Logitech keyboard $9.99

[allisolm]

Logitech® Elite Keyboard LE, Black

SKU 605425 Reg $24.99 now $9.99 at Office Depot Feb 3-Feb 4.

edited to change the dates. Thanks unhuman.

edit 2/06: now the link says $14.99 so, unless they've kept the $9.99 price in-store, it's over.

 

[BladeVenom]

Thanks, I just got one at my local OD. They didn't even have them on display, but they were on the storage shelves.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Where the hell is the insert key?

 

[unhuman]

Thanks OP. Just got home with one.

The insert key is to the right of F12. Why does Logitech have to F with the Insert/Home/PgUp/Delete/End/PgDown Grouping... This is my 2nd logitech keyboard like this... Very odd. If I had remembered/noticed this defect, I would've not bought... But now I'll try it.

Replacing (maybe) my Northgate keyboard, but I love my click... We'll see how it goes.

Edit: Just looked at my other logitech keyboard (some wireless jobber) - and that key grouping is different again... What a buncha retards.

 

[unhuman]

BTW - it's only $10 today and tomorrow. The rest of the week, it's $15.

 

[RMSistight]

PS/2? Come on. Good deal though.

 

[unhuman]

Yep, it's PS2. No adapter in the box.... I still have PS2 ports, so... as long as I do, I'm fine using them.

 

[RMSistight]

Originally posted by: unhuman
Yep, it's PS2. No adapter in the box.... I still have PS2 ports, so... as long as I do, I'm fine using them.

Yeah with most motherboards PS/2 shouldn't be an issue. But if you buy machines from tier 1 manufacturers like Dell, HP, etc, PS/2 ports are literally non-existent.

 

[unhuman]

One meaningful update. I didn't think I'd care that much about the functions overloading the F-keys, you know F1-F12. Well... As a developer, I must say this freaking sucks. They're so useful day-to-day, etc, however, as soon as I use any development environment, I've got to turn it off. I would be awesome if they updated the software to basically not respect the keys when you are in certain programs or somesuch. Of course, that won't happen, as it makes far too much sense.... And probably most users won't need it.

And, since the "Insert" key overloads Print Screen, you'd have to switch modes anyway... or something.

Edit : Not as bad as I thought, yet still annoying. You can disable individual keys with "Transparent Passthrough" option, so some keys can do special functions while others do not...

-H

 

[UTFan81]

Aren't ps2 keyboards better anyway? what is the point in wasting cpu cycles having another usb port running.

 

[Tbyte]

In the above provided link it states "prices effective through 2/9/08". Where do you get the 2/4 cutoff date?

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: Tbyte
In the above provided link it states "prices effective through 2/9/08". Where do you get the 2/4 cutoff date?

You're right. The back page of their ad says "2 days only hot deals" and includes the keyboard. "$9.99 SUNDAY and MONDAY SAVE $15 TUES-SAT $14.99"

but...

if you click on it , you get

"Logitech® Elite Keyboard LE
SUNDAY & MONDAY SAVE $15. TUE ? SAT $14.99.
$9.99
(Reg. $24.99)
thru Feb 9"

and the product page at my link says "Your Price: $9.99 Prices effective through 2/9/08."

So, your guess is as good as mine. I guess we'll know tomorrow.

 

[Samus]

Thanks OP, I'm in for 10.

 

[dds14u]

How's the click on these keyboards (quietkey)?

 

[Samus]

Got'em today. They are fine quality keyboards. Unfortunately the F-LOCK (for function keys) is ON by default. So when you reboot, you'll need to push it to turn the function key's off.

 

[ZoNtO]

IIRC on my old wireless logitech keyboard, you could download some utility that would modify the registry to disable F-lock by default. I wonder if that's still around....

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: UTFan81
Aren't ps2 keyboards better anyway? what is the point in wasting cpu cycles having another usb port running.

what

 

[superHARD]

Originally posted by: Steve

Originally posted by: UTFan81
Aren't ps2 keyboards better anyway? what is the point in wasting cpu cycles having another usb port running.

what

your port is "running"???

 

[UTFan81]

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: Steve

Originally posted by: UTFan81
Aren't ps2 keyboards better anyway? what is the point in wasting cpu cycles having another usb port running.

what

your port is "running"???

usb ports only use cpu cycles when something is plugging into them you morons. therefore it is in a sense.

Personal attacks are not allowed in Hot Deals. That includes name-calling. If you can't figure out how to comment without the names, don't comment at all.

Moderator allisolm

 

[Samus]

I prefer PS2 keyboards. The response time is better.

