Still would love to have seen some final pics of Anand's Home Theater setup. I moved into a new house, and have a great basement for it (though I'm a couple years out from the funding to rebuild my HT). Always good to hear his thoughts on that subject, and if Star Trek was as awesome as I would expect in his HT...
These keyboards are bought primarily for 2 reasons 1) The backlighting 2) The capability to run macros off of these 'G' buttons . They have their own macro scripting tool which lets a gamer run multiple commands scripted together . Some with considerable sophistication . I myself wound up seperating the 2 functions by buying a keyboard with backlighting and running AutoHotKey an opensource software which lets you do somewhat similar stuff albeit not at the touch of a button . So my solutions works for my usecase which is doing repetitive actions in an MMO but might not work for FPS .
I can't see a need for extra macros in a FPS, meaning more than a normal keyboard could afford. I think these fancy keyboards are really targeting the MMO community, ala starcraft 2 where you can pre-program a whole command structure for different units or something.
Can I pretty, pretty please have an updated TrackMan? I have a wireless one, but having to carry that long cord and huge receiver defeats the point of a wireless mouse with my laptop. I'd take one with a micro-receiver that barely sticks out of a USB plug in lieu of actual bluetooth. I know some will say a trackball is a terrible gaming mouse, but I really like it, and have no problems with it in an RTS like SC2.
My G15 and G7 are going well but I am still waiting for a rerelease/update of the Trackman Marble FX. I went through 4 back in my lan party a week days and there is nothing better for shooters. 2-300 bucks for a used one on ebay and amazon is a testament.
I am so stoked about all these products. I've had my g15 for about 4 years now, and I love it. But its getting old, i spilled soda on it once, and I have been look to replace it. OMFG G510 is the best news i heard all week. I am can't wait to buy it now. Also those headphones seem sick. I so want them too. I really just might drop 160 for those puppies.
Hey wheres the anandtech 'bust it open' philisophy here? I can lend you a screwdriver and knife :)
I want to see if the batteries are standard size. Have had several so called charge only peripherals its not uncommon to find normal size batteries inside them, meaning if we do have to swap then its possible to drop in a set of rechargables kept hot.
Anything tagged with News on the front page is News. So it's stuff we do not have in the labs to "bust open" unfortunately. Just a heads up of what to expect if the post is tagged News.
ahhh duh, *slaps head* sorry, getting too excited - really want a remote headset WITH a mic, have sennheiser RS130 atm and then I have to stick a wired mic on it if i need to speak
Won't have a wirell device near my desktop. Hate batteries, charging stations, etc. The headset looks a bit cumbersome.. OK, it looks just downright klutzy. For that kind of bickies, give me a nice pair of Sennheisers.
As for as keyboards, it looks nice and all, but please make that display fold up out of the way when I am just doing general office type functions. Nice enough for what they do, but I can't afford to be swapping out devices when I switch out tasks.... So, for me, my G5 mouse fills most of the functionality that I need, as well my good old Sun keyboard...
My unicomp (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/en104bl.html) serves me well. Very nice to type on. And fast, curiously. That may just be my nostalgic rose-colored glasses talking. I have no actual facts to back that up.
"Speaking of the battery, it did last a couple solid days when idle, but gave up the ghost after a severe Engadget work day of very heavy use."
I was excited until I read that bit. That's pretty painful. How can the battery life be so bad when their other wireless mice go for months on a set of AAs?
Don't really mind, the mouse comes with a USB cord that can be used while playing. As long as you remember to recharge it overnight it's fine, otherwise just plug it in and keep chugging along!
Heck, most Apple reviews are MASSIVE PR moves but, I suppose we must expect these things. Heck End'Gadget is basically another section of Apple these days
'Serious bash' is subjective - this is a news article, not an indepth review or preview. We comment on the products as announced in the press release and any info the company in question likes to give us, and provide our critical analysis on the topic. A news item is also by definition, to a certain extent, PR, otherwise we would not be able to mention the brand, the item, or what it's used for - which means it essentially isn't an article, but a collection of meaningless words. We get very few serious keyboard/mouse news releases coming our way, and a lot of people like the Logitech series, deeming it newsworthy and of interest. You should note that we don't issue a news item every time a different graphics or memory company releases the same rebranded and repackaged product - only the new and exciting products we believe people will be interested in.
I have yet to find a decent mouse. I have large hands, and the button my Razer Copperheads stick. I'm waiting on a nice, lightweight metallic laser mouse with software controls that work with the keyboard ALT+arrow keys or something, rather than having extra buttons on the mouse itself. Lightweight, good fit, durable, and fast. That's what I'm looking for. I don't care about lights, and not that much about cost if its solid (as long as its in reason). I've used to have the G7 and I hated it. Paid about $70 for it and it sits in my closet. Too heavy.
