The Core Values

I've been quite successful completing my backup travel PC (more on that in an upcoming post). One component I needed was a travel keyboard. Ideally that keyboard could be also paired with an iPad. And it should be both comfortable and light. Connecting via Bluetooth and living forever without charging.

Of course that last requirement is quite difficult to address. I mean it is easy to imagine harvesting energy - back in the 1990s Compaq even had a laptop which was recharged through keystrokes (magnets moving inside small coils generating energy). But such keyboards are loud and heavy.

My initial thoughts were to check Logitech. They used to have a wide selection of wireless products. And the core value proposition from Logitech always has been seamless connectivity and very good power management. Just to put things in perspective - here is the blog post discussing how bad a good keyboard experience can be when connectivity and power management are ignored. It also explain why I returned to Logitech.

To my delight Logitech has just launched the KEYS-TO-GO 2 which is advertised to be just what I needed: any operating system, super portable, 3 years on a coin cell. All that was left to do was to click "buy".

Unfortunately this did not work. Logitech's web site is very cleverly designed. It guides visitors, anticipates their needs, offers advice... All clearly powered by the latest AI technologies. The problem however is... it does not work. Throws weird messages (I was trying for a number of days in a row using different networks and web browsers). and it is just impossible to buy a product. So I went to Amazon, where I got a message I could pre-order the keyboard but it has not been launched yet. Ultimately I ended up with one of the regional Polish retailers who delivered the keyboard to a pickup locker on the next day.

The lesson there is - Logitech should really stop their AI hype and stick to their core values. Make things simple, do not overcomplicate, unless you do not need customers anymore. The KEYS-TO-GO 2 is the best keyboard I have ever had. Super tiny, super silent, super light, works with my MacBook, PC, iPAD... I love it.

Generally there seems to be an unnecessarily widening chasm between the hype (recently this mostly is AI) and the reality of poor products, poor service and poor user experience.