Logitech G13: When Functionality Fails
If you are interested in taking gaming one step higher then you can always use gameboard. They are (in theory) easier to use and will make gaming easier for both novices and pros alike. One such gameboard you can consider is the Logitech G13.
This gaming peripheral was made for left-handed players interested in heightening their FPS and MMO experience. Logitech boasts the ergonomic design and the sturdy make of the gameboard. The Logitech G13 has 25 backlit keys making darkroom gaming much easier. The keys are programmable to suit the different needs of RTS, FPS and MMORPGs.
So what’s the real deal with this gameboard? Here are some of the good and bad things about the Logitech G13.
Pros:
The first thing you would notice about the device is its weight. It is pretty heavy but in a good way. Unlike other gameboards that slide and move with every hand movement, the Logitech G13 stays put. The overall make of the gameboard is also exemplary from the keys to the wrist pad. The keys and buttons give a good tactile feel for every gamer which is necessary for most of the gamers who really more on touch than sight.
The set-up is pretty easy but amateurs might need some more time to get things right. This is pretty normal for most gameboards so expect some sort of learning curve on both setting it up and using it to your preferences. The software that comes with the product is a bit more helpful than most in-box software. You are basically given the option to view different displays on your controller from current date and time to CPU and in-game stats. The MAC version of the software also works well and loses no functionality from its Windows counterpart unlike the competition.
Cons:
For some reasons, the whole device feels differently for hands with different sizes. Some gamers might be dissuaded from purchasing something that only feels comfortable for “some” people.
Logitech held the premise that the more keys they cramp on the Logitech G13, the more functionality it gets. Well, not necessarily. The 25 keys make it a lot harder to reach some keys. You need extra long fingers or the talents of a contortionist to be able to maximize the use of the gameboard.
The keys also have some issue of some sort. Whenever you try to press the keys on an angle, they seem to stick or it just doesn’t press at all. This plagues avid gamers who rely much on touch.
The thumbstick. Oh thy thumbstick of the Logitech G13. Why do yo vex us so much? Where do we start? From being loose, non-analog, hard to press and being “thorny”, the thumbstick hailed more criticisms than praise. Just don’t use it that much if you can.
Conclusion:
Not really much of a good buy for its current $60 pricetag. It might be significantly better in design and theory from its predecessors, the whole thing just falls to pieces when you try to maximize its functionalities. Just remember that the Logitech G13 is a gameboard and not a keyboard nor a mouse so don’t expect it to be any better than the two on some departments.
just now, they have indentations calrely setting them apart from the other keys.5) Keys Hard to PressAlso, people have said that the keys are hard to press. That’s a real jaw-dropper. Unless you have some dehibilitating, degenerative, terminal finger-disease you will quickly discover that these keys are some of the most comfortable, responsive, even satisfying buttons you have ever pressed. And by satisfying I mean, whenever you press one your finger will go down with a nice, rich feel and a glorious tap sound will emerge. The depth of the keys simply defines them for your fingers to find their way around more easily and in no way affects their responsiveness. It is not at all like one of ye olde timey keyboards that you had to mash down on to get anything going.6) Thumbstick Hard to PressAnother criticism you will find commonly thrown at this thing is that the joystick is hard to press down. I agree with these points. The joystick is extremely hard to press down. About the only thing I would use it for were switching between walking/running modes or following someone, stuff you don’t do all the time.7) Thumbstick loose FeelingI’ve heard it said that the joystick is kind of floppy and cheap feeling. That is entirely subjective. Yes, it is very easy to push around, but I never would have thought of it as floppy or cheap without hearing it. Thumstick not AnalogHonestly I’m not sure exactly what this means, but I have read the thread on the Logitech forums on this topic and they released a patch that enables you to put the joystick in joystick mode which, I presume, was the solution since nobody posted about it after that.9) Thorny ThumbstickMy main complaint with the thumbstick is that it is just not comfortable. If you look carefully you will see it is shaped like a little tower. Correct that impression, it is shaped like a thorn and feels like it, too. You can’t really control it from above like a console stick, and it does take getting used to for this reason. BUT it is entirely worth it to be able to move just with your thumb and free up all your other fingers and mouse for actions and targeting and so forth.10) Weak Game-recognitionLots of people are having trouble getting it recognize games and give them an automatic key mapping for their games. This is true. It has yet to find one game on my computer. BUT, the one game it did find provided an absolutely ludicrous mapping setup. So basically, my question is, why would want it to automatically map game for you? As far as I’m concerned automatic keymapping is a silly idea in the first place. Assigning your own keys the way you want them is the best way to learn what all your keys are mapped to and ensuring that you can play the way that is most efficient for you. Everybody will want slightly different mappings.11) Installation/Stability IssuesAnother problem people are having is just getting the thing to install and remember profiles. Most of these people are using Mac systems, which I don’t use, so you should probably