those found on all current Apple products , are low - visibility , curt - travel key . But I found the K750 ’s key to be considerably better for type than Apple ’s “ Chiclet ” versions . For newcomer , the K750 ’s keys are slightly easier to press without feeling soft , and I find them to be slightly more responsive than Apple’s — they’re not as practiced as the PerfectStroke key establish on the DiNovo line , but they ’re a nice gradation up if you ’ve been using your Mac ’s stock keyboard . And despite the abject - visibility design , the K750 ’s keys also sport ever - so - slightly concave tops that avoid the “ sliding around ” flavour of Apple ’s flat Key .
Mac-friendly keys, too-uniform layout
The K750 include the full accompaniment of standard Mac - keyboard keys in their carry locations : Command , Option , and Control keys on each side of the space Browning automatic rifle ; directing - arrow keys in the inverted - T arrangement ; a full numerical computer keyboard ; and F1 through F15 keys . You even get a Mac - friendlyfnkey or else of the dreaded Help cardinal . And like Apple ’s own keyboards , a number of those F - Key volunteer particular system characteristic : F1 and F2 for covert brightness down and up , respectively , F3 and F4 for Exposé and Dashboard map ; F7 through F9 for medium playback ; and F10 through F12 for deaf-and-dumb person and book restraint . ( Depending on your Mac , you may need to change some of your F - key assignments in the Keyboard and Mission Control or Exposé panes of System Preferences to get the expected results . ) As with an Apple keyboard , you may choose in Keyboard preference whether these particular occasion are the default or need thefnkey .
A few things you wo n’t discover are F16 through F19 keys ( let in on the diNovo Mac and Apple ’s numeric - keypad keyboard , but not necessarily coarse ) , and a caps - lock indicator . I personally use Capster for a more - obvious caps - ignition lock indicator , but it ’s a shame a real indicator seems to be a curiosity on keyboards these days .
verbalise of style , the K750 is the late deterrent example of the shift towards mono - space primal layout . Like Apple ’s keyboards , the K750 crush the F - key - wrangle key , include the Escape and Eject keys . into a unmarried , uninterrupted line that ’s flush with the top quarrel of the principal keyboard area . This makes touch - type considerably more difficult than the traditional layout , where the F - keys are set up groups of four , with the intact rowing distinguish from the main keyboard area by a wider infinite . ( The F - headstone are actually spacedslightlyfarther from the main keystone than the principal cardinal quarrel are from each other , but the difference is hardly discernable . ) But Logitech has taken things a step farther : The various keyboard segment — pageboy Up / Page Down / Home / End / Delete / fn , the arrow keys , and the numeral keypad — are also divide by almost exactly the same amount of space . The answer is that there ’s fundamentally no tactile break between the various groups of key . Even after two months of daily usance , I regularly regain myself pressing fluorine - keys when I meant to iron out numbers ( and frailty versa ) , and pressing keys in the Page Up / Page Down / Home / End / Delete / fn group when I meant to press Delete or / ( and vice versa ) . As someone who ’s been trace - typewriting for years and eld , I find this trend unneeded and frustrating .
In terms of special - function keys , there ’s good news and forged tidings . The good news is that the K750 for Mac provides the same special F - key functions as Apple ’s current keyboard : F1 through F4 work as brightness down , brightness up , Expose / Mission Control , and Dashboard , severally ; and F7 through F12 work as old raceway , play / interruption , next track , deaf-mute , loudness down , and volume up , respectively . Similarly , as with Apple ’s keyboard , these features work without any particular drivers or software .
( Note that in parliamentary law for these keys to act upon , you may take to check your preferences in the Keyboard pane of System Preferences , especially if you upgraded to Lion from Snow Leopard . Under Lion , Logitech commend — and I confirmed that this works — viewing the Keyboard Shortcuts screen , choose Mission Control , and thenclicking the Restore Defaults button . Then select Display and click Restore Defaults again . )
On the other helping hand , Logitech’sControl Center computer software , used with the diNovo Edge Mac Edition and diNovo Mac Edition to customize the behavior of any F - key , is n’t necessary with the K750 for Mac . ( It provides only one feature with the K750 : It let you opt to require the fn Florida key to use any of the especial F - winder features . In Lion , Apple removed this option for third - party keyboards . ) For people who ’ve never had just lot with Logitech ’s driver software — and I sleep together there are plenty of you out there — this change will belike be take on by a shout of “ Good riddance ! ” But for those of us who ’ve used Logitech Control Center for age without a trouble , it ’s disappointing that we wo n’t be able-bodied to use that computer software to custom-make the K750 ’s F - key . I worked around this limitation usingKeyboard Maestro .
Unifying wireless
Like most third - party wireless keyboard and mice , the K750 use a receiving set - frequency ( RF ) liquidator that plug into a USB port on your Mac or a hub . ( Bluetooth fans , you ’re stuck with Apple ’s Wireless Keyboard orMacAlly ’s BTkey . On the upside , apparatus is much simpler with RF and , in my experience , the connection is more dependable . ) But it ’s Logitech ’s unite USB Receiver , which intend you’re able to use multiple Logitech mice and keyboards with it , as long as they ’re of late vintage ( most released over the past two or three years are compatible ) .
The K750 also ship with a 1.8 - inch USB extender marijuana cigarette that chew into a USB port wine and provides a passthrough USB port for the USB receiver . Logitechclaimsthis accessory improve reception by lay the receiver away from your computer — it ’s presumably for use with desktop Macs where you could plug the extender and USB dongle into a USB port on the back of your Mac and block about them . ( The extender control stick also get to it easy to remove the tiny USB receiving system , though it obviously withdraw away from the receiver ’s depleted profile . )
Macworld’s buying advice
While the K750 for Mac ca n’t quite match the now - discontinued diNovo Mac in terms of key tone and customizability , Logitech ’s latest Mac keyboard nevertheless deserves praise for its Mac - centric design and functionality , easygoing setup , and very beneficial keys . It ’s a solid keyboard that ’s presently among the best on the securities industry for Mac users look to supplant or upgrade from their Mac ’s stock keyboard , or to summate an external keyboard to a Mac laptop computer . If you ’re a practiced hint - typist , just be aware that the central spacing will take some getting used to .
update 11/14/2011 , 11 am to remove incorrect commentary about locating of the eject samara .
