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Logitech Illuminated K810
by boredindunoon
In simple terms a keyboard is an input device for a computer. I'm actually using one right now to type this review.
This "Logitech K810 Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard" does have a few interesting features on offer the obvious being bluetooth connectivity (which has a few advantages over USB). However the bright ... illumination (which only activates when in use) actually works well as it automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys to any light. Build quality is very good and it has a brushed aluminum finish which is highly polish and looks very smart.
From the start one of the major problems I have with this keyboard was its price. The cheapest being Amazon at £79.99 with some retailers asking closer to three figures. Considering that you can buy a "basic" keyboard for less than a tenner this Logitech would have to offer something special to justify such a asking price and sadly I don't feel it really offers much more than any other cheaper keyboard.
Set up and installation was straightforward with the blue-tooth connection meaning it can be easily configured with your iPhone, iPad or Mac. You can also use this keyboard for more than one device at a time and easily switch back and forward between them. The battery also holds a charge pretty well considering its illuminated (mine lasted just over a month before requiring a top-up and even then it wasn't fully discharged). The keyboard simply charges through a mini USB cable which takes a few hours however the battery is also removable should you want to charge it seperate.
This Logitech has been designed as a "minimalist" keyboard and herein lies a rather large problem. The keyboard is smaller than you would expect (which will save on desk space) also the keys are smaller and closer together than what you would expect normally. It's more like using a keyboard on a netbook and because of this it's not that easy to use. There is no right hand side Numb Pad, the shift keys are small and the "up" and "down" arrow keys tends to go down at the same time. While the keys are almost silent when you press them (they are near flush with the keyboard itself), this advantage is outweighed by the fact that you will make a lot more typos and spend more time glancing down at the board.
For myself I did not find this keyboard very comfortable to use. You wrists are forced to be closer together and you have to angle them more in order to type, both of which could lead to health problems.
Another disadvantage is that it's not the easiest keyboard to find for sale. At time of writing this review on Amazon the dispatch time for the keyboard is between one and two months, and on Play the item simply shows as out of stock. It is possible to find it from international sellers on eBay however they tend to be more expensive and demand somewhat high postage charges (sometimes £25.00 or more!).
While it looks very smart it doesn't make the job of typing any easier or interesting. For a fraction of the price you can get a decent wireless keyboard which is more comfortable and easier to use. As a result I can't really recommend this Logitech to you (unless you absolutely must have blue-tooth connection or like to use a keyboard on more than one device at once.)
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Logitech Ultra-Flat Keyboard
by paulshorse
BACKGROUND:-
Three of years ago I found myself having to spend a lot of time in bed due to two slipped discs. I had a laptop computer but because I was forced to lay in strange positions to ease the pain, there was no way that I could have the laptop on my lap, instead I had to have a table by the side of the bed but using the ... laptop on there was almost impossible. My partner suggested getting a keyboard and mouse to use with it and we looked in the Argos catalogue to see what was available. The mouse was no problem - I bought a small mouse for use specifically with a laptop - but the keyboard was a different matter entirely. I didn't want a full-sized keyboard as it would be too cumbersome, but I did want one with all the usual functions. Then something caught my eye - a Logitech Ultra-Flat keyboard.
Reading the details, it said that it was smaller than usual and lightweight, which would be ideal in my circumstances. The best thing was that it was remarkably cheap, so we decided to try it - I think at the time it cost in the region of £14, which I didn't think was a lot to pay for a keyboard, although it was wired and not wireless.
THE BRAND:-
Logitech is a Swiss company founded in 1981 and started life just manufacturing computer mice which were innovative at that time. Since then they have branched out into a wider range of computer accessories but are probably still known best for their mice and keyboards. Their products are usually good quality, competitively priced and sold throughout the world.
DESIGN OF THE KEYBOARD:-
It's smaller than a normal-sized keyboard at around 40cm x 16cm - it's actually just slightly wider than the laptop itself. It's made of shiny black plastic which, because it's so light, feels rather insubstantial and I must admit that at first I didn't think it would last all that long, but I've been using it almost daily for the past couple of years and there's no sign of anything breaking on it whatsoever. The keys are still intact and fully functional. It's easy to keep clean with just a quick wipe over with a duster (because it's shiny, though, it does seem to attract the dust).
It has the full range of QWERTY keys, together with a numeric keypad, four separate arrow keys (which are duplicated on the 2, 4, 6 & 8 keys), backspace, delete, insert, home, end, page up and down, Windows key, Print Screen, and separate ? * - and + keys. Basically it has all the keys that you would find on a full-sized keyboard. There are also 12 Function keys which can be programmed but I personally haven't done this. At the top right hand corner of the keyboard are three green lights which indicate when the Numeric Lock, Capitals Lock and Scroll Lock are depressed, a thoughtful and useful addition.
