Logitech announces MX 5500 Revolution Bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo

Logitech's latest wireless input package - the Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution - bundles the company's MX Revolution cordless laser mouse with an ergonomic Bluetooth keyboard that boasts a range of 30 feet and integrates a 2.95-by-.79 inch (7.5-by-2 cm) LCD display showing key information such as time and date, calculator, temperature, favorites, e-mail updates and song titles.

The Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse was released last year picking up several key industry awards. Via its MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel, the mouse offers people two modes of navigation. They can fly through long documents and Web pages, spinning the scroll wheel freely to move through up to 10,000 lines of a spreadsheet in seven seconds. Alternatively, the scroll wheel can be set to click-to-click mode, which allows precision movement through lists, slides or photos. The thumb wheel can be set to launch the Windows Vista Flip 3D feature or to zoom in and out of documents and photos. The mouse also includes One-Touch Search, which facilitates Internet search results for any word or phrase on a Web page or in a document. With rapid-charging stand, the device doesn’t need replacement batteries.

The Desktop MX 5500 Revolution keyboard features Bluetooth 2.0 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) wireless technology, which is designed to provide an easier setup experience as well as a more robust and reliable connection than with previous generations of Bluetooth technology. It allows the user to sit up to 30 feet (10 meters) from their PC with the cordless desktop controls (although you would need one very big screen to get the full benefit of this feature!). The keyboard, mouse and receiver are pre-paired during manufacturing so you simply need to plug the receiver into a USB port and start using the devices.

The MX 5500 desktop’s receiver can also be used as a Bluetooth hub, enabling other Bluetooth devices, such as a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or a PDA, to connect to a computer through the hub. A computer must have a compatible Bluetooth stack installed for this mode to be functional. For those using Windows Vista on their PC, the cordless desktop offers quick, one-touch access to key Windows Vista features, including Windows Media Center, Photo Gallery, Windows Sidebar and gadgets, Flip 3D, and zoom.

The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution desktop is set to hit U.S. shelves in late January 2008, followed by a European release in late February for a suggested retail price of USD$169.99.