Logitech MK850 Performance Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo

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First off, I have been a long time, loyal Logitech user. I have owned literally dozen of Logitech keyboards and mice. The reason I have stuck with Logitech is the quality. So, recently I bought a M720 / K850 combo set. I love the functionality and multi-device support, but as far as usability: These are the worst Logitech products I have ever owned. The M720 has MAJOR scrolling issues. When I am scrolling, in frictionless mode, which is the only mode I can stand to use, it quite often will scroll backwards up as mcu as half a page after I stop. Other times it will scroll forward a few lines after the wheels stops turning. Sometime I move the mouse and the scroll jumps all over the place. As a coder this is ANNOYING to say the least! It is to the point where I want to throw it through the wall. Unfortunately I am past my 30 return period... Now to the keyboard: It is better than the mouse, but I also have issues with the keyboard not typing the first few characters after I stop typing for a few minutes. I saw there was firmware upgrade what was supposed to fix it. It did not. This is REALLY annoying when you are on a login screen and end up mistyping the password because of this issue. Then to top it off, I contacted Logitech support over a week ago about these issue. No response other than the automated acknowledgement...

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A product in middle-to late development stage. The features of both the mouse and the kbd are not documented. They are still working on how to use docs. Like theres a square button on top of the mouse. Whats it for? Nothing in the site or app that tells you. But it changes the scrolling of the wheel from smooth scrolling to ratcheted (much easier to control) And for information, scrolling on this mouse work the Windows way, not the Apple way (roll it back, scrolls down not up). Though I think you can change that. I normally use a G710+ mechanical lighted keyboard (though I am NOT a gamer) with an app called Multiplicity to share mouse and kbd between my i7 W10 and my i7 W7 boxes that sit next to each other but using different monitors. That works just fine with a wireless logimouse connected to the receiver in the keyboard on the W10 box. Mouse moves back and forth nicely, keyboard works where the mouse is. This thing is not the same setup. Sort of. It CAN be set using flow to seamlessly go from one winbox to another. Figuring how to do it is not simple: there ARE no docs on this thing! apart from a useless web page and an html installation screen. Logi says they are badgering the docs group to get it out. OK. For now. But they will have to eat a lot of returns because it is so screwed up, I was ready to return it myself last night. Before I got all working today: the key is a late-model version of OSX. Fat did not work with 10.6, BT would not connect (strangely, a logi wireless mouse DID connect with a receiver stuck in a fron usb port. Dunno why). I then put a mac in the pot, an 2008 Mac Pro 3.1, dual 2.8 Xeons. After finally getting it upgraded from snow leopard, 10.6, to El Capitan, 10.11, (you have to be at snow leopard to get to Capitan, otherwise Yosemite. SL is $20 for the DVD at the apple store, I think. More on evil bay), the stuff started to work with the mac USING THE UNIFYING RECEIVER installed in a usb port in the mac (not the same receiver in the windows boxes). Did not work with Snow Leopard. Wrong version of BT, I guess. But no BT now!! There is mac software that needs to be installed for this stuff. Two pieces: 1 is Logitech Options, I guess youd call it the drivers, and another is a firmware update for the kbd/mouse and for the receiver. I think if you have run the update on the kbd in Win, you don;t needs to do that in mac. The receiver, though, I think needs updating in each. I suspect there will be other updates in this firmware area. Both the mouse and keyboard have a little switch, or white keys, labelled 1, 2, 3 for computer 1, 2,3 the 3 is for a mac, I guess. I dare not try to change this around to see if mac can be #2 or something, because i have it working now!<G> To go from one # to another you have to flick the switch on both kbd and mouse. The Flow software allows you to not use the switch between Win boxes (maybe mac, too, I dont know. No docs! In general I think it will play out to be useful espectially across platform. But I understand there is software that can do this for less $ than this kit costs. The hardware: All so far is essentially software. The mouse has more buttons and fadgets than Im comfortable with, but it looks like one can ignore them or learn to use them., Overall, I prefer my M510 but so far The keyboard has fairly large keys with a semi-mushy feel (compared to my mechanical switch G710+). The slightly larger keys do help my non-typist fingers to hit the right key more than not. UPDATE UPDATE Logitech has a software called Flow that allows one to move the mouse between up to 3 computers simply by moving it. You need to arrange the computers in a pattern (mine are in line left to right). Installing the software from Logi to my mac, enabled that. Now I can simpl;y moive the mouse from W10 box to mac box … and keyboard focus goes with it. Im clicking another star for that! ------- Update in early June. I give it more stars, to the max. As I write this both my mac and main W10 box are on their side with innards being revised. New pieces on the way soon. This package is working on the W7 box without a hesitation. I am buying another set this week for a Mini and W10 combination in the living room. Hope Logi gets a detailed user manual on this great system pretty soon. Oh, the unified receiver should work on 10.6.8 and up. It does for me. Even if not using the 850 combination package, an M310 mouse works on the mac as well id OS is >latest Snow Leopard.

