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98 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite Corded Keyboard To Date, November 6, 2008
The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard (LIK) is the latest premium keyboard offered by the long-time peripheral maker. Logitech touts cutting-edge design with first-class comfort and control. The primary feature of course is provided in the name of the keyboard. Laser-etched illuminated keys set this keyboard apart from the standard keyboards of today.
PROS:
- 3-levels of illumination
- Extremely thin
- Stylish looks
- Reasonably comfortable
- Uncluttered key layout
- Quality construction
- 3 year warranty
CONS:
- Expensive
- Corded
- Small palm rest
- Some keys not fully lit
- F keys not lit at all
UNBOXING
The first thing I noticed when I received the shipping box was how thin and light the Logitech packaging was to the LIK. Upon opening the outside box and sliding the inner box out, I immediately noticed the deep black cardboard boxing. Nearly all keyboards I have ever unboxed, have either had a white or brown OEM-type box. The black cardboard box reminded me a little of how iPods and other premium accessories are being packaged these days.
INSTALLATION
Installing the LIK was a breeze. I just plugged it into a free USB port directly to my PC. Within a couple of minutes, my PC recognized the new peripheral and the keyboard lit up brightly. I went to the Logitech website and installed the latest SetPoint software (4.60), which incidentally was the version in the included CD-ROM.
LAYOUT
The key layout is pretty much what Logitech has been using for their keyboards of late. The DELETE key is oversized and takes up vertically what normally is the DELETE and INSERT keys. The INSERT key is now located above the DELETE key, in the F1-F12 row, where usually the PRINT SCRN key normally lies. This takes a little getting used to but it's not a big deal, for me anyways. It should be noted that in order to make this keyboard as thin as it is, 9.3mm, Logitech used keys like that of a laptop. If you find typing on laptop keyboards uncomfortable, you may not like this keyboard. The feedback is about as good as the best laptop keyboards I've used, including Dell Inspiron and IBM Thinkpads. They are quiet too, as most laptop keyboards tend to be. All the keys are flat, except the space bar row. The space bar row of keys, including the CTRL, Window key, ALT, and FN keys are rounded at the top. I guess this may make the keys feel larger so that they are easier to press. I found using the CTRL key to be a bit slippery and somewhat easy to miss without looking down. But if I did have to look down, it would be very easy for me to find the keys, even in the dark.
ILLUMINATION
The main selling point of this keyboard for me was the illumination. There are several options for people looking for illuminated keyboards, but most are gaming keyboards with lots of features and macros that the average user does not need. The only actual extra keys on the LIK are above the keypad - Mute, Volume Down/Up, and the backlight control. The F1-F12 row also double as shortcut keys with the use of the FN key located between the ALT and CTRL keys on the right side of the space bar. It is nice to have the minimalistic layout and still have the option to have shortcuts with the press of one additional key. Still, I do miss the one press calculator button. Most of the keyboard is lit white while the F1-F12 row's shortcut icons are lit orange. The F1-F12 characters are not actually lit however. I'm not sure why it would have been difficult to have them lit as well, but since they are laid out in 3 groups of 4, I know which F-keys are which. Many illuminated keyboards have a problem with the keys not actually being lit up very well. Compared to those I've seen, the LIK is very good. Remember that just the characters are lit, not the keys themselves. A very faint light also surrounds each key so you recognize the borders of each key. I did notice however that the ENTER key, left SHIFT key and the CAPS LOCK keys are not lit solid like most of the rest of the keyboard. A dim bulb or improper placement? I'm not sure, but you can still see those keys just fine. The characters etched into the keys are GINORMOUS. They are many times the size of other normal keyboards, which make them even easier to see with the backlighting. The backlight control key allows you to switch between 3 different levels of lighting or to turn the backlighting off altogether.
KEYBLOCKING
I want to mention also that I have not had any issues with the phantom key blocking that a reviewer mentioned and demonstrated by video. Which is not to say that the key blocking does not exist. But from what I understand, nearly all modern keyboards use phantom key blocking as a feature to prevent phantom input. And yes, there is a drawback when certain key combinations are pressed, you must lift one of the depressed keys in order for the next key to register. I type between 70-85WPM on average. Maybe I'm not a fast enough typist but I tried typing the problem combinations as fast as I possibly could and did not once register a problem. I read a few professional reviews online and did not see a mention at all of key blocking being different on this keyboard compared to others. I used keyscan and can verify that the blocking combinations that the other reviewer found do exist but they did not cause any errors for me. I can't see this being an issue for a majority of users personally. I wrote this entire review with it and I intend to keep it.
