Multidevice keyboard

[Easttime]

I rarely post specifically to point out a particularly useful device, but I thought I would share this handy solution for interfacing with multiple devices during a work session: Logitech's k780 Wireless Multidevice keyboard http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/k780-multi-device-wireless-keyboard. At my office desk, I regularly flip between my Mac Mini desktop, my work windows laptop, and my iPad. They all use a different keyboard, which has been clumsy and annoying. I noticed the k780 when I was shopping for something else and thought I would give it a try.

It's been great over the past week. Drop dead easy to set up the designate keys for the Mac, Windows laptop and iPad, then designate the Apple, Windows or iOS environment for each. The round keys are actually easier for me to type on than the Apple wired and wireless keyboards I've been using for years. The key throw is a little longer than the new MacBook Pro TB that I just bought and like. The keyboard has a nice heft and feels very solid on the desk but is easy to move around. It is super easy to designate the device by tapping the appropriate key in the F row. Muscle memory requires a little practice to sort out the ctrl, opt/start and alt/cmd keys after switching environments, but they are well marked and easy to use. It has a convenient gutter for holding an iPad or iPhone in typing position. Posting this I just noticed the on/off switch on the end: now that is an easy way to extend the keyboard's battery life.

Very nice to have only one keyboard on the desk. Five stars.

(I have absolutely no ties to Logitech or any other commercial interest. Just a happy customer sharing with others.)

 

[Lou-X]

I rarely post specifically to point out a particularly useful device, but I thought I would share this handy solution for interfacing with multiple devices during a work session: Logitech's k780 Wireless Multidevice keyboard http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/k780-multi-device-wireless-keyboard. At my office desk, I regularly flip between my Mac Mini desktop, my work windows laptop, and my iPad. They all use a different keyboard, which has been clumsy and annoying. I noticed the k780 when I was shopping for something else and thought I would give it a try.

It's been great over the past week. Drop dead easy to set up the designate keys for the Mac, Windows laptop and iPad, then designate the Apple, Windows or iOS environment for each. The round keys are actually easier for me to type on than the Apple wired and wireless keyboards I've been using for years. The key throw is a little longer than the new MacBook Pro TB that I just bought and like. The keyboard has a nice heft and feels very solid on the desk but is easy to move around. It is super easy to designate the device by tapping the appropriate key in the F row. Muscle memory requires a little practice to sort out the ctrl, opt/start and alt/cmd keys after switching environments, but they are well marked and easy to use. It has a convenient gutter for holding an iPad or iPhone in typing position. Posting this I just noticed the on/off switch on the end: now that is an easy way to extend the keyboard's battery life.

Very nice to have only one keyboard on the desk. Five stars.

(I have absolutely no ties to Logitech or any other commercial interest. Just a happy customer sharing with others.)

Thank you for your input, I find it interesting, a usb power cable for backup would have made it even more appealing I think. I will give it a try maybe since I have two macbooks now.

What is your mouse solution? I heard about Synergy application in the past but haven't tried yet

Edit: it's synergy app, not synapse..

 

[Chatran]

Do page up/down buttons of your k780 work? (fn-up fn-down)

I bought k380 and I cannot get page up/down work (with or without Logitech Option software).

Thanks.

I rarely post specifically to point out a particularly useful device, but I thought I would share this handy solution for interfacing with multiple devices during a work session: Logitech's k780 Wireless Multidevice keyboard http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/k780-multi-device-wireless-keyboard. At my office desk, I regularly flip between my Mac Mini desktop, my work windows laptop, and my iPad. They all use a different keyboard, which has been clumsy and annoying. I noticed the k780 when I was shopping for something else and thought I would give it a try.

