Now that’s the last thing our friends at Logitech want to hear, but you get your hands, er, your fingers on a G15 keyboard, you’ll never want anything else, and you probably won’t need anything else.

This is the keyboard that does it all. It’s branded as a gamer keyboard and it’s that, and whole lot more. Logitech positions it as being designed by gamers, for gamers. The company says its engineers and designers spent hundreds of hours talking to pro gamers, getting feedback through questionnaires, interviewing casual gamers, and observing gamers of all ages and levels of expertise. We can believe it—the keyboard is as feature- and function-rich as anyone could desire.

Logitech’s G15 backlit keyboard with LCD panel. (Photo: JPR)

The Logitech G15 keyboard is the first time we have seen an interactive LCD screen has been added to a keyboard, and it can display the following functions:

• Display for in-game information, such as score, times, health status, leader board and ammunition levels, as supported by various games

• Display for external PC information, such as CPU usage load, Internet connection speeds, time/date, and incoming email or instant message alerts, enabling people to receive non-game–critical information without interrupting their on-screen game

• Media control/display: center for displaying music track information, and controlling digital music, playlists and Internet radio

• Advanced customization: A publicly available SDK allows gamers who are familiar with Windows/GDI C++ programming to create their own applications that display information on the LCD

Logitech says it is actively working with game developers, providing them with SDKs so they can create LCD features that are game-specific.

The photo doesn’t reveal it very well, but every key is lit, so if you like to play in the dark (try “F.E.A.R.” on a large screen in the dark, very nice), or you’re battling it out at a LAN party, you don’t need a little table lamp to see the keys.

There are about a dozen and half programmable function keys (the ones on the far left of the keyboard, Figure 4); Logitech calls them “G” keys. You can, for example, map a specific game to a specific set of keys for weapons selection, special movements, etc. When that game is started, the keyboard loads that game’s keyboard profile—this is an amazing experience the first couple of times you do it. Then it becomes annoying if you’re ever on another keyboard that doesn’t have it.

In addition to making hotkeys more convenient, the G keys also you to combine multiple keystroke commands into single-button macros. Thus, the G keys can aid you in making faster reactions a reality or FPS by replacing these multiple keystrokes with the press of a single button.

In addition, there are three mode keys (M keys, the little silver ones above the G keys) that allow you to have 3x 18 or 54 combinations of special functions and/or macros. Can you see why this is your last keyboard?

My favorite feature

Game playing before the G15; notice missing key and taped-over keys. (Photo: JPR)

At some point, most gamers have experienced the irritation of being fiercely involved in the game, only to have it freeze and minimize when they accidentally press the Windows Start key or a left-side button. Some of us have physically removed that key; here was my solution before the G15 showed up.

The G15 keyboards features a Game/Desktop switch that eliminates this prob-lem. When the switch is set to Game mode, the Windows Start key and the Windows Menu key are disabled. When the switch is set to Normal mode, these keys are enabled, which in my case is like, never.

Take it away

Logitech has thought of just about everything. There’s even handles at the top so if you’re one of those LAN party types, you can conveniently carry the keyboard.

But wait, there’s more

The G15 is also a media player for music and movie entertainment. The keyboard includes a media panel, located below the LCD, with controls including Volume, Play, Pause, Stop, Next track, and Previous track. And, you can use these controls without engaging the LCD or monitor display—and without interrupting on-screen game play. Now do you believe you’ll never need another keyboard?

Pretty cool, right? You want one, right? OK, you can have one, they’re only $7,999.00.

Just kidding—you can get one of these puppies for just $80 SRP.

Last but not least, it feels good

The bottom of the keyboard, where the wrist-rest is, is covered with a semi-soft, flat black non-skid surface that feels good.

So far we’ve used this keyboard with “F.E.A.R.,” “Ghost Recon,” and “Far Cry.” It recognizes each game when it’s loaded, and whatever profiles we’ve loaded into it for that game. We really haven’t tried all the things this keyboard is capable of, yet another reason why we won’t be buying another keyboard for a while.