Try playing SSR (Step Step Revolution, a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) Simulator) and you'll see any USB keyboard, wireless or wired, is about 10ms behind. You don't notice as much in FPS's and other games because you adjust to the lag subliminally.

In a simulator where keystrokes must meet up with tones, your SOL unless you want to re-time every song.

This behavior does not exist with PS2 keyboards because they have a dedicated 12/16MHz controller.

With PS/2, you also don't need to worry about your BIOS/DOS locking you out because the BIOS has USB Keyboard [DISABLED] or doesn't natively support USB keyboards whatsoever (Old P4's, most P3's, most to all Athlon's up to XP's)

My .02

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: superHARD

Originally posted by: Steve

Originally posted by: UTFan81
Aren't ps2 keyboards better anyway? what is the point in wasting cpu cycles having another usb port running.

what

your port is "running"???

He better stop it!

 

[Steve]

Originally posted by: UTFan81

usb ports only use cpu cycles when something is plugging into them you morons. therefore it is in a sense.

Time for you to learn something today! From another thread:

"The PS/2 port is on the legacy keyboard controller, which is an 8 MHz, 8-bit, entirely PIO-driven ISA device. Yes ISA. Even in today's systems.

How that should be in any way faster than the bus-mastering, beyond-PCI bandwidth device that is the USB root hub completely escapes me."

I should think also that the USB controller brings its own brain, and any CPU cycles used for it are executed much faster than what PS/2 hardware can do.

EDIT: And:

"Besides, USB is the much faster connection as far as packet handling, bus bandwidth and interrupt latency are concerned. This should be noticeable with a quality [mouse/keyboard]"

"USB is better - it's a modern controller on a fast chipset connection, unlike the PS/2 mouse port which is on the ancient keyboard controller, an 8-bit ISA device that needs to be polled very oftenly for smooth operation. On USB, it's smooth without eating too much into system bus bandwidth."

"The PS/2 mouse port is actually the AUXiliary port of the legacy keyboard controller, the oldest and slowest piece of silicon in the entire PC. Data travelling there travels all busses all the way down to the remains of 8-bit ISA (!) maintained for the KBC alone, blocking all other system activity meanwhile. And the KBC isn't a bus mastering device either, meaning you need the CPU to poll the controller at a high frequency for smooth mouse operation.

USB in turn is on a chipset internal connection faster than PCI (how's that comparing to 8-bit ISA?), plus USB controllers are bus mastering, delivering data to the system as they come, no CPU activity required for fetching the data."

On top of that, the people who patented the PS/2 controller get royalties everytime a motherboard is built with it. So the sooner we can eliminate those ports and their corresponding chips, the cheaper our motherboards will become. Why do you think OEMs like Dell, HP, etc. are hardly putting them on at all anymore?

 

[UTFan81]

well anyway, I got this keyboard last night and it seems pretty nice. I am used to cheap keyboards though so. I'm not sure what one person was talking about when they said the special function F keys are stuck on by default. Mine has them OFF by default so you can use the F keys like normal.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Steve
"Besides, USB is the much faster connection as far as packet handling, bus bandwidth and interrupt latency are concerned. This should be noticeable with a quality [mouse/keyboard]"

"USB is better - it's a modern controller on a fast chipset connection, unlike the PS/2 mouse port which is on the ancient keyboard controller, an 8-bit ISA device that needs to be polled very oftenly for smooth operation. On USB, it's smooth without eating too much into system bus bandwidth."

PS/2 ports aren't polled. They are interrupt-driven.

Originally posted by: Steve
"The PS/2 mouse port is actually the AUXiliary port of the legacy keyboard controller, the oldest and slowest piece of silicon in the entire PC. Data travelling there travels all busses all the way down to the remains of 8-bit ISA (!) maintained for the KBC alone, blocking all other system activity meanwhile. And the KBC isn't a bus mastering device either, meaning you need the CPU to poll the controller at a high frequency for smooth mouse operation.

Again, incorrect. It is interrupt-driven.

Originally posted by: Steve
USB in turn is on a chipset internal connection faster than PCI (how's that comparing to 8-bit ISA?), plus USB controllers are bus mastering, delivering data to the system as they come, no CPU activity required for fetching the data."

Wrong, USB requires CPU activity to process. It's well-known how CPU-hungry USB ports are.

Originally posted by: Steve
On top of that, the people who patented the PS/2 controller get royalties everytime a motherboard is built with it. So the sooner we can eliminate those ports and their corresponding chips, the cheaper our motherboards will become. Why do you think OEMs like Dell, HP, etc. are hardly putting them on at all anymore?

I've never heard that. It uses a standard microcontroller. Btw, what about the royalties for USB ports?

 

[Steve]

VL strikes again!