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New Logitech PC Gaming Products Unveiled at CES 2009

Posted on January 20, 2009 by Ruben Mookerjee in Events and Culture with 63 Comments

Earlier this month at CES, we unveiled a handful of new computer gaming peripherals. This week, I’ll be blogging about each of these G-series products, beginning today with the Logitech G19 keyboard for gaming.

Logitech G19 Keyboard
The first thing you’ll notice about the G19 keyboard it the built-in color LCD panel, making it the first Logitech keyboard to feature a color GamePanel LCD. The tiltable, 320-by-240-pixel display displays in-game information for more than sixty games, as well as things like VoIP communication data, a clock, your computer’s CPU load, or even pictures fed from Flickr or videos from YouTube.

Compatible with both Windows-based and Mac computers, we also included 12 fully programmable G-keys with three macros per key. A ‘Game Mode’ switch can disable the Windows key when playing (so you don’t accidentally hit it and bounce yourself out of a game), and two high-speed USB 2.0 ports so you can connect and power devices directly from the keyboard.

Author

Ruben Mookerjee

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Director of Product Marketing, Gaming Business Unit

63 comments

Steve January 21, 2009 at 05:41

Will Linux drivers be available for this keyboard?? or any other Logitech stuff for that matter?
- Ruben Mookerjee January 21, 2009 at 11:41
  
  Hi Steve,
  
  Linux drivers are not available for this keyboard. In terms of other Logitech products, all of our mice should work with Ubuntu Linux. At a minimum, Ubuntu supports a standard 3-button mouse with a scroll wheel. The default Ubuntu environment is also able to support the forward/back buttons, although they may need to be mapped to a specific function. This article provides some background info: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ManyButtonsMouseHowto.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
Michael Aulia January 21, 2009 at 21:52

Looks cool but I don’t think I’m going to use the LCD to watch YouTube or any other movies O_o Would rather view it on my 22″ LCD screen
David Underwood January 23, 2009 at 03:22

Any plans in the pipeline for a DiNovo edge style keyboard with the stand charger but with a number pad on the keyboard ?? Such a good design to be able to dock the keyboard away and knowing the batteries are being charged but lack of numeric keypad lets it down.

I noticed the new edge keyboard for laptops have the numeric pad.. something like that but with the docker charger would be great..

Is this possible?

Many Thanks, David
- Ruben Mookerjee January 23, 2009 at 13:16
  
  Obviously we can’t talk about unannounced products or future plans but thank you for your feedback and idea.
Jan January 23, 2009 at 13:56

Hi everybody!

I found no e-mail address for this purpose, so i’m writing this here:

Logitech should build a desktop set in white! A lot of the new screens are built in white and the people love it! I wish there would be a good Logitech Keyboard and mouse in white (keys black!) availible!

Best wishes,
jan
GT January 26, 2009 at 17:23

Count how many people out there write code using Java or C#, then think for a bit, would they love to have their own keyboard?

I believe you have the answer.

I used to like the gaming keyboards, but today I am spending 10 hours of my life daily writing code for C#, and I would really love having a keyboard that will make my task a bit easier, as well as tens of thousands of developers like me 🙂

I want the debug button, the compile button, the step through button, … not f5 + shift + ctrl + h1 or other meaningless combinations
An January 27, 2009 at 23:46

Why only 12 G keys? =(
This is the only thing that will prevent me from buying G19, since i got used to my G15 layout
Eric January 28, 2009 at 14:40

Sweet mother of god. I will be looking out for this beauty in a year or so when it’s affordable on my budget. 😉

I already can’t wait.
Fabio January 29, 2009 at 09:46

Where can I purchase a G19. or when will it be available. I live in Italy and Ireland. any one able to post something on this site to let me know would be great. back light keys. excellent idea
- Ruben Mookerjee February 3, 2009 at 15:31
  
  Hi Fabio,
  
  The G19 should be available in Europe at the end of April.
  
  Cheers,
  Ruben
Oliver February 7, 2009 at 03:16

Where can i get this G19 when i am living in Hong Kong? And when would this keybord would be available?
- Ruben Mookerjee February 10, 2009 at 09:32
  
  Hi Oliver,
  
  The G19 will be available in Hong Kong in May. Your best bet is to check http://www.logitech.com and major retailers.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
gs February 16, 2009 at 12:53

Does this keyboard have anti-ghosting capabilities? Why only 12 macros since the best gaming keyboard ever (G15) had eighteen? Does it support recording macros during playing? The extra cable does not make the keyboard very much appealing.
- Ruben Mookerjee February 19, 2009 at 15:05
  
  Hi gs,
  We\’re very aware of the need to do many things at the same time in games, so we specifically worked on improving multiple keypress (\”ghosting\”) performance in all G-Series keyboards (versus that of standard keyboards). We designed the electronics and the key matrix of the G19 in such way that (In the absolute worst case), you can press a minimum of any five keys simultaneously and they will all be read by the PC. This means that even in situations where you\’re changing weapons while walking forward, strafing to the right, and crouching, you\’ll still be able to have your push-to-talk key work so you can let your squad know where the enemy is.
  
