Logitech Illuminated keyboard review & pics

Is anyone else annoyed by how logitech screws up all the non letter keys? I recently bought an MX3200 and I am extremely annoyed by the lack of a dedicated right click menu key that is normally on the right of the space bar past the alt key. I see the MSFT keyboard still has this, but why do so many keyboard manufacturers screw up the keyboard layouts? I much prefer the normal layouts.

-darkmatter08
 
Just got mine in a few minutes ago, i'm loving the keys. They have a tactile response to them that the Sidewinder from Microsoft did not offer.
Upon boot up, and after installing the software with no keyboard (my install didn't seem to pick the kb immediately) and rebooting. I was in business.
I dig how the caps lock/num lock indicator is "hidden" within the strip between the palm rest and kb.

My camera is out of batteries but I have some in the car, I will post pictures soon (as if we need anymore, hey we all know what this kb looks like!).

Overall, A+ kb and i'm already finding this a better buy than the MS sidewinder.
 
I know I'm a bit late to the party but I just picked up the keybard a couple of days ago. First impressions were great, love the look, love the feel of the keys, love the sound they make compared to my Siatek Eclipse, that thing is loud.

However...I have noticed a pretty dumb keyblocking issue, I was aware that it suffered from this already prior to buying it but I had only seen reports of the N, ', and T having the blocking.
Unfortunately I just found another cluster, while playing Crysis I noticed that W, SHIFT and SPACE can't be pressed together, doing so results in the Space bar not registering. After a bit of testing in another fps, and in notepad it's a definate. All I had been playing since picking up the keyboard the other day were RTS's so I didn't notice 'til now.

The problem is that W, SHIFT, and SPACE in many 1st and 3rd person games are used for Forward, Sprint, and Jump, which you often have to use together.

I tested with E,S,D,F as the main cluster and both SHIFT and SPACE work fine with all of them so it seems if your planning on using this keyboard for gaming you will either have to switch to E,S,D,F or never Sprint jump again...
 
I never noticed this. I'll check mine out tonight and report back.
 
I ran into the same w, shift and space bar issue playing battlefield 2... I then tested it in word and notepad and recreated the same problem. I called logitech about the issue and they apparently had no idea or even heard of that problem. I promptly returned the keyboard to fry's and went back to the saleman who sold it to me.

I asked him to plug it in and see if it was just a bad keyboard, he plugged it into a totally different computer than mine at home and the same w, shift spacebar problem popped up...

This is a HUGE problem, even if you only play games once in a while since wasd is the directional keys almost always used...and shift is usually the sprint or run and spacebar is jump.
 
cnick79 said:
So what's the big deal with back lit keyboards? They only seem useful if you are using your computer in the dark and your somebody who has to look at the keyboard to type.
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The same was said about people walking around with a telephone, now the majority of people has one. I thought the same about illuminated keyboards, but now that I have one, can't go without one.
 
WorldExclusive said:
The same was said about people walking around with a telephone, now the majority of people has one. I thought the same about illuminated keyboards, but now that I have one, can't go without one.
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I'm the same way. I love backlit keyboards. Unfortunately the choices for back lit keyboards with mechanical key switches are very limited.
 
willyiv said:
However...I have noticed a pretty dumb keyblocking issue, I was aware that it suffered from this already prior to buying it but I had only seen reports of the N, ', and T having the blocking.
Unfortunately I just found another cluster, while playing Crysis I noticed that W, SHIFT and SPACE can't be pressed together, doing so results in the Space bar not registering. After a bit of testing in another fps, and in notepad it's a definate. All I had been playing since picking up the keyboard the other day were RTS's so I didn't notice 'til now.

The problem is that W, SHIFT, and SPACE in many 1st and 3rd person games are used for Forward, Sprint, and Jump, which you often have to use together.

