Logitech G11 Gaming Keyboard

Recently I purchased a Logitech G11 keyboard to replace my ailing Zboard. It's been several years since I've used a Logitech keyboard. To be perfectly frank, I've always preferred Microsoft keyboards, especially the Natural series. Ergonomic keyboards do not, however, lend themselves to gaming, and since that accounts for the majority of my PC use (certainly the majority of my PC spending) that is the deciding factor. Having moved from a typing-geared keyboard (Microsoft Natural) to a gaming keyboard (Ideazon Zboard), I decided to find a compromise.
The G11 is the least expensive and most basic of the Logitech G series keyboards, and is the only one that doesn't feature an LCD display. The highest end keyboard, the G19, natively supports YouTube playback on the keyboard display. I assume this is geared towards people with such rampant attention deficit issues that playing a video game isn't enough stimulation. Yes, it has a high gee-whiz factor, but for the price difference between the G11 and the G19 you could buy: three games; a Nintendo Wii, or; an actual monitor. Personally, if I felt a burning need to spend $150 I would just opt for the extra monitor rather than trying to watch Goodfellas on a screen the size of a playing card while playing Street Fighter IV.
Newegg.com had the G11 on my doorstep in two days, as usual. My first impression of the keyboard was that it dwarfed my Zboard. In reality, it's only about four inches wider, but that can make a big difference on a small desk. The additional space is occupied by 18 macro keys, one of the selling points of the G keyboards. Using the three macro switches and the macro recording button, the G11 gives you a massive 54 possible macro buttons that are recordable—including key press delays—on the fly.
The macro feature, while impressive, isn't terribly useful in practice I find. If you play an MMORPG such as World of Warcraft your mileage may vary, but most FPSs and RPGs don't benefit from macros since most commands can either be entered while paused or are already assigned to a key. In some cases there just isn't really a need. Half-Life 2, for instance, is natively supported by the setup software, but I'm hard pressed to come up with a reason to use macros in that game.
More useful in practice is the backlighting. The G11 offers three levels of backlighting via a button on the keyboard: off, dim, and bright. There's only one color—blue—but it works well. It would be nice to switch to an amber, red or green, but it's not a deal-breaker.
The G11 also features a game/work switch to disable the Windows key, which anyone who's ever bumped the Start menu during a Team Fortress 2 firefight will instantly appreciate. There's also a set of keys for controlling a media player and volume, which are handy if not totally necessary. For some reason, the G11 has two USB ports on the back of the keyboard, but since they're 1.1 they aren't terribly useful. To get 2.0, you need to shell out for at least a G15 and the accompanying AC adapter.
Two weeks in, I'm happy with the Logitech G11. Yes, it's a "gaming" keyboard, but it's also just a good keyboard. Having typed quite a bit with it I can honestly say the keys are comfortable and quiet. There are no compatibility issues with Vista 64, and it works very well with gaming, especially late-night sessions in the dark thanks to the backlit keys. Sure, it costs more than a standard keyboard, but it's worth it.
Overall Score: 8/10. Solid keyboard with good extras. A little pricey ($50 give-or-take) but cheap as gaming keyboards go. USB 1.1 ports don't serve any real purpose.
Buy or Don't Buy: Buy. If you never play a single game with it, it's still a good keyboard, and the macros could be useful for more utilitarian purposes. It's a gaming keyboard that isn't as over-the-top as its more expensive cousins.