Logitech Gaming Keyboard G510 Review

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(More customer reviews)Logitech is on a roll with their new keyboards.They've created an interesting and (usually) easy to follow line of keyboards that range from being perfectly competent (G110) to being absolutely wonderful (G19, G13).Sitting in the middle at one point was the G15.The G15 had very similar features to the G110 (which was a refresh of the G11).It came with an LCD screen where the G110 had none.The only one up the G110 had was in the programmable key department.On the side of all of the G series keyboards is a row of G-keys, which allowed you to do a variety of things, like program specific key strokes or even develop macros.All of these functions are controlled by software, that allows you to sync specific G-keys to specific games.This allows you to load a game, and have a specific key set for that particular game.

The original G15 apparently had 18 G-keys.When they redid the G series keyboards, they reduced that number to six programmable buttons (this is the previous model and the one I used).The new refresh (G510) ups the G-keys back to 18 (with the M buttons, this provides you with 54 unique functions per game).This allows games to have a vast combination of keys to choose from and even trumps the G19, the "top of the line keyboard" in terms of numbers.That is, until the inevitable G19 refresh.The G510 has an monochromatic LCD screen that has a couple of really cool widgets available.It works seamlessly with Ventrilo, so if you're in the middle of a game and you're playing with new people, you can see who's talking, comments people leave, etc.It works very well.I use it all the time with the G19.Other games offers specific widgets.I've seen this mostly with Lord of the Rings Online, where you can see your stats on the screen.It also has other non-gaming uses, such as media displays.You can see the song track/artist of music you're playing, for instance.It can also be used as a clock, a POP3 Monitor or as a RSS feed.These are all features that carry over from the G15 and are a step up from the G110 which lacks the LCD screen.This is also a step down from the G19 which offers the same functionality, but in color.The G19 will allow you to watch videos on the screen, but the small screen doesn't necessarily make it conducive to video watching on a regular basis.

Otherwise, the keyboard operates like you'd expect.It has backlights that allows you to use a multitude of colors to light your keys. It has both integrated USB for audio for a headset and also separate audio/mic jacks with the option to mute it.One nice feature is a slider that allows you to switch between gaming and Windows, which makes it so you accidently do something to minimize your game.It does lack the USB hub options of the G19, though.Overall, the G510 is a great refresh of an already capable keyboard.For those who have the G15 and are thinking about upgrading, I don't think I'd necessarily do it (or maybe look at the G19, which I will continue to use).But for those new to the Logitech G series keyboards, this is a great intermediate keyboard that offers most of the functionality of the G19 and offers more functionality than their entry level keyboard (G110). No matter which one you go with, I'm really impressed with Logitech's keyboards.

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Product Description:
The logitech gaming keyboard g510 gives you the tools and intel you need to win, putting you control of the game with a gamepanel lcd, custom backlighting*, and integrated usb audio. * requires software installation.

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Logitech G19 Programmable Gaming Keyboard with Color Display Review

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(More customer reviews)The video I uploaded shows a quick unboxing and showing the G19 with the previous G15 keyboards, and the color LCD displaying some YouTube videos.

** Review Updated: 8/16/09 **

Short Review (if you don't want to read all that):
======================================================
I give it a 4 1/2 stars. The keys feel nice and mushy. The LCD is no doubt really awesome to have for any multi-tasking person. I feel the features on the video player/YouTube player is missing some basic options and that is why I'm not giving it a 5-star (although this could all change with new apps or updates). Overall, the keyboard is for any gadget lovers/video enthusiasts/YouTube fans -- not just gamers. The macro G-keys, as usual in previous keyboards, is also a powerful tool for anyone wanting to work more efficiently, and again, not just for gaming.
======================================================

[2005 model] G15 v1 (Blue LED)has 18 G-Keys x 3 modes = 54 programmable.
[2007 model] G15 v2 (Orange LED) has 6 G-Keys x 3 modes = 18 programmable.
[2009 model] G19 (White is the default LED) has 12 G-keys x 3 modes = 36 programmable.

THE KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD:
G15 v1: It's small and spread apart.
G15 v2: It's larger and close together.
G19: The size is in between those two keyboards; it's also close together like the v2. Overall, I like typing on this the best.

Some positives and negatives of each keyboard...

