Quick Version: The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard sports a sleek design combined with a number of functional enhancements that make it a cut above most others. While the illuminated keys are the main feature, the first thing you’ll notice upon removing it from the box is how extremely slim the keyboard is. It’s a good 75% slimmer than your traditional keyboard, and has a modern shape and style to it that will make it nice to look at and to use.
The soft-touch palm rest allows you to, well, rest your palms while typing for extended periods of time without feeling wrist discomfort. This will largely depend on how you hold your own wrists. I tend to keep my wrists in the air, resting on my forearms, but I do appreciate the effort to improve the comfort level.
Once you’ve plugged in via the USB cable and it is ready to go, you will immediately be able to see the illumination at work. As long as you are in a somewhat dimly-lit area, you’ll notice the letters and numbers on each key glowing white . A handy lightbulb key in the upper right corner allows you to change the intensity of the back-light. There are four settings in all, one of which is to have no illumination.
This kind of feature could be passed off as gimmicky, but after testing it in a dark room, the value of the lighting was apparent. It was easy enough to see the keys and I never had to think about turning on a light so I could continue working. The keys themselves are thinner and don’t stand out as much as a typical keyboard, and it might take a little time to get used to.
The FN (Function) key is very handy. Holding it down plus any of the F-keys will perform many useful functions like opening your e-mail client, homepage, finding files, and controlling your media player. The software that comes on the optional CD lets you customize those functions as you see fit. It’s nice to see this kind of functionality in an external keyboard that can be used on a desktop or laptop.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is a nice keyboard. If you’re into the look of your workspace, this will add some style to it. They keys are quiet enough, you can now type in the dark, and can run several applications from it.
The keyboard costs $79.99 in stores and online.