New Logitech Premium Bluetooth Keyboard-and-Mouse Combination Features Flagship MX Revolution Mouse Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution Includes Dynamic Display, Bluetooth 2.0 EDR

LAS VEGAS — CES — Jan. 5, 2008 — Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI), creator of the first keyboard-and-mouse desktop set, today introduced the Logitech® Cordless Desktop® MX™ 5500 Revolution to help people navigate through today's complex digital environments with ease. The premium keyboard-and-mouse combination features the award-winning Logitech® MX™ Revolution cordless laser mouse, a dynamic keyboard display and Bluetooth® wireless technology.
"With the proliferation of digital content, people increasingly need better ways to find and control their digital files with speed and accuracy," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech's keyboards and desktops. "Announced last year, the MX Revolution mouse set a new standard for scrolling and computer navigation. By pairing the award-winning mouse with a premium keyboard and Bluetooth wireless technology, the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution gives people the ability to quickly and intelligently navigate the vast amount of information stored on their PCs and on the Internet."
The Logitech MX Revolution Mouse - Award-Winning Technology
Winner of several industry awards, including the 2007 CES Technology & Innovation Award, the rechargeable Logitech MX Revolution mouse has transformed many people's expectations about mouse navigation. With its industry-first MicroGear™ Precision Scroll Wheel, the MX Revolution mouse offers people two exceptional modes of navigation. They can fly effortlessly 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. Or, they can set the scroll wheel to click-to-click mode, which allows precision movement through lists, slides or photos. For more efficient searching, the MX Revolution provides One-Touch™ Search, which allows people to obtain Internet search results for any word or phrase on a Web page or in a document. Finally, the thumb wheel can be set to launch the Windows Vista® Flip 3D feature or to zoom in and out of documents and photos. And the rapid-charging stand eliminates the inconvenience of replacing batteries.
Dynamic Keyboard Display Provides Access to Key Information
With the dynamic keyboard display, people can enjoy instant access and control of important information. The 2.95-by-.79 inch (7.5-by-2 cm), built-in LCD screen shows people the time and date, calculator, temperature, Web site favorites, a keystroke counter, e-mail updates and media information, such as band and song titles.
Bluetooth Technology Enables Fast Setup, Extended Wireless Connectivity
The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution features Bluetooth 2.0 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) wireless technology, which provides an easier setup experience, as well as a more robust and reliable connection than with previous generations of Bluetooth technology. And, Bluetooth wireless technology allows people to use the MX 5500 Revolution desktop at a distance of up to 30 feet (10 meters) from their PC.
Because the keyboard, mouse and receiver are pre-paired during manufacturing, people need only plug in the mini-receiver to a computer's USB port to connect the keyboard and mouse to the PC. 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.
Enhanced for Windows Vista - Hotkeys
A perfect complement to the Windows Vista operating system, the Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution also offers quick, one-touch access to key Windows Vista features, including Windows Media® Center, Photo Gallery, Windows Sidebar and gadgets, Flip 3D, and zoom. (Logitech SetPoint™ software installation required for some features.)
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution desktop is expected to be available in the U.S. in late January and in Europe in late February for a suggested retail price of $169.99 (U.S.).

The price includes the MX Revolution laser mouse, typically a $100 value. It also includes Bluetooth 2.0 integrated throughout the system, although I am a wee bit suspicious of the one-USB-port system requirement. I'd hope that is where the mouse's rapid-charging station goes, but I'm not holding my breath.

But before we get to that, the wheel. The MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel clicks. Unless you don't want it to. Instead of a regular mechanical ratchet, the MicroGear employs an electronically controlled ratchet that can engage and disengage on the fly. When engaged, the wheel feels like any other clickwheel. When disengaged, the mouse goes into freespin mode, where the 14-gram metal wheel can rotate for up to seven seconds straight, the equivalent to hundreds of pages of text. The wheel can be set to switch modes between apps, or it can be set to click for a few rotations before kicking into a freespin when you flick it. the wheel is wrapped in rubber, like a tires hugging chromed out dubs. That part is cool, although the mouse does have a few flaws. Photos of the luscious mouse, and more impressions, after the jump.

There's a button below the wheel that can be used to run google queries on any text you highlight. Which seems like a waste. And there are thumb toggles, and a fake wheel that nudges forward and back, but does not turn. Misleading, but I guess it would have been impossible to fit another super wheel in there, and anyhow, to what purpose. The mouse is covered in black glossy plastic, grey matte plastic on top, with rubberized sides. Oh, it has a left and right click button.– Brian Lam

Logitech MX Revolution [internal]