logitech keyboard with lcd screen supplier

I got this keyboard because I needed more Macro keys than what I had on my G110. I like this keyboard better than the G110 but it does have some design flaws. I use this KB mostly for office type applications and not for gaming.

More Macro keys which is the main reason I bought this KB. My old G110 had 12 macro keys with three macros per key. Using any more than the top macro on a key was a bit awkward because, when I hit the M2 or M3 key, the backlighting would turn on (I normally kept the backlighting off). I would have to hit the M2 or M3 key, hit the desired macro key, then, after hitting the M1 key, turn off the backlighting. It got to be a royal pain since, with only 12 Macro keys, I had to hit M2 and M3 keys more often. With the G510s, not only do I not have to hit the M2 or M3 keys as often, when I do, the backlighting will not come on. However, since the color selection of the backlighting is so much better on the G510s, I"m able to leave the backlighting on when using the keyboard in a well lit room.

The silver keys: The sliver keys are a very bad idea. It is difficult to see the characters on the silver keys when the backlighting is off but, when it is on, it becomes pretty much impossible unless the room lights are off. I had to compromise on color for the M1 setting to be able to read the WASD keys and still be able to read the LCD screen easily. The arrow keys are still pretty much impossible to see unless the room lights are off. I rarely type with the room lights off because it is harder on my old eyes (I"m a senior citizen) plus I often have to read copy while typing. The WASD keys could have been marked with a second character on the keys or a circle around the characters. I realize the WASD keys are handier for gamers than the arrow keys but making them silver hurts both gamers and nongamers. Also, not all people touch type so they need to be able to see the characters (in my case, it is due to learning disabilities).

The KB should have separate backlighting controls for the keys and the LCD screen. As I stated above, I had to find a compromise in backlight color to be able to read the WASD keys and the LCD screen. Brighter backlighting would have also been nice.

The LCD screen is surrounded by a shiny surface that collects dust and finger prints, shows scratches, and reflects room lighting, obscuring the LCD screen itself if the board is at the wrong angle. There are a very limited amount of independent applets available for the LCD screen. The only two that were of any use to me were the clock (and the analog portion is a joke) and the performance monitor that displays CPU and RAM usage. The media display was worthless to me because it only shows the Artist of the selection playing. If the artist"s name was too long to fit on the screen, it would continuously scroll across the screen, which is very distracting when typing. The CPU monitoring program I use has an applet for the G15 which I found would work with the G510s. Since it also has a time and date display, I don"t even use the clock applet that came with the KB. The LCD screen was a huge disappointment for me but, since I got this KB primarily for the larger number of macro keys, I"m not taking anything off for the LCD screen.

Macro key programming. While some functions of the macro key program were a huge improvement over the G110, such as being able to drag macros from key to key, store unassigned macros, and use macros from my G110, other changes were problematic. When I first tried to make some text macros the right click context menu wouldn"t work. I had to look up the keyboard command to paste. I normally do not use keyboard commands because, with my learning disabilities, there is no way I can remember all of them. The right click context menu worked in the G110, why did Logitech take that away in the G510s? I often provide URLs leading to software websites on various computer forums. I was able to just type those into text macros, usually with additional text to describe what them. However, when I tried to do the same in the G510s, pressing the macro button would return a completely messed up string of characters. After wracking my brains for a couple of hours, I gave up and emailed Logitech asking what I was doing wrong and how to fix it because, if I couldn"t use the macro keys the way I could with the G110, I was going to return the G510s. I finally figured it out the next day while waiting for Logitech to reply. There is a selection for Unicode playback that had to be checked even though I wasn"t using Unicode. I also had to put in a three millisecond delay between characters. Otherwise, double and triple repeated characters would get one character dropped (example: www became ww; free became fre).

Poor documentation. When I had the problem programming URLs into macros, I went through all the help screens and found nothing about using Unicode playback. I found out about being able to drag macros by accident. Nothing was said about how to how to create one"s own LCD screen applets even though it"s supposedly possible to do so. I found out about the CoreTemp applet purely by accident.

The legs that elevate the top of the KB are too short. However, it is also impossible to elevate the top of the KB any higher because of the bulge in the bottom edge of the KB would lift the KB off the rubber feet at the bottom. Also, raising the top of the KB would also increase glare from the LCD screen surround.

Customer support is less than stellar. When I emailed Logitech about the macro key programming issue, they responded two days later (which was within the 48 hour window promised), asking me to describe the problem even though I already had. that was not exactly useful.

