Logitech MX 5500 Revolution keyboard has no numlock

  • Thread starter Thread starter John Doe
  • Start date Start date
J

John Doe

Considering how many times/posts I mentioned that keyboard
combination without knowing the keyboard limitation, I should
be clear about this.

There is no numlock Key on the Logitech MX 5500 Revolution
keyboard and mouse combo. At $80 total, I do not feel cheated, but
it's weird. The keyboard has some other innovations. The Insert
key is removed to a different location, a positive development IMO
since I never use it and since I rarely (but sometimes) hit it by
accident. Also, the LCD display is dim, with no backlighting. Plus
the unmovable palm rest, the keyboard is very deep.

Apparently the numeric keypad keys send a prefix numlock off code
with each sent key code, so the missing numlock problem cannot be
solved by assigning another key as that function.
 
As stated, it's actually worse than that. Every time you hit a
keypad number key, a prefix (numlock-off code) is sent with the
key code.

You might be able to work around it with a key hook macro that
checks numlock status and replaces keypad number keys with the
proper key code (with no prefix, of course). Logitech could do
that in their Setpoint software, if they were interested.

Another problem is that the "ClearCalc" key appears to send the
exact same key code (with no extended key flag) that the backspace
key sends. Yes, it appears to be simply a duplicate of the
backspace key.
Logitech lists 3 .pdf/s of mx 5500 layouts:

Cordless Desktop MX 5500 Revolution US, US International and
United Kingdom keyboard layouts
Click to expand...
I looked at one of them, US.
http://www.logitech.com/assets/42401/us-keyboard-layout.pdf

It shows a NumLock key.
Click to expand...

There is no such key on the real thing.

In the quick start manual, it shows the shift lock indicator on
the left of the LCD screen, in fact it's on the right.

Logitech is screwing up royally. Getting rid of the MicroGear
SmartShift when they trashed the other MX Revolution stuff was
like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
 
John said:
As stated, it's actually worse than that. Every time you hit a
keypad number key, a prefix (numlock-off code) is sent with the
key code.

You might be able to work around it with a key hook macro that
checks numlock status and replaces keypad number keys with the
proper key code (with no prefix, of course). Logitech could do
that in their Setpoint software, if they were interested.

Another problem is that the "ClearCalc" key appears to send the
exact same key code (with no extended key flag) that the backspace
key sends. Yes, it appears to be simply a duplicate of the
backspace key.



There is no such key on the real thing.

In the quick start manual, it shows the shift lock indicator on
the left of the LCD screen, in fact it's on the right.

Logitech is screwing up royally. Getting rid of the MicroGear
SmartShift when they trashed the other MX Revolution stuff was
like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Click to expand...

Would it be a counterfeit item ?

Paul
 
Paul said:
Would it be a counterfeit item ?
Click to expand...

No.

The mouse looks better made than my original. The keyboard looks
immaculate. Every modern picture of the MX5500 Revolution keyboard
shows an LCD display, unlike the link provided by the prior
poster. Also, if it were a counterfeit item, they wouldn't have
blacked out the PID numbers.

Now my prior assessment has some evidence (the numlock fiasco) to
go with it. These kits are probably straight from Logitech, not
"manufacturer refurbished" because Logitech didn't want to support
them anymore. The whole MX 5500 Revolution keyboard and mouse
combo thing looks like innovation gone wild. The secondary
pseudo-mouse wheel was another silly idea, especially given its
stiffness. Too bad they threw out the brilliant SmartShift with
the rest of it, though.
 
John Doe said:
Paul <nospam needed.com> wrote:

No.

The mouse looks better made than my original. The keyboard looks
immaculate. Every modern picture of the MX5500 Revolution keyboard
shows an LCD display
Click to expand...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-m...m_ciu_pdp_images_0?ie=UTF8&index=0&isremote=0

The black box that contains the inner plastic tray with the
magnetic anti-theft strip stuck to it is shown there inside the
retail outer covering. The only difference (besides the missing
batteries) is that the FleaBay version comes in a clean looking
perfectly sized cardboard box.

If they were counterfeit, they wouldn't be "seller refurbished".
It's very neat stuff (except for Logitech's design flaws), the
alleged counterfeiter could've easily made and outer cover for
it.
 
Some drunk troll...

Mike Tomlinson said:
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From: Mike Tomlinson <mike jasper.org.uk>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Re: Logitech MX 5500 Revolution keyboard has no numlock
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:04:23 +0100
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Nah. PEBKAC.
Click to expand...
 
Considering how many times/posts I mentioned that keyboard
combination without knowing the keyboard limitation, I should
be clear about this.

There is no numlock Key on the Logitech MX 5500 Revolution
keyboard and mouse combo. At $80 total, I do not feel cheated, but
it's weird. The keyboard has some other innovations. The Insert
key is removed to a different location, a positive development IMO
since I never use it and since I rarely (but sometimes) hit it by
accident. Also, the LCD display is dim, with no backlighting. Plus
the unmovable palm rest, the keyboard is very deep.