  And yes, macros can be recorded in real time, in-game (on the fly). As NuKeY implies below, the two most common feedback items on the original G15 design in 2005 were:
  1) \”Why are there so many G-Keys\” (3 macro levels x 18 keys = 54 macros), and
  2) \”Can\’t you make it narrower? It doesn\’t fit my desk.\”
  So, for the 2nd generation G15 (launched in fall 2007), we reduced the width and the number of G keys to 6 keys x 3 levels each (=18 macros). With the design of the G19, we used some other design tricks to keep the total width the same as the 2nd gen. G15 but we also increased the number of G keys to 12 keys x 3 levels each (=36 macros). It\’s tough to please all of the people all of the time – although it doesn\’t stop us trying. 😉
Jun Macarambon February 16, 2009 at 20:08

is this will be available in the Philippines?

i hope this keyboard will support linux.
- Ruben Mookerjee February 19, 2009 at 15:08
  
  Hi Jun,
  
  I am not personally familiar with Logitech\’s distribution in the Philippines. However, product should be available for retailers to order around the same time as it will be in Australia (end of April).
  
  Cheers, Ruben
NuKeY February 17, 2009 at 21:41

I own many Logitech products the original G11 and the new G15 G9 and a few webcams. I have been waiting for this for awhile finaly a keyboard with selective backlight colors! i love all your gaming products and was wondering when it will be released in Australia. To all of you asking why it only has 12 “G keys” it has 3 macros for each key so 36 “G keys” in total. please email me if you get a chance. Good work keep it up =)!
- Ruben Mookerjee February 19, 2009 at 15:07
  
  Hi NuKeY,
  
  Australia is scheduled to have the G19 in store before the end of April.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
S Niman February 20, 2009 at 20:07

Can you say when the G19 should be released in the United States?
[AvA]Lee_Stricklin February 21, 2009 at 22:14

I see it will be possible for it to run on OS X, but no Linux? To me that doesn’t make much sense since more people use Linux than Mac (don’t even think about showing a market share chart, Linux is free so that would be an unfair comparison) and more gamers use Linux than Mac since they’re not restricted on the internal parts of their computer and can emulate most Windows apps with free programs.
- Ruben Mookerjee February 23, 2009 at 15:38
  
  Hi [Ava]Lee_Stricklin,
  
  I understand your frustration and am very sorry, but at this point, we don\’t have any plans to support Linux.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
NuKeY February 22, 2009 at 00:45

Thanks for the info mate i will be waiting for thing one =) nice work Logitech You guys continue to out do yourselves. Its refreshing to always buy such high quality products. I Love all your Products.
CJ February 26, 2009 at 17:09

I have a pull-out drawer for my keyboard / mouse and it perfectally fits my Logitech LX 710 keyboard without very much extra space, what are the dimentions for this keyboard? (specifically height with the LCD up)
- Ruben Mookerjee February 27, 2009 at 10:27
  
  Hi CJ,
  
  The dimensions are:
  Length: 19.5 inches
  Height: 2 inches
  Width: 10.5 inches
  Weight: 4.86 lbs
  
  Cheers, Ruben
David February 27, 2009 at 00:17

Hi.

I love everything you guys at Logitech make, and this looks awesome. =)

Is it possible to know what the price will be like in Australia? I have a pretty large budget, but am wondering whether to go with the g15, or the G19 which looks a fair bit better, but only is the price isn’t too much (over $300 is too much for me).

Thanks.
- Ruben Mookerjee February 27, 2009 at 11:55
  
  Hi David,
  
  The suggested retail price in Australia is AUD $399.95, so it looks like your best bet is the G15.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
r0cky February 27, 2009 at 06:55

Any update on the G 35 and G 19? Are they still on schedule for a March release in the US? Is there an exact date yet?
- Ruben Mookerjee February 27, 2009 at 10:34
  
  Hi r0cky,
  
  The G19 is scheduled to ship in the U.S. in early May and the G35 in early April. Unfortunately, we can’t provide exact dates.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
Toon February 27, 2009 at 16:58

Hi

I’m very interessted in Logitechs latest devellopement, I own a G15 and i see that what i found the drawbacks are solved in the G19 (unpowered USB 1.1 / LCD with few options) I wondered if the G 19 cooperates well together with the G13 ( and especialy the lcd screen) Can they be programmed to both view other screens at the moment? And is it possible to program the screen yourself for example when the game is not supported yet? ore if you wish to use the screen for other programmas?

