I have a gaming laptop and sometime I like to plug it into the TV to play on the big screen while sat in a comfy chair. Only problem is my cheap wireless Microsoft keyboard is ludicrously uncomfortable for playing games, due to it having wierdly sized keys, also it's probably not especially responsive.

I was thinking about getting a gaming keyboard but when I started browsing Logitechs Keyboard section I noticed the G13 "gameboard":.

Now I'd seen things like this before but had completely forgotten they existed and it occured to me that this may be a good compromise, as it would be far more ergonomic than my current keyboard, but not as bulky as a fully sized keyboard (which being for a laptop I would have to pack away after each use, whereas one of these I could probably fit in my laptop bag).

So my question is really, does anyone use one of these (or indeed a different companies version) and are they actually any good or just a bit of a gimmick?

Oh and a more specific question would be if anyone knows how long the cable is, although I could probably get a USB extention lead if that was an issue.

Any comments appreciated.

I picked up a G13 in January to use with my HOTAS setup. As a keyboard, it works great. It doesn't really measure up to a mechanical keyboard, unsurprisingly, but the switches are otherwise pretty good and it's very comfortable to use. On the other hand, the analogue stick sucks; not necessarily for any mechanical reason, but its placement makes it extremely difficult to use with any degree of accuracy. The software is super customisable, allowing you to setup per-game profiles, change the backlight and load additional LCD applets. I haven't really used the latter at all, but you might get some mileage out of it.

I don't have it in front of me so I can't tell you how long the cable is, but I want to say it's at least 1 metre.

I have a G13, and I WANT to use it, but don't. It's a great idea that is poorly executed and (at least WAS) too expensive (maybe not now, I haven't checked).

I'd wait for a more competently made alternative... which I'm surprised there have not been more of those. Something where I could use my left hand to press a lot of buttons AND use a stick instead of shitty arrow keys to move would be awesome, but almost nobody has even tried to make that. And logitech's attempt to do it is mostly a failure, unfortunately.

I have a G13, and used it for quite a while before I bought a mechanical keyboard. I never found the stick to work very well for movement, so I usually just used the WASD equivalents, but maybe others had better luck with it. The software it came with is pretty intuitive as far as customizing button assignments and macros per game (which it should automatically load when you switch to a game with a saved profile), though I sometimes had trouble differentiating keys by feel. I think I paid ~45 bucks for it on sale, and I feel like I got my money's worth. I'm not sure I'd pay too much more than that, though, since then you get into the territory of good quality full keyboards.

As someone who's owned (and then sold) most of the gaming keypad type things around I'd say save your money and buy one of these: Link

They seem to be produced under a variety of different names but if you type 'gaming keypad' into your Amazon equivalent, one of them is bound to show up. It's not mechanical but, for me anyway, the keys feel an awful lot nicer than the G13's and it's got more keys than the likes of the Razer Orbweaver. What it doesn't have is config software but as long as the game you're playing lets you rebind keys, you're fine. It's also got 2 spacebars, so it'll suit our left handed brethren.

I have Razer Orbweaver and I use that for playing games on the PC Desktop, I don't use my main keyboard for anything else than typing.

I have tried the G13 keyboard but didn't like it since the switches are not mechanical
on the Razer Orbweaver and Razer Tartarus (smaller brother) the keys switches are mechanical and have a much nicer feel.

@dave_tacitus: I think I might try that one out as if nothing else it's a cheaper way of finding out if I like this sort of thing. The left handed comment is slightly ironic for me as mouse and keyboard is one of the two things I do right handed (the other being mini golf).

@tommytours: I'm a leftie who's always used kb/mouse right-handed, although I'm technically cross dominant - I write and eat with my left but everything else is right-handed.

I really like that keypad, and for the price it's a steal. After I bought it, I sold my Orbweaver and G13.