Logitech USB Keyboard K200

I have been using logitech keyboard and mice for years so I didn't think twice about buying one for work even bought a cover to keep it dust free but the S and the L stopped working and it is only 2 months old. What a waste.

I bought this KB to replace an IBM PS/2 KB whose key glyphs were so worn I could no longer read them. I'm not a perfect touch-typist; I have to look at certain parts of KB so I need to be able to read the keys. Unfortunately, this KB does not function during POST (Power on self-test). This means you cannot manage BIOS with this KB. You also cannot select alternative OSes that are installed on the machine nor boot into SAFE mode with Windows XP. The machine is old, with a TYAN Tiger 100 2-processor MB, an AMI BIOS and two Intel Pentium IIIs, but it's a perfectly good machine that still functions flawlessly. All I wanted was a reliable replacement KB that would do what an IBM PC KB is supposed to do. This one is a fine KB AFTER the machine boots, but does not fulfill that simple expectation. So, my only option, I think, is to keep that old KB around just in case I need to enter SAFE mode (I did, that's how I discovered this problem) or tweak the BIOS. Logitech customer support wasn't much help. They confirmed (in error, it turned out!) their KB lacked POST functionality AFTER I did my own troubleshooting and reported results to them. So, don't say you weren't warned.6/17/2014 update:My bad! Pilot error and I know better. I have to revise my rating to five stars and fess up. My MB has two USB ports and I also have a PCI card with four additional USB ports. I stupidly had the KB plugged into an expansion-card port instead of a MB port. POST is all about the MB so it should have been obvious why the KB wasn't active during POST. Moving it resolved the problem. As to the techie at Logitech, I think he should have known to ask this question, but this review is about the KB, not the quality of the support, which is a whole other matter. Your mileage will most assuredly vary.

I was looking for a replacement of my Ultra-X, which is sadly out of production, and figured this logitech would be okay.It wasn't.First, the keys traveled further than on the Ultra-X. I really want a keyboard with a short key travel, like a laptop keyboard, but the K200 disappointed in that. Furthermore, the keyboard would visibly buckle every time I typed a key in the middle of the keyboard, and I really don't use a lot of force typing (used to an Ultra-X, remember?).So yeah, after trying it out for five minutes, I packed it back up to ship it back. This is definitely not the quality I am used from Logitech. Such a shame they don't make the Ultra-X anymore.

(Update 11/2012) I stopped using this keyboard after a few months. The keys became stiffer and a lot less smooth. A mechanical keyboard might be the only way to get the feel I'm looking for, but I have a number of old freebie keyboards around here that now feel better to me than the K200.(9/2011) I bought this keyboard to replace one I spilled 22oz of beer into. Given the previous keyboard's fate, I wasn't eager to spend much on a new one! I bought this K200 over the K120 because of the media buttons. I cannot live without on-keyboard volume controls, and I really like the Sleep and Calculator buttons too. The feel of the main keys is typical Logitech, if you're familiar, which I like. The media keys are far too firm though, hence 4 out of 5 stars, though I am getting used to them. I like this board's full-sized keys, yet small chassis footprint. Believe it or not I really like the look of this keyboard: the timeless style of dignified form following function. So many lower-cost products like this are over-styled. It does have flip-out risers (which I'm using) and plenty of grippy rubber feet, which is good because the board is surprisingly light weight. Bonus: the bottom has drainage holes! For $17 (prime shipping) I am very pleased. The board is surely designed to a (low) price, but it feels designed to a price well.I like using this keyboard and others with a foam palm rest. I already had an ancient one lying around, but new ones can't be more than a few bucks...

Logitech itself has had a 50/50 streak with me, some items being poor and others being great and reliable. This keyboard is definitely the latter. I needed to replace my last keyboard because the keys were sticking and required a lot of effort to press, which slowed down both my typing and my gaming. Fortunately, the keys of the K200 are light and springy, allowing me to type and game with little effort once again.The media keys are neat and I like how the buttons are split between sound media and other miscellaneous keys, allowing for easy sound adjustment and starting/pausing of music without accidentally opening my browser or e-mail; however, all the media keys only take up about one-half of the space above the normal keys, possibly leaving room for more keys, which I kind of wish they had capitalized on.The strangest thing about it is that the PC power key (for quickly hibernating or powering off your PC) is located directly between the calculator and e-mail hotkeys. It might have been better to put the power hotkey all the way to one side, but it hasn't been a problem yet, so don't let its awkward positioning deter you so much.Aside from those few things, I think it's a good keyboard. It's minimal enough that it's aesthetically pleasing and doesn't take up too much space on my small desk, and large enough that there's plenty of spacing between key clusters (such as between the arrow keys and the number pad). It's also a great keyboard for the price range (especially for those of us on a tight budget). Most important to me is that the space bar is also light, springy, and compact; eschewing the large, cumbersome space bars some keyboards have that sometimes make it difficult to properly press when gaming. Time will tell how reliable and durable it is, but I feel like I can say it will not disappoint.