Tech Olive

Last year, when it came time for me to review the Logitech G15, my mind was blown by the awesomeness of it. In my mind, no other keyboard could hold a candle to that beast. After I had tested it and reviewed it, I decided that the G15 was, in fact, the best keyboard I had ever used. Today, almost a year later, the G15 Revision 2 is starting to look a bit aged. Logitech noticed this and took action. Today, I review the G19, Logitech’s newest stage of evolution for the G15.

Above: The side profiles compared. G15 on the left; G19 on the right.

From the side, the G15 looks much more sleek and streamlined, while the G19 looks beefier and much more stylized all around. Despite the subtle style differences, the two keyboards still stay very close to the same dimensions and layout. With the redesign comes a new wrist wrest. The texture and feel of the plastic is an improvement over the G15, but it seems to sit higher and not slope down as comfortably as the G15′s wrist wrest.

The G19′s new screen is as fantastic as it should be. The colors and details are vivid and sharp. However, one of the few annoyances with the new LCD is that the keyboard now requires an external power source. Logitech made this a little easier by making the USB and power cable combined, thus reducing the amount of cables coming from the back of the G19. Also, the new screen is not as wide as the G15′s 2.5″ x 0.5″ screen. The G19′s LCD measures 2″ x 1.5″. It’s quite a bit taller, but due to it being skinnier, old G15 apps –while still perfectly supported– must be downsized slightly to fit properly, but that’s much better than not supporting G15 apps at all.

Unfortunately, developers now have to work with both the G15 and the G19 when they want to add on-keyboard LCD support. The G19 is backwards compatible with G15 apps, but are G15 owners out of luck or will developers make G15 and G19 versions of all their LCD apps? I think Logitech is killing the whole drive to develop for these keyboards. The new LCD is certainly a welcomed upgrade, but it’s just not making things any easier for developers.

The feel of the G19′s keys are almost exactly the same as the G15 and that is fantastic. Although I feel that they could do with being shorter –not laptop-style keys, but just lower profile. When it comes to anti-ghosting, the G19, again, beats the G15. The G15 can track up to 5 simultaneous key presses at once, within the WASD gaming area. The G19 will track up to 6 key presses at once anywhere on the keyboard. The G19 also features 12 fully programmable “G keys” with three profiles that you can personalize for these keys (giving you a virtual total of 36 programmable keys) and with each of the G profiles, you can set each profile to change the keyboard’s color, so that you know exactly which profile you’re on.

One of the bonuses with the added external power source is that it allowed Logitech to add USB 2.0 ports on the G19 without worrying about power usage. With the G15, you were given two USB 1.1 ports. However, the usage of power is clearly evident because, even when the ports are not in use, the side of the keyboard that has the USB ports (and the power cable) built in seems to get much warmer than even the LCD. Nothing alarmingly, but add in a hot day and you could have some issues. On top of that, the ports seem very snug, making it hard to get USB devices in and out.

The back-lighting on the G19 is even better than that found in the G15. It’s the same high quality illumination of each letter, but the light is no longer restricted to one color. In the past, Logitech offered the G15 Version 1 with blue illumination, then Version 2 with amber. With the G19, YOU choose the color. The above animation shows the presets that you can choose from, but you can also choose a custom setting and you are given a pallet with which to pick your desired color from a huge range.

The Logitech G19 truly is the highest stage of evolution currently on the market for gaming keyboards, but this superior race comes at a price. The G15 sits at $90 (USD) retail, but the G19 has been introduced with a colossal $200 (USD) price tag and that is a little hard to get past. If you can afford it, it’s a brilliant keyboard.

Scores

- Price: 6
I know, I know, but in all reality, even 5 is pretty generous considering the massive cost increase from the G15. Granted, there is a clear upgrade in the product, but I don’t feel that it is enough to warrant such an increase in cost. If priced at $160 or below, the G19 could have earned a 10 overall.

- Setup/Install: 9
After you plug it in, just install the drivers and it’s 100% functional. It will take some time to work your way through the advanced features.

- Ease of Use: 9
The G19 comes with great software, but you’ll want to save yourself some time after setup to learn the ins-and-outs of the LCD controls and macro software. There’s a lot to learn and understand, but it’s not hard to get used to.

- Performance: 10
Logitech took what I considered to be the best keyboard on the market and improved it. Yes, it’s that good.

- Features: 10
As if the G15 wasn’t loaded with enough features, Logitech has 1-upped themselves with this one. A larger, higher quality LCD, more macro keys, USB 2.0, endless different backlight color options and more.

Overall: 9 Olives