Logitech Wave - a new ergonomic keyboard

Posted on Thursday, July 26 2007 @ 20:10 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Logitech just keeps rolling out the new products. Earlier this week they presented the VX Nano notebook mouse which features an amazingly small receiver and today they present their new Wave keyboard.

Today the peripheral firm released its Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave and Logitech Wave Keyboard which both feature the Logitech Comfort Wave Design. Logitech combined three elements in its new design to enhance comfort without requiring people to change the way they type: an innovative wave key-frame design, a U-shaped constant curve and a cushioned, contoured palm rest. In comparison to ergonomic keyboards, people can use a Wave keyboard immediately – there is no learning curve. The Comfort Wave Design guides hands and cradles fingers to create a naturally comfortable typing experience.

“With the increased awareness and demand for comfort in our day-to-day lives, Logitech’s new products offer a timely solution,” said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech’s keyboards and desktops. “According to a study at Harvard, for Logitech, the average person types approximately 2 million keystrokes every year. That’s equal to 200 hours of typing. The Logitech Wave Comfort Design will delight people by offering the perfect balance of comfort and usability.”

The Logitech Cordless Wave Desktop will sell for $89.99 and the corded Logitech Wave Keyboard for $49.99. The cordless mouse + keyboard combo will be available in August while the corded keyboard will arrive in October.



Features:

A Wave: Naturally Cradling People’s Fingers
Fingers vary in length – for example, pointer fingers are longer than pinky fingers. To address this fundamental principle of hand shape, the signature element of the new Comfort Wave Design, its gradual wave-shaped contour, cradles the fingers with a shape that supports their actual, varied length. The Wave keyboard keys are highest at the A and Enter keys, which are typically hit by the little fingers. Moving inward toward the pointer fingers, the keys decrease in height until reaching the D and K keys, which are typically hit by the longer middle fingers. The keys move up again in height to accommodate the pointer fingers at the G and H keys. The maximum distance between the keys’ peaks and troughs, the lowest and highest keys, is 4 mm. Because hands and fingers can rest in a more natural position and keys are closer to fingertips, the Wave key frame helps eliminate awkward hand and forearm positions, enhancing comfort and improving productivity.

A Constant Curve: Providing the Confidence of Consistent Keys
The U-shaped constant curve, compared to other curved keyboards, features consistently sized keys that let people type with confidence and comfort. The subtle 5-degree curve allows people’s hands to open up and take a natural position instead of forcing the wrists to bend. And because each key is the same size and the same distance from one another, the learning curve is minimal; people can start using the keyboard right away. The space bar, the most frequently hit key, also incorporates the wave and curve design – and its increased size makes it easy to hit.
A Cushioned, Contoured Palm Rest: Positioning Hands for Comfort
The cushioned, contoured palm rest mirrors the wave-shaped key frame and provides gentle indents that position hands comfortably on the keyboard. With its padded, soft upholstery, the palm rest offers a comfortable place to rest the palms between typing sessions.

Convenient Hot Keys
To further enhance ease of use, the Comfort Wave Design offers large, convenient hot keys that are easy to see and hit. On both the PC and Mac, with Logitech software installed, hot keys can be mapped to launch folders, Web pages, or applications, such as photo galleries and music applications. For Windows Vista™ users, shortcut keys activate Flip 3D as well as Windows Sidebar and gadgets. Logitech developed new Vista gadgets: a status indicator for caps lock, num lock and scroll lock; a typing-speed indicator; and an error-rate tracker that calculates the number of times the user hits the backspace key. For Mac users, the default assignment for the Media Center hot key is Front Row.

Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave
The Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave features a cordless keyboard with the Comfort Wave Design and a cordless laser mouse. The ambidextrous laser mouse is designed to complement the striking curved style and comfort of the Wave keyboard. The mouse also features pixel-precise laser tracking and a comfortable, soft rubber grip. Both mouse and keyboard feature a battery indicator light that alerts people when battery power is low, eliminating the hassle of unexpectedly losing power.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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