be concerned if you are trying to install this on a mac. The people with Windows OSs that complain about the software must just have had very little experience with anything computer related. I found, and the majority of reviewers I’ve read, the software to be extremely intuitive and easy to use. You select the key you want, you tell what you want it to do, you click okay, you’re done. Macros are fantasticaly easy as well. As for losing profiles and such, I have had no problems whatsoever. I make a profile, I map it, and it’s there whenever I want it from then on.12) No In-game Profile-switchingOne guy mentioned that he wanted to switch profiles in-game but couldn’t. First off, you’ve got THREE instantly switchable key maps for EVERY profile you make using the above-top-row keys just below the LCD. True, you will not be using these on the fly and will probably (*gasp*) have to look at them to switch, but if anybody needs more than 3 sets of 22 keys for any given game, they have something set up entirely wrong. I never need any more than the first set of 22 keys.13) LCD WeaknessesSpeaking of the LCD, lots of people have complaints aimed at that. Some people can’t get it working, some say it’s too small, some say it’s just useless, some say it’s not bright enough, some say they can’t see it at certain angles, and some even say it’s too bright (as I remember). My experience is this: yes, it’s gimicky, but it has it’s uses and works well at what it does. What does it do? Pretty much anything. All the applets that were written for the G15 LCD will work with the G13. You can do anything from manage music to display in-game vitals (the latter of which seems super-pointless to me, but the LCD likes to do it automatically anyway). I use it for two things, mainly: keeping track of the time and monitoring my internals (of my PC, not my biological ones ). I found the screen very easily viewable for both these purposes and except for my GPU internals (for which I had to get an applet) CPU, RAM, and clock applets came with the device.14) Only One Brightness LevelSome people complain that there’s only one brightness setting for the keys, but, honestly, why would want more when the one it has does its job perfectly. I can see every key calrely and at a glance. Why would I want to start screwing around with it myself? I would, in all probability, simply get haywired and go back to the default anyway. It’s like messing with the gamma/brightness/contrast settings in games. You end up just wanting to switch back to the defaults in the end.15) Short CordI read one reivewer who said the thing has a cripplingly short cord. Obviously he was trying to play at a cripplingly long distance from his computer. The cord has got be at least five feet long. It’s more than enough to comfortably play it on the left of your monitor with the computer set on the right side of your desk.16) Learning CurveThe final, and most legitimate, criticism I’ve heard is that the G13 has a learning curve, and I agree, basically. It does have a learning curve. The key-rows are lined up with one another, not staggered wildly like on a keyboard, and you do have to memorize which keys do what (which I why I recommend setting up all key-mappings yourself from scratch rather than use the silly pre-made ones). However, this learning curve depends entirely on the individual. For me, the learning curve was very mild, but it may take longer for others. I can’t speak for them. What I can vouch for (and what you will find said in other reviews) is that once you get used to it, the G13 becomes second nature. At this point, I’ve almost entirely forgotten that I’m using controllers at all. It all just comes instinctively after a few hours, and then you start simply putting your will in action fluidly, effortlessly, and continuously.17) SizeA number of people have mentioned that the G13 takes up a lot of desk space. Yes, it does have a hearty footprint. About the size of a size-10 shoe I’d say, but nobody has mentioned yet that it takes up way less room than a keyboard. A G13/mouse combo is infinitely more portable than a keyboard/mouse combo. Now, you may say, I still need my keyboard for chatting, so what we’re really talking about is a G13/keyboard/mouse combo. Yes and no. Because your keyboard is only used for chatting, it no longer needs to be instantly accessible. In my case, I now have the keyboard up on the desk while I lounge back like a console-gamer in my chair with my keyboard-tray removed from my desk and sitting across my lap comfortably holding my G13 on the left and my mouse on the right. When I need to chat, I simply lean forward and type my message real quick and then flop back in my chair and keep playing. I could never do that with a mouse and keyboard because, first of all, my hand would have to be cramped up in front of my stomach to work the keyboard right and second, my lap-desk would have to be skewed way off to the right to get the mouse out far enough to be in a usable position. With the G13 and mouse my hands just rest easily to my right and left. If I weren’t killing things I would probably fall asleep it’s so cozy.Conclusion:So, is it worth 80 bucks? No. Is it worth 50? Maybe. It really depends on what you do and how much of it you do. If you are a hardcore MMO-er, then I would say it’s worth it absolutely. Otherwise, do what I did: wait for it to go on sale and buy it with the gift card you got last Christmas. The G13 has totally changed the way I game. I no longer feel like I’m manipulating anything. I feel like I’m playing the piano and the game is responding to my every whim. I’m virtually unconscious of my controls now, they are transparent if you will.
You may need to update the dervris for them.Right click on `Computer`, Left click `Manage`, Left click `Computer Management` and look in the list for ant Yellow Asterisks (especially on the keyboard entry) they denote a problem with the device.If there is one, double click on the entry and a window will appear and in that window you can update dervris.