Logitech G710+ Mechanical Keyboard and G600 MMO Mouse Review
by Dustin Sklavos on October 9, 2012 12:01 AM ESTIntroducing the Logitech G600 MMO Mouse
While the G710+ mechanical keyboard is a respectable entry into Logitech's canon of peripherals and certainly notable as their first mechanical keyboard, the G600 MMO gaming mouse is a pretty impressive piece of kit unto itself as well.
What characterizes an MMO mouse is, essentially, a massive cluster of programmable buttons under the thumb. I think the existing entrants on the market have reached varying degrees of success with their designs, but the G600 is, like the G710+, an unusually and impressively intuitive piece of kit. While I think Corsair's first keyboards and mice were very strong options out of the gate, Logitech has more experience in designing peripherals, and their patient study of the competition with both the keyboard and this mouse is evident.
.jpg)
The G600's design is remarkably simple. They use a soft-touch plastic that's in my opinion more pleasing to use than the material Razer uses on their mice; Razer mice have always made my hand clammy, while the surface of the G600 (and my personal favorite, the mainstay G500) seems to let my skin breathe just a little more.
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
_thumb.jpg)
Where the G600 excels is in its overall layout, though. The top surface of the mouse actually sports three distinct buttons (as opposed to the usual two and the mouse-wheel button) along with the mouse-wheel button and two buttons beneath it. The third and rightmost button is for your ring finger, and can be configured however you wish, although Logitech has a clear plan for it. Meanwhile, the array of twelve buttons under the thumb is freakishly intuitive. These buttons are essentially designed as two nests of six, raised at the edges; the rep said it was rare for individuals to use all twelve buttons, but that the two nests of six allowed people with varying sizes of hands to pick a set that was comfortable to them and go.
.jpg)
It gets better. The side button array is also backlit, and the backlighting is not only color and pulse configurable but corresponds to whatever programmed set of buttons you're using. The G600 can be programmed with a staggering 48 sets of functions on these buttons; three profiles to switch between, plus what Logitech calls their "G-Shift" profile, enabled by holding the third surface button under the index finger.
If the G600's design has any major flaws, it's that it's frankly just a large mouse and in some ways feels a bit stripped down. The buttons are fantastic and the third surface mouse button seems like such an obvious inclusion that I'm surprised nobody else is doing it; the last time we saw this with any kind of frequency was decades ago. Yet I miss their switchable freewheel for the mouse wheel, and while adjustable weight might not be strictly necessary for a mouse this large it would still be appreciated.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
73 Comments
View All Comments
Impulses - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Yeah, a review of MP's boards along with the newer backlit Rosewills would be nice, they're some of the best values around... Though the deal I caught for my K90 at $85 was also pretty sweet, and Newegg seems to run it every 3-4 months so it's worth keeping an eye out for, if you can forgive it's one flaw anyway (the subset of keys with rubber dome switches).Azethoth - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
That's not the flaw. The one true flaw is the sticky keys. Once a day or so a key just goes bananas. It would be amusing, but what if it undoes all your code changes in a file, or kills your hardcore character. No bueno.antef - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Compare this to say the MS Natural 4000 or Comfort Curve 3000. They're both "softer" typing keyboards but of course there is still plenty of "feedback." I'm not sure what extra "feedback" above and beyond that you could want, or why you'd want it. It's only going to make things louder and less pleasant. And what about speed? Less key-travel (shallower) and less resistance should lead to faster typing. What is good about tall, clackety keys?Impulses - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
It's a personal preference thing, mechanical keys actuate halfway thru their travel tho, unlike rubber domes which require you to bottom out (more stress) every single time in order for the key press to register. Neither's technically a deeper travel key tho, unlike you're comparing it to slimmer rubber dome boards or scissor boards with laptop style keys.If you're not bottoming out on a mechanical keyboard you actually produce very little noise, particularly with browns or reds... It's actually quieter than a membrane keyboard. I used various iterations of MS Natural keyboards for about fifteen years before going with a mechanical and tbh I haven't looked back. Took me maybe a week to adjust and as a side benefit I also don't experience as much of an abrupt switch when I type on my laptop more.
It's not for everyone, but I wouldn't dismiss it without trying one.
antef - Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - link
Thanks, maybe I should try one sometime, but I'm not sure where to find one. How are they on wrist fatigue? "Ergo" options are dwindling so it would be nice to know of good straight keyboards that still provide comfort. It seems impossible to use straight keyboards at a good wrist angle, but as others have said, maybe other factors end up mattering more.Impulses - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Why is everyone making such a big deal about the G600's size btw? Dustin seems to indicate it's too big for him but his own G500 looks bigger... At least from what I can gather while trying the G600 out thru the awful box cutout Logitech made for it, the thing is cut almost like they don't want people to know about the third button (mouse is tilted in/back on the right side)...I went to the store explicitly because I liked that third button design, I'm not sure I like the general/smaller shape tho. Gonna have to try it out elsewhere once it's out for display, or buy it to try out at some point (Best Buy here has it at $88 tho, ouch).
shin0bi272 - Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - link
not every one uses the default WASD controls there logitech. Plus the winning answer is cherry mx blacks not brown.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
Ignorant Much? I personally use a Cherry MX Brown keyboard for gaming and i find it just fine. I've heard Cherry MX Blacks vary in quality a lot as well. And, if you knew anything about mechanical keyboards, you would know that the keys are replaceable. Just petition Logitech to release keycaps more oriented to ESDF. However, WASD is the industry standard, and it make more sense that if you're gonna cater to a certain way of moving your character to use the industry standard. If you like Cherry MX Blacks, that's cool, nobody minds, but there are already plenty of MX Black keyboards out there, most suited to gaming, and honestly, I've heard that most people really like Reds or Browns for gaming rather than Blacks. I know I certainly prefer them. Don't say something just based on what you like/what caters to you. Likely (unless you like Cherry MX Greens or Clears) there are keyboards that cater to you, so get someone else's keyboard. Logitech's not gonna be weeping because not everyone buys a Logitech Mechanical Keyboard.Peanutsrevenge - Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - link
Please tell me the keyboard comes with replaceable black WSAD / Arrow keys and that the god awful orange strip is removable/replaceable!Might work with an OC Gigabyte based system I guess :D
Hrel - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I know you can't review everything; but I really wish you had a review for the G700. Wired/wireless mouse. I really like that it can be either, but I'm hesitant about the type of plastic they used on it, soft touch or gtfo. I don't like that hard plastic either.On another note I've been seeing a lot of NAS boxes using ARM processors now, can we get some reviews on those? I mean, how can it be fully functional running on ARM?