It's quite a thin keyboard and, as its name suggests, is flat. However, there are two small feet on the reverse that you can use to tilt the keyboard at a slight angle (according to the product details this is a 6 degree angle) but I find that it's equally as comfortable to use it completely flat or with the raised feet.
USAGE:-
I use full-sized keyboards daily on my desktop computers at home and at work and I can touch-type to a great extent. The keys are slightly smaller than those on a normal keyboard and are squashed together more, but I find that the compact size doesn't substantially affect my ability to type at a reasonable speed. Occasionally I hit the semi-colon key instead of L, or the comma key in place of M, but generally speaking I have no problem with typing with this keyboard. It does take a little time to get familiar with the smaller size, but if you are used to typing on an integrated laptop keyboard, then you should find it relatively easy to use this one - I think, personally, that this keyboard is actually more user-friendly. What I like most of all is the fact that the keys themselves feel like those on a full-sized keyboard. When you depress a key, there's no 'rubbery' feel to it -all the keys have a very positive motion with a good range of movement. Having said that, there is some noise when typing - the usual plastic on plastic sound- but it's no worse than any other keyboard in my opinion.
SETTING UP:-
You don't need any software - it's plug and play in as much as you just insert the USB plug into a spare USB port, Windows will recognize the keyboard and away you go. It does also come with a PS/2 connector in case you have an older computer. It's compatible with Windows 98 (I wonder if there are many computers still left with that operating system), Windows 2000, ME and XP. I use it with Windows 7 and prior to that Vista and there have been no issues using it with either operating system. I assume that it would also work with Windows 8, but it would be prudent to check first.
WHERE TO BUY AND PRICE:-
Logitech have stopped producing this keyboard for the UK (although it still appears to be manufactured for the American market) but you can still buy the UK model online - play.com are selling it at £21.44 and you can also buy it new on Ebay for between £12 and £15.
IN CONCLUSION:-
The Logitech Ultra-Flat keyboard is compact, lightweight and has everything that you would find on one of its larger brothers. I'm still using this today with my laptop because I find it so easy and convenient, and after three years it's still going strong with no sign of the keys coming apart. It's a pity that the keyboard is not more widely available because I think it's superb for the reasons stated in my review and it gets my thorough recommendation.
(Thank you for taking the time to read my review)
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Logitech G19 Keyboard for Gaming
by Zakalwe
I used to be a big WoW gamer (not so much these days) and figured I wanted a keyboard that would give me a few more options than the standard. Looking around the G19 immediately caught my eye with its LCD screen and backlit keys.
This isn't a small keyboard, and considering the LCD screen it sits about 2.5 inches tall, so if ... you are planning to put it onto a slide-out keyboard drawer on a desk, make sure you have the clearance. With its black finish, and backlit keys, you really wouldn't want to hide it away though. The LCD can be tilted to suit you, and Logitech learned from the weaknesses of previous hinged for the screens, and the G19's is attached to a solid metal bar making it strong and resilient.
Naturally the G19 has all the standard alphanumeric keys, but also a number of additional ones. There are 12 G-Keys on the left which are all programmable, 3 keys that change profiles and backlighting colour (also programmable), the LCD control keys, and the multimedia keys (play, mute, volume, etc.). The programming of the G-Keys is done via the Logitech software provided and allows you to assign computer functions, keystrokes, or macro's to each key. You also change the backlight colours here. The M-Keys on the top left are basically your profile keys - I had a different colour backlight set for each profile (there are 3 M-Keys) and had different sets of macro's set per profile: M1 for standard PC use, M2 for playing WoW, M3 for playing SW:TOR. The backlight also makes gaming in the dark perfect as you can still see the keys. When gaming there is a gaming switch that toggles the windows key on and off, so no more minimizing the game to the desktop accidentally.
There are two powered USB 2.0 ports at the back of the keyboard, just to the right of the LCD. The LCD is 320 x 240 pixels, and again is controlled by the Logitech software included. By default this can be used to play youtube video's, check RSS feeds and email, display a clock, calendar, picture viewer, or system stats. There are also 3rd party apps that will run on it, like EGVA Precision for monitoring GPU temps. Some games will also display on the LCD - my WoW character stats are displayed when I play WoW. You can set which apps you want running on the LCD, and also how they are controlled. I have mine set to always display my GPU temps, but I can use the keys on the keyboard to scroll through the other functions I have running. You can also set it to run through the sequence of apps you are using automatically, so the display changes every 2 minutes.
There are only two downsides to the G19. First, it needs power - it will work as a basic keyboard just by plugging the USB into your PC, but to get the fun stuff it needs to be plugged into a power socket. Secondly, the price: I paid £150 for it a couple of years ago, and you would be hard pushed to find it new for under £100 now.
Overall, a great keyboard, especially for gaming, and I love being able to program the keys and backlight, but considering the cost I wouldn't rate it as very good value, hence 4/5.
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