It's been great over the past week. Drop dead easy to set up the designate keys for the Mac, Windows laptop and iPad, then designate the Apple, Windows or iOS environment for each. The round keys are actually easier for me to type on than the Apple wired and wireless keyboards I've been using for years. The key throw is a little longer than the new MacBook Pro TB that I just bought and like. The keyboard has a nice heft and feels very solid on the desk but is easy to move around. It is super easy to designate the device by tapping the appropriate key in the F row. Muscle memory requires a little practice to sort out the ctrl, opt/start and alt/cmd keys after switching environments, but they are well marked and easy to use. It has a convenient gutter for holding an iPad or iPhone in typing position. Posting this I just noticed the on/off switch on the end: now that is an easy way to extend the keyboard's battery life.

Very nice to have only one keyboard on the desk. Five stars.

(I have absolutely no ties to Logitech or any other commercial interest. Just a happy customer sharing with others.)

 

[Easttime]

Do page up/down buttons of your k780 work? (fn-up fn-down). I bought k380 and I cannot get page up/down work (with or without Logitech Option software). Thanks.

Yes. I never bothered with the Logitech Option software. Everything worked for me out of the box.
After designating your Apple device, press fn-O to set the MacOS environment for that designate key. That made the fn-pg up and fn-pg dn keys work for me on the Mac.
Windows: fn-P
iOS: fn-I

There is a nice PDF user guide on their website that explains this.

 

[Chatran]

I tried and it wont work.

I found that if I disable display brightness f14/f15 in keyboard preference, it would display 8~ and 6~ when I press fn-up and fn-down in terminal.

Maybe k380 is different.

Thanks.

 

[campyguy]

Do page up/down buttons of your k780 work? (fn-up fn-down)

I bought k380 and I cannot get page up/down work (with or without Logitech Option software).

K811 user here - no number pad, that's my preference. I "one hand" page up/down with my right hand on the keyboard with Apple's built-in keyboard shortcut for those two commands - Option+Up Arrow key and Option+Down Arrow key, respectfully. It works fine in browsers, my text editors and word processors, and Terminal. It's good to have that Option (key)!

 

[Chatran]

K811 user here - no number pad, that's my preference. I "one hand" page up/down with my right hand on the keyboard with Apple's built-in keyboard shortcut for those two commands - Option+Up Arrow key and Option+Down Arrow key, respectfully. It works fine in browsers, my text editors and word processors, and Terminal. It's good to have that Option (key)!

You mean doing it this window?

http://imgur.com/a/D7ZsE

I couldn't find page up/down.

Thanks.

 

[campyguy]

You mean doing it this window?

http://imgur.com/a/D7ZsE

I couldn't find page up/down.

Thanks.

No worries. AFAIK, all of the keyboards I've used with Macs, one simply holds down the Option Key while pressing the Up/Down Arrow keys or the fn (Function Key) while pressing the Up/Down Arrow keys - both have worked for me for as long as I can recall. I am, however, careful to use Mac-friendly or "compatible" keyboards - which the K780 is AFAIK. I have not made any mods to the Keyboard Shortcuts Pref Pane to be able to use the Option+Up/Down Arrow keys, it just works - I use a Das mechanical, K811, and the built-in keyboards with my two Macs and it just works for me on all of them. I noticed that Apple does not list these shortcuts in their shortcut list (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201236). :scratches head while reading it: - I'll poke around a bit more, maybe it has to do with the keyboards I'm using are "compact" and not "extended"?!?

 

[Hyloba]

How are the round keys? Seems that all recent Logitech bluetooth keyboards have round keys. They look weird.

 

[Easttime]

How are the round keys? Seems that all recent Logitech bluetooth keyboards have round keys. They look weird.

I took to typing on it like a duck to water. I'm typing much more comfortably on it than with the old Apple wired and wireless keyboards I've been using. I was surprised. Not sure why keyboards normally use square keys. Habit?

 

[Chatran]

I end up installing a program. It allows me to map right option key (with arrow keys) to home/end/page up/down.

Speaking about the round keys, I feel no difference at all.

 

[VitoBotta]

I end up installing a program. It allows me to map right option key (with arrow keys) to home/end/page up/down.

Speaking about the round keys, I feel no difference at all.

Which program?