My origonal G15 and MX1000 are still going strong in BF2142, COD, and a few other games I play with my buddies from back home. I play almost exclusively off my G keys, the macro kit has been great with Vista(yeah...yeah, it was available when I got my Q6600). I'll probably pick up the new G510 and finally kick my G15 down to my brother, who killed his a yr or 2 ago...we havn't been able to find a blue one, and we both liked the extra keys with the separations for remapping, and playing with the macros.
I still have my Saitek Eclipse for day to day use w/ lighted keys for nighttime. I also still really like my Logitech MX518 wired mouse.
Logitech has always been good in this arena. So I am looking forward to how the reviews will be. I am always so picky with these products. There are many people that just exist with using $10 keyboards and mice that randomly skip on their mousing surfaces, but I need my things to work properly.
It's interesting that these items can be bought for next to nothing, as we are reminded, but they always are worth an extra investment to me. It's what you manually interface with every second of computer use. So paying extra for something so vital, that can have effect and impact daily, makes sense to me for many reasons. Although, I'll be waiting for these prices to slip a bit before looking closely.
The problem is once you get accustomed to something like a keyboard/mouse it is hard to change, even if it is supposedly an upgrade the change can be tough. That's also a testament to Logitech's previous products in this arena, which is why I will look closely at their products next buying cycle.
Good to see they went back to the additional buttons that my G15 has. My backlight LEDs flicker at times, otherwise I've been happy with the keyboard. I haven't found a "must have" use for the lcd though.
For me, the LCD allows me to see who's on TeamSpeak or Ventrilo. Once you get used to this functionality, it's hard to go back to on-screen overlays that take up real estate that might otherwise be used for seeing more of the field. Additionally, it's nice to have the LCD clock readily seen. I don't have space for a clock over my desk, so the LCD clock helps me keep track of time when I'm playing single player games.
i had a dream last night that i returned my G9 gaming mouse to some mom and pop computer store without the packaging. they accepted the return, but i felt really rude. i wonder if i was doing that in an alternate reality or something.
...i didnt still have a new in box G11 that i shrink wrapped in with the packs of desecant that i collected from every part in all 15 builds i did this year. my first G11 has lasted me a good couple years now, and my second one that i opened for use at a friends house is hardly used at all, probably only spent about 50-70 hours gaming on it and then it went idle when i moved all my comps back home. im probably set on gaming keyboards for the next 5-10 years LOL
1 disappointment with the gaming keyboard programable key is, although you can do LUA scripts, the functionality is basic. A key comination cannot repeat itself without disabling other G keys (because it would occupy execution time within the single thread) leading to other key press events unable to trigger
For repetition the macro has option of doing so. But this disallow the use of LUA scripting which means I can't, say program a magic key that switch repeating keystroke patterns, by using other G keys as mode switches.
Who edits these articles? You don't "run" a gauntlet like you run the air conditioner, you actually physically (or metaphorically, as the case may be) run in:
you can find many cheap and fashion stuff (jor dan s-h-o-e-s) (NBA NFL NHL MLB j-e-r-s-e-y) ( lv h-a-n-d-b-a-g) (cha nel w-a-l-l-e-t) (D&G s-u-n-g-l-a-s-s-e-s) (ed har dy j-a-c-k-e-t) (UG G b-o-o-t)
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42 Comments
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BabyBear - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
What happened to Anand? Hasn't posted since last contest, and winner announcement is week and half late...
Rajinder Gill - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
He's here, been a hectic week. I think you'll have an update shortly...-Raja
ltfields - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Still would love to have seen some final pics of Anand's Home Theater setup. I moved into a new house, and have a great basement for it (though I'm a couple years out from the funding to rebuild my HT). Always good to hear his thoughts on that subject, and if Star Trek was as awesome as I would expect in his HT...Launcelot - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
These keyboards are bought primarily for 2 reasons 1) The backlighting 2) The capability to run macros off of these 'G' buttons . They have their own macro scripting tool which lets a gamer run multiple commands scripted together . Some with considerable sophistication .I myself wound up seperating the 2 functions by buying a keyboard with backlighting and running AutoHotKey an opensource software which lets you do somewhat similar stuff albeit not at the touch of a button . So my solutions works for my usecase which is doing repetitive actions in an MMO but might not work for FPS .
softdrinkviking - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
I can't see a need for extra macros in a FPS, meaning more than a normal keyboard could afford. I think these fancy keyboards are really targeting the MMO community, ala starcraft 2 where you can pre-program a whole command structure for different units or something.Yamikotai - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
"a ‘gaming’-grade lazer and"It's laser, not lazer. The 's' stands for Stimulated.
