I purchased this Logitech S510 wireless mouse and keyboard a few years ago when I was getting my own computer. I had previously used a wired keyboard with hot keys which was good, but it started to show signs of wear and tear and so I wanted everything new, including a mouse and keyboard. I wasn't too fussy but I did want a keyboard with hot keys by a trustworthy brand, and not by a brand that I had never heard of before. Also, I wanted it to be wireless, as having wires out everywhere can look messy, and even though they can be hidden behind the computer desk, they always get tangled up.

For those of you that are unsure what hot keys are, they are extra buttons that you find on some keyboards that act as shortcuts. They are commonly used for when listening to music, which is when I find myself using them. I had gotten used to using them on the previous keyboard and so it was a must that I had them on my new one! You also have shortcut buttons for when surfing the web though such as a 'homepage' button and a zoom in and out shortcut buttons. I have never found myself using these particular ones though and after just testing them out there, they don't even work! You can go into your keyboard settings though and set each hot key up so that they will work, I have just never bothered to do this with them hot keys.

~ Price and Availability ~

I came across this set in PC World, and I already owned Logitech speakers which I was very impressed with and so considered this to be a brand I could trust. It was on offer at £24.99 in stead of £44.99 which was its original price at the time of purchasing.
You can now purchase these on Amazon and eBay for a lot cheaper than this at around £20. PC world and other big retailers like it now sell the newer versions of these sets.

~ Features ~

The keyboard is very flat and not bulky and the mouse is a cordless optical one, with a scroll button in the middle. They are black and grey and in my opinion look very smart - like they would have cost a lot more than they actually did!
A feature that I do like about this mouse and keyboard is that they both include a battery symbol and light on them, that start flashing red when the batteries are getting low. It states on the box that it does this 10 days before the batteries need changing, to give you plenty of notice. I have found that they can both last longer than 10 days though when the red light is flashing, but it will depend on how often you use them in this time. I tend to leave my batteries in right until the mouse and keyboard actually die on me and then I really do need to change them, as I always have some spare batteries at hand, but I do like that they warn you just in case you don't have any spares lying around.
Like many keyboards, this comes with two little stand underneath so you can prop it up a little, instead of having it lying completely flat on the desk. One of these however has actually snapped on mine, but I have it resting on the base of the monitor and so it causes no problems for me.
Finally, one of the main features which I purchased this for and which I have already briefly mentioned, the hot keys. I cannot really comment on the Zoom or homepage keys as I have never actually used them, but I do use the media ones to control my music. I like to use these hot keys to quickly mute or change the volume of my music but without actually having to go on to my media player window to do this, or on the speakers themselves. It also allows me to skip or shuffle through songs with the click of one key. I use this with iTunes and they work fine, but I am sure they will work with any media player you use as you set these keys up in the keyboard settings on your keyboard.

To connect the set to your computer you have to connect the receiver to a USB port in your PC and have the receiver relatively close to the keyboard and mouse itself so it can pick them up. The receiver has 3 LED lights - I am not entirely sure what the third one is for as two have only ever been lit for me and I have never had any problems. Although I am guessing only two need to be lit, one for the mouse and the other for the keyboard.

I have had this Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse set for around 3 - 4 years now and I have never had any problems with them. If they did ever break on me then I would definitely consider buying from Logitech again.

The mouse requires 2 AA batteries and the keyboard 2 AAA.

Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, Vista, 7; with a USB / PS/2 connection.