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Note: Many have complained about missing characters when waking up the keyboard. This is an issue that has been corrected by Logitech in its firmware. So now there may be a miniscule delay during the wake up but you wont be missing any characters. To me this works well and is an acceptable compromise. Note: Some people have noted there is no "windows" key on this keyboard. It does have a "start" key on the lower left which performs the same function. I love this mouse/keyboard set. Both devices have the ability to connect to 3 separate devices via Bluetooth and have buttons for you to select which device you want to connect to. For example you could use it to select between a cell phone, laptop or desktop computer. On the keyboard there are 3 white keys labeled 1, 2 and 3. You simply press the button of the connection you want to be active. On the mouse there is a single button with 1, 2 and 3 labeled above it. You simply press that button until the connection number you want to use lights up. Both pieces are nice solid components. The keyboard is very solid and wont move around when you type. The keyboard has a soft feel but is very comfortable to use for extended periods of time. The mouse feels good in your hand.

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This keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience and the multi-device feature works flawlessly with the 3 devices currently on my setup (Windows PC via Unifying receiver, Huawei Mate 9 Android Phone and iPad via Bluetooth). The mouse is also very comfortable and the extra features by means of the Function key are a nice addition. Only complaints are that the wrist rest is made of some type of fabric or rubber that traps dust and residues quite easily (and is very hard to clean) and that keys (especially the spacebar) are already showing discoloration. These complaints are quite worrying considering that the keyboard has only been used for a couple of weeks. I like Logitechs products, however, their build quality certainly seems lower than before.

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This keyboard (a combo packaged with a mouse) is one step forward and several steps back. The keyboard was designed to accommodate both Windows and Mac operating systems and it fails on Windows – I cannot comment about its use on Mac machines. First, the documentation is poor – try to get to the internet to download the documentation when the keyboard does not work! Most of what I read about this keyboard related to technical short-cummings – the reality is that this keyboard lacks many important features and many important keys design are poor. There is no dedicated “Windows” key. It is some odd combination of a start key without a Windows logo key, it is a smaller size than a normal Windows key and its pinned between a function key and an alt key. This is style over function and it make the keyboard less suitable for a Windows machine. Next, there no dedicated volume up, down or mute keys. Sound control requires a combination of keystrokes to change volume and an outright terrible overlooked need. This makes the keyboard worthless for anyone working where the use of a telephone is common. It is exasperated by the keyboard not being backlit so you have to hunt for the right keystroke combination. As mentioned, the keyboard lacks backlighting – a very nice feature for working in subdued lighting work spaces which by the way, is common in developed countries. No print screen key – another design failure. No scroll lock key. The left control key is sub-sized; 87% of Americans are right handed and nearly all use the left control key as dominate. “Control – C” or “Control-V” key combinations are now dismal and hard to do with this sub-sized control key. The reason I purchased this was to use it on two computers – which it does do with all the failures mentioned above. The mouse is average. The downloaded software “Logitech Options” does nothing that Windows 10 already performs. The downloaded software “Mouse and Keyboard Settings” is not much more than software updater and registration to provide snooping data to Logitech. Over the years I have used several Logitech products, and this has been a major, major disappointment. If you are a Windows user, this is worse than “I cannot recommend this product” my recommendation is “DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT”. It is incomprehensible to me that since keyboards have been in existence for several decades how Logitech could come up with an absolute terrible design. This is a huge fail.