While not a serious problem, the characters on some of the key caps are just wrong. The comma looks just like the period, The colon looks just like the semicolon. The parenthesis look like brackets. The brackets look like an upper case I. The braces look like parenthesis unless one looks at them with a magnifier. The ampersand looks like a crude blocky upper case G. The ampersat just looks crude. There is just no excuse for such sloppiness and ambiguity.

No USB port. My G110 had a USB port on it which was a handy place to put the receiver for my wireless mouse that wouldn"t shield it (I had to relocate the receiver to the back of my computer and use a short extension to get it out where the computer wouldn"t shield it from the mouse). I understand this was done to ensure the KB would work at full USB 2.0 speeds and have adequate power. Since not everyone types fast enough for that to be an issue, it would have been nice to have provide the port anyway and warn that using it could slow the KB, that way, people could have had a choice. One alternative would have been to make the USB connection USB 3.0, then speed and power wouldn"t be an issue if another device or two shared the connection, Or just add a second USB 2.0 cable connection to the computer as another keyboard manufacturer did.

I"ve noticed that I will occasionally get some key bounce (repeated characters) if I don"t press the key down firmly (part of that is somewhat my fault; with my arthritis, my keystrokes just don"t have the "authority" they used to). I"m hoping that this will improve with time as the keyboard loosens up with use.

While my list of cons is much longer than the list of pros, the pros are strong enough to rate the KB at four stars. Also, the pros are strong enough I"m willing to deal with the cons, most of which are more annoyances than actual problems

Do you detest gaming keyboards that give you everything you could possibly want in a computer peripheral? Do you absolutely despise having incredibly cool visuals and easy access to all your favorite keys and commands? Well, man, you"re really going to hate the Logitech G19 LCD Gaming Keyboard!

Offering an absolutely beautiful layout that features a tiltable, full-color GamePanel� LCD, selectable backlit characters, multi-key access, and over 12 programmable G-keys (with 3 macros a piece), the Logitech G19 LCD Gaming Keyboard is here to provide you with the ultimate online gaming experience.

The tiltable LCD screen boasts an awesome full-color 320x240 display that allows you to view all your most important in-game stats, as well as system information, VOIP data, picture slideshows, and even video playback. The 12 programmable G-Keys, allows the user to program up to 36 single keypresses or complex macros, and even features an MR key to record new macros on-the-fly. For some sweet key-mashing action, the Logitech G19 even features multi-key input, which allows you to perform multiple complex actions by using up to five keys at once.

Offering further assistance, the G19 also features a game/desktop mode, which keeps your game from being disrupted by disabling the Windows/Context Menu. For even more convenience, the keyboard also includes an intelligent cable management, instant access to your volume and media controls, and two high-powered USB ports equipped to transfer important data to and from your peripherals.

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, and Riot Games, creator of League of Legends, the most-played PC game in the world, today announced an exclusive new multi-year partnership. This press release features multimedia.

Logitech G333 VR Gaming Earphones and Logitech G PRO Gaming Headset Designed and Configured for Optimal VR Gaming Logitech G, a brand of Logitech, (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today announced new Oculus Ready™ immersive audio solutions for Oculus Quest 2 gamers. The new Logitech G333 VR Gaming Earphones and the Logitech G PRO Gaming Headset for Oculus Quest 2.

New G733 Wireless Headset, Available in Multiple Colors, is the Centerpiece in a New Line of Products that Enables Gamers to Express Their Unique Style Logitech G, a brand of Logitech, (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today introduced a new collection of gaming gear that celebrates self expression and the fun side of gaming. The centerpiece of the new Logitech G-Series Color Collection is the G733 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset .

Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals Features New Force Feedback System, Delivering Next-Generation Realism and Performance for Sim Racers Logitech G, a brand of Logitech, (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today unveiled the Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals , a high performance racing wheel that revolutionizes the sim racing experience. Engineered for maximum realism, G923 features TRUEFORCE™ a new high-definition force feedback system that dials into a game’s physics and audio engine to deliver an ultra-realistic experience.

Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals Features New Force Feedback System, Delivering Next-Generation Realism and Performance for Sim Racers Logitech G, a brand of Logitech, (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today unveiled the Logitech G923 Racing Wheel and Pedals , a high performance racing wheel that revolutionizes the sim racing experience. Engineered for maximum realism, G923 features TRUEFORCE™ a new high-definition force feedback system that dials into a game’s physics and audio engine to deliver an ultra-realistic experience.

