It’s been two months since two keyboard/mouse combos landed on my desk. Asus launched two Marshmallow products; the Keyboard KW100 & the Mouse MD100. Then there is Logitech’s Pebble 2 mouse and keyboard combo. I’m going to tell you about each in brief.
Asus Marshmallow
Asus’ Marshmallow Mouse MD100 is designed to be portable and silent while also being adaptable. It’s very compact and has a good in-hand feel. Even after using it for a few hours at a stretch, my hand never got tired. Two things are the icing on the cake. First, the design is flat, so it can fit in any bag or even some pockets, without bulging out. Second, the mouse comes with swappable covers. This means you can have different colours for different days of the week!
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The mouse, like all modern mice, comes with support for Bluetooth connectivity as well as wireless dongle connections! Last but not least, the battery is insane. I couldn’t fully test it, but Asus says this can last up to a year!
The MD100 is an ambidextrous (can be used with either your left or right hand) mouse. There’s also a DPI switch at the bottom, which is useful if you’re a gamer.
Everything about the mouse is super silent and that’s the thing I love about it most. The scroll wheel is also very discreet while giving an ample amount of feedback.
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The thing that impressed me about the wireless keyboard is its durability. The keyboard comes with an adjustable kickstand (with two levels) and good key travel. The keyboard comes with a battery life of two years (again, something I couldn’t test).
The keyboard is lightweight, has silent keystrokes, supports a range of OS’ and comes with multi-device support. It adds a dash of colour to your desk. The only downside is that there is no backlighting. So, in low-light environments, this may pose an issue.
Nonetheless, Asus has done a fabulous job with the Marshmallow mouse and keyboard.
Logitech Pebble 2 Combo
The Pebble 2 combo to me is good for a large range of people. It can especially work for college students or someone looking for not-so-expensive peripherals for their laptop.
The Pebble peripherals have gotten an upgrade for 2023. They offer the same amount of comfort and silence along with a few extra features. They’re also just as inexpensive as they were before. There are the Pebble Keys 2 K380s and the Pebble Mouse 2 M350.
The keyboard has good key travel. The keys have an indentation to them and helps with comfort and typing speeds. It’s one of those laptops that feels just like one on a laptop, and so familiarity is there. The keyboard has the Silent Touch Technology from Logitech that promises to reduce click noise. It’s the exact opposite of a mechanical keyboard and surely isn’t meant for gaming.
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There are a series of Fn shortcut keys at the top and this is new for this edition. Fn tools are useful as they have the screen capture tool among others. The Fn set is customisable via the Logi Options Plus app.
The mouse also gets the Silent Touch upgrade. Otherwise, it’s pretty similar to the previous iteration. The Mouse 2’s middle button can be customised through the Logi Option Plus app and a task or launching of an app can be assigned to it.
The mouse and keyboard are compatible with Windows, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, and Android phones via Bluetooth connection.
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The Pebble Keys 2 can last, according to Logitech, up to 36 months on a single charge! The Mouse 2 has a battery life of 24 months.
Verdict
Yes, if you’re in the market for some great peripherals and don’t want to break the bank, then either the Marshmallow combo from Asus or the Pebble 2 combo from Logitech will suit your needs. You will not be disappointed with either.
Pricing
The Keyboard KW100 & the Mouse MD100 from Asus are priced at Rs 2,899 and Rs 1,499 respectively.
The Pebble 2 Combo from Logitech can be found on Amazon for Rs 4,799.
