With its contoured design and small LCD screen, the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard resembles a reduced version of the G15 keyboard. It features 25 fully programmable keys and a mini-joystick so that can either compliment or replace a keyboard for gaming functions.

However, when using it, Big Download discovered it wasn't quite the keyboard replacement hoped it would be... but the doesn't mean you shouldn't buy it yet... check out the rest of the review on BigDownload.

You've heard about someone having "too much car" -- you know, the guy who rolls into the gas station in a hulking H3 Hummer, and it's clear he's not in the military or hauling around much of anything other than his ego. The same logic may apply to the new Logitech G-series mouse, keyboard and headset, (all announced today at CES) -- three cool, but not really necessary, pieces of gear for the hardcore PC gamer.


The hulking command center in the image above is made up of (from L to R) the previously announced G13 gaming keyboard, Logitech's G9x mouse with a customizable grip and weight, Logitech's G19 Keyboard with USB 2.0 ports and an LED screen and the new G35 Surround Sound Headset that delivers that 7.1 surround sound experience directly to your ears.

Zoom in for a closer look at the three new pieces of hardware and there's some interesting (and some less interesting) features that can be had at a premium price.

The G19 keyboard, like the G15 keyboard before it, includes a LED screen with color display that can almost be used as a secondary monitor, keeping important game stats in sight at all times (we'd love to see this used for maps or our World of Warcraft stats).The G19 also includes two USB 2.0 ports and customizable lighting for the keys. It's a whole lot of keyboard, and if you can't live without the 2.0 ports or the mini-monitor, it's yours for the taking in March for a wallet-busting $199.


The Logitech G9x mouse is not that different from the Logitech G9, except that its sensitivity reaches 5,000 dpi -- offering gamers the finest of finely tuned mice that will lead them to victory (provided they have the skills to make it happen). The mouse, like the G9 before it, also has a customizable grip and weight system and will hit stores in April for $99.




For $130 you'll be able to lock and load these feature-rich G35 headphones, designed to simulate 7.1 surround sound. It also comes with an adjustable noise-canceling mic and three 'voice morphing' buttons on the side, which -- if done right -- will most likely be the best feature on this headset. There's also volume and mute buttons on the earpiece and the headset comes with a total of three different headbands that can be snapped on and off for further customization. You know what they say -- if you've got a big head... Look for the G35 headphones in April.

We have to admit, the first time we laid eyes on the Logitech G13 Advanced Gameboard -- a funky backlit 25-key keyboard with a small programmable joystick and built-in memory that stores your preferred key configuration, no matter what computer you're playing on -- we thought we'd stumbled on to the Nintendo Power Glove for the hardest of the hardcore computer gaming set.

Turns out we were wrong -- that is, if the CES Innovations Awards board has anything to say about it. Today, the keyboard (plus eight other Logitech products) won the Best of Electronic Gaming Award, beating out two other pieces of Logitech gear -- the Logitech Driving Force GT and the Logitech G35 Headset. The keyboard runs for $80 and is set to hit stores in March, when you can finally show off your one-handed typing skills to the world.

Logitech, the peripheral manufacturer that's been feeding our PC gaming addiction with mice, keyboards, speakers, etc. since the mid-'80s has officially declared that it has shipped one billion mice. In honor of the momentous occasion, the company's sponsoring a contest -- follow the mouse on its journey via blog.logitech.com and guess its final destination. Guess correctly and you'll "win some great prizes."

We asked Logitech reps to shed more light on said prizes. In the meantime, you should check out this semi-amusing list of Logitech mice that never made it to market, which includes such rejects as a mouse with three scroll wheels, a mouse with a tiny joystick on top and a mouse with a laser pointer embedded in the front for impromptu presentations or -- more likely -- pissing off coworkers.

Ideazon, the hardware makers that cater to the hardcore PC gaming set sent over its official Age of Conan Hyborian Adventures keyset that "shreds typical restrictions associated with learning a new game" and "grants participants the luxury of an accelerated, custom gaming experience."

Not sure about the luxury part of it all, but we guess this plastic-y $19.99 keyboard overlay (the Conan Zboard snaps onto the top of a $49.99 Zboard Gaming Keyboard) will make it easier to shed blood in the land of Hyboria while chatting up your clan mates using buttons set up to make your online counterpart curse, scratch head, pound chest and cry like a little girl (there's 24 one-touch emote keys in all) when no one wants to play with you anymore.

Bloody knife and buxom babe (see pic above) not included, but this keyset will score you a free Enruined Kosalan Ring in the game.

The mouse has always been the de facto standard pointing device for PC-based first-person shooter games. Zalman, best known for its PC cooling accessories, hopes to end that dominance with its FG1000 FPSGUN mouse.

Looking like an upside down blaster off the set of Stargate SG-1, Zalman's design is unique and oddly long with a mouse-like sensor at one and and a lighted scroll wheel with gun grip at the other. The idea is simple; the sensor is at the far end, as the pistol is at the other end, giving players a wider range of motion with less movement (moving the angle of the hand is faster than moving your arm). Zalman says that it doubles the 20mm degrees of aim to 40mm degrees, which sounds good but may take some getting used to.

Offering sensor tracking from 100-2000 DPI, a small button on top of the pistol grip as the glowing scroll wheel indicates the current rate of speed by changing between colors (violet, blue or red). Sure, we haven't tried it yet and it might not make our experience with Word or Excel any better but it's be nice weaponry for any FPS fan. While the devices MSRPs at $69.99, we've seen it for as low as $59.99 with mostly favorable hands-on reviews.