# Saitek Eclipse keyboard or Logitech G15??



## grazhopper (Jan 23, 2006)

Whcih keyboard should I get the logitech G15 or the Saitek eclipse?? The first thing I'm looking for as far as the keyboard is performance(quiet keys, brighter lights, better quality, etc.) Also I have a limited space to work with as far as desk space I'd say about 1'6". So which one is better yet smaller?

Eclipse...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823175104

G15...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823126179


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## Geoff (Jan 23, 2006)

I have the G15, i love it but it is pretty big, its about a numberpad longer than a normal keyboard, and its a bit taller since it has an LCD and special keys.

If i were to decide again, i would go with the G15, i really like the LCD, media controls, and the built in USB Hub.


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## grazhopper (Jan 24, 2006)

On it's site it says that the system requirements are a Pentium CPU or compatible. Will it work even if I have an AMD processor?


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## Geoff (Jan 24, 2006)

grazhopper said:
			
		

> On it's site it says that the system requirements are a Pentium CPU or compatible. Will it work even if I have an AMD processor?


Yes, i have it and look at my sig.


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## grazhopper (Jan 24, 2006)

okay sweet I guess I've made my desicion


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## spacedude89 (Jan 24, 2006)

I have the Saitek and its really nice, one thing i miss is the multimedia keys.


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## Geoff (Jan 24, 2006)

spacedude89 said:
			
		

> I have the Saitek and its really nice, one thing i miss is the multimedia keys.


Thats part of the reason i got the G15, its really useful for music and movies.  And when im listening to music or watching a movie, the LCD shows me the song or movie chapter, and how much longer is left.


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## Blue (Jan 24, 2006)

Well the eclipse is a much nicer looking keyboard. The G15 is a more practical keyboard if you want media keys etc. I think the G15 is positively horrendous to look at though. I much prefer this http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=9438 it's more sleek and very low profile.

Edit:

Now here is a nice one. http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=9575

and here http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/CA/EN,CRID=2162,CONTENTID=10710

You don't have to use the mice that come with the sets of course. You might be able to find them without also. I've not looked hard enough.


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## grazhopper (Jan 24, 2006)

those look nice but I'm looking for one more aimed at gaming(LED buttons, and i like the idea of the screen) plus G15 is a lot cheaper, always a plus.


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## MIK3daG33K (Jan 24, 2006)

I have the saitek, but i want to get the G15 lol


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## Geoff (Jan 24, 2006)

MIK3daG33K said:
			
		

> I have the saitek, but i want to get the G15 lol


i have a piece of advice for you on that though, im not sure if its just a problem with mine or all of them, but i had my modem plugged into the usb port on the keyboard and then it seems like the keys are stuck.


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## doom (Jan 28, 2006)

grazhopper said:
			
		

> those look nice but I'm looking for one more aimed at gaming(LED buttons, and i like the idea of the screen) plus G15 is a lot cheaper, always a plus.



I have the Zboard fantastic piece of kit!!!!!


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## grazhopper (Jan 29, 2006)

do they have bakcklit keys??? and are they wide/big?? Also, does the keyboard come with an actual keyboard,104 keys, or just the add-on thing with the other controls?


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## Mr.Suave (Jan 29, 2006)

grazhopper said:
			
		

> do they have bakcklit keys??? and are they wide/big?? Also, does the keyboard come with an actual keyboard,104 keys, or just the add-on thing with the other controls?


do you mean zboard?
they dont have backlit, none that i kno of anyways. depends if they have the 104 regular key board. sometimes they just sell a small specilized keyboard for a certain game and the more expensive one of course is like 2 keyboards. one regular and the special. they arent big like the g15, their just about the size of a regular keyboard.


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## gamerman4 (Jan 30, 2006)

If your getting the G15 for its gaming display to display your stats and stuff, don't get it unless you know your game supports it. The G15 doesn't support very many games as I have read from many reviews. I picked the Saitek Eclipse over the G15 because:
1. The G15 is way too bulky and I don't use multi-media keys or anything like that.
2. The Eclipse's backlight goes through the keys and isn't blinding when it is on. It could stand to be a little brighter but its perfect for daily use.
3. It is VERY sturdy (heavier than a normal cheapo keyboard) and is made by a company that has a reputation for quality gaming gear.

