Logitech has been a mainstay in the peripherals market for a long time now, proving that devices such as keyboards and mice can be both attractive and useful for the everyday computer user. In the DiNovo Edge it has placed its eggs firmly in the style basket by offering a slim and attractive keyboard it touts as 'world's most advanced.'

It's difficult to picture something like a keyboard requiring enough technical forethought to make such a claim, and indeed the 'advances' are more in refining construction over previous versions than offering any innovative new tools. The Edge is laser-cut from a single, semi-translucent piece of black Plexiglas, making it extremely thin and, in adopting a minimalist style in terms of controls, a true elitist technology.

It's Vista compatible and sports such features as the 'Perfectstroke' key system, which is basically a mechanism to distribute force evenly across keys and help you avoid making so many typing errors. In practice it's a little strange to use at first, mainly due to it being so thin that the keys are raised only a little above the surface. After a few hours of use you start to adjust to the pressure response and we certainly noticed that it was easier to type faster without making mistakes.

The keyboard connects wirelessly to your system using the Bluetooth dongle supplied which, thankfully, bypasses Windows' often frustrating Bluetooth setup procedure. There's a rechargeable cell built in and when you run out of power you simply drop it into the equally stylish docking unit supplied.

In addition to the standard keyboard layout you'll find dedicated keys for accessing common functions, which can be programmed for custom actions. There aren't as many here as you'd expect, considering the versatility of Logitech's MX3200 set, for example. What you do have is a touch-sensitive volume control and mousepad, which doubles as a zoom and scroll wheel. The Edge doesn't come as part of a package with a mouse so this is the next best thing, and while responsive enough, we question the need for a touch-sensitive volume control over more straightforward 'up' and 'down' buttons.

Addition controls light up above the function keys when you press the 'Fn' button. These provide shortcuts for Web browsing and e-mail, multimedia and four custom keys for user definable actions. It looks very nice, but does mean that you need to skew your hand somewhat to press two keys at once. Also note that there's no numeric keypad on the Edge, something that most users may well miss.

In producing a keyboard it is undoubtedly very proud of, Logitech has sacrificed functionality to achieve the ultra stylish minimalist look. They company has certainly achieved its main aim, the Edge being undoubtedly one of the most stylish keyboards we've seen, and it would certainly impress in corporate environments.

For the everyday user, though, especially considering the price tag, it's probably more sensible to choose functionality and usability over looks.

The DiNovo Edge's classy styling will certainly impress, but in comparison with alternatives like the excellent Logitech MX3200 it lacks some of the dedicated controls and a numeric keypad. As a style solution it succeeds hands down, but in doing so sacrifices a certain degree of practicality and convenience.