G15 v1 (2005 - Blue LED):
+ Has the most G-keys (most people didn't seem to need/use this much, including myself, hence why v2 had so little)
+ Volume/media control wheel is nice
+ LCD can be closed shut completely
+ Has handles on the top of the keyboard for carrying it easier.
+ Lots of custom apps to be found on the net.
- Takes up the most desk space
- USB 1.1 (okay for plugging USB headphones and gaming controllers)

G15 v2 (2007 - Orange LED):
+ For those that don't need that many G-keys and prefer larger keys.
- LCD cannot tilt (already fixed)
- Volume control is just a plain button
- USB 1.1

G19 (2009):
+ Color LCD (biggest selling point and biggest upgrade) - what keyboard has a color video display?! Any geek's dream come true. It's great for multi-tasking and time flies even more now that you don't waste a second even on game loading screen or spectating a game.
+ USB 2.0 (all previous G15's were USB 1.1, so now it is suitable for even connecting flash/hard drives and not just game controllers) -- this is why it also requires an AC adapter to the keyboard. The USB ports are both on the same side now, which makes it a little easier to locate than the previous keyboards having it one on each side; however, it can be a problem when connecting flash drives or SD card readers that really stick out to the side)
+ Custom backlight colors
+ Volume scroll (although I wish it turned smoother) / some custom apps for the G15 uses the volume up/down to select menus/songs, so the new up/down scroll volume control on the G19 works out perfectly for that.
+ The keys have a nice clean feel and layout (as mentioned before, the keys aren't too spread out and still large enough, so there's less strain on the fingers for me)
- Requires AC adapter (although it is understandable, some may not have a plug open)
- Lack of app support for now.
- Price is a killer! (considering there isn't really any other keyboard with a video display, it is slightly understandable... but the apps still needs work.) ====================================================== ISSUES FOR ME:

* I have to say the documentation is very poor for this keyboard. I had no idea what the "Clipboard Commands" (10.4 on the readme file) was all about for playing a YouTube video -- that I actually want to watch. The only option you get when you enter the YouTube Video Player is viewing "Top Rated, Top Favorites (not your own), Most Viewed, Most Popular, Discussed, etc." -- ofall time, this month, this week, or today (default) -- Sure, sometimes some interesting videos may come up, but I honestly never really care for those "RANDOM" videos anyway; I prefer watching videos that I actually WANT to watch (not some "YouTube Celebrity" talking about their life all the time).

I mean, the dedicated YouTube viewer is definitely a nice idea, but I don't know why they couldn't just add a simple built-in search to toggle between typing on the LCD and out of it!(Hopefully some talented people can make some custom app to do this; for the G15, the custom app music players, such as the myLCD WVS, are far superior to Logitech's Music Media player)

It has the usual LCD Clock, Performance Monitor, Countdown Timer, but having an LCD screen, it would have been useful and nice if it at least had a built-in notepad to type out codes and other memos! (this would have also been a great workaround for using the "clipboard command")

Basically, you first have to enable "automatic playback of YouTube video URLs" in the advanced tab options, and whenever you copy (Ctrl + C) a YouTube URL, it will automatically end up on the LCD screen. So if you're in a game and you can't type and highlight/copy text, then you really can't search anything.

And to actually search for videos, you have to use their "clipboard command" (you'll want to macro this instead of having to remember and type this command every time):

======================================================
lcdyoutube:search=
======================================================

So for example, if you want to search Logitech videos, you have to type

======================================================
lcdyoutube:search=Logitech
======================================================
AND THEN you have to highlight all that and COPY (Ctrl + C) it to actually execute the search. I believe in games like WoW and Counter-Strike, this is OK for now and not completely useless, since it lets you type and highlight in-game for games such as those.

* You cannot navigate to different video folders through the LCD. You have to keep setting one video directory/all sub-directory and it will list all of them.

* Would be nice to change aspect ratio/stretch/zoom/fit when viewing videos, and especially for pictures. Since it has directional controls, they should allow you to zoom in on pictures. The picture viewer is pretty useless for me.

* It needs a quick jump to top/bottom or multiple files instead of scrolling through all the files one by one, especially if you have lots of videos. It would be nice if the volume control scroll could be temporarily toggled into acting as navigating up/down menus because it's so much easier than the buttons.

* I find it odd that it allows you to go quickly back to the top/bottom if you get to the end of the list for the main 'Switch to Program' menu screen; however, for the video/YouTube player list, once you get to the top or bottom, you're stuck and have to scroll all the way back up/down yourself! Personally, I find this inconvenient, especially since the navigation buttons aren't necessarily easy to keep pressing. For the YouTube search results, it does not allow you to HOLD-scroll either.

