logitech keyboard lcd screen quotation

We were big fans of Logitech"s two-color LCD-equipped G15 gaming keyboard, but we can"t say we find that the addition of a color screen justifies the $200 price tag for the updated G19 model. Yes, it"s neat to put a full-color image or even a video up on the screen while you"re playing a game (imagine watching YouTube clips during a long griffin ride in World of Warcraft, without alt-tabbing out). With time, the G19 user-developed software library might even come to thrive like it did for the G15. But with relatively few color-specific apps available even a few months after its release, we can"t recommend spending more than twice the price of the G15 for the G19"s color screen and a few design tweaks. Until the software comes around, the G19 is mostly a well-designed, expensive novelty for the PC gaming elite.

Large color LCD supports digital photos and video playback; included software development kit opens LCD up to homebrew and community-made apps; 16 million color options for backlit keys; built-in USB 2.0 ports; improved macro recording capabilities with support for five simultaneous key presses.

Logitech"s $200 G19 Gaming Keyboard boasts a built-in color LCD with exciting capabilities, as well as lots of little improvements over previous models. But with few apps--thus far--that take advantage of the screen in a meaningful way, the G19"s potential remains largely untapped. Until the community software effort gets rolling, we can"t recommend spending this much on a keyboard that, while flashy, has yet to realize its full potential.

Setting aside the screen for a moment, the G19 keyboard itself is only slightly more impressive than the most recent version of the G15. The core key design provides the same crisp keystrokes, with the same 12 "G" keys on the left edge. As with the G15, the G19 gives you three different switchable modes, so you end up with 36 effective customizable keys, along with on-the-fly macro recording. Logitech also includes another hallmark of its G-series keyboards, a switch that lets you disable the dedicated "Windows" key, so you don"t accidentally switch to your desktop screen during gameplay with an errant key press.

New to this model (aside from the color LCD) is its capability to recognize five simultaneous key presses. Macro-happy gamers and digital artists, in particular, should appreciate that feature, which opens up a greater level of mastery to run repetitive commands. We"re also glad to see that the G19 now has two powered USB 2.0 jacks. The G15 is stuck with USB 1.1, which is not as fast. Anyone who regularly transfers large amounts of data between a PC and a portable storage device or media player will benefit from that added bandwidth.

Other features include a smart drum-style volume control above the G19"s number pad, on top of which you"ll also find a set of easily accessible media play controls. As before, the G19 ties into iTunes, Windows Media Center, and other media software apps. Last but not least among the new, non-LCD-related highlights is the option to select from 16 million different colors for the backlit keys. You customize the colors through the only-somewhat-intuitive Logitech Profile software, which lets you tie three different colors to the three mode buttons for the programmable "G" keys. We wish it had a dedicated button to scroll through at least a few preset colors, though. We also wish Logitech would consolidate its configuration software into one application. Instead you have to bounce around between the G-series Key Profiler for setting up the G keys, and a separate LCD Manager app for the built-in screen. Which brings us, finally, to the color LCD.

As with the G15, the G19 provides you with a secondary display, ostensibly to minimize the number of times you switch out of a game to the Windows desktop to check the time, your in-box, or get other information. Unlike the G15"s two-tone model, the G19 gets full color output and a larger 320x240 screen size. Logitech includes 11 different applications you can use on the screen of the G19, among them a clock, a system performance monitor, an RSS reader, photo and video players, and an app that lets you play YouTube videos. All of those programs have option screens--accessible through both the LCD Manager software and through a set of screen menu controls on the keyboard itself--that let you change content source folders and make other adjustments.

The G19 also comes with built-in support for 46 PC games, and four different applications, including Ventrilo, the popular third-party voice chat software favored by many PC gamers. "Support" for those various titles means essentially that the screen will display different information, such as character stats and ammunition counts. We haven"t tried every game on the list, many of which are outdated, but we never found the game-specific information that handy during gameplay. We can see a few possibilities that would make the LCD screen more useful, such as giving you an extra inventory screen or showing an in-game map, but we haven"t seen those kinds of features implemented in the handful of titles we"ve tried. We do, however, like the Ventrilo plug-in that lets you know who"s talking, which can be useful if you don"t know everyone in your World of Warcraft guild by voice.

Potentially more exciting is that, as with the G15, Logitech also includes a software development kit for the G19"s LCD. It took a while for the enthusiast community to embrace the G15"s kit, but once it did, all kinds of mini apps became available for public download. We don"t expect the G19"s software library to have blossomed in the three months since the keyboard"s release, but without a critical mass of homemade applications, it"s hard for us to say what kinds of programs might come from the community. You can use some of the homebrewed G15 apps on the G19, but not all of them work on the new color screen. We also can"t help but wonder what effect the G19"s high price will have on the adoption rate among the enthusiast community. If fewer people buy the G19, that will surely affect the amount of collective effort behind any software development.