If you like multi-media stuff and you know the games you play are supported by the G15, go ahead and get it.


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## Geoff (Jan 30, 2006)

gamerman4 said:
			
		

> If your getting the G15 for its gaming display to display your stats and stuff, don't get it unless you know your game supports it. The G15 doesn't support very many games as I have read from many reviews. I picked the Saitek Eclipse over the G15 because:
> 1. The G15 is way too bulky and I don't use multi-media keys or anything like that.
> 2. The Eclipse's backlight goes through the keys and isn't blinding when it is on. It could stand to be a little brighter but its perfect for daily use.
> 3. It is VERY sturdy (heavier than a normal cheapo keyboard) and is made by a company that has a reputation for quality gaming gear.
> ...



Its bulkier because it has 54 programmable buttons, media functions, LCD display, and built in USB-Hub.  If you looking at nothing bigger than a standard keyboard, then the G15 isnt for you.  But if your a gamer, i highly suggest the G15.  As of now it only support 2 games, but there will be more in the future.  It also displays a clock, ram/cpu usage, and media information.  You can also download 3rd party programs that display things such as network speeds.

And there is software out there that lets you make your own game display, so you can see how many rounds you have left, ping, ect.


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## computerdude15 (Jan 30, 2006)

Hmm i had a hard time decided between these 2 as well seems like ill go with the G15 then .


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## gamerman4 (Jan 30, 2006)

> Its bulkier because it has 54 programmable buttons, media functions, LCD display, and built in USB-Hub.


The precise reason I didn't get it  lol
Also, shouldn't you be looking at the screen for how many rounds you have left?
ping...I can see, but ammo is something that should be displayed on-screen...


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## Geoff (Jan 30, 2006)

gamerman4 said:
			
		

> The precise reason I didn't get it  lol
> Also, shouldn't you be looking at the screen for how many rounds you have left?
> ping...I can see, but ammo is something that should be displayed on-screen...


I like it for the clock so i know what time it is when im gaming before school, and the game displays show your IP, the map name, rounds left, ping, score, players, ect.


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## Phr3sH (Feb 4, 2006)

IMO the G15 is overrated. It is basically a normal keyboard with an LCD and keys that light up. These features are mere selling points for the product and dont really enchance the "gaming experience"...in fact hardly any games even support it. Everything that can be shown on the LCD can be shown on the monitor it really makes no sense to me, in fact i'd rather have my ammo and game stats on the monitor rather then have to look down at the keyboard. Using it as a clock or to display song or movie titles seems quite unecessary as well, i mean cmon are we that lazy that we cant move the mouse a few inches when in a movie to see how much time is left? As for the backlit keypad, it is a nice touch cosmetically, but monitor light plenty to see the keys, no one had a problem with it before, why all of a sudden are people finding the need to have backlit keys. The bottom line is that the features dont justify the price tag and you can  get a great keyboard for less then half the price.


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## Mr.Suave (Feb 5, 2006)

> IMO the G15 is overrated. It is basically a normal keyboard with an LCD and keys that light up. These features are mere selling points for the product and dont really enchance the "gaming experience"...in fact hardly any games even support it. Everything that can be shown on the LCD can be shown on the monitor it really makes no sense to me, in fact i'd rather have my ammo and game stats on the monitor rather then have to look down at the keyboard. Using it as a clock or to display song or movie titles seems quite unecessary as well, i mean cmon are we that lazy that we cant move the mouse a few inches when in a movie to see how much time is left? As for the backlit keypad, it is a nice touch cosmetically, but monitor light plenty to see the keys, no one had a problem with it before, why all of a sudden are people finding the need to have backlit keys. The bottom line is that the features dont justify the price tag and you can get a great keyboard for less then half the price.



