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Keyboard
To be honest, at first I wondered what the big difference would be between the Logitech MX5500, which retails at $110 - $150, and the EX110 model which retails at around $40. Each is wireless, programmable and has the standard hot buttons that allow for quick access to commonly used programs such as Word, Excel, Internet and media functions. What more could be added to make it functional and worth the retail price? I discovered that it's the little things that make a big difference in this combination.
The keyboard itself is sleek, ergonomic and powered by four AA batteries. The integrated wrist bar is comfortable and features small divots for what I believe is to help keep hands cool during use. I found the keys easy to use and was surprised to see control functions printed on the side of the keys, reminding me that CTRL / F = find and CTRL / V = paste among others.
Features
The most noticeable attribute is the LCD screen located at the top middle of the keyboard. This screen offers a variety of functions which can be viewed via left and right scroll buttons. Functions include date, time, temperature, new email alert, A-D hotkey function, media control and key counter. Though a few functions 
seemed redundant, this screen became more useful the more I used it. Time and date are nice to have at a quick glance and if playing media such as songs on iTunes, it shows the song selection and counter without having to switch to the iTunes screen. The A-D list came in handy as on other keyboards I would use a small piece of tape to denote which program was assigned to which hotkey. The temperature reading was interesting as it gives the temperature in the room you are in rather than syncing up to the gadgets, which show outdoor readings. Guess it might be nice to know that it is a comfy 72-degrees at your desk. The key counter I simply have no explanation for. I just might not be in the line of work that needs to know how many keystrokes and buttons I pushed on a certain keyboard. I have no idea why this is part of the display. The new email notification would be nice, but I could not get it to work with my Hotmail inbox even though MSN messenger shows me a pop up. I assume this is for use with (shudder) Outlook.
The F keys on the MX5500 are streamlined to at least half the size of the standard keys, which saves space on the overall design. F1 – F8 offer alternate functions of Word, Excel, Power Point, Windows Calendar, Explorer, MSN Messenger, Email and web browser. F9 – F12 offer programmable functions A-D. This is where not having solid instructions was inconvenient. Customizing these keys must be done while on the desired page or in the desired program. It took quite a while to figure out how to properly program these keys and it is not mentioned anywhere in the software or quick start instructions. For example, to program key A to open let's say Audacity, you would have to have Audacity open and on the screen. Then, holding down the FN key along with the A key for a couple seconds will automatically program it.
Other keys include a handy calculator key that utilizes the LCD screen instead of the computer screen for its function. It also offers volume controls with play, pause, forward, back and mute. I liked that these work even if the media is not selected on screen, unlike other keyboards. Next to these buttons is a zoom feature for use with the Windows Vista Flip 3D screen. One button activates the Flip function while a toggle moves the open screens back and fourth. This is also a function of the mouse. I found a more useful function of this toggle is to easily zoom in and out while working on Word documents.
Lower buttons activate programs like Windows Media Center, Photo gallery and Vista Gadgets. The Gadgets button simply brings to the front your desktop Gadgets allowing the user to see date, temp and other items without having to switch screens to desktop. This function seemed to be fairly useless and not really worthy of its own button.