IanCutress - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Updated, thanks :)DotNetGuru - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of RadiationRookierookie - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
English people spell it "ztimulated".silverblue - Tuesday, August 10, 2010 - link
We do? :opiiman - Saturday, May 31, 2014 - link
Well real English people do :-)IanCutress - Thursday, August 12, 2010 - link
Actually the first thought in my head told me that America spells it with a z. -ise to -ize was the reasoning behind it. Ah well, lesson learned! :)Ian
icrf - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Can I pretty, pretty please have an updated TrackMan? I have a wireless one, but having to carry that long cord and huge receiver defeats the point of a wireless mouse with my laptop. I'd take one with a micro-receiver that barely sticks out of a USB plug in lieu of actual bluetooth. I know some will say a trackball is a terrible gaming mouse, but I really like it, and have no problems with it in an RTS like SC2.Braem - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
My G15 and G7 are going well but I am still waiting for a rerelease/update of the Trackman Marble FX. I went through 4 back in my lan party a week days and there is nothing better for shooters. 2-300 bucks for a used one on ebay and amazon is a testament.alown - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
I am so stoked about all these products. I've had my g15 for about 4 years now, and I love it. But its getting old, i spilled soda on it once, and I have been look to replace it. OMFG G510 is the best news i heard all week. I am can't wait to buy it now.Also those headphones seem sick. I so want them too. I really just might drop 160 for those puppies.
MadAd - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Hey wheres the anandtech 'bust it open' philisophy here? I can lend you a screwdriver and knife :)I want to see if the batteries are standard size. Have had several so called charge only peripherals its not uncommon to find normal size batteries inside them, meaning if we do have to swap then its possible to drop in a set of rechargables kept hot.
*me waits for an article update*
Rajinder Gill - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Anything tagged with News on the front page is News. So it's stuff we do not have in the labs to "bust open" unfortunately. Just a heads up of what to expect if the post is tagged News.-Raja
MadAd - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
ahhh duh, *slaps head* sorry, getting too excited - really want a remote headset WITH a mic, have sennheiser RS130 atm and then I have to stick a wired mic on it if i need to speakpkoi - Thursday, August 12, 2010 - link
Really hope the wheel behave like the Mx revolution. "automatic gear out" ? , don't know how to say.croc - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Won't have a wirell device near my desktop. Hate batteries, charging stations, etc. The headset looks a bit cumbersome.. OK, it looks just downright klutzy. For that kind of bickies, give me a nice pair of Sennheisers.As for as keyboards, it looks nice and all, but please make that display fold up out of the way when I am just doing general office type functions. Nice enough for what they do, but I can't afford to be swapping out devices when I switch out tasks.... So, for me, my G5 mouse fills most of the functionality that I need, as well my good old Sun keyboard...
scrlk - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
I bet a decent Cherry or Unicomp is better than the Logitech at being at keyboard.erple2 - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
My unicomp (http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/en104bl.html) serves me well. Very nice to type on. And fast, curiously. That may just be my nostalgic rose-colored glasses talking. I have no actual facts to back that up.zuht - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Engadget's review says:"Speaking of the battery, it did last a couple solid days when idle, but gave up the ghost after a severe Engadget work day of very heavy use."
I was excited until I read that bit. That's pretty painful. How can the battery life be so bad when their other wireless mice go for months on a set of AAs?