well some people that play dark games like FEAR and Quake or just stay up late at night w/ the light off, like the backlit and thier monitors cant give enough bright light to see all the keys clearly.(i had this problem w/ my old keyboard) thats y backlit is soo great..no need to turn on the room lights....
and thier are tons of games you can use the LCD with. thier is a G15 community out thier that programs the LCD to different games all you have to do it d/l em...for example BF2, CSS, AOE3, and even WOW. and even for other programs like speedfan and MBM5
also its nice to show the time and the CPU and memory usage so that you dont have it in the corner of your screen while playing a game which if you did would ruin the game....also it nice to show what song is playing w/o the little player thing blocking another window. or show wahts playing while you play a game. i kno many people that play a game while playing music.
and when playing a moving do you really want to miss somthing by minimizing the screen just to see the time. No. i liek just looking down for a a split sec to see the time but not miss a thing.
also it can add to the "gaming experience". like take wow for example. now poeple can do spells and what not in a single button press instead of doing multiple commands which make things easier and gives for fast pace game...
also take CSS. now istead of pressing 10+ different bottuns to buy everything you need and wasting time it only takes one button and you can start playing the game faster and no wories of messing up and buying the wrong things....
as for the price its worth every single penny. but of course its dumb to just get this keyboard if you want a regular one. Duh. its for the people that want something more from thier keyboard and if you arent that type of person then of course its not for you.


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## Phr3sH (Feb 5, 2006)

Mr.Suave said:
			
		

> well some people that play dark games like FEAR and Quake or just stay up late at night w/ the light off, like the backlit and thier monitors cant give enough bright light to see all the keys clearly.(i had this problem w/ my old keyboard) thats y backlit is soo great..no need to turn on the room lights....
> and thier are tons of games you can use the LCD with. thier is a G15 community out thier that programs the LCD to different games all you have to do it d/l em...for example BF2, CSS, AOE3, and even WOW. and even for other programs like speedfan and MBM5
> also its nice to show the time and the CPU and memory usage so that you dont have it in the corner of your screen while playing a game which if you did would ruin the game....also it nice to show what song is playing w/o the little player thing blocking another window. or show wahts playing while you play a game. i kno many people that play a game while playing music.
> and when playing a moving do you really want to miss somthing by minimizing the screen just to see the time. No. i liek just looking down for a a split sec to see the time but not miss a thing.
> ...



macros can be made for games easily...you dont need a special keyboard that has nice little labels on the keys lol...and everything you mentioned you said its "nice" to have...well yea a solid gold toilet is nice to have but im not going to pay extra for it.


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## The Astroman (Feb 8, 2006)

geoff5093 said:
			
		

> Its bulkier because it has 54 programmable buttons, media functions, LCD display, and built in USB-Hub.  If you looking at nothing bigger than a standard keyboard, then the G15 isnt for you.  But if your a gamer, i highly suggest the G15.  As of now it only support 2 games, but there will be



By saying it supports 2 games, do you mean that those 2 games utilize the full potential of the LCD screen by like saying the chat messages or indicating how much health or how many bullets you have etc. ? What are those games?


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## spacedude89 (Feb 8, 2006)

Save you money for an Optimus Keyboard.


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## The Astroman (Feb 8, 2006)

spacedude89 said:
			
		

> Save you money for an Optimus Keyboard.



1) It's not out yet
2) When it will come out (end 2006), it will probably be too expensive to consider. 
3) He probably can't wait until then


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## Mr.Suave (Feb 9, 2006)

Phr3sH said:
			
		

> macros can be made for games easily...you dont need a special keyboard that has nice little labels on the keys lol...and everything you mentioned you said its "nice" to have...well yea a solid gold toilet is nice to have but im not going to pay extra for it.


exactly. it is nice to have and thats y people buy it and like it. thats y i said its for SOME poeple not ALL. 
and technically all you need is the 85 standard keys. but its "nice" to have those extra keys(like the arrow keys, and numper pad) as you said.  really you dont even "need" a mouse, or a computer,as a matter of fact, but its nice to have and makes life a little bit easier. 



> By saying it supports 2 games, do you mean that those 2 games utilize the full potential of the LCD screen by like saying the chat messages or indicating how much health or how many bullets you have etc. ? What are those games?


depends on the game. and the two games i think are BF2 and Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood. and soon SIN Episodes.

btw the optimus keyboard. is that the one where all the keys are like little monitors that can change the sign and stuff?


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## ckfordy (Feb 9, 2006)

Mr.Suave said:
			
		

> btw the optimus keyboard. is that the one where all the keys are like little monitors that can change the sign and stuff?


 
yes heres a link
http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/


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