Logitech G15 Keyboard Version 2 Review
Logitech launched their G product range quite some time ago. G standing for gaming with products variating from steering wheels to speakers. The Logitech G15 is the top of the line keyboard in the series and sells for around $70. But is it worth it?
Design
Some may like the design others may hate it. Its clear Logitech opted for the slimmer, cleaner look with their second version of the keyboard. The G15 is also one of the few with backlit keys and a build in LCD screen, more on that later. All keys you have come to expect are present on the G15 including the G keys. These are keys on the left side that are programmable. G1 can mean CTRL+Alt+DEL for example. 3 keys are present including a 3 mode switcher which comes down to 18 programmable keys. We found 18 to be more than enough but some die hards might want more. The LCD screen is surrounded with media keys what enables you to control several media apps including iTunes and Media Player, VLC player is surprisingly not supported. The LCD display of the G15 is bright and crisp but we would have liked a color screen instead of it being lit by orange backlight. Ultimately we liked the design very much but some people might hate it. Especially the lack of notebook like keys, the color orange and the fact that it isn’t apple thing might disappoint people.
Functionality
The Logitech G15 is made with gamers in mind but office geeks or casual users might find it equally helpful. Logitech provides a disc with several programs you need to install. While we aren’t happy with having to install software to get curtain hardware to work it was definitely needed here. The keyboard itself is plug in and play but you’ll need the software to program the G keys. The LCD screen was extremely helpful during games. It gave me the option to see how much the load on the processor and memory. And using fraps I was able to see the frame rate right on the G15 LCD screen. The screen can also give you the time, news and media player information but overall it doesn’t provide much extra for the casual user.
Typing
So the G15 keyboard is functional and looks good. But the most important test is yet to come, how does it type? I switched to this board about a year ago haven used a Microsoft keyboard for several years. The first thing I noticed is that the keys are closer together compared to the Microsoft board. I really had to get used to this for about 2 months actually before I was able to type properly. But once I got used to it I found the keyboard performing very well. The keys are soft and make some sound when pressed. Not a lot but definitely more than keyboards. I guess this can be a positive and negative, I actually like it because it gives me an extra aid when typing fast. But with that said it doesn’t type $70 worth better than my old one did. So if you spend the big bucks do it for the other features and not just because it types slightly better. Because there’re alternatives that are much cheaper.
Conclusion
The screen is helpful for games or enthusiast but casual user might find them paying extra for a feature they won’t use. It performs well and types decent but its characteristic look and high price but scare people away.