The Ultimate Gaming Keyboard?

{mosgoogle}“Designed by gamers, for gamers”, that is the mantra for Logitech’s newest addition to its family of gaming-grade peripherals. The G15 keyboard is the result of extensive research that Logitech has conducted within the gaming community. At first glance, the G15 may appear as just another fancy backlit keyboard. However, you will quickly discover the wealth of functionality that it provides. The more games you play with this keyboard, the more you’ll come to love it. At the suggested retail price of $79.99, the G15 gaming keyboard is one investment that all gamers should consider.

Logitech’s G-series family of gaming-grade peripherals has already garnered rave reviews for excellent hardware such as the award-winning G5 mouse. It looks the G15 may the beginning of this same trend on the keyboard front. There are two things that jumped out at me when I first setup the keyboard. First off, the footprint is quite large. It is definitely larger than most keyboards I have used. I still managed to fit it on my keyboard tray, but those of you with limited space on your desks may want to break out the measuring tape. The length of the G15 sits at 21.5” and is at least 2 to 3 inches longer than most OEM keyboards. One of the positive aspects of a larger footprint is the spacious layout of the keys. Nothing is cramped, so you’ll never accidentally hit keys that you did not intend. Personally, I can live with the size of the keyboard because it ultimately results in a more comfortable computing experience.

Where To Buy It

The Logitech G15 is available direct from Logitech for $99.99. A quick check of internet prices shows online stores selling the keyboard from $64.99 to $99.99.

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What's Inside The box?

• G15 keyboard
• Wrist rest
• G-Series keyboard software v1.0
• Quickstart guide

{mosgoogle}The Logitech G15 gaming keyboard is jam-packed with innovative features. Before I get into these features in a little more depth, I’ll touch on the more basic points that people consider when selecting a keyboard. The most important requirement for keyboards tends to be the level of comfort, along with the general feel of the keys. Let me address these issues right here, this is the best feeling keyboard I have ever used. In the many years that I’ve been computing, I have used keyboards from a variety of manufacturers. I absolutely love how this keyboard feels.

Although I haven’t actually tested my typing speed, it feels like I’m able to type faster when using this keyboard. There is no funky layout like some other keyboard offerings, so I’m never caught reaching for the wrong keys. All the keys respond perfectly and the actual texture of the keys feels better than most keyboards. These days, more and more people are now beginning to realize that gaming on the $5 keyboard that came with your custom-built computer just doesn’t cut it anymore. Why cheap out on a piece of equipment that you’ll be coming in contact with almost every day of your life?

Alright now, let’s get down to the good stuff. What’s so special about this keyboard you ask? Here’s a quick peek at the long list of features offered by the G15 that will truly enhance your gaming experience and performance:

• Dual full speed USB ports to plug in additional peripherals
• Backlit, tilt-able auxiliary LCD display
• 18 programmable hot keys (3 modes, which will allow you to store up to 54 commands/macros per game)
• Profiler software, enabling you to designate specific hotkey profiles with individual games
• Backlighting on all keys (supports 2 different levels of illumination)
• Full media and volume controls
• “Game Mode” switch allows you to disable Windows keys

Where To Buy It

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Need A Light?

{mosgoogle}The G15 provides a little cool factor with backlit keys that illuminate with a soft blue hue. Some view this as gimmick, but it does serve a purpose. More often than not, gamers will choose to play games with the lights off or dimmed because it eliminates any glare coming off your display. With that being the case, having backlit keys will make hunting down the right button a breeze. The keys are actually translucent, so the blue shines through the markings on each button. Very cool. There is a button on the keyboard itself which allows you to select between two levels of brightness. If you’re playing in a well lit room, the same button is able to turn off the blue illumination completely. Although this feature won’t really make or break your gaming experience, it will definitely draw some attention at a LAN party.

Build In LCD Display - Good For Gaming?

For those of you that read my review of the Logitech MX5000 Wireless Bluetooth Combo, you will already be somewhat familiar with the functionality behind the built-in LCD display on the keyboard. Logitech has taken this idea a step further and has attempted to create a LCD display that gamers will be able to interact with depending on the game they’re playing. This is probably the one area where I think they fell a little short. At the time of review, Brothers In Arms: Earned In Blood was the only game that was compatible with the LCD display. The display was able to show basic information from the game that I could already see on my screen. Although increased compatibility and features are planned with future games, I don’t quite believe gamers will be taking advantage of this feature. If you’re playing competitively, you can’t afford to take your eyes off the screen to see what your keyboard is telling you. While we wait for more games to become compatible with this feature, you can still enjoy the basic functions that the LCD is good for, such as; external PC info (eg. CPU usage load), display of media player controls/status, time & clock, and number of unread email messages. When transporting the keyboard, the LCD display is able to fold down to avoid any scratches or damage.

For those of you that are comfortable programming in C or C++, Logitech has included a software development kit on the installation CD. This will allow you to write an application for the LCD screen and the four buttons located below the display. I’m sure more developers and hardcore users will take advantage of this ability over time, but it hasn’t really come to fruition yet.

Where To Buy It

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In The Key Of 'G'

{mosgoogle}With the rising complexity of games these days, gamers can always use extra hot keys. Logitech has recognized this trend and designed the G15 keyboard to accommodate 18 fully programmable hot keys! Referred to as the G-keys, you can store up to 54 different commands with these set of keys. The G-keys are grouped in three sets of six on the left hand side of the keyboard. This makes them easily accessible for all right-handed gamers…..sorry lefties. Above the 18 keys, you’ll notice three separate mode buttons. Each represents a different group of settings for the 18 G-keys. With each key, you can easily map to a function, keystroke, or even multiple keystrokes.

Included with the keyboard, is Logitech’s own custom profiler software. It helps manage the creation of macros for different games. Once created, you can save the individual profiles. The software will then automatically recognize which game is in use and load the appropriate settings. To make things even easier, recording macros only requires the touch of a button. Gone are the days where you need to go through software settings to set up macro commands. Custom commands can all be set on the fly with the macro recording button located on the keyboard itself.

Conclusion

Logitech has come up with a really solid product for gaming enthusiasts. Although there is nothing revolutionary about the keyboard, it has more than enough features to warrant a purchase. You can easily tell that Logitech did their homework before designing this keyboard. While reviewing the G15, I was most impressed by the wide spectrum of features. Minor features like the ‘Game Mode’ switch are a nice bonus. Who would’ve thought that a feature to disable your Windows keys would help enhance your gaming experience? Well, Logitech obviously did. More significant features like the G-keys and their vast amount of programmability options will help gamers of all levels gain a competitive edge. The Logitech G15 has a deep level of customization that is second to none.

Where To Buy It