COMFORT
It is also not an ergonomic keyboard so Amazon should de-list it from that category. The palm rest is nice and soft, but not in the least cushy. I'm used to the soft cushioned, leatherette-type palm rest on the Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000. Also, the palm rest on the LIK is not nearly large enough to allow my entire palm to rest on it. My hands are small so I can imagine someone with larger hands finding the palm rest useless.
SUMMARY
The LIK is very expensive for a non-gaming, corded keyboard. But if you're looking for an illuminated keyboard, don't mind the laptop-style keys or even prefer them, and find a simple design without the clutter of extra keys appealing, this might just be the keyboard for you. The palm rest and lack of backlighting on F keys, plus the few keys which were not fully lit, kept me from giving the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard 5 stars. I do consider it a solid 4.5 though and is my new desktop keyboard of choice.
** UPDATE 01/13/2010 **
The keyboard is still going strong with no problems. No stuck or failed keys. The illumination still shines brightly. I often browse new peripherals to see if something better has come along but I have not been tempted in the least to look at other keyboards since I received the LIK. I did find an instance of keyblocking that finally started to annoy me. "Mine" I play Warcraft III (yes, still) on occasion and whenever I type "mine" to a teammate, I just get "min." Other than that, it's still my favorite keyboard.
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268 of 317 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great keyboard, but suffers from a deal-breaking design flaw, October 4, 2008
Length:: 9:47 Mins
First, let me just say that this keyboard is awesome. It has a sleek design and great illumination settings. Also, it's the first in its class to offer the "white" lighting as opposed (in my opinion) to the obnoxious blue and red lighting of some of the other light-up keyboards. Another appeal is the laptop-style keys. If you're a fan of the laptop-style keys, and like the "bling" of the lighting effect, this keyboard is a dream come true.
Unfortunately, the hardware designers over at Logitech have built a critical design flaw into this keyboard - one which will render it almost useless for fast types. Logitech has ended up creating "phantom key blocking" on a few series' of commonly used keys. In short, "phantom key blocking" is a hardware control where if 3 keys are pressed at the same time, in some cases the 3rd key will get dropped. Most manufacturers put up this "key blocking" on infrequently used sequences of keys, like "dgf." So, most of the "key blocking" will never be experienced by the user. Logitech, however, has put up "key blocking" on these sequences of keys: "n't" and "ine" -- this means that when fast typers type words like: don't, won't, can't, etc, the "t" will get dropped from the output, because the "n" and apostrophe will "block" the letter "t." Also if you type words like: fine, dine, wine, etc, the "e" will get dropped. Please see my video review for a lengthy explanation of this phenomenon, and just how it is impossible for fast typers to type certain words with the Logitech illuminated keyboard.
So, I can't recommend this keyboard to anyone who's a fast typer, because I consider it highly frustrating to go and retype common words just because the hardware behind the keyboard was poorly desinged. Hopefully Logitech will correct this issue, but do note that "key blocking" is hardware related, and cannot be resolved through a driver update.
I hope this review has been helpful. If you still are pressed on getting this keyboard, make sure you have an easy means to return it in the event that you experience the key blocking. Also, I did test 6 keyboards, all from various sources, and they all contained the key blocking. You can also get some cool programs, like "keyscan" to actually test the hardware - all of which are used in the video.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome, Sexy Keyboard, November 14, 2008
I can't rave enough about this keyboard. From the moment I took it out of the package, this keyboard screamed "quality." The keyboard I replaced was the Logitech G15. I originally bought that keyboard for WoW, but since I don't play that anymore, I wanted something smaller and not so LOUD. I HATE loud, noisy keyboards. When I first bought the G15 it wasn't like that, but after years of use, it got really bad. The sound just irked me beyond belief. So, when I went looking for a new keyboard, I decided to get a keyboard with laptop-style keys. Not only can I type faster on those, but they are super quiet.
The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is very stylish. There is a clear plastic trim that goes around the sides and top of the keyboard to give it a classy look. The font used on the keys is very clean and the white light makes it look modern. The keys have a very smooth stroke and make typing fun. The thickness is insanely thin and if laid flat, is sort of weird to type on at first. There are two riser feet on the bottom of the keyboard to elevate it at an angle instead of laying it flat. I have not installed the Logitech software yet, and I'm not sure I will.
Overall, I am EXTREMELY satisfied with this keyboard. It would have been nice if the price was a little less, but I can see why it costs as much as it does. Highly recommended for people who want a quiet, high-quality, laptop-style keyboard.
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