Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 Media Remote

The product we had with us this time around promised to turn a home PC into an entertainment tool. Working from the comfort of your couch can actually become a reality now. 

Take a sleek keyboard and mouse, with a great remote control, erase all the wires and voila, you have the Logitech Cordless Desktop S510 Media Remote. Thirty glorious days on the settee follow….

Day 1: Setting it all up
It’s easy to use such cordless gadgets because they are linked to the PC via the USB mini-receiver that plugs into any free USB port through a receiver stand. Connect the stand to a USB port on the PC, load batteries into the three input devices, load the software and press connect buttons on each device and you’re there! 

Day 2 : A touch of class
The three products are elegantly designed and the cordless desktop felt just right in my living room. With a black and gunmetal finish, the trio made a great style statement.
I could customise the various settings for the keyboard, mouse and remote using the Logitech SetPoint utility.

Day 5: Get ‘Set’ software
I used the SetPoint software to customise all programmable buttons on the keyboard (four keys) and on the remote (three keys). The MediaLife software is a miniature version of the Media Center application that provides quick access to all digital media-photos, music and videos-in a single, intuitive interface. I was set to enjoy my tryst with cordless entertainment!

Day 10: Putting my feet up
Distance from my PC is easily navigated with the gadgets I have. I sat a few feet away from my PC, and launched the MediaLife software using the remote. I could watch slideshows of pictures, zoom in or out of them, rotate images, play music and videos-all from the comfort of my sofa, by using the remote! Also, the 4-way roller on the remote facilitates navigation between menus.

Day 15: Keying them in
The S510 keyboard is a time saver-I can launch office applications directly, and run commands such as Print and Save from independent keys. That’s not all-most functions on the remote, such as multimedia control and zoom are present on the keyboard too, which means I can use one or the other. I can also use the zoom button to control the zoom level in Word and PDF documents, etc., and also get them back to 100 percent zoom directly by a press of a button.

Day 20: Pointer control
The mouse is designed such that both right and left-handed users can claim comfort. Though it does not provide many shortcut keys like some of the other high-end mice we have seen, you do get all the basic functions. I could easily scroll through long documents, and even sideways using the tilt wheel. The settings to control these features, the speed, etc. are easily customised through the SetPoint software.

Day 25: Wish List
I discovered that the on-screen display indicates whenever you use buttons such as Caps lock, Num lock unlike the LEDs on old keyboards. This is inconvenient because I have to use the features on the screen to be able to judge the status of simple functions that an LED on an old keyboard would have provided at a glance.

Day 30: Bidding Adieu
Time to pack up and let my armchair companion go. It’s been a great time working wire-free for the past few days and it will be tough going back to my old wired keyboard and mouse. Working, at a distance, with such handy gadgets, sure made life easier …