I tested with E,S,D,F as the main cluster and both SHIFT and SPACE work fine with all of them so it seems if your planning on using this keyboard for gaming you will either have to switch to E,S,D,F or never Sprint jump again...
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Sorry to hear you're having these problems. :( I have not run into any of the mentioned key blocking issues as I've played/beat Crysis/Warhead among many other games just fine. So it may come down to particular batches of keyboards that may have this issue? :confused: Maybe see if you can get a different batch to see if it may resolve the issue. I can post back my particular batch number later tonight when I get home.
 
I'm really hoping there is just a bunch of bad batches of these keyboards, if it helps at all I got my keyboard at frys... and as we all know they are somewhat less than reputable so it wouldnt surprise me...

I just called staples near my house and will stop by there tomorrow and pick up another keyboard and see if it does the same thing... what would be nice in the mean time is anyone who does have a working keyboard where they can hold down w, shift and the spacebar tell us where they got it and when...

as of right now I do know for a fact 2 keyboards I tried at frys on two different computers with setpoint on and off both exhibited this problem...
 
Sorry for not reporting back. Owned by RAID 0 error and a new 360. I honestly don't know when I'll get around to fixing the gaming pc.
 
If it helps any of you guys, I own this keyboard and mine does not exhibit this problem. I can hold Shift+W and Space still registers just fine. Holding two keys and pressing a third in any combination registers perfectly.

I bought mine maybe 4-5 months ago, also at Fry's. (Edit: Scratch that, I went to Fry's and they were sold out.. I ended up buying it at Best Buy. Forgot about that.)
 
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thanks koda, I just checked at staples, theirs has the same problem as the one I got from frys... I called logitech support and they checked the keyboard and apparently theirs performed the w, shift, space function fine...

so judging from koda's statement I'm going to try a keyboard from best buy tomorrow and let you guys know what happens...
 
So I called best buy before I go down there tomorrow and had them open up a logitech illuminated keyboard and test the W, Shift, spacebar issue and they told me it worked fine... we all know how much stock we can take in Best Buy's technical expertise (heavy sarcasm) So, I am still going to go by tomorrow and test one myself and post the findings here. I just wanted to keep anyone else who was interested posted on what I knew so far. I'm glad theres at least a possible option now of getting a functional version of this keyboard because it is way, way better looking than any other keyboard out there and the back lighting is absolutely stunning and functional. In comparison the G series have keys that dont even light up all the way or are just difficult to read in the dark... not to mention the G series only have one setting... on or off where you can dim the illuminated keyboard to three settings.

At any rate I seemed to have rambled off tpic a bit (ok alot) I'll let you guys know tommorow morning whats up...
 
OK, so I went to best buy and picked up the keyboard... as expected I had the tools at geek squad test out 4 keyboards and none of them supported the W,SHIFT,Spacebar combination... all dropped the spacebar so in other words if you play games you cant run forward, sprint and jump at the same time...incredibly stupid of logitech I must say...who the hell in their right mind makes a keyboard that doesnt support the wasd movement keys? In one last gasp of hope I picked one up at office max to see maybe theirs would work... and you guessed it ... NOPE!

So long story short, I returning this piece of shit and not taking a second look at it... on another note it really makes you wonder... who are these people who tested this keyboard and said it was great for gaming, like tomshardware and cnet... I guess if you pay people enough theyll call a turd a diamond...DO NOT BUY THIS KEYBOARD FOR PHOTOSHOP OR GAMING!!!
 
Well, we've already established that not all of them have this issue. Maybe it was just a particular batch or two, or something. I don't know, but the keyboard has always done right by me in games. I can only imagine that those reviewers were basing their recommendations on properly-functioning boards as well. Who knows how widespread or contained this issue is.
 
Sorry to hear that you had no luck. I just tested out mine using Crysis and I can run and jump without any issues.