Logitech G Launches LIGHTSPEED Wireless Version of its Award-Winning PRO X Gaming Headset Designed With and For the World’s Top esports Pros Logitech G, a brand of Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) and leading innovator of gaming technologies and gear, today introduced the Logitech G PRO X LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Headset . This new PRO headset brings pro-grade LIGHTSPEED wireless technology to an award winning design that"s built to the exacting specifications of the world’s elite esports professionals.

Last month, Logitech sent over a brand new, fairly expensive mouse and keyboard combination that the company is marketing to gamers. If purchased together, at full MSRP, the G19s and G602 (review here) would cost the average consumer a whopping $280. And that"s before tax and/or shipping. But is the recently-refreshed combination really worth all that cash?

The Logitech G19s is easily the most feature-packed keyboard that"s ever entered my home, thanks to its built-in LCD screen and programmable macro buttons; however, the average customer isn’t likely to find a convincing reason to spend $200 for Logitech"s latest refresh of the G19s gaming keyboard.

That’s not to say that the device isn’t equipped with its fair share of bells and whistles but, while the G19s certainly isn’t running low on style or panache, it feels like Logitech skipped out on pretty much every major feature I’d expect to see in a keyboard with such a steep price.

Where are the mechanical switches? Why would I want powered-USB ports, as opposed to a wireless device, when the G19s doesn’t even include the headphone jack needed to plug in a headset? And why does the keyboard rely on an application that slows down my CPU boot and shutdown times?

Enough with the rhetorical questions, though. Let’s dig into the Logitech G19s bit-by-bit and see what consumers should expect from a brand new unit, what we liked about the company’s latest gaming keyboard and the various reasons why we still aren’t quite sold on the Logitech G19s.

Just as you might expect, the Logitech G19s has all the usual buttons you"d expect to find on a QWERTY, Windows-ready keyboard. The device also includes the usual suite of media keys, plus a rolling input for volume control , along with a handful of buttons mean to select/toggle various features and functions of the Logitech G19s.

Each input on the keyboard is coated in a UV-protective coating, to keep the keys from fading after a few weeks/months of heavy usage, and the folks at Logitech thoughtfully decided to make both the arrow and WASD keys a lighter shade of gray. It may not seem like much but, between those and the LCD backlighting behind every key, you shouldn"t ever really have an issue getting your hands lined up properly on the G19s.

The Logitech G19s also features a full-color LCD panel built directly into the device, which can be used to display everything from game stats to the headlines from your favorite RSS feeds. It can even play your favorite YouTube videos, provided they aren’t locked to the browser; however, the frame rate does take a pretty significant dive.

Less exciting features include a pair of powered USB ports can be found on the upper-edge of the keyboard and molding on the bottom of the G19s that is intended to help you manage the wires from your headphones and/or mouse. Assuming you haven"t spent close to a $100 on the G602 wireless gaming mouse that Logitech is hoping consumers will pair with the G19s and/or several hundred dollars on one of the many wireless gaming headsets currently available to PC gamers.

While I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the distinctive clicking sound produced by many of the world’s top mechanical keyboards, I’ll admit to being pleasantly surprised by just how little noise the G19s has created since showing up at my apartment last month. Not pleased enough to overlook the lack of mechanical switches under the keys, but we"ll dive into that later.

The keyboard’s UV coated keys may take a bit more force to register an input but they also feel like they’ll continue to hold up under the hours and hours of daily usage that they’ve seen in the last few weeks. The backlit keys also make it easy to see what I’m doing, regardless of the current light level in my home office.

As someone with some relatively sizable hands, and a tendency to get a bit clumsy when playing late-night Dota matches, I appreciated having a hardwired switch that enables/disables the Windows key on the G19s. Accidental minimizations aren’t necessarily an everyday issue for me but they’re just frequent enough for the switch to be one of my favorite features.

The programmable keys that line the left side of the keyboard are also handy for certain games and other tasks; especially if you’re playing an MMO or other game where macro inputs are both more efficient and (sometimes) the difference between life and death/rage quits. I also find them surprisingly useful in my day-to-day life, though I suppose not everyone is slapping the same footer paragraph onto a handful of new articles each business day.

Best of all, each of the twelve keys can be programmed three times, toggled via a set of keys in the upper-left corner of the device, and the ability to alter the backlight behind your keys makes it easy to remember which macro configuration is currently enabled. Advanced coders will also be happy to know an emulator for the Logitech G19s" built-in LCD screen comes bundled with the software, making it a bit easier to program and test your own applets for the device.

That’s how much Logitech wants customers to pay for the Logitech G19s. Two hundred dollars for a new keyboard that, while certainly pleasing to the eye, seems to value outward appearance more than usefulness or general functionality. I mean, it doesn’t even include mechanical inputs.

