Logitech Signature Photo voltaic Slim+ K980 Keyboard Evaluation: See the Mild

This probably received’t be a problem for anybody who needs a sensible, easy keyboard, particularly for those who do not care a lot about typing really feel. Nonetheless, there are numerous different keyboards—wired and wi-fi—that may ship extra gratifying typing experiences at comparable costs.

The Slim Photo voltaic+ K980 has a conventional full-size structure, with a quantity pad and a separate arrow key cluster. This structure takes up quantity of house, nevertheless it has each key you will want. The perform row can swap between perform keys and system controls by urgent Fn + Esc, and the system controls embrace quantity changes, play/pause/skip, brightness changes, window navigation, an emoji menu, and a key to summon Home windows’ built-in speech dictation system. All of those are helpful and handy, and the labels are practically all self-explanatory at a look.

These shortcut keys can be custom-made with the Logi Choices+ app, which has intensive productivity-oriented customizations. Probably the most important is the power to remap the perform row and navigation keys to particular keys, macros, key combos, or programmed “Sensible Actions.” Among the preconfigured Sensible Actions embrace a “Social Media Break” key to open a number of social media platforms in a brand new window (not fairly what I might have imagined from the title), or a “Work Mode” key that opens Gmail and the Microsoft 365 Suite. These will be custom-made endlessly, with devoted help for AI assistants, navigation, and different convenience-oriented instructions.

Alongside customization choices, there’s multi-device connectivity through Bluetooth with help for as much as three units that may be cycled by means of through devoted keys. Or you may hold it linked to 1 machine with the included USB-C Logi Bolt receiver. I had no points with connectivity.

The keyboard has twin Mac and Home windows legends on the underside row, making it straightforward to modify between two working programs. (There’s additionally a macOS-only model you should purchase.) Because the title suggests, the K980 is extremely slim. It’s lower than half the thickness of a real mechanical keyboard, with the thickest level measuring 18 millimeters (0.7 inch), and it may well simply slip between different objects in a backpack. The principle situation is size, however that is an issue with all full-size keyboards.

Practicality and Sustainability

{Photograph}: Henri Robbins

The one method to recharge this keyboard is with the photo voltaic panel on high. It doesn’t have any form of USB port. Logitech claims the keyboard’s battery can run for 4 months with none gentle sources. Presumably, it may well run indefinitely in a well-lit setting.