Logitech G710+ Mechanical Keyboard and G600 MMO Mouse Review
by Dustin Sklavos on October 9, 2012 12:01 AM ESTIn Practice: Work
I've actually been using the Logitech G710+ keyboard and G600 mouse while writing up this review, and hammering out something detailed while having to check specs and so on gives both peripherals a good working over in productivity setting. I'm particularly familiar with the G600, which has been out longer and in my hands longer, and I've tried it in quite a few different environments.
For typing, I have to say that at least by my experience with the G710+, I'm not a fan of Cherry MX Brown switches. While I personally enjoy the feedback and clickiness of the MX Blues the best for typing, they really are inferior for gaming to all the other switches, so the MX Browns are at least an attempt to balance things. The problem is that the Browns feel like they have higher resistance than the Blues, Reds, or Blacks even though they're actually specced to have the least resistance. They may actually be bottoming out faster, but either way they put vastly more stress on my wrists than the other switches do. I'll have to see how the Rosewill keyboard I have in house with Cherry MX Brown switches plays out, but I can tell you the G710+'s feedback feels more like stiff membrane keys than the other mechanical keyboards I've used. This is all subjective, though; undoubtedly you'll be able to play with the G710+ in retail and feel for yourself.
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Meanwhile, the G600 has a very smart design that felt incredibly intuitive in my hand. Feeling out the hot button array on the left side was easy enough to do (I preferred using the lower array instead of the upper), but fair warning: this is not a mouse for small hands. This mouse will probably be very comfortable to users who either like big mice or have big hands, but if you have small hands like I do, it's liable to stress your wrist and hands a bit more. I found my wrist cramping up after about a half hour of using the G600, but your mileage may vary.
In Practice: Play
I tried a few games with the G600 and G710+, but the one that got the most attention (and the one that's been dominating my attention span over the past couple of weeks) is the closed beta of MechWarrior Online. I could go on and on about how awesome the game is even in its current, somewhat buggy and slightly unbalanced state, but suffice to say pretty much everyone I know has made a concerted effort to get into it and either lucked out with a beta key from registering or actually bought into the closed beta with a Founder's Package, and griefing heavy mechs with my idiotic little Streak SRM Commando has been a delight.
The same resistance, size, and weight issues I experienced in day to day use with both peripherals unfortunately still apply in gaming, but the MX Brown switches used by the G710+ still remain superior to the Blues for games and certainly a valid option. I still think the Reds or Blacks are ultimately preferable in either productivity or gaming (I probably give a slight edge to the Reds), but the Browns are perfectly serviceable.
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On the other hand, I think the G600 is an absolutely killer gaming option for users who are built to enjoy it. A friend of mine with larger hands found it incredibly comfortable and intuitive to use, and the ability to configure a DPI shift (similar to Corsair's sniper button) to the third surface button for precise aiming is incredibly useful. Likewise, as a MechWarrior Online afficionado I can't help but appreciate the potential of using the button array to control the various firing patterns.
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Sabresiberian - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I have 2 G15s; the ones with 18 G-keys on the side. I understand that many people don't like that many because of the extra width, and they don't need that many extra macro keys, but I do use them and so this keyboard is somewhat of a disappointment to me despite its other qualities.Logitech did a nice job here, I know many people have been asking the company to build a mechanical keyboard and they will be thrilled with this one, but it misses the mark for me.
Systembolaget - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
...FILCO Majestouch Ninja tenkeyless keyboards. These plasticky Logitech devices are pure junk without minimalist aesthetic appeal and build quality. With FILCOs, you could literally hammer a nail in the wall. A red Esc. key is a must.For those, who don't know 'em http://www.diatec.co.jp/en/det.php?prod_c=775 available in various languages, too.
hellashes - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
i wonder whats the length of the keyboard? im having a lot of troubles choosing one cos my desk is not too big and long keyboard take on my mouse space.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
If you REALLY need a keyboard that doesn't take up a lot of space, get a Tenkeyless keyboard unless you DESPERATELY need the number pad. They save a ton of space.www.elitekeyboards.com sells a few in the major switch types.
SirGCal - Thursday, October 11, 2012 - link
I recently got a brown key setup. LOVE it. This I would love even more-so, but did I miss somewhere if it also had PS2 capable n-key rollover? I think this one is only limited to 26 keys. I refuse to use USB limited keyboards because of this. (and at my best, I was very near world-record typing speeds). My current brown does have n-key rollover as long as used with the supplied USB->PS2 adapter. Unfortunately, even a very nice 26 key can catch me sometimes. N-key is my one must-have in any keyboard first and formost. Unfortunately, it's also severely limiting to my resulting choices. I had hopes for this one but... I hope I'm wrong and it does include n-key.I actually like blacks myself. Super quiet. But require a bit more force. Browns are my 2nd favorite. I don't like reds or blues. And I had near world record typing speed, just never did get the noise. And I too grew up with old-school typewriters and apple/TI brick computers. I'm getting up there myself but the noise always messed with me. But I love the feel. Black is my preferred for gaming though. Again, just personal preference. Brown for typing but gaming is also very nice. But I tend to get excited and false-press on my brown far more-so then I do with my blacks.
sean.crees - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I can see it now, I'm going to need ear protection to use the computer labs now because of how obnoxiously loud all the mechanical keyboards are.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
What mechanical keyboards have you used? They aren't that loud unless you get Cherry MX Blues or Greens. Browns (seen here) are fairly mild, even when bottoming out. Plus, Mechanical Keyboards aren't gonna be industry standard again for a while, if ever again, so I wouldn't expect to have Mechanical Keyboards in school computer labs anytime soon.Zak - Friday, October 12, 2012 - link
I use inverted T arrows for movement, and I know others who do so, so those gaming keys on the far left are useless to us.Inteli - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
And though not everyone does use the WASD keys, it is the industry standard. Plus, if they annoy you, you can always just get a set of black keys to replace it.DrTeeth707 - Saturday, October 27, 2012 - link
The problem is, I buy an illuminated board for a reason, to see all the characters lit up. This keyboard has many keys with the two characters vertically placed - so only the top character gets illuminated - the lower one is VERY difficult to see. Some mech keyboard makers have characters next to each other (horizontally) in the top half of the keys so they BOTH get illuminated. Just returned a Ducky 9008 shine II because of this.Because of this I will have to get a membrane board.
DrT