There are at least two different Das keyboards for significantly less, and I bet the Control and Alt buttons on those don"t start to wear out after just one month"s worth of usage. I wish I could say the same for the Logitech G19s.

I think it’s also worth pointing out that just about everything that currently sets the G19s apart from other keyboards are features that require you to take your eyes off your monitor. I don’t know about you guys, but taking my eyes off my screen is the last thing I want to do in the middle of a game; much less reflex-focused games like Call of Duty, Dota 2 or League of Legends.

While the keyboard’s YouTube applet quickly became a personal favorite – if only because it gave me a chance to say, “Hey, look what this thing can do…” whenever friends come over – there’s no discernible way to alter the button combination that queues the videos. It’s an all-or-nothing setting that either plays any/every YouTube URL that hits your clipboard, or the keyboard ignores any/all attempts to push video to the G19s’ 2-inch screen.

The Logitech G19s is great but, at the end of the day, I just cannot envision spending two hundred dollars on it. Then again, I don’t play games for a living – well, at least not competitively --so it’s always possible that I just don’t understand why a particular feature of the G19s makes the device worth its current price. I’ll also admit to being a bit of a penny-pincher when building/outfitting my computers.

Watching Curren$y videos on the keyboard’s diminutive LCD screen is entertaining once or twice, but not something I’d ever do outside of the rare occasions when I can show the feature to a friend that’s yet to see the new toy on my desk. The same can be said for just about every other applet currently available for the G19s.

I mean, nobody really needs anything more than the $10-$20 keyboard/mouse combo that used to come standard with any new computer, but the whole idea is that it’s fun to pack a few extra features into an otherwise boring device that many of us use on a daily basis.

So, from that perspective, the G19s succeeds in just about every way you could hope for. It’s flashy, packed with over-the-top functionality and just enough practical application for a certain crowd to justify the purchase. But the lack of mechanical switches is just too big an oversight for me to ignore, and I suspect I’m not alone.

DISCLAIMER: As mentioned at the top of this post, the Logitech G19s review you just read is based on time spent with a keyboard provided to me (free-of-charge) by a representative of the popular peripheral manufacturer; however, Logitech did not retain any say in the contents of this review.

Have you had a chance to spend any time with the latest iteration of the Logitech G19s? Disagree with our analysis of the popular peripheral manufacturer’s latest premium gaming keyboard? Think you’ve discovered something (like a new applet) that would change our mind about the Logitech G19s?

The Logitech G15 keyboard is squarely aimed at gamers, but everyday users will like some of the design touches that have been incorporated. The soft blue backlighting and integrated flip-up LCD screen are features we wonder how we lived without, and the layout shows obvious signs of responding to customer feedback. The gaming macro keys round out this all-around king of keyboards. While the key pressing was slightly soft for our tastes, regular typing tasks were not a problem

There has been a recent barrage of keyboards and mice from all the major players. Most of these new input devices are geared toward gamers and media center users. The choices run the gamut:  From wireless to ergonomic, from Bluetooth enabled to pointer integrated Frankenstein-like keyboards. Logitech leads the pack, having introduced more new input devices in the past few months than in the previous three years combined. One that will no doubt catch everyone’s attention is the gamer-geared G15 keyboard. The glowing behemoth of a device is a force to be reckoned with. While it is not wireless, nor does it sport the remarkably useless keyboard mounted scroll wheel, it does contain the first multi-line programmable LCD screen. Intrigued? We were.

Out of the box, you get the keyboard, removable wrist rest, install CD and quick start guide. The G15 is wider than most keyboards in order to accommodate a number of programmable buttons along the left side. The top edge sports what look like handles, though why these are necessary is a mystery. Close to the center of the top edge are two USB ports, along with grooves in the bottom surface for running wires. The housing is a metallic light blue, which matches the backlight well. All tolled, the G15 looks mammoth on a desk, but elegantly technical, and not awkward.

Even though the keyboard is large, there is little wasted space. The G15 oozes with functionality and features. Most notable is the large, blue backlit LCD screen at the top. The LCD can be flipped down, again for a more professional look, or opened to expose the screen and media keys below. The LCD can be programmed to display different information by game developers, such as ammo, chat, etc. The default use while navigating through Windows is to cycle between displaying one screen with the date, time and an analog clock, and a display of CPU and memory usage. We didn’t realize how useful this was until we had a chance to experience it. As of the time of publication, there is a small community of G15 fanatics that is still in its infancy and assembled around G15forums.com. There is a program called LCDHype that can be used to create scripts for added LCD screen functionality. How truly useful the LCD will be is yet to be determined, but the prospects are great.

