Logitech G15 Revision 2

[Rob Williams]

Logitech released a revised G5 mouse earlier this year, and now have given attention to their most popular gaming keyboard, the G15. Updates were made for the sake of size, so a few features have been modified to reflect that. In the end though, it still proves to be an exceptional offering.

You can read Nate's full review here and discuss it here!

[Rory Buszka]

I, for one, am really happy to see this review. Nice to see you're back in action, Nate, and this looks like one fantastic keyboard.

[NicePants42]

Originally Posted by Taterworks

I, for one, am really happy to see this review. Nice to see you're back in action, Nate, and this looks like one fantastic keyboard.

Thanks. It's nice to have a computer again.

I'd call the new G15 a slightly more focussed spin on a fantastic general purpose keyboard, with some nice added software functionality (still in beta, I think) that can be used for either device. I'm looking forward to seeing what the script monkeys come up with.

While I personally think it's unfortunate that the original G15 will not be sold anymore, I tend to agree with Logitech that 18 G-keys is a little overkill for the average gamer, and that the LCD panel has limited usefulness in a business/technical environment. I think that the new G15 and the G11 could still cover all the bases well. I might go get another original G15 for modding purposes, though.

[moon111]

I bought a keyboard with a ton of 'extra' buttons. Never used them.

[NicePants42]

Sometimes it takes more than buttons. For instance, unless Razer's drivers for the Reclusa and Tarantula have been updated, the macro length is limited to 8 commands, including time delays. Ouch.

Also, to prevent any confusion in advance, the LED modification linked at the end of the review was NOT performed by me. I changed my LEDs to Red/UV but did not document it very well. Darkman1696 was the first one I'd seen with multiple colors on the keyboard, and he documented it pretty well. He even links to Dgephri's disassembly guide.

[NicePants42]

Ok, here's another tidbit that people might like to know.

The newest version (3.06) of MyLCD works with Logitech's new drivers (2.01), HOWEVER, the dancing lights feature appears to be completely non-operational on the new board at this point. I've tried adjusting the frequency cutoff points and there is never so much as a flicker. The rest of the applet seems to work perfectly though.

Hopefully Okio can get things straightened out with the new board before too long. Dancing lights is awesome.

I am left handed and being able to setup the lower six function keys on my keyboard to control movement was great. I did not have to reach across the keyboard to the arrow keys which was causing a sore shoulder. Now I might as well use a separate key pad.

a real disappointment to hear.

[madstork91]

I do prefer the 3 rows version.

Now if only they would move it slightly up so that I dont hit it instead of the ctrl button... 0.0

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am left handed and being able to setup the lower six function keys on my keyboard to control movement was great. I did not have to reach across the keyboard to the arrow keys which was causing a sore shoulder. Now I might as well use a separate key pad.

Or you could use WASD like 99.9999% of gamers do.

[Krazy K]

Originally Posted by NicePants42

...I tend to agree with Logitech that 18 G-keys is a little overkill for the average gamer....

Right, but you always will want to appease the non-average gamer, such as myself and many others that still play UO. I quickly added up the macros I use; 18 G keys, 12 F keys, the 1-0 numbers, insert, home, delete, end, pg up and down and 3 others. I know them all and use them many times each time I play and if Logitech made and G50 with 50 G keys, I'd buy that!
Although I represent a small portion that Logitech will never recoup the cost of building a G15 again, I can understand why they made the smaller version.

Why did they call it the G15 and not the Gsome number that hadn't been used yet?

The 1st edition is out of production? Ouch! Maybe I should buy a another one, for my second PC now while I can still see it sold around in case the one I use now breaks... heh, not really.

But damn, I dislike every change they made, from what I've seen. Would need to try it out for a (long) while before judging - or should I say comparing with 1st edition, though...

Blue is my color. Colors aside, I would miss the ability to change the angle of LCD, unless they've made the viewing angles a lot better. Yes, I often play (or chat) in a laidback position, without mouse, when cruising through space for hours, staring into the stars, suns and colorful nebulae (X3 Reunion, a game where the "on the fly" programmable macro keys WILL come in VERY handy too. More than 18 (6x3) of them!).

I agree with you on the volume wheel. It's AWESOME. All I do is "sweep" my finger past it, slightly touching it in the process... I nearly do that if working with another keyboard now, going "awh" as it isn't there.

How does the volume thing in the new one work? Is it a "press and hold for x% change every second" or "click it repeatedly to drop x% volume per click"? (these things should seriously be changeable from drivers or something.. amount of drop, interval when button held down etc.)

I wonder if they've made the paint job any tougher. When I do things where I use the G keys (which is 100% of the time when not speed typing), my left pinky finger lies in wait between Ctrl, Shift, Capslock and the G keys next to them, ready to press them without other left hand fingers leaving WASD/ASDFG area. The paint job in this area is nearly fully gone, revealing white plastic under it. Same thing is slowly starting to show up in other "rest" areas.
Then again this keyboard has been in use for over 30 million keypresses, and this good condition after it is a plus. Many others have failed well before for various reasons. (I'm a bad gamer, but not a violent loser. ) I have long fingernails, and only "key/button" durability issue after this much use is a small part of the black "cover paint" on keys being chipped off, making the backlight shine through it (on two often used keys where "nail hits", especially in the heat of a battle are common too). With roughly the same amount of use (I view usage statistics with a program designed for it), other keyboards I've had before have lost 20-50% of paint from keys, some keys have lost their response/resistance, keys have become "wobbly" (especially large ones like shift and space) and so on.. G15 rocks on this department too!

Ah well, seeing this thing is more expensive around where I live than 1st edition was when it came out, I'm a little disappointed. But, it still is a quality logitech keyboard with lots of useful functions and most likely good durability, unless they've changed something there. And indeed many users will be happy about the smaller size, too. If my 1st edition suddenly disappeared and I couldn't get another, I'd most likely go for this.
Wether you're a gamer, coder, or a magical whateveraltor, you WILL learn to appreciate the on-the-fly macro creation/use, and other functions that are made easy by the keyboard. The bad thing is that when you some day have to work with a keyboard without G keys, it feels really slow, awkward and downright stupid.

As Krazy K said too, penalty points to Logitech for having a G11, G15, and G15 in their lineage now. I wonder if the next thing is a G15 (second edition) without an LCD, called G11 (second edition)...
You might think it's not such a big deal with the 1st edition going off the production, but internet is now full of 1st edition reviews and pictures that pop up when you search for G15. G15 2nd edition hits are and probably will be buried on "page 48" in the results for a long time. Bad Logitech, bad!