For people who are still not ready to use a Mechanical Keyboard in this time and age, the Logitech G510s offers the perfect solution. It is the newest version of the original G510 predecessor which was released a couple of years ago. The current edition offers intuitive features at a budget-friendly price range. You have your usual key programing options and LUA script commands that you can define in this keyboard. However, the LCD screen on the top panel of the G510s is the real deal. I’ll talk about it later. Read on… for now…

Custom RGB programmable keys layout. Now you can pre-define your desired backlight color easily. My personal favorite has always been red for all of the backlit keyboards in my possession. However, you can go for blue and green as the best alternatives if you don’t like red.

The Logitech G510s comes with your standard 3.5 MM audio jack port. It lets you connect your headphones directly to the keyboard, while your motherboard will continue to re-route the sound via the device’s inbuilt technology.

What else is there to talk about? Oh yeah, I mentioned something about an LCD display at the top panel on this keyboard. It turns out that this display shows your standard date/time on the computer, and also some additional keystroke history for your games, etc. If you are the kind of gamer who is into bragging rights about the maximum number of keys pressed throughout the entire lifetime of a keyboard, look no further.

I have had my doubts with Logitech keyboards in the past. My Amazon order history attests to several purchases, among which there was a special Logitech waterproof keyboard. This sucker burned out on me the moment I typed down a few lines in a test document. The circuit just burned! Anyhow, I am glad that I switched to mechanical keyboards. They have higher durability, and the average number of keystrokes turns out to be in millions.

As far as Logitech G510s is concerned, it’s most enticing feature is the simultaneous key press option. There have been many games, especially the ones from the fighting genre where certain characters have special moves, which require for multiple key presses at the same time. It turns out that this keyboard can be used to replace your average joystick pretty easily. You can also program specific functions into your favorite keys to make your in-game character move the way you want.

For a little over $50, Logitech G510s is a steal for the number of features it is offering. No wonder it always sells out at Amazon like hot cakes. Right now, they are out of stock – some 3rd party resellers are selling the keyboard. You can buy from them at Amazon at a slightly inflated price. However, if you are in no mood for overspending, head over to NewEgg or some other websites to buy this beauty.

Item condition: Manufacturer refurbishedThis is a manufacturer refurbished product. Keyboard comes in non retail packaging. Satisfaction guaranteed! Product IdentifiersModel G19SMPN 920-004985Key FeaturesKeyboard Type GamingInterface USBTechnical FeaturesConnectivity Technology WiredLogitech G19s Gaming KeyboardSettle for nothing short of everything. Harness the power of greater intelligence with a keyboard for gamers who don’t know what it means to have too much information. A GamePanel color screen feeds you a steady flow of vital intel. Programmable G-keys simplify complex actions. Take your game to higher levels with advanced technology to light your way forward. 1. GamePanel LCD requires software that supports Logitech GamePanel technology. Visit www. logitech. com/gamepanel 2. G-key programming requires Logitech Gaming Software available at www. logitech. com/downloads

A tiltable, color GamePanel LCD displays game stats, system information, VOIP communication data, video playback, image slideshows, and many other items, without leaving the game.

Performing multiple actions simultaneously is also made easier with the keyboard’s multi-key input-functionality, which allows you to engage up to five keys at the same time.

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.

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.

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?

You can’t save the princess with skill alone. The peripheral manufacturer Logitech would like to aid you in your online quests with the help of its new G19 keyboard for gaming.

The G19’s standout feature is a tilting color GamePanel LCD screen, 320 by 240 pixels, which can be used to display gaming information for more than 60 games, including Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft, as well as nongaming details like VoIP data, maps and videos.

The keyboard houses 12 fully programmable G-keys (three macros per key) and has multikey input functionality, which means you can bang on up to five keys simultaneously.

The Microsoft Bluetooth Keyboard is the most straightforward keyboard on this list. It"s a solidly-built full-size option without unnecessary features, making it our recommendation for any workplace. This keyboard connects wirelessly with Bluetooth, which means you can use it with any mobile device, tablet, PC, or TV that supports a Bluetooth connection. However, you can"t pair it with multiple devices at the same time.

Thanks to its rubber dome switches, and soft-touch covering that goes all around the keyboard, it"s nearly silent to type on, so you won"t bother anyone else working around you. It"s also fairly satisfying to type on as the rubber dome switches have good tactility, so you"ll always know when you"ve registered a key press.

However, this keyboard is large and not very portable, so it isn"t a great candidate for carting between different workspaces or hotdesks. It also doesn"t have any incline options or an included wrist rest. If your workflow involves longer typing sessions, check out the slightly more expensive Logitech K650, which is very similar but has a built-in wrist rest.