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Ive had this keyboard for about 2 months and I love this keyboard. The keys are shaped to fit your fingers, It allows for 3 devices. Its a full size keyboard, Its curves to match your hands. It has a soft textured wrist holder. It switches fast between devices (Mac and PC). I dont notice it being slow to start typing. It has the CMD keys for Mac. It came with an excellent 3 device mouse that fits in your hand great and has the button for smooth or notched action for the roller (which I use a lot). The mouse has a nice texture so it doesnt slip in your fingers. Caps lock and low battery indicator lights. I searched for months to find a good keyboard for my Mac Mini that would be as comfortable as my Logitech I have for my Toshiba laptop. I recently bought the Mac Mini and soon after I received it I found keyboard selection for Apple products suck. All flat keys and no rest for your wrist (I type with my keyboard on my lap). .I found this one on Amazon and I was a little wary because of the reviews on the response from device to device but I took a chance on this one. I have been really impressed since the day I received it. I did download the latest update from Logitech after I installed it. Bottom line is this package is great I highly recommend it. I do not get free samples for my reviews this review is the real deal.

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My work setup has two computers tied to two different networks, and I need to switch back and forth between the two throughout the day. I picked this setup because of the bundled laptop/keyboard and for the computer switching ability. - My laptop connects via Bluetooth, and it frequently will stop recognizing the devices such that I have to turn Bluetooth off and on again several times a day; I appreciate not having to dedicate a precious USB port to the dongle, though. The desktop computer connected via the Unifying Receiver doesnt have this problem, but both have a significant delay upon waking even after firmware updates. I wish it came with more than one Unifying Receiver, since it can natively connect to 3 computers simultaneously. - The "drag and drop across computers" function only works if you can install the Logitech Options software on both computers AND connect both computers to the same network. If you have a computer without Admin rights to install the program or you cant connect the two to the same wi-fi, this feature will not work. - Switching between computers is easy, though the selector light turns off after a few seconds, so I, with some regularity, start typing for several seconds before realizing the keyboard is connected to a different computer. - Battery life seems fine so far, but its only been about 2 months. I expect keyboard batteries to last 6-12 months, so well see how that goes. - Some have complained about cleaning the bottom of the keyboard. It does collect small debris quickly, but I find a microfiber cloth cleans it just fine without any special treatment. TL;DR, its an okay solution if you have a very specific need.

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Just to be clear about missing keystroke - this definitely was a problem for me and the firmware update seems to have definitely fixed it. Logitiech shouldnt have allowed this product to ship. But firmware update fixed it. Just google "MK850 going into sleep mode" to find it. I bought this keyboard online here Feb.18, 2018. Now I think this keyboard is pretty good.

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I purchased this keyboard because I didnt want a KVM sitting on my desk and I need to use two systems regularly. My monitors have their own switching capabilities so I didnt need to worry about those. Note, Im not using the mouse, I have been using the Logitech trackball for about a year now. It has the capabilities to pair and switch between two systems via a button on the mouse itself. I love the trackball but that is for a different review. This keyboard is well made. The keys are responsive and have a small click to them which my old nerdy side finds pleasing. The ability to pair with multiple devices we simple and I can easily switch back and forth. I have noticed that on occasion the keyboard and Windows 10 can take a few seconds to pair, and once or twice I had to switch back and forth more than once to get them to pair up, but that hasnt been a real hardship. The delay on pairing can be a bit annoying for a fast typist or someone thinking ahead to what they need to do on the other system. There seems to be some sort of buffer for a few keystrokes built into the keyboard as it does send a few keystrokes even if you typed before pairing was evident, however it isnt many. The one feature I dont like about this keyboard is the ergonomics. It has a slight shape to it but not much of one and the keys feel a little smaller and closer together than my previous Logitech Ergonomic Keyboard which I loved but which wouldnt multi-pair. If you need a keyboard that can switch between devices, this is great. If you dont require that function, I would go with a larger ergonomic keyboard.

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Theres a lot to like about this keyboard mouse combo. The one thing that Logitech go really right is making it easy to switch between multiple machines. I switch between a Mac and PC as easily as swiping my cursor off on side of the screen. Its almost as if the PC laptop is my second screen. The system even carries over text that are copied from one screen to another. I can copy a block of text on the Mac, swipe to the PC, and paste it into a document. That is very helpful. I dont like how squishy the keys on the keyboard is. But I think thats probably subjective. Some people may like that. I also dont like the angle of the front of the mouse. I always bump the front of the mouse against something on my desk, and accidentally click. I guess I need to learn to keep the mouse area very clear.

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