Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard (Black)

10 Review to this product

• 

  Warflango
  November 25th, 2007 on 9:47 pm

  Rating

  The title pretty much sums up my opinion of this keyboard and the general opinion of a few of the users who have reviewed it so far. Now, I normally try to present my opinions without mention of those of other peoples’, but in this case, after reading some of the other reviews of this item I really feel I must make an exception.

  First of all, I’d like to point out that just because an older version of this board had a few features that were cut doesn’t automatically make this one suck. Secondly, I’d like to point out that this board technically has 18 macro keys if you take into consideration that it has three different modes, and on top of that an unlimited number of profiles you can switch between with the software. Third of all, I’d like to remind everyone that a company’s policies and its products are not the same thing, and should not be treated as such.

  Anyway, I sincerely don’t mean for this review simply to be about bashing other peoples’ opinions, so now I’d like to get to explaining why I do like this keyboard. For one thing, the LCD is a lot more useful than people are giving it credit for. Combined with Trillian, answering ANY instant message from within ANY program without having to alt-tab becomes a piece of cake, which is especially nice for anyone who runs fullscreen applications and IMs a lot. The same thing goes for media playing; whenever you have a media player open it automatically switches to an iPod-like view, which is also handy when in fullscreen.

  The macro keys and modes are another huge plus. They aren’t limited to just emulating a few keystrokes; they can also act like shortcuts, enter a block of text, or even be assigned to a script (I haven’t messed with scripts that much, but they’re in Lua and are fairly easy to write. There’s full API documentation included as well).

  Those are the main benefits for me; there’s a couple of other neat things, like the switch to turn off the windows key and the USB ports in the back, but those aren’t as major. As for durability, I don’t know how other people have been abusing their boards to make them break, but I’ve even dropped mine a couple times and there’s barely a scratch on it.

  Overall, what I’m trying to say is that it’s simply a great investment, especially if you’re intending to buy one good keyboard for the long-run.
• 

  Josiah D. Kiehl
  November 29th, 2007 on 4:15 am

  Rating

  This keyboard doesn’t fall short in any category. They keys are solid, not too loud and the there are just enough G keys for macros. Anyone would have to admit that the screen is not always useful, but the fact that there’s a community of software writers serves to make that less and less true. (In particular, the Miranda IM client’s G15 plugin is excellent and very useful for when you’re playing a game or fullscreen movie.)
• 

  Renato Prata De Frasson
  February 25th, 2008 on 12:47 pm

  Rating

  it is easy to install (as all logitech products!) the layout is beautiful, it is not too wide (the old G15 wouldn’t fit my desk).
  
  The macro keys are easy to program and great to use!
  
  The backlight is a must have if you play FPS games!
  
  The LCD is much more useful than I expected! I played NWN2 and the character’s stats are all printed there, saving me the trouble of pressing C and having half of my screen filled with information just because I wanted to check my hitpoints.
• 

  Doug Johnson
  March 26th, 2008 on 2:03 am

  Rating

  I went shopping for a new keyboard, and decided to upgrqade my input devices right, so I got the G9 mouse to go with the G15 keyboard. I was rather taken aback by the price of both, but they have truly impressed me with there performance. I was stunned by the diffrence a percision mouse can make in my computing experiance, especially in gaming. My main target for the keyboard was the back lighting, but I have found that the lcd screen has quickly become indespensable. I just had to look in the settings of some of my favorite applications (like Ventrilo, EQ2, Advanced Combat Tracker, etc.) and there was a check box to supply output to the G15′s lcd screen. Bottom line is: if you can afford the price, this is a very worthwhile item.
• 

  Jared T. Guess
  May 11th, 2008 on 4:58 pm

  Rating

  I ordered this keyboard specifically for the ability to see Ventrilo users speaking (information) in Windows Vista. There is not currently any alternative to allow Ventrlio to work in Vista (overlays and such).

  Also I game frequently, so it will come in handy otherwise.
• 

  Kent Albert
  May 13th, 2008 on 7:00 pm

  Rating

  I was searching for a keyboard that I could use in the dark. I first tried one that is blue (not a logitech) it proved to be a one star rated keyboard. Now this G15 from Logitech is awesome!!!! The feel is fantastic. Fits my finger and hands just perfect. The hand rest is great. I am a lazy typer so it works great for me. I don’t play any of the online games it is famous for but just for the multiple programable keys and the LCD screen it is worth it. I do however play Ogame and the function of the two timers is great. Helps me keep track of fleet movements and mine building times. This is a fantastic keyboard and I recommend it to everyone even folks who don’t play games. I am having one problem however and that is one of the timer buttons is not working and I am sure it will be replaced/fixed soon. The software that comes with the keyboard is super easy to use. Lots of options for setting up the games, timers, your clock.
  
  So if you have the money this keyboard is well worth the 5 pizzas it would cost instead of this keyboard and I know you will get more enjoyment out of this keyboard than the pizzas.
• 

  Ron
  June 12th, 2008 on 11:35 am

  Rating

  I see a lot of reviews hammering this keyboard for the lack of its predecessor’s macro keys. It has 6 macro keys which can increased to a total of 18 via the memory buttons. I seriously doubt there are many people who really need the 54 total macro keys the previous G15 had, and I think 18 would be sufficient for most. Also, the narrower size makes this a better fit for my setup.

