My heartfelt thanks to 123com for passing me this keyboard upon receiving it from his latest ‘hoot’ shipment from the States. I’ve managed to snap a few pictures of this beauty, and here’s a quick review of the keyboard from me.
The Logitech Illuminated keyboard is manufactured using Logitech’s PrecisionKey technology, an unique scissor keyboard mechanism that we usually see on laptop and flat keyboards, except that the PrecisionKey system comes equipped with the promise of a perfect keystroke, to deliver the typing experience that many would desire. The PrecisionKey system was first implemented on the Logitech’s Dinovo Edge, and the product recieved rave reviews from users around the world with the impressive feel of the keystroke and its home theater PC product features. The next product to sport the Precision Key mechanism is this very keyboard that we will be taking a look at today.
They keyboard comes packaged in Logitech’s usual box for their high end stuff, with a vignetted facade, feels good, and it’s something that you’ll definitely want to pick up from the stores.
The keyboard. the F1-F12 keys can double up as multimedia keys upon installation of Logitech’s Set Point software suite, and unlike conventional keyboards, the Locks indicators are shifted to the bottom of the number pad.
A full sized keyboard with a seemingly boring layout, the keyboard does contain a series of minute surprises, apart from the main fact that it comes illuminated, and these little improvements might prove to be a hit among the enthusiast crowd.
The Dinovo Edge and the Illuminated compared. The Illuminated measures the same in terms of thickness, and is about 5cm longer than its more expensive and wireless brother.
Logitech removed the second window key and the menu key, replacing it with a function key that serves as a multimedia key activator.
The Mute, Volume and lighting control key. the Illuminated features a 3 level lighting system with an option to completely switch off the lights. Personally, even at its brightest, the illuminated is much less than glaring (think DKTBoard and Saitek Eclipse), and instead, it glows rather comfortably.
Over here, we have a very much enlarged Delete button, with the Insert button shifted upwards, and the scroll lock button integrated with the break key. Something that we have been seeing in the cheaper keyboards in Logitech’s multimedia range. A practical implementation as we can see, and Logitech has ported it over to its illuminati.
Currently, the keyboard is selling at USD$79.99 (SGD$130 after GST) and is expected to hit our local (Singapore) stores by the end of November, with a suggested retail price of SGD$149. The pricing might prove to be a tad pricey for some, but the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is the first desktop keyboard that sport a scissor mechanism and at the same time, comes illuminated in white. An impressive typing experience that is pretty much similar to the Edge, it might be a good choice to go with illuminati if there isn’t a need to go wireless, and at the same time, yearn for that near-perfect keystroke.
Floppy says, this keyboard deserves a 4 out of 5 stars Rating!
