When Genius first contacted me about covering the SlimStar 8008 here, one of the first things I did was to look at my old Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse set from a few years back. That particular set cost me $35 at the time and is just as much still, which is a testament to Logitech's brand presence in this specific market. Comparing that kit to this SlimStar 8008, things are similar and yet different. The Logitech option costs slightly more, but adds in a soft wrist rest and some dedicated keys whereas the Genius offering has a smaller form factor while using a software driver to add in more functionality. If I had to make a decision today, I would go with the Genius SlimStar 8008, and that is no easy feat to accomplish.

In a segment usually covered with $100+ mechanical keyboards, of which some are now also wireless, mechanical keyboards, it was a nice change of pace to examine a $30 class combo set that ultimately is more likely to be used by a lot of readers across the world. For those looking to replace the OEM keyboard and mouse that shipped with an office computer, mechanical keyboards are not the first thing that comes to mind, and some even prefer membrane switches to begin with. The lower profile and clean looks here will help sway people towards the SlimStar 8008 as well. However, things do need to be improved if Genius is to even attempt to be a contender for most people where Dell, HP, and Logitech are giants everyone knows and resellers will gladly sell to others. The brand name, presence and packaging don't help, but all small issues are likely to be examined under a magnifying glass in such situations. Take that battery connection issue I had, for example, which is very likely a one-off that others may never have, but I now have a question mark in my mind about the build quality, which was already present due to the flex I experienced in some cases, and the thin case with no steel plate inside only makes it worse. Similarly, the software driver, which was pleasant to use throughout, could have gone that extra step further to report how much battery life is left even in steps as high/medium/low (accurate battery sensors cost a lot compared to most other parts), in addition to the LED on board.

Ultimately, Genius had a price point to work with, and at $32, there are things that I am willing to let slide under the rug. By virtue of that price point and the feature set this comes with, the Genius SlimStar 8008 is good value for the money, and hopefully, this gets more eyes on the brand too.