Logitech G13 Programmable Gameboard with LCD Display

When I first looked at a gamepad I figured that it was a waste of money. I thought that there was no point to it because a keyboard got me the results I wanted anyway. This is, at least, what I thought when I looked at stuff like the razer nostromo and razer orbweaver. Both items were overpriced for what you got, and all it really did was give you a keyboard extension where you can reprogram the buttons. For somebody new to keyboards, that would be pretty cool, but in reality you can get a keyboard from razer for the same price,that has the same form of button configuration which is exactly what I use. I have a basic wireless logitech mouse which I was planning to upgrade soon, a standard desktop computer setup, a razer deathstalker (I highly recommend it), and my newest edition which is the Logitech G13. When I looked at the G13 I figured it was like the other Razer stuff. But when I really looked at it, What got me was what you got for the price. The ergonomics, the extra stat screen to check on how you're doing in game, and the extra buttons compared to other gamepads really sold it. But what pushed it over the edge was the customization. When you look at the gamepad, instead of thinking just the keys are programmable, let me tell you this: Every mechanic on that gamepad can be changed to your liking. Everything from the joystick to the macros to the software to the color of the gamepad. Everthing can be changed. So for price and convenience, logitech really won this battle.Next is the comfort in comparison to a extremely good gamepad, the razer orbweaver. Excluding the 100$ price, the orbweaver is one of the best in the razer lineup. I do not personally own one, but one of my friends lets me use it all the time at his house. And to be honest... It's underwhelming. Only one set color, 20 programmable buttons, compared to the 22 on the G13, and Razer synapse 2.0. Granted It's not that bad, but at the same time it's surprisingly hard to use. Logitech software is less flashy, yes, but it has so much more potential than synapse.So after I took all these things into consideration when I was buying my own gamepad, the answer was obvious. The Logitech G13 is one of the best gamepads you can get out on the market today, and I recommend it to any and all rts, mmo, fps and other players that just want a more comfortable and fun gaming experience.

I ordered this G13 a long time ago and still love using it.The hardware ergonomics are nice. It's somewhat bigger than the Razer equivalent, the Razer Nostromo Gaming Keypad (RZ07-00490100-R3), but feels a bit better on ergonomics as a whole because your hand feels more natural in the position. The top row of keys on it are also angled towards you a bit so that it feels a bit more comfortable and you can more accurately feel or detect where your fingers are.I don't really use the joystick, but I would agree it's a little uncomfortable and hard to press. However, when I realized how nice it feels to use the indented WASD keys, I didn't really care and only mapped it for a few games, like for selecting upgrades in the original Monday Night Combat in the circular-shaped menu. That's the time when I found it incredibly useful, to be honest. I also like the two buttons around the joystick, as they make it easier to map other actions in games there where they make more sense for me.I love the choices of colors on the LCD and keys. You can pick almost any color, which is impressive compared to the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G110 and its very disappointing selection of only blue, red, and anything in between. With the G13, you can pick orange, cyan, yellow, magenta, purple, gray, green, and just about any other shade or hue you can think of.The LCD is incredibly convenient and I find that it is essential for my everyday computing needs now. I use LCDSirReal to display all my PC info at a glance, like RAM, CPU, download and upload speeds, volume, Winamp song info, Speedfan stats, and more.Configuration is really decent as well. You can use the drivers and program for the hardware to set up profiles and configurations, as well as macro keys. And who says you need to use it only for gaming? I use a configuration for video editing shortcuts on Sony Vegas Pro 12 as well as playing FPS titles on Steam like TF2.Out of the 2 years I've used this, the only complaint I have is how I have a little debris underneath the LCD screen. I'm not even sure how it got there, but I can't get it out. It's just a little speck, but it's so hard to get out and I can't seem to shake it or even move it no matter what I do.But other than that, just find the right gaming mouse and you'll have a much better time playing with this thing in your arsenal. I've found that it does have a learning curve to some degree (since the keys are all labeled, G1, G2, G3, and so on up to G22), but when you get used to it, gaming on a regular keyboard just isn't the same.EDIT on 4/8/13: Since then, I've opened up the unit and removed the debris under the screen with compressed air. I would not recommend this to most consumers, but for those that are skilled at voiding warranties, the G13 is well-put together. Seeing the construction inside showed me just how reliable it is structure-wise.Oh, and if anybody plays TF2 with this, I would suggest using Advanced Options to change the Spy's disguise system to the alternative one that "requires more keystrokes". That way instead of having to use keys 1 through 9, you can use keys 1 through 3 to pick disguises. You'll just need two keystrokes to select a disguise instead of one, but having them all accessible on the G13 instead of having to move your arm back to the keyboard is worth the convenience. People who use the G13 also know how easy it is to build things as the Engineer.I've also been playing hundreds of hours on the G13 and it's still running like the day I opened it from the box.