I bought mine around February of this year from Best Buy. If this is how the current batches of keyboards are shaping up, I'm dreading the day where mine dies on me. :( I <3 my Illuminated so very much that I will never go back to a G15 or later variant ever again. :cool:
 
I wish that logitech didnt decide to cut corners to the point where the damn keyboard isnt even functional anymore... I find it ironic that it has a game mode in the setpoint... at any rate after I called them today they confirmed in fact that the matrix in the keyboard is lacking and does not support the key strikes in question... I dont know if they changed the keyboard design or if it's a very, very large batch of bad keyboards because I tried them at fry's, bestbuy, staples, indepent boutique shop nearbye... all of them failed... so as of right now the current design simply does not perform.

But I did find and test a keyboard that is great all around and functions for gaming...The following keyboard is pretty unassuming and doesnt have obnoxious lights or switches like the G series the keyboardI went with a mx 5500 bluetooth wireless keyboard, it requires a that you run setpoint once to configure the keyboard... after that you can uninstall setpoint once you have the keyboard the way you want it... it has this annoying beep everytime you hit the capslock which you can disable in the setpoint and also the on screen message telling you your caplocks are on....all in all it comes with a blue tooth mouse too that's pretty damn good...every annoying thing about this keyboard is actually something you can disable... even the mouse where the clicking the mouse wheel sends you into that smooth rolling thing can be disabled to where it click when you roll it all the time... very versatile set up with no wires and the best part is if you have interference with wi-fi the blue tooth nips that in the bud... so it covers every need for a gamer, including no wires only downside is the keys arent back lit but to tell you the truth I never looked down while playing anyway and did I mention the keys are dead quiet... but I still rather have a illuminated keyboard that didnt have a cheap half ass matrix that cant support three common key presses.
 
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My G13 has that keyblocking issue. I didn't know it was called keyblocking either.
I notice it with W and Space. When I am running forward and then jump while still holding W, I'd land and not move so I'd have to release and re-press the W key. Maybe I should RMA it.
 
logitech is getting as bad as razor now as far as not testing products thoroughly...
 
mobbmann said:
DO NOT BUY THIS KEYBOARD FOR PHOTOSHOP OR GAMING!!!
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Can this be tested in notepad? I'd like to debunk that statement if possible because the LIK's by far my favorite typing device of all time...OF ALL TIME.

When I hold down Shift and tap w and space at the same time, I get: "W W W W W W W W W." Which seems right, I think. And I played through HL2 episode 2 and do not remember this ever being a problem, Crysis too.
 
I tested mine in notepad before I posted here. SPACE is blocked if I hold down SHIFT and W. I get WWWWWWW instead of W W W W W W.
It seems like a lot of guys tried their boards out after I posted the issue and some have been fine, while others have experienced the same issue. Oddly enough it seems like the older boards are ok while the newer ones arent.
Either way I think i'm keeping mine, I only paid $29 for it on Black Friday at Staples so it was a good deal and like I said in the first post, I just use E,S,D,F as my movement keys so SHIFT and SPACE all work together that way.

Edit* and thanks guys for testing out your keyboards, at least we helped a few people along the way.
 
I get "WWWWWWWWWW " and again, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWW "

Basically the W goes until I nail space, at which point it registers one space, and stops. So basically if I need to run, then jump, I'd be fine. FWIW, my keyboard's over a year old. I got it from Fry's back when it was $80.
 
Jodiuh said:
I get "WWWWWWWWWW " and again, "WWWWWWWWWWWWWW "

Basically the W goes until I nail space, at which point it registers one space, and stops. So basically if I need to run, then jump, I'd be fine. FWIW, my keyboard's over a year old. I got it from Fry's back when it was $80.
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Well, if you are running and want to jump over something and continue running then you have to re-press the W key, instead of keep holding it down.
 
I honestly never remember this being a problem. But then again, I don't recall leaping over any hurdles in Crysis either.
 
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I seriously don't understand why people like this overpriced Keyboard so much....

For $40 something dollars, you can get at true gaming/multimedia keyboard - MS Sidewinder X6. It also has interchangeable numpads (left or right side).
 
it may suck for everything but it sure is pretty. i thought about getting this from amazon a while back when it was on sale for like 20 bucks. but i hate the thought of going back to hard wired kb & mouse
 
MJZ said:
I seriously don't understand why people like this overpriced Keyboard so much....