Friendly0Fire - Thursday, August 5, 2010 - link
Don't really mind, the mouse comes with a USB cord that can be used while playing. As long as you remember to recharge it overnight it's fine, otherwise just plug it in and keep chugging along!dgz - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
ha ha hawhat a load of crap
damianrobertjones - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
Care to add any depth to your statement?dgz - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
Two reasons:- the listed products are basically ridiculously overpriced crap which do not get any serious bash from the author
- the article is basically PR
damianrobertjones - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
Heck, most Apple reviews are MASSIVE PR moves but, I suppose we must expect these things. Heck End'Gadget is basically another section of Apple these daysdgz - Monday, August 9, 2010 - link
haha true. hence me not reading engadget, gizmodo and the likesIanCutress - Thursday, August 12, 2010 - link
'Serious bash' is subjective - this is a news article, not an indepth review or preview. We comment on the products as announced in the press release and any info the company in question likes to give us, and provide our critical analysis on the topic. A news item is also by definition, to a certain extent, PR, otherwise we would not be able to mention the brand, the item, or what it's used for - which means it essentially isn't an article, but a collection of meaningless words. We get very few serious keyboard/mouse news releases coming our way, and a lot of people like the Logitech series, deeming it newsworthy and of interest. You should note that we don't issue a news item every time a different graphics or memory company releases the same rebranded and repackaged product - only the new and exciting products we believe people will be interested in.Ian
JonnyDough - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
I have yet to find a decent mouse. I have large hands, and the button my Razer Copperheads stick. I'm waiting on a nice, lightweight metallic laser mouse with software controls that work with the keyboard ALT+arrow keys or something, rather than having extra buttons on the mouse itself. Lightweight, good fit, durable, and fast. That's what I'm looking for. I don't care about lights, and not that much about cost if its solid (as long as its in reason). I've used to have the G7 and I hated it. Paid about $70 for it and it sits in my closet. Too heavy.brotj7 - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
My origonal G15 and MX1000 are still going strong in BF2142, COD, and a few other games I play with my buddies from back home. I play almost exclusively off my G keys, the macro kit has been great with Vista(yeah...yeah, it was available when I got my Q6600). I'll probably pick up the new G510 and finally kick my G15 down to my brother, who killed his a yr or 2 ago...we havn't been able to find a blue one, and we both liked the extra keys with the separations for remapping, and playing with the macros.MadBoris - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
I still have my Saitek Eclipse for day to day use w/ lighted keys for nighttime.I also still really like my Logitech MX518 wired mouse.
Logitech has always been good in this arena. So I am looking forward to how the reviews will be. I am always so picky with these products. There are many people that just exist with using $10 keyboards and mice that randomly skip on their mousing surfaces, but I need my things to work properly.
It's interesting that these items can be bought for next to nothing, as we are reminded, but they always are worth an extra investment to me. It's what you manually interface with every second of computer use. So paying extra for something so vital, that can have effect and impact daily, makes sense to me for many reasons. Although, I'll be waiting for these prices to slip a bit before looking closely.
The problem is once you get accustomed to something like a keyboard/mouse it is hard to change, even if it is supposedly an upgrade the change can be tough. That's also a testament to Logitech's previous products in this arena, which is why I will look closely at their products next buying cycle.
scott967a - Friday, August 6, 2010 - link
Good to see they went back to the additional buttons that my G15 has. My backlight LEDs flicker at times, otherwise I've been happy with the keyboard. I haven't found a "must have" use for the lcd though.ceolstan - Monday, August 16, 2010 - link
For me, the LCD allows me to see who's on TeamSpeak or Ventrilo. Once you get used to this functionality, it's hard to go back to on-screen overlays that take up real estate that might otherwise be used for seeing more of the field. Additionally, it's nice to have the LCD clock readily seen. I don't have space for a clock over my desk, so the LCD clock helps me keep track of time when I'm playing single player games.softdrinkviking - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
i had a dream last night that i returned my G9 gaming mouse to some mom and pop computer store without the packaging. they accepted the return, but i felt really rude. i wonder if i was doing that in an alternate reality or something.faxon - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
...i didnt still have a new in box G11 that i shrink wrapped in with the packs of desecant that i collected from every part in all 15 builds i did this year. my first G11 has lasted me a good couple years now, and my second one that i opened for use at a friends house is hardly used at all, probably only spent about 50-70 hours gaming on it and then it went idle when i moved all my comps back home. im probably set on gaming keyboards for the next 5-10 years LOLAnnihilatorX - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
1 disappointment with the gaming keyboard programable key is, although you can do LUA scripts, the functionality is basic. A key comination cannot repeat itself without disabling other G keys (because it would occupy execution time within the single thread) leading to other key press events unable to triggerFor repetition the macro has option of doing so. But this disallow the use of LUA scripting which means I can't, say program a magic key that switch repeating keystroke patterns, by using other G keys as mode switches.
dada331 - Saturday, August 7, 2010 - link
Who edits these articles? You don't "run" a gauntlet like you run the air conditioner, you actually physically (or metaphorically, as the case may be) run in:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_the_gauntlet
lihujin88 - Monday, August 9, 2010 - link
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einzelherz - Monday, August 9, 2010 - link
All this new "gaming" gear and yet they still can't be bothered to make a newer than 10+ year old thumb trackball.MikeEe33 - Saturday, February 12, 2011 - link
excellent gaming keyboard although I prefer: http://www.masongaming.co.uk/roccat-valo-keyboard....