It would be nice if the keypad keys didn't behave like the regular keyboard ones. Like for example if you use targetless to have the number key bindings set to 1-0 to select ships or asteroids you could use the keypad 1-0 keys to bind them to something else like say setting keys 1-6 for the weapon group selections.

I'm not sure whether the keys are distinct.

I know that, on Linux, the client recognizes the keypad keys as distinct keys.

On Win7 with Numlock turned on it recognizes them as the same as the number keys across the top row. I used to use the numpad for targetless targets before I got my G13.

At least some Windows software see's the numpad keys as separate keys, regardless of numlock setting. I've played many a flightsim where numpad controls view, but number keys control speed/something else. Maybe it's an SDL limit.