Any idea about the price in Belgium?

Thx and keep up the good work.
- Ruben Mookerjee March 2, 2009 at 10:13
  
  Hi Toon,
  
  Thanks for the feedback. The answer is yes – all G-panel devices (G13, G15 and G19) are designed to work together seamlessly. You can run different applets on each device and control each one independently through the Logitech LCD Monitor (in your system tray). You can also synchronize the G13 and G19 backlighting colous – which is pretty cool! And of course, for the real macro fiends, adding a G13 to your G19 puts an extra 25 programmable G-keys (x3 levels = 75 macros) at your finger tips.
  
  The G13 and G19 supports the same applets (mono Game Panel) as the G15, so there is a huge and growing community library you can run already. Additionally, the G19 with its colour GamePanel display will support new color applets which are being added to new game titles being released in the next few months. A public SDK is available that lets you develop your own custom applets for both color and mono GamePanel.
  
  The anticipated price in Belgium is €179.
  
  Cheers,
  Ruben
Michael March 2, 2009 at 05:58

Heyy, you said it’s $399.99 for the keyboard in aus (where i live) but it sells for $199.99 US Dollars which is currently 315.456 AUD so should you sell it cheaper or us order from over seas?
Vexo March 5, 2009 at 10:36

Hi my G15 just gave its last breath.
When will the G19 and G35 be available in South Africa ?
Keep up the good work!
- Ruben Mookerjee March 9, 2009 at 12:24
  
  Hi Vexo,
  
  The G19 and G35 will be available on Logitech.com by the end of April.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
John March 8, 2009 at 13:38

I would really like to know when the release date for this G19 keyboard is, I love my G15 keyboard but its dieing on me, and I need a new keyboard soon
- Ruben Mookerjee March 9, 2009 at 12:40
  
  Hi John,
  
  If you’re based in the U.S., it should be available for purchase beginning in early May.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
Jason March 11, 2009 at 04:18

Hello, I had pre ordered the G19 on Amazon thiinking that it would be released in March. But I do not wish to tie up $200 for something that is two months away. So are you saying that the keyboard will be released no sooner then late April or May? My G15 is on its last leg too, my WASD keys are worn bare. I just want to make sure the dates have been pushed back for sure. Thanks.

Jason
- Ruben Mookerjee March 12, 2009 at 14:22
  
  Hi Jason,
  
  Unfortunately, the G19 won’t be shipping in the U.S. until early May. I’m very sorry for the inconvenience.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
Joseph March 14, 2009 at 16:32

Let me start by saying I really like your Marble Mouse design, and I’ve bought several over the years. I’ve bought them for several work computers, and my home machine. I’m fairly impressed with the quality of product that the company produces.

I’ve been looking at the G19, and I would buy one for my work machine, (love the macro capabilities), as soon as it comes out, but there’s a problem: you guys don’t do Linux drivers. So my RHEL box will have to go without. I know the powers-that-be in the Logitech structure must think there’s no money on the linux platform, but please let them know that this is going to cost them at least one $199 sale, (mine!) and that’s in the current economy.

If I liked the first keyboard, I’d probably buy one for my other machine as well.

But, be that as it may, what I think the community finds insulting is that mac osx is just BSD with a pretty front-end, and the trip from BSD to Linux compatibility is a short one. So you’ve already written an enormous percentage of the necessary code. _Plus_ the keyboard itself has a linux machine embedded, and building the interface from one such machine to another would be straightforward. If the concern is about releasing the source code, you don’t have to – you could simply build binaries and distribute them as .deb and .rpm files to the community; look at nvidia’s drivers for an example of this.

It would be so straightforward to do, that the whole thing has the appearance of just being vindictive.

Now of course, I represent just $400 in sales, perhaps two of these things. But please consider, this keyboard is clearly aimed at the enthusiast market. Now ask, who runs Linux at home? It’s enthusiasts. These enthusiasts alone pay for the entire existence of companies, (Transgaming, etc.). So why ignore a whole segment of the market that can only increase the sales of an (admittedly) luxury item? It doesn’t make sense.
Jake March 22, 2009 at 04:31

Why in the world would anyone put the on/off switch under the keyboard? Dumb move.
MK March 27, 2009 at 14:37

Hello, is the above mentioned dimensions (width: 10.5″) with or without the wrist rest? If it’s with the wrist rest, what is the width without it?