For $40 something dollars, you can get at true gaming/multimedia keyboard - MS Sidewinder X6. It also has interchangeable numpads (left or right side).
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You mean the one that wouldn't let me crouch, walk, and reload @ the same time? There were quite a few other combos that wouldn't work on that piece of crap. The keys required too much force and made too much noise. Also, red backlighting?
 
radiatinglines said:
I don't like using a computer with it dark enough to make the backlit keyboard look good. It's bad to stare at what is essentially a lightbulb in the dark.
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Having used a MacBook Pro for the past 2 years, I disagree. I totally understand what you guys are saying, but you don't need to have completely dark conditions to find it useful. I was skeptical at first too, but now I wouldn't want it any other way. And it's not nearly so bright that it could be considered a "lightbulb in the dark."

That said, I can't vouch for this logitech keyboard and whether or not it's any good (but I do know it's stupid expensive. $70? WTF).
 
Jodiuh said:
You mean the one that wouldn't let me crouch, walk, and reload @ the same time? There were quite a few other combos that wouldn't work on that piece of crap. The keys required too much force and made too much noise. Also, red backlighting?
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Good point, I doubt this has NKRO. It's just a scissorswitch keyboard with some LEDs behind them.

Sadly, most "gaming" keyboards are not actually good keyboards but gimmicky ones. I hope that this one is different. Also, we have a good mice/keyboard forum now: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1354730&page=4
 
yep, just tested the shift + W + spacebar thing in L4D2, i can walk jump in all directions except forward...
i'm even having trouble getting the spacebar to register in this post...i have to always backspace and hit the spacebar harder...
 
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I returned my keyboard already, logitechs only answer to any of my problems was to buy one of their piece of shit G series keyboards. If you haven't actually typed on one the wrist pad is a very cheap piece of thin hollow plastics that flexes under you wrist and scrapes due to a lack if rubber feet. Also the key board switches on the G series are very cheap and feel like they are going to snap off. As far as back lighting goes the keys are not laser etched and many of the keys are only half lit. And to top it all off it looks very dated in design almost like it was designed for a thirteen year old boy.

Does anyone know of any good keyboard for gaming that aren't gimmiky pieces of shit like the G series from logitech?
 
I can&#8217;t live without this keyboard.

I had shopped around for a number of illuminated keyboards and was rocking the Razor Lycosa for a while. What I really liked about that one was the soft touch everything ... and when you turned off illumination, whole thing just went black &#8211; couldn&#8217;t hardly make out the letters. But I feared that the soft touch wouldn&#8217;t last too long and returned it.

The Logitech is very slim and much more conservative looking (I don&#8217;t mind some LED bling but She Who Must Be Obeyed was not cool with that). The soft touch hand rest is showing some wear just along the edges but otherwise it&#8217;s holding up pretty good. I had read about the key locking and I&#8217;d like to think I type pretty fast and have never come across any issues.

[edit] I should caveat that I don't game much on it.
 
DraGun said:
yep, just tested the shift + W + spacebar thing in L4D2, i can walk jump in all directions except forward...
i'm even having trouble getting the spacebar to register in this post...i have to always backspace and hit the spacebar harder...
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Never had a problem with this in L4D1. Backspace and spacebar require equal amounts of pressure as the other keys.
 
I exchanged the keyboard at Staples without a problem.

This new one does not have the spacebar problem anymore.
It still has the Shift + W + spacebar problem though. So annoying. (L4D1 and 2)
Good thing I rarely have to walk jump forward.
 
soooo... logitech is still putting out a piece of shit and advertising it as a "multimedia keyboard"... logitechs quality is in the crapper as of late... I think I'm done with their products all together...
 
I love my piece of shit. Favorite keyboard ever. Buddy of mine has one and loves his too. Neither of us have had any of these issues.
 
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