Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This review is specifically for the G815 which is a total redesign from the G810. I know the price is a big issue for a lot of people but if you are reading this you have the money and are trying to decide if it's worth it. The KB is the single part of the computer you will touch the most. More than any mouse, touchpad or trackball. So a meaningful change there will have a real impact on your experience with your computer. I found this keyboard fantastic -- but with some troubling issues. Well worth my money but is it worth it to you? Read on. So, things I like: - Super thin but heavy enough not to move around at all. Stable as a rock. - Fast. Like really, noticeably faster. My typing speed instantly increased. - Butter smooth linear keystrokes, no muss, no fuss, no click. - Metal body looks and feels pro, top quality. It should for the price. - A bit of space between the keys means less fat fingering. - Really, super programmable per key. For example I have just the logo to do a lighting effect while the other keys are static. - The G HUB program that sets up the lights and macros was intuitive enough I figured out how to use it just tinkering with it. I was able to do a lot of interesting configuration on my KB. - I set up my keys with colors to denote function. So most keys are white but my F keys are yellow, my G keys are orange, my Windows and audio keys are blue, my caps, num, scrlk, pause, prtsc keys are green, etc. Makes for at a glance and peripheral identification and less hitting the wrong key. - A small lighted bar on the spacebar. Nice touch. - Stout cord and rubber protector. Braided cover. Built to last. Handsome IMO. YMMV - Audio controls are simple and responsive. - Separate programmable/macro keys (G keys). Sure, they could have built another function into the F keys but having them separate means one touch activation. When gaming simple is best. The biggest argument I see against separate G keys is a larger KB footprint. But not here. My old Azio KB without those measures about 18¼" (46cm) across while this one is about 18½" (47cm) so ¼" (1cm) difference. My standard HP keyboard for work is 18" (just under 46cm) across so the difference even there is minimal. Unless you are upgrading from a KB with no number pad this just isn't an issue. They accomplish this by having a much narrower bezel between the edge of the keys and the edge of the KB. Clever design. - I thought I would miss the built in wrist rest but I don't. With this much thinner KB it just isn't needed. And that change means a smaller footprint front to back. Under 6" (14cm). Things I found odd: - Needs TWO USB plugs. One with a KB symbol, the other with a USB symbol. Why 2? Power requirements? Not a big deal but it's weird. [EDIT: The extra plug is to make the USB port on the top of the KB is a passthrough. But it's USB 2.0 and a KB is not a lot of traffic so why they thought a passthrough was needed I don't know. Still weird.] - The USB passthrough is next to the cord on the top edge of the KB, not on the side as expected. - No scroll lock light. It has a scrlk KEY but no indicator light. Not that most of us use that but if you ever turned it on by accident you would have a heck of a time figuring it out. - There is no audio passthrough. I don't care but you might. - The keys use the new style of being raised up off the keyboard so there is empty space under them. It looks kinda cool but I worry I will catch the corner of an edge key and pop it off. IDK if that would break it or just pop off the top. I would rather not find out. Stuff I don't like: - The symbols !@#$%^&*()_+ etc are just printed on the keys; they do NOT illuminate. So on the 1 key only the 1 lights up, NOT the ! And they are printed in a medium gray, not white, so they really don't stand out. In low light --- like for gaming -- they are completely invisible. This is the only thing I truly HATE about this keyboard. I'm sure someone will point out that I should be able to type without looking but then why illuminate the keys at all? And esp with symbols their placement changes from KB to KB. Any way you look at it, this is a big FAIL. - The letters and numbers on the keys are small. They could have easily been 25% larger without looking oversized and still with plenty of room for the symbols And they should have. They are very clear so even my old eyes can make them out but bigger would have been better. - I have yet to figure out how to use the 3 memory keys. I've tried a number of things and nothing has worked yet. The manual, being for the G810 which did not have those keys, is no help. I have found no YouTube vids on how to do it. I'll figure it out but this is a problem. - Speaking of the manual, the closest I could find was the G810 manual and this is a complete redesign so not much help there. - The web site was weird and buggy and had no idea what a G815 is. It said something about being in transition so maybe that's it. But wow, just wow. - The caps lock and num lock lights are white, rather bright, and not adjustable. I will have to put a tinted plastic cover over them. Also, reading the printed text next to them to see which is caps and which is num is impossible. Litreally black on black. I can figure it out but that's obnoxious. Maybe I'll paint over that in white. - The brightest level is just about right for me, but I like lower light. It has dimmer levels but nothing brighter. Not sure why they went with such subdued light, especially since this is a USB plug in, not wireless, so no battery issues. If I had a fancy PC build on display with this KB doing a light show I would want it much brighter. The problems are mostly things that should have been caught by releasing a few prototypes to a handful of gamers. Overall it's a fantastic keyboard with some surprising issues for a premium priced KB. I don't regret the purchase but normally with this many issues I might give it just 3 stars. Still, it's already by far my all time favorite KB so I'll go with 4. And hey, Logitech, if you're reading this, if you need someone to tell you this stuff in the future I would be happy to do so. Because whoever is doing it now is not catching these things.