  I like the orange lighting of the LCD, and it not having it flip-up is fine for me – less chance of something breaking. Logitech toughts this as a gaming keyboard, but this is really suitable for just about anything computer related requiring a keyboard. The keys have a nice feel for me, not too soft or too hard to press. Price is a bit on the high side, but if you can get it with the rebate then it’s not bad considering what this keyboard offers – the LCD, backlighting and macro ability.

  Searching the web, I found quite a few applets available for the G15 that I was interested in – Trillian, TeamSpeak, BF2142 and others. And it looks like more are in development. This is the only keyboard I’m aware of that offers this LCD capability, and it was great to find a lot of my apps are already supported.

  I gave this keyboard 5 stars because it suits my needs perfectly. Everyone’s different, but definately check this out if you’re in the market for a decent keyboard that’s not just for gaming.
• 

  danthesk8er
  July 17th, 2008 on 10:40 am

  Rating

  My G15 works great. I do a lot of programming and the g buttons come in handy for commonly typed lines. Typing on it has a really good feeling. Its nice to have information and stats all right at your fingertips. If you use LCD Studio you can create some of your very own screens and put the information you want on there. I currently have CPU, Memory, HD, Music, and Weather running on mine. The only downfall of the new ones is the orange color. It was awkward at first but I guess they are alright. Overall its a nice keyboard and types very well.
• 

  Russell M. Van Tassell
  December 10th, 2008 on 2:04 pm

  Rating

  First off, I’ve only owned this keyboard for about five hours, now… and already, I’m astounded. Up until a few hours ago, I had been using a Microsoft ergonomic keyboard — and that served me many long good years (until I was stupid/clumsy enough to spill hot coffee in to it).

  Anyway, this keyboard has a GOOD feel to it… as an old Sun person, it’s a feel I’d expect from a high-quality keytronics keyboard – good firm keys with a “sharp” key click, but smooth and solid down to the bottom of the stroke. The keys are a little bit smaller than I’m used to, even though part of my daily grind includes a laptop (but I have a desktop keyboard and, as I said, my home machine was an ergonomic keyboard that I enjoyed using).

  The backlighting on the keys is “pleasant” — it’s not terribly bright (particularly in a dark room with a bright monitor / white background). It IS bright enough, however, to be able to glance down so-as to “clarify” where your hand position is… I don’t think I’d want to be looking at it if I didn’t at least have a somewhat reasonable touch-type ability (I’m not a touch typist/purist, but I also don’t need to look at my fingers once I’m “set” on the keyboard, either).

  As far as integration goes, so far I’m impressed with the functionality… simply being able to glance down and see things like CPU load, RAM usage, and clock are nice (no more looking for the systray on Windoze). Furthermore, the keyboard integrated directly in to EverQuest II and Ventrillo *without* me really needing to do A THING (for the gamers, that includes nice hooks that essentially move part of your UI down on to the keyboard — such as character stats for your MMO or channel/talker info for Vent). Also, any quick search on the net would seem to reveal just how-much-more really is possible with this keyboard with “support by the masses.”

  My only real “critique” with this keyboard is the fact that, even with the keyboard “jacks” extended, the keyboard fees like it’s laying “flat” across the desk. Again, having run slanted laptop “cooling” pads and ergonomic keyboards for a good number of years, I feel I’m more used to the numbers being “higher” than, say, the space-bar. However, I think I can deal with this…

  I also like the fact that this keyboard comes equipped with /two/ USB ports in the top of it… now between it and my flat panel, I have four ports within easy reach for the inevitable memory stick I have in my hands (though honestly with three monitors on my desk, the ports in the side of the monitor aren’t always easily reachable — so these are a welcome addition for me).

  So, after only a few hours… I see myself liking this keyboard — and here I thought I’d “always” use an ergonomic/split keyboard (even to the point that I have run separate keypads at work). I’ve always wanted a good backlit keyboard and this fits the bill nicely… can’t wait to see what else I can do with it!
  
• 

  S. Crist
  March 9th, 2009 on 10:26 pm

  Rating

  As I am fairly heavily invested in the three gaming machines my sons and I play on, I check things out pretty thoroughly before I buy. Gone are the days of the $[...] keyboard and $[...] mouse in this house. I want lasting quality. I’m pretty sure I found it in the G15.
  
  I bought one to test it and it functions flawlessly. The display is clear and the keys are crisp. I found that the number of G keys are plenty, too. Mine also doubles for work and it works great for that, too. The Windows lock-out ket is awesome (never seen that before)! I already over 50 hours on it and its passed my tests and those of both boys. I’ll be buying two more very soon.
  
  If I had a complaint it would only be that the “Enter”, “Shift”, etc, buttons are only symbols. However, I realize that’s really based on a 45 year-old’s dislike for change. The kids picked up on it like it was always that way! Of course, they type while watching the screen, too!
  
  Great keyboard! I won’t call it a “must have”, but it’s at the top of the list in the “want” category.