The second major feature of the G15, and the reason it is gi-normous, is the large set of programmable macro keys along the left side. Three sets of six macro keys adorn the side, along with three mode keys. The mode keys switch the set of 18 macro keys to a different set of macros, effectively making the keyboard capable of supporting 54 macros. Is this overkill? Not really. As any gamer knows, in any one game you can have different modes of play or different characters. Having the ability to switch between sets of macros is almost essential. In addition, the software supports profiles, which means that the macros are entirely game dependant. Open up World of Warcraft, and the LCD proudly displays, “World of Warcraft profile activated.” We found with City of Heroes, we had to switch back to Windows and then to the game for the profile to be correctly loaded (most likely due to the game having a separate loader, which dupes the software). Macros can be recorded using the software application or in-game with the macro record button.

The media keys are your usual, standard keys seen on many keyboards now:  Play, pause, stop, forward, and back. The center wheel spins to adjust volume. The media keys are relatively old hat for Logitech now, and support for media players is widespread. As an added bonus, the LCD will display track information for most players.

One of the stranger features of the G15 is the gaming mode switch. Such a broadly named feature should have wide-ranging effects, optimizing the keyboard performance to standards never before seen in gaming peripherals, right? This one just turns off the Windows key. We were slightly underwhelmed, even though it is a useful feature. The mute button is placed outside of the media space, where it can be accessed when the LCD is closed.

One thing Logitech has improved over the past few years is the quality of their software. That is apparent with the great configuration utility included. We found it to be very stable, and experienced no stability problems or unusual behavior. The included application allows the user to set up macros and adjust a few simple settings such as the time between LCD screen displays. The software ships with several profiles for popular games, which most gamers will probably discard for their own custom settings. The macro functionality adds a layer of productivity to the G15 as well. You could add a profile for any program, essentially making every program instantly scriptable.

On the tactile side, the G15 is a solid keyboard for everyday use, but does feel slightly “mushy.” There’s no satisfying click of the keys, but the spring back and elevation are comfortable. The wrist rest is more show than functionality, having no padding and being relatively flimsy. Some gaming keyboards sacrifice aesthetics for ergonomics, adding oddly shaped gaming pieces to the keyboard. The G15 is more of a keyboard for the avid gamer that doesn’t want to explain their input device to a casual onlooker.

The Logitech G15 is simply the keyboard to beat. The aesthetics, functionality, and uniqueness make the competition look like a child’s toy. While the full functionality of the G15 LCD has yet to be realized, even the simple programs are useful, and Logitech deserves kudos for the fact that it’s there at all. The macro keys are simple to program and arranged in a manner that makes them useful for everyday applications, and even more so for gamers. Simply put, the G15 draws a lot of attention, and it deserves it.

Keyboards and mice come in different shapes and sizes, and with different added functions. You can find keyboards designed to fit your wrists, fingers and hands, wireless mice that keep your space clutter-free or other customizable features. Whether

you are a gamer in search of a keyboard and mouse with ergonomic, marathon friendly designs or a professional or student who prioritizes reliability and a comfortable typing experience, you can find the right one for you.

If you spend a long time sitting at your computer, fend off wrist pain with an ergonomic keyboard. They come with larger bases, the kind that is common in gaming keyboards. They let you rest your wrists and palms while you type, as

opposed to uncomfortably hovering them over the keys. To cover your bases when it comes to comfort, getting an ergonomic mouse for your computer is a good call. Complete your ergonomic space with a gaming chair in a breathable fabric and support for your whole body.

If you like being able to operate your computer system from a distance or you"re just not into having several cables lying around, wireless keyboards and mice are options that

fit your preferences. For wireless mice, you have the options of Bluetooth and radio frequency (RF), with the average range for Bluetooth types being 30 feet. Sixty-feet options are also becoming increasingly common, and offerings

are available with ultra-low latency for enhanced responsiveness. If you"re looking to go all-wireless with your peripherals, a wireless keyboard and mouse combo can ensure that you get similar designs that work well together.

Manufacturers design gaming keyboards and mice with avid gamers in mind, hence the bevy of features that are particularly useful for engaging with complex PC games for hours

on end. One of these is programmable keys, which let you issue macro commands with one or two keystrokes. Swappable WASD keys are another staple feature of these types of keyboards, and they allow you map the most used directional

keys in gaming to the keys that are most natural and intuitive to you as a player. Anti-ghosting technology can improve your gaming performance if you"re fast with your fingers and are capable of sending multiple keystrokes at

once. Brightly backlit keys of gaming keyboards are useful for marathon gaming in low-light areas, and they are doubly helpful for all-nighters or working into the night.

