So which to go for? A good question, and perhaps one that's best tackled in reverse order.

Sadly, it's Trust's keenly-priced Wireless Laser Deskset DS-4500X that comes in third place. It's not often we say this, but it's maybe a little too cheap and would have benefited from a higher quality keyboard. The mouse is fine, but as the keyboard is the main tool by which most of us interface with our computer, it's perhaps wise to give the set as a whole a miss.

The top two positions are much tougher to call. The best overall combination, ignoring price, is probably the Logitech. The two keyboards are very close, with the Microsoft unit a little more comfortable (but only just) and Logitech's a little more capable. It's also more conventional than the Microsoft unit, thanks to its uniform main keys. We edged this one to Microsoft, simply on the comfort factor, but if the thought of different-sized keys bothers you, then the Logitech may be the safer choice.

As far as mice were concerned, again it's a very close race. Our preferred here was the Logitech rodent, which we simply found more comfortable to use after a prolonged period of time. We had no major complaints with its competitor though, and the truth is that either will probably serve you well.

Which leaves price, ultimately, as the determinant between the two, and that's why we award this test to the Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 5000. We weren't swayed by the free copy of Digital Image 2006 Standard (which isn't bad), but couldn't ignore the £20 difference in price.

That said, this is a very tight test, and either the Microsoft or the Logitech pack will keep the vast majority of us perfectly content.

Company: Logitech

Contact: 020 7309 0127

Company: Trust

Contact: 0845 609 0036

Company: Microsoft

Contact: 0870 601 0100

Tags: logitech microsoft scroll wheel optical mouse mouse ipad universal serial bus android