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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althaz - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
I can understand where you are coming from with the clicking of the blues, but some people actually really like that (my wife for instance, though not when somebody else is typing :)). I'm with you though, Browns are much less annoying and also are better for gaming.On the BlackWidow line themselves, there are MUCH better keyboards out there, Logitech keyboards, in the mechanical keyboard enthusiast community, are fairly poorly regarded (though other than the paint coming off one of their keyboards for a friend, I've never personally had a problem).
althaz - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
lol, said logitech, but meant Razer. Got confused because they both had the paint peeling off problem :)...dishayu - Wednesday, October 10, 2012 - link
Likewise here. I adore the aural feedback of the blues and won't trade it for silence but I hate it when someone else is using my PC and i'm trying to do something else (although that is very VERY rare). Btwtech - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
There seem to be a lot of mechanical keyboards popping up lately, but none with the split ergonomic design.I know there are more people who use the straight layout, but most programmers, etc. that I know use the ergonomic layout, and are the type of people who are willing to drop $150 on a keyboard if it will deliver a better typing experience.
althaz - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
I know a lot of programmers and developers and none of them use ergonomic keyboards. You are right that many of us would drop $150 on a keyboard without a second thought, but nobody I've known in the industry the last ten years would use an ergonomic keyboard over a mechanical one. There will certainly be some (somebody likes everything), but I wouldn't think very many.jamyryals - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Same here. No developers I know use the split keyboard layout. The evidence has shown keyboard position relative to height has a much larger effect on wrist fatigue.Conficio - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Second this one. There are $350 models out there. But that is really asking a lot.Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
As a transcriptionist I eventually had to use an ergonomic keyboard, and it did seem to help a bit (my wrists are still jacked from that job, but thankfully programming and emailing cause a lot less wear than 60+ pages in an eight-hour shift). The day I left that job is the last day I will ever use an ergonomic keyboard, because of the association with all the things I had to type on it. :-PI've already readjusted to normal keyboards (I never stopped using one at home, and laptops don't have them) and I can't imagine what a pain it would be to program on one (I have no intention of trying it). A mechanical keyboard is on my shopping list, and I suspect something like a brown with O-rings would ultimately be more helpful for my wrists than the split keyboard ever was.
Impulses - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
I write a fair bit of code at school and I used a MS Natural 4000 ergo until last year, I've been much happier with my mechanical keyboards since I made the switch though.Holly - Tuesday, October 9, 2012 - link
Tbh everybody should choose keyboard by trying to type on them. Lots of keyboards pple can deny after pressing few keys simply because it obviously doesn't fit them. Some pple will prefer more rigid, some will prefer more soft touch. For me... I just can't find anything on these super gaming keyboards that would appeal to me. I use M$ Natural Ergonomic keyb 4000 and in the end and after trying many (and wasting lots of money) I finally have something that fits my hands well.