Customers who expect to purchase over $10,000 per year may wish to work with a dedicated CTL Account Manager. An account manager can work with customers to secure discounted pricing, purchase with POs, and request net terms. If plan on purchasing in volume, please let us know and we"ll have an Account Manager get back to you.

Customers wishing to purchase in volume may click on the floating "Request a Quote" button to request quantity discounts. After requesting a quote, a CTL Account Representative will respond within 1 business day.

Of the nearly 200 we"ve tested, the Keychron Q6 is by far the best keyboard. While we recommend the full-size Q6 here, the Q-series consists of a range of keyboard sizes, from the typing and programming-friendly Keychron Q2 to the tiny Keychron Q4 or even the TenKeyLess Keychron Q3. Regardless of what size you get, each Q-series keyboard offers an unparalleled out-of-the-box typing experience and an incredibly durable build quality.

The frame of this keyboard is solid aluminum, so we don"t recommend tossing this into your backpack and bringing it on the go unless you"re adding weight for a workout. Within this aluminum frame, the PCB sits slightly suspended in gaskets. This gasket-mounted style adds a bit of bounce when you type and reduces the overall impact of bottoming out the keys. It also gives room for two layers of sound-dampening foam around the switches to reduce the ping and rattle of your keys while you type.

Each keyboard comes with an included toolkit consisting of a hex key, a screwdriver, a switch puller, and a keycap puller, all specifically to deconstruct your keyboard. While this might seem counterintuitive, it means you have infinite possibilities to tweak and adjust the keyboard to be completely yours. Plus, you can easily repair the keyboard, improving its overall longevity. The software allows for a similar range of customization, meaning that you can create and play around with the hardware, software, and firmware to have a completely personalized board. Of course, you don"t have to alter the board in any way, especially since the stock components are all very high-quality, so just leaving the board as-is feels and sounds excellent.

The successor to Logitech’s iconic G15 is finally here, and though it pickpocketed my wallet on the way back home, there’s a sense of compassion for the Logitech G19 charm and tender glow. Read on this review to find out the macros, color LCD applets, custom backlighting, and a power supply through this in-depth review after the jump.

Logitech sought to address many of the issues raised by gamers about the G15s when developing the next-gen G19, and by all measures, they have succeeded in doing so. First up is the footprint: measuring 19.5 inches wide, the Logitech G19 retains the “petite” design of the second-generation G15 in order to fit inside keyboard trays and not encroach on mousing surfaces. Though there’s only a 2″ difference between the G19 and behemoth G15 v1, the difference is most definitely one to be appreciated.

The G19 uses the same dome-switch technology that’s likely to be found in the very keyboard you’re using now – quiet but believed to be mushy at times. Despite this technological setback, the G19’s keys still feel very responsive and not as mushy as your typical office keyboard. Still, Logitech could further improve the G19’s gaming feel by using mechanical Cherry or buckling spring key switches like the classic IBM Model M keyboard. Nothing beats the clackers.

The keyboard’s layout was scored well in familiarity, maintaining the classic three-column layout for the arrow keys, PrtScr row, and six-key Ins/Del group. The only noticeable layout change has been to the Escape key, now positioned flush with the left edge of the main keygroup and not offset as is typical with other Logitech keyboards. That much takes some getting used to, but isn’t enough to cause frustration.

On the underside of the keyboard is a series of trenches for cable routing that can help manage cable clutter from mice, gamepads, and headphones. Trench exits are located on the top, sides, and bottom of the keyboard with a groove cut out in the detachable wrist rest. Unfortunately, the trenches have hardly changed from their earlier G15 incarnations, making them practically useless if the keyboard is propped up using the rear feet; there still aren’t any sliding clips to hold cables in place.

The media keys have been moved from the center of the keyboard to the right corner in order to accommodate the taller LCD profile, thereby eliminating a large portion of the unused space found in the G15. The standard variety of Play/Pause, Stop, and Next/Previous buttons are all here and angled in such a manner that they’re pointed straight at you instead of the ceiling – a nice touch. Underneath the playback buttons are the volume controls which consist of an oversized mute button and a non-ratcheted volume roller similar to what’s on the G35 headset. The keyboard’s roller is an improvement over simple volume up/down buttons, but is still lacking compared to the original G15’s volume wheel due to its low resolution and non-continuous movement.