From the look of it, it has less depth (width) than the G15, which is good.

Also you guys need to put official dim numbers in your own product spec page. And when there are moving parts, such as this one with adjustable LCD and keyboard with detachable wrist rest, it’s good to know the various max dimensions. For example, how high is it when the LCD is at its highest point.
- Ruben Mookerjee March 27, 2009 at 14:44
  
  Hi MK,
  
  Without the wrist rest, the G19 is approximately 9″. At it’s highest point, the LCD is approximately 2.25″. Thanks for the suggestions on additional specs to dd to our product page.
  
  Cheers, Ruben.
Blackstone April 5, 2009 at 10:32

Hello! As this thread proves, there are quite a few users, including myself who are passionate about using their Logitech products in Linux. Linux users understand the challenges of programming and packaging drivers and supporting all distributions, so we don’t expect Logitech to do that at the moment. Would it be possible to at least allow some sort of SDK? I remember how the G15 came with a SDK for LCD apps, and that was awesome! I hope it continues with the G19, including the use of color apps and whatnot. Just provide a software development kit and basic guidelines, and the community will happily do the rest at this point! One reason that I continue to purchase your products is this decision you made with respect to the G15.

Thank you again.
gaming notebooks April 29, 2009 at 00:37

Interesting, I have not heard about this
CJ May 6, 2009 at 18:35

Any update for the G19 release date? It’s early May now….
Matt May 7, 2009 at 10:52

Picked up mine today – it shipped yesterday from ebuyer.com so far, i’ve only just plugged it in, but the screen is crystal clear, and very vibrant. Backlighting on the keyboard is nice and bright movies and pictures are playing back well too. (i’m on osx – not that it would make any difference)
CJ May 23, 2009 at 10:54

It is now late May and I’ve still heard nothing about the G19’s release date… I just ordered my new computer this week and based on previously stated information the G19 was set to be available in early May, didn’t happen…. I really was hoping to get the G19 for my build but I need to get a different keyboard I guess or I’ll have none, so I ask again is there ANY new information?
Ken June 12, 2009 at 04:35

I would like to develop a linux driver for this keyboard, can you provide a development kit for the G19?
iss June 25, 2009 at 23:41

I’m going to buy a new keyboard. I really like G19 concept, but there is no willingness to support GNU/Linux platform, so probably I will buy G15 because of G15tools which allows interaction with LCD display.
It seems weird that Logitech uses GNU/Linux inside a product and doesn’t want to make that product GNU/Linux compatible.
Craven July 10, 2009 at 06:12

Hi, can someone tell me when is the release date for singapore and indonesia? Some days ago I saw a G19 in hongkong but I didn’t buy. I’m very angry to myself why I don’t buy it. I still remember the price in hongkong, it’s 1,699 HKD. I want to get it as soon as possible. Thank you very much.
- Ruben Mookerjee July 14, 2009 at 09:53
  
  Hi Craven,
  
  We just officially launched the G19 in both Singapore and Indonesia, and it is already available at E-Style outlets in Indonesia. E-Style’s number is 6221-6981010 or 021-6981010. Otherwise, you should be able to find the product in stores at the end of July. Here are our suggested prices for the keyboard:
  Singapore – SGD$299
  Indonesia – USD$190
  
  Cheers, Ruben
Me Here July 19, 2009 at 05:35

I’m using Logtech mice since more than 15 years iirc and I was always happy with their quality. But anyway – you don’t need special drivers to use a mouse under Linux.

Different with special hardware like Logitech’s DiNovo – which I wanted to buy the first day I heard about. But until today I’m not aware of any possibility to use it’s display under Linux – so no reason for me to invest such a huge amount of money for a keyboard I cannot use.

Stumbled over the G19 and hearing the display uses an embedded Linux, I could not wait to get one. But now as many stores have the G19 there is no Linux support of any way in sight. Not even a spec how to talk to the display?!

So again I’ll have to stick to my Cherry G81-8308 with 24 programmable keys in 10 layers – because this one runs perfectly under Linux as no drivers are needed.

I really would love to have such a nice illuminated keyboard with a geeky display on it – but not if I cannot use it because not even a spec is available so that at least a volunteer could create some support software…

What really bugs me: Logitech is a hardware vendor – why not release the specs how to interact with the keyboard? It’s the hardware technology that separates Logitech from its competitors – not an IP core for communicating with a keyboard. Where is the point in not releasing all the details about the used protocols?