* For YouTube search results, it only displays the first 25 video results.

* It would be nice to be able to have a video playlist or be able to access your YouTube account's favorites.I would love it if it had a Winamp support so that it plays videos from the Winamp list too.

* Fast forward is already determined depending on the video duration.If it's a really short clip, like less than 10 seconds, then you can fast forward/rewind at 1sec intervals. However, if it's an hour long clip or so, it's already set to fast forward at 5 minutes. It doesn't matter how long you hold the button or release, the speed is not variable and is already set. This makes getting the precise spot of the clip impossible.

* It only looks for common video extentions. I have some .flv files that I saved directly from YouTube, but I have to rename them to .avi for the LCD to pick it up.

* If you searched several YouTube videos on the LCD, then you can press the Logitech-back arrow button key to see the previous results/videos, but once you go back, you can't go forward!

* Once a current YouTube-sent video ends playing, it ends up going back to the menu screen and there is no quick video repeat option. It really would be nice to have a history of viewed YouTube videos played on the G19 LCD!

====================================================== OTHER THOUGHTS:

* The install CD that came with mine was an older version 3.0.1 (but the website had a 3.02), so you should check that before installing.

* As long as if the video plays fine on the main system player, such as Windows Media Player, having the right codecs and everything on the system (not built-in codecs like VLC), then it should play on the G19 monitor.

* If the person uploading a video on YouTube doesn't allow external linking, it will not be playable on the LCD; you will get that error message instead and ask if you want to play directly on a browser.

* Sometimes the YouTube Player may not respond to your clipboard commands; you'll either have to restart the Logitech LCD Manager or just kill the "LCDYT.exe" process...Read more›

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Product Description:
When you're gearing up for battle, you never compromise. Not on your team, not on your weapons, and certainly not on your hardware. If you take your gameplay seriously, you want the Logitech G19 on your side.

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Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard (Black/Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Caveat: I am not a gamer. I bought this keyboard on a quest for something better than the mediocre, mushy-feeling, gimmicky keyboards that have lots of features but which fall short on the fundamental purpose of keyboard -- typing.

The first thing you notice about this keyboard is that it is big. Really big. It measures 21.5" from side to side. I was so concerned about this keyboard taking over my limited desk space that I almost put it back in the shipping carton unopened. That would have been a mistake -- this is a fabulous keyboard, especially for those of us who grew up on the original IBM PC/XT, and AT keyboards.

No, it doesn't have the clicky sound of the original IBM boards, but the layout is nearly perfect and the feel is excellent.

I had been using a Logitech MX3000 keyboard, which met an untimely death by coffee. I was happy enough with the MX3000, and I almost bought a 3200 to replace it. But I didn't really need a cordless keyboard, and I never really cared for the mouse that comes with the Logitech 3xxx cordless desktop sets. Now that I have them side-by-side, there is no comparison. The G11 feels solid without being stiff; the MX3000 feels mushy and imprecise. The F-keys on the G11 are full-sized and are located where my fingers think they ought to be!

The provided keyboard profiler software is unobtrusive and easy to install. I have found the "G" keys handy for storing passwords, my e-mail signature, and other short snippets of text. The backlighting feature is more useful than I imagined. I don't miss the extra buttons on my MX3000; the G11's volume control and media buttons cover about99% of my needs. I would have liked a standby button, but I can understand why you wouldn't want one on a gaming keyboard.

$69 is a lot of $$$ for a keyboard. But if you spend most of your days typing, it is money well spent!

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Product Description:
Stay on top of your game. The Logitech G11 gaming keyboard features blue-backlit characters, 18 programmable G keys,and convenient media control buttons so you can play all night long. Create custom macros for your games and access them with a single keystroke. Reduce clutter by routing cables through the convenient under-keyboard channels. Swap gaming controls easily by plugging into the two full-speed USB ports. And never worry about getting dropped out of the action if you press the Windows key; the built-in Gaming Mode switch disables it with one touch.


Features:

Backlit keyboard
Three brightness levels, for playing in darkened rooms. Programmable G keys
Use the 18 programmable 'G keys' to execute common keystrokes or complex macros. Eliminate cable hassles! Intelligently route mouse, headset, or other cables using convenient channels under the keyboard.
System Requirements:

PC with Pentium processor or compatible
256 MB RAM
20 MB of available hard disk space
CD-ROM drive
USB port
Windows® XP or Windows Vista

Package Contents:

Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard
Installation CD
User Guide
1-year limited warranty

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