To the left of the media controls on the G19 lie the backlight on/off button and indicator lights, which are oddly-yet-intuitively positioned according to the proximity of the keys they represent instead of the classic Num/Caps/Scroll Lock arrangement. It’s also here that you’ll find two powered USB 2.0 ports, perfect for syncing MP3 players or plugging in any combination of portable speakers, mice or gameboards without encountering that dreaded “USB power exceeded” error message.

Of course, the one downside to having a powered USB hub is the need for a supplemental power source, and Logitech really dropped the ball when it came to the keyboard’s power supply. If the last outlet on a strip isn’t available, then the wall wart AC adapter is best suited for power strips with outlets aligned in a row instead of a vertical column. Not only does the adapter take up the outlets directly underneath its bulk, but on some power strips it also can also block the above-ground socket as well! By detaching the AC adapter from the ‘Y’ junction it’s possible to use the keyboard without power but then the LCD, backlighting, macros and USB hub functionality will be disabled.

One criticism of the keyboard in other professional reviews and felt the need to address is the lack of analog headset pass-through jacks found on a handful of gaming keyboards from Razer, SteelSeries, and Saitek. However, headset jacks would not only add to the thickness and inflexibility of the G19’s already-wide cable, but also but be redundant considering that most gamers already have front audio ports on their towers – that’s a standard feature even on the cheapest Dell and HP desktops.

The first gamer-centric point of interest on the G19 is the aptly-named “Gaming Mode” switch, effectively disabling the Windows and Contextual Menu keys on demand to prevent minimization of a game during that one crucial moment. (It’s always a crucial moment). Indeed, a toggle switch is certainly more elegant than the alternative of prying those blasted keys from the keyboard.

The next gaming feature is one that’s more likely to be appreciated by the hardcore FPS junkie, and that’s the ability to press virtually any combo of six keys at once. All you really need to know is that when certain groups of keys are pressed, the matrix circuitry of older keyboards would generate a phantom keystroke also known as ghosting. Newer keyboards somewhat addressed this issue by blocking phantom keystrokes, but were still limited to pressing only 2-5 keys at once instead of the maximum six allowed by USB. The original G15, for example, was unable to press the ‘1’, ‘2’ and ‘3’ keys on the numpad at the same time.

Logitech advertises the ability to press any combination of five keys at once on the G19. In the tests using the Keyboard Viewer built into OS X, no matter what combination of keys pressed, the keyboard would always register all six. Using modifier keys would allow this number to climb as high as 10. So why is this handy? Well, the next time you hit jump, you’ll actually jump instead of being blown up by a rocket.

Illuminated keys has long been a staple of the gaming keyboard, and the G19 is no exception. The entire keyboard to include the Game Mode switch is beautifully backlit through laser-etched keys, and can be configured to shine in almost any color via an RGB mixer that’s built into the drivers. LAN party-goers will surely appreciate the ability to match their keyboard with their gaming rig’s lighting scheme.

There’s no real brightness control to be had for the backlit keys; the only way to configure this is by tweaking with the black level. The backlighting and LCD can be quickly disabled, however, by pressing the toggle switch to the right of the screen, which is great if you sleep in the same room as your computer. Up to three colors can be programmed into the keyboard – one for each M-key that’s used as a toggle. This is useful for heavy macro users who need to be reminded which set of macros is currently available for execution, e.g. red for killing and white for healing. Though there’s no multi-zone lighting as there is on Saitek’s Cyborg keyboard, curiously enough Logitech chose to limit the M-keys, LCD controls and indicator lights to a single color: orange.

One of the Logitech G19’s strongest selling points is its ability to record and perform macros, handled by a section of “G-keys” on the left side of the keyboard. Despite using the same 19.5″ footprint as the G15 rev 2, Logitech was able to successfully squeeze in a second column of G-keys for a total of 12, falling in-between the G15’s 18 keys and the second generation’s meager 6. This should strike an even compromise between the macro-loving MMO crowd and the first person shooter crowd that’s less concerned with macros than they are with the LCD display.

The G-series Key Profiler software included with the keyboard allows for some interesting and complex macros to be created. A simple keystroke, complex macro, duplicate M-key, Lua script, application shortcut or text block with return character support can all be assigned to the individual G-Keys. The Key Profiler will automatically scan a computer for known AAA games and install corresponding profiles that have basic game functionality such as movement and weapons already mapped. Though, these predefined functions could to be too simplistic and you may end up creating your own macros anyway. It’d be nice if Logitech were to implement a database for user-created macros to simplify finding and sharing profiles between gamers.