I would really appreciate an answer to that.
bye

Me
Jayden August 30, 2009 at 04:33

I purchased a G19 keyboard and am quite impressed, apart from the real lack of applications to use the screen and also that there is no Linux support.

I am reading that the G19 includes a linux based OS inside. As such can you point me to the section on your website where you publish the source code with modifications, as required by the license.

Of course, if I am wrong and this keyboard doesn’t have Linux inside please feel free to put that misinformation to rest.
- Ruben Mookerjee August 31, 2009 at 11:16
  
  Jayden,
  
  The OS for the LCD unit is Linux, but it is not open-source nor can it be edited as write access to it is not possible.
  
  Cheers, Ruben
gpl violation September 1, 2009 at 21:04

“The OS for the LCD unit is Linux, but it is not open-source”

haha fail. GPL Violations free to sue…
Cathy September 7, 2009 at 12:35

+1 to the counter of past Logitech customers who will plunk down $200 for the G19 on the same day Logitech publishes the SDK to the video screen.
Brett September 23, 2009 at 07:09

I find it ironic that Logitech uses Linux in the G19, yet has no intention of supporting the Linux community. The keyboard does come with a SDK, but that doesn’t help Linux users as we need a DDK (device driver kit) before we can leverage the SDK. What would be nice is if Logitech could release a basic driver or at least the information required to build a driver for the keyboard. I don’t think Logitech necessarily needs to release all the additional applications (clock, timer, performance monitor, you tube player etc…) as the Linux community would be able to develop it’s own applications for the keyboard. I would assume once there is a working driver the Linux community could use the published SDK to develop applications.

For the record I did spend $200 USD on this keyboard with the hopes of getting it working under Linux. I am hoping I can take the MX5000tools linux driver and see if it can be used for the G19. Here is where any information Logitech could provide on how to configure the keyboard would be very helpful.
Fasih Sayin September 23, 2009 at 11:22

I’ve been buying Logitech products since the beginning and I’m a proud owner of an original G15 Keyboard. I’ve been waiting for G19 for a long. I’m not meaning to whine here but truly the only thing that’s stopping me from buying a G19 is the fact that there are no drivers for Linux.

See I always run a dual boot system. Windows is more like a secondary OS to me. It’s where I keep the stuff that need to run with Windows absolutely. Linux is where I do my serious stuff. And for the record I am not a coder… I am a lawyer.

The fact that Logitech doesn’t make a linux driver or doesn’t release the specs so that someone can make a driver sounds horrible to me. Especially thinking there is no point in it. These open source developers are not ripping Logitech off nor violating any intellectual rights. By supporting linux logitech can endear itself to a large group of users, meanwhile selling more hardware.

I can use the G15 with linux perfectly. There is some great stuff written for it. Some of the LCD apps are, dare I say, much better than those written by logitech themselves. So why can’t I use my G19?

I can’t be that hard.
Alexandra October 16, 2009 at 21:31

I was wondering if there will be an update for both the G19 and G15 to support in-game stats for games which have recently come out, such as Aion?

Thanks,

Alex
- Ruben Mookerjee October 19, 2009 at 15:58
  
  Hi Alexandra,
  
  In-game stats are displayed on the LCD by the game developer, not by Logitech. We are working diligently with many companies to get GamePanel support in games. As new game support is released, we will update our game support list ( http://www.logitech.com/gamepanel ). As for Aion, I do not have a specific answer for you at this point in time, but NCSoft is a company we work with and talk to quite a bit.
  
  Cheers,
  Ruben
Velano November 13, 2009 at 19:31

Would it be possible to send me an e-mail at the address I have provided when Aion support for the G19 is available? Or is there a mailing list I can subscribe to for such info?
- Ruben Mookerjee November 19, 2009 at 17:31
  
  Hi Velano,
  
  I recommend checking back on this blog and/or becoming a fan of the Logitech Gaming Fan Page on FaceBook for updates: http://www.facebook.com/logitechgaming.
  
  Cheers,
  Ruben
David November 19, 2009 at 22:47

I absolutely loved the G15 having 18 but Proved more then use full in many instances.
I did not like the 2nd release of the g15 and so when it was involved in an accidental mishap recently. I looked at the G19. I liked that you did add back the second row of keys but me and my big fingers kind of miss the Gap between the G keys and the rest of the keyboard. The key size is great. I kind of miss the Dial for the sound but I do like the streamlined Media area you have now. I do have more suggestions and a couple of sketches for a next model if your interested.