What has happened to Logitech?

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3 May 2018
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Is it just me or has logitech gone downhill in recent years?

The G920 wheel makes you use the "new" Logitech gaming software which has almost zero functionality compared to the previous software which worked fine. The new one is all pretty and glitzy but completely void of any actualy functionality. You can't even configure the default centre spring, deadzones or sensitivity and nothing to control the force feedback. I think the only thing that actually works it to set the reported degrees of rotation.

The icing on the cake that has really peeved me today is I got my new K400 Plus. It looks very slightly different from the original K400 I have... which works fine. Except. What for it.... the function keys have been hijacked for the Smart TV control media buttons.

So whats the problem I hear you say...

Well you can't use the function keys. At all. In fact the only way to enable the function keys is to install the Logitech software and switch them on.

Great. But... "We Logitech Software does not support Linux, sorry, we will report your feedback to our development team, thanks for you money sucker, bye!"

So I have a keyboard bought to use with a raspberry pi or other Linux HTPC that I can't use because the function keys only work in Windows.

To finish my rant... god forbid you try and use their new website, which appears to be the worst implementation of "Single page webapp" I have seen in years. Very little actually works. You get stuck in loops trying to login to the support section. The Back button jumps you back to the start of the process. When a form has an error, that's it, game over, refresh the page... except I can't use F5 to do that, now can i?
 
Soldato
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"Designed for use with Windows® 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and later, Android™ 5.0 or later, and Chrome OS™"

"By default, the top row of keys on your K400 Plus keyboard are assigned to navigation and media controls. You can set the keyboard to only use standard F1 - F12 functions using Logitech Options software".

"You can use Logitech Options software to customize the actions that are performed when you use the function keys on your keyboard. You can download Logitech Options from the Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 Plus Downloads page.
NOTE: Only the F1-F9 and Insert keys can be customized".

I daresay function keys fall inside the standard keyboard protocol and shouldn't need drivers...
I've not used Linux - Do the keys do the same thing in that as they do in Windows? If so, then yeah, it should be standard.
 
Soldato
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I've not used Linux - Do the keys do the same thing in that as they do in Windows? If so, then yeah, it should be standard.
Lots of standard functions run deeper/longer than modern Windows. Alt+F4 kills running program, F5 is refresh etc. It's not really about whether Windows uses them in a certain way, it's about passing the input to the system. The system does whatever it wants with it.
 
Soldato
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It's not really about whether Windows uses them in a certain way, it's about passing the input to the system. The system does whatever it wants with it.
Fair point.
However, this KB does appear marketed specifically for Smart TVs and PCs, so I would expect it to have keys that do things specific to them, similar to the specific Windows Key on many boards.
 
Associate
OP
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I bought it because I have an original K400 and it works fine. There are standard media keys, well at least volume, play, pause. These are separate keys. It works fine in Linux and the FN keys are just normal FN keys.

So I bought another K400 for my next system, but it was a K400 Plus. They seem to have added this stupid FN non-sense.

Yes I should have read more into it. However, hopefully Soolar or whatever software in linux will address the F key issue.
 
Associate
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30 Aug 2009
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Logitech have always had the best customer service in my experience. This issue sounds like a lack of research and a minority operating system. (Takes cover)
 
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