Creating macros is a breeze with the Macro Manager. It’s easy to record key sequences with or without time delays and then tweak the sequences by hand. Time delay values and keystrokes can be edited, but what’s really neat is the ability to add mouse events such as MWheel Up (scroll) or Mouse2 Down/Up (right click). The macros seem to have no arbitrary limits set, allowing for incredibly complex macros or long strings of text to be created.

Quick Macros can also be created in-game by way of the MR (Macro Record) key, which will record everything except time delays and mouse events, then bind the macro to a G-key for immediate use. It’s possible to fine-tune and assign names to these Quick Macros later on within the Macro Manager.

Though everything that’s been said so far about macros also applies to the older G15 keyboards, one of the new features exclusive to the G19 and G13 Gameboard is what’s known as Game-Settings-To-Go. GSTG stores profiles in the keyboard’s onboard memory, somewhat similar to the Razer Tarantula. What’s different between the G19 and the Tarantula, however, is how the memory is used. On the Tarantula, it’s possible to embedded the macros so they can be used on computers that don’t have the appropriate drivers installed. With the Logitech G19, macros are entirely dependent on the drivers to run; the onboard memory is memory is used for synchronizing profiles to computers that already have the software installed.

Of course, the main draw to the G19 is its iconic LCD display. Out of the box, Logitech ships with nine color LCD applets: a clock, countdown timer, CPU/memory monitor, media display for iTunes/WinAmp/WMP, movie player, picture viewer, POP3 checker, and YouTube player. All of the applets are bright and colorful, serving up bite-sized chunks of information that are best suited for an external display.

The Movie Viewer applet isn’t quite as powerful as the YouTube player, but still gets the job done. Using the pre-installed codec pack (CCCP), Moview Viewer it seems to be able to handle practically any video so long as the extension is .avi, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, or .wmv. Matroska (.mkv) and Ogg Media (.ogm) containers are not supported. The biggest drawback to the video player is the lack of on-screen folder navigation, making it necessary to specify a directory deep within a folder hierarchy if you happen to have a lot of videos stored on your hard drive.

The Logitech G19 is powered by the same GamePanel software as the G15 keyboard, Z-10 speakers and Dell M1730 laptop, thus making it backwards-compatible with virtually every applet created for those devices. As of May 2009, over 45 commercial games officially support the GamePanel display either out of the box or with a patch.

On the other hand, titles like Crysis Wars make such poor use of the second display that it’s simply more convenient to use the on-screen HUD. There are also times when a developer will embrace the mini display in one game, only for the sequel to abandon it as was the case Unreal Tournament 3. Some game developers Valve Software have yet to make any GamePanel-enabled titles whatsoever. In these cases it’s best to look at the community forums for user-created applets like TF2Stats that can report on vital statistics, but these programs may not always be available or as well-maintained.

So far there’s only one commercial game that supports the extended capabilities of the G19, and that’s World of Warcraft. There isn’t much to say about this game, but from briefly installing the demo, this game made good use of the screen’s 320×240 real estate: chat, player stats, and battlegrounds. As for other titles, some will eventually make good use of the real estate by highlighting important events on a mini-map. That’d be pretty cool if if it was pulled off correctly in an RTS-type game.

Indeed, Logitech has done an excellent job creating a mass-market external display and making it openly accessible to programmers with a free SDK and emulator built right into the drivers – it’s not necessary to own the keyboard to develop for it. This dream-and-build spirit lives on with the G19, and it’s certainly interesting to see what future games and utilities are in store for the new color display. Though the GamePanel LCD is more or less a technology enthusiast’s toy. It’s unlikely that the next AAA game will support the G19. But for those occasional titles that do come out with GamePanel support, it’s always been a refreshing moment to supplement the utility LCD applets.

The Macintosh sticker on the Logitech G19’s box was quite a surprise after having seen countless forum posts begging for Mac support with the G15. Yet, the G19’s software’s design and functionality seems almost identical to that on Windows. Macros can be just as complex with lengthy commands and variable time delays, the GamePanel software works and includes an SDK to be used with XCode, and the media applets integrate perfectly with iTunes and Quicktime.

If you’re a PC gaming enthusiast, Logitech G19 is the gadget to have. Powerful macro scripting, customizable key backlighting, and the best external LCD platform on the market make for a great keyboard. The powered USB 2.0 hub and stylish design is just icing on the cake. The only two major drawbacks that the keyboard suffers from are its bulky AC adapter and high suggested retail price in a time of economic downturn. Is the G19 worth $200? Yes. A more appropriate question would be whether or not you’re able to justify the purchase. It’s up to you to deliberate on, but if any more killer LCD apps like Okio’s VLC plugin are released, there might not be much left to deliberate about.