Apparently the numeric keypad keys send a prefix numlock off code
with each sent key code, so the missing numlock problem cannot be
solved by assigning another key as that function.
Click to expand...

Just a WAG, but might there be a function key combo that would change
the prefix to "numlock on"?
 
John said:
Mike Easter

There is no such key on the real thing.
Click to expand...

In the forum, a logitech dude sez:

// The MX5500 does not need a switchable NUMLOCK key because it does not
have other options on the number buttons.//

There are actually a number of topics on the issue in the forum.
Another one sez:

// So far as having it function as if it understood numlock was off,
hold the shift key then press tha appropriate key. I discovered this
quite by accident but it works well in the games I've tried it in. //

There's another topic in which a guy made a registry change so that the
condition of the numlock on keys was instead as if numlock were off; but
then there was a version change of logitch software and his workaround
didn't work anymore
http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Keyboards-and-Keyboard-Mice/MX5500-NumLock-Insert-keys/m-p/647078

This is a tiny excerpt from one of the posts which is typical of many

// I just want to add my disappointment and anger to the throng of
customers who find it outrageous that their new, very expensive,
keyboard doesn't have a switchable NumLock key. This was never revealed
in any advertising for it that I read. It is as if I bought a keyboard
and only discovered after the fact that it isn't qwerty! I've been
using the combo number/navigation keys for the latter purpose 98% of the
time since I bought my PC-XT 26 years ago. That's a very deep set of
habits to have to overcome that I would choose not to change in the
first place. I would not have purchased it if I knew ahead of time that
it had this deliberate flaw. //

.... and so forth, he's just getting started
http://forums.logitech.com/t5/Keyboards-and-Keyboard-Mice/MX5500-and-NumLock/m-p/588916
 
Mike Easter said:
In the forum, a logitech dude sez:

// The MX5500 does not need a switchable NUMLOCK key because it does not
have other options on the number buttons.//
Click to expand...

Input happens to be one of the things I'm good at, and that
statement is outrageous. Because your keypad keys have numbers
(without arrows) printed on them, they cannot be used for arrow
keys?! THAT IS A VERY SILLY IDEA.

--
 
Say "please" and I'll stop...

Mike Easter said:
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From: Mike Easter <MikeE ster.invalid>
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Subject: Re: Logitech MX 5500 Revolution keyboard has no numlock
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2012 07:49:53 -0700
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John Doe wrote:


</snip>

There you go again with that foolish header pasting gambit.
Click to expand...
 
John Doe wrote:
Newsgroups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt,free.UseNet
Say "please" and I'll stop...

Mike Easter
Click to expand...
<snip>

Crossposted group deleted.

Now we have:

- silent/sneaky modification of the newsgroups line without announcing
it in the body as proper netiquette
- even worse, top posting untrimmed no-context conversational disorder
- more/persistent foolish header pasting

I can make your bad mannered posts disappear from my view permanently or
temporarily any time I like without even saying please.

What's wrong with you?
 
John said:
Run off to play with your imaginary kill file friend, again?
Click to expand...

If you wouldn't act so rude/ly, you wouldn't feel so threatened by the
concept of killfiles.

People can probably get kf/ed just by conversing with you.
 
I don't feel threatened, just expressing my opinion that kill
files are for silly people (especially when they talk about it).
A netcop wannabe can do whatever it feels like doing, I don't
care.
 
Mike Easter said:
If you wouldn't act so rude/ly, you wouldn't feel so threatened by the
concept of killfiles.
Click to expand...

I killfiled the ****wit years ago. Think of it as lossless compression.
 
My hook shows that the 5500 numlocked keypad input is precisely
the same as a normal keyboard's. With two keyboards connected, one
works with numlock enabled while the other works with numlock
disabled. That is, unless the normal keyboard is used immediately
after the 5500. As a user mentioned on the Logitech forum, the
5500 keeps numlock enabled for a few seconds after each numeric
keypad input, after it initially ignores the numlock-off setting.
 
So far, the MX5500 Revolution combo works great. If the mouse is
mechanically new as it looks, this is a steal for $80. The
keyboard is heavy and large/deep, but it's sturdy and the
keystroke action feels very smooth and solid. The missing numlock
is no big deal if my new flight simulator (X-Plane 10) allows
using the keypad for functions. Apparently the keyboard detects
whether numlock is disabled and only then sends the additional
numlock-off code. (In other words, the numeric keypad key codes
are the same as long as numlock is enabled. Otherwise, that might
have been a concern when using keypad keys for steering, since the
target program probably needs to know whether a key is being held
down. A professional programmer might be able to do that, but not
I.) The LCD display can be electronically switched so that the
background is white and the foreground is black, so it shows up a
little bit better with some lighting (not at all when dark, there
is no backlight). In office lighting, you might even be able to
see the small print. Haven't used the mouse yet, I'm confident
that works perfectly. It did charge properly.

And that will be it if no further questions or comments, and
unless anything is not exactly right (X-Plane should allow using
the keypad for steering, until I get a yoke).
 
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