Logitech G11

Last week, I purchased a Logitech G11 keyboard. My previous keyboard was a $15 keyboard I bought at Staples when I was building my desktop. Due to budget restraints at the time, price was the number one factor. Long story short, I spilled orange juice on the keyboard a few months ago. Though one key was a bit sticky, overall performance wasn't affected. However, two weeks ago, a few keys began to stay stuck down until I pried them up. For instance, the 2, 3, 4 and 5 keys, as well as left shift. As a result, I couldn't type very well.

I was looking at new keyboards for a few days. I definitely wanted a backlit keyboard. I also decided I wanted a keyboard with media keys, since I frequently listen to music on the Zune player, and a dedicated volume key. With my speakers, the only way to change volume is via a remote control, which gets quite tedious. A volume button on my keyboard would solve such problems.

I eventually found the Logitech G11 and G15. The G15 looked perfect, but was too expensive. The G11 seemed like it would fit well. It had two USB ports on top, cable management, a blue backlight, media keys, volume, and macro keys. There are 18 "G" macro keys, and pressing M1, M2 or M3 can switch what each of the 18 G keys do. You can program macros using Logitech's software, or record macros on the fly using the MR button. Finally, there is a "gaming mode" switch, which disables the Windows key.

So what do I use? I love the backlight. I also love the media keys. Being able to mute my computer without finding the remote is wonderful as well. I haven't used the macro keys nearly as much as I thought I would, but I figure they will come in handy when Star Wars: The Old Republic launches.

Oh, and the two USB ports? They are USB 1.1, so they transfer data at extremely slow rates. As a result, it's easier for me to reach under my makeshift desk and plug a flash drive into the front of my case.

All in all though, I really like this keyboard. The keys have a bit more travel than I would like, but better than my previous keyboard. The board is very wide, but I don't mind. I feel like I could have gotten a bit more bang for my buck, but the price was right.

Next up: replace my four year old Razer mouse.