Logitech's Illuminated Keyboard has, uh, Illuminated keys. But its most obvious feature is not its only one. In fact, the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is a fabulous niche product, although casual typists may not appreciate all of its strengths.
Typing After Dark
Illuminated Keyboards are a growing fad among computer peripherals. Computer monitors often look best when kept in the dark, and the elimination of screen glare or the need to raise monitor brightness means that using a computer in a dark room often results in less eye strain. Typing in a dark room, however, presents its own challenge, as the markings on most keyboards become invisible. An illuminated keyboard, however, illuminates the markings on each key, making it easy to use in dark places.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the illuminated keyboard is the main selling point of the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard. But there is more to this keyboard than back-lit keys. The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard's simple, slim design clearly hopes to make a strong impression on the user. But does it succeed?
Aesthetics and Build Quality
Rating 
The Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is one sexy piece of plastic. Its slim profile gives it a modern, expensive look. It is very much the PC's aesthetic equivalent to the slim keyboards used by Apple computers. The keyboard itself is mostly a semi-gloss black which provides enough sheen to appear attractive but not enough to show excessive finger-printing. The keyboard is bordered on three sides by a small, transparent piece of plastic which is included for style only. The bottom of the keyboard includes a built-in matte black hand-rest which is the keyboard's only fashion failure. It looks good when new, but it seems to pick up the natural oils in the palms of the user's hands. This causes some portions to look slightly darker than others after a few months of use. The back-lighting is awesome - I still occasionally take a moment to gawk at how awesome the keyboard looks in a darkened room.
The build quality of the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard is average. The keyboard itself is extremely solid. The keys do not wobble excessively and do not feel loose when a hand is brushed across the full length of the keyboard. The stylish extras are more problematic. I had the chance to take a hold of a model that had been used as a sample for several months and found that the transparent plastic had become loose at the edges. A look at my newer unit confirmed that the plastic does not seem well secured and will eventually begin to separate from the keyboard itself. The small legs which can be used to prop the keyboard up also concern me. They are extremely thin and feel like they will break if even moderate pressure is applied.
Features
Rating 
Being sexy apparently comes at a price, as the Logitech Illuminated Keyboard's slim frame contains less features than one would normally expect. Notably absent are any additional USB connections. I feel that the importance of USB on a keyboard is somewhat over-rated, but it is also common enough that the absence is noticeable. The keyboard has some programmable functions, but they require the press of a function key and function button on the bottom row of keys. This is not much easier than double-clicking on the desktop icon to launch whatever function has been bound to the keys.
The illuminated keys themselves are one of the better implementations of the feature available on any keyboard. The back-lighting is not perfect on all keys, and a few of the function keys are not fully lit. That said, the lighting is extremely clear and distinct and offers four levels of brightness. The back-lighting's plain white color may seem bland, but it is appreciated. Many illuminated keyboards on the market are considered gaming keyboards, and they include various colors like red and purple rather than a clear, professional white.