Steelseries 7G Keyboard
The SteelSeries 7G looks like a normal, run-of-the-mill keyboard. But
beneath its plain Jane exterior lies a keyboard that we couldn?t lock
up. (click picture for full shot) A few minor flaws aside, the
SteelSeries 7G is a truly spectacular piece of hardware. Almost
completely devoid of amenities, this keyboard was designed from the
ground up to prevent keyboard lockup?the effect that suspends all input
if you inadvertently press too many buttons at once. Lockup is
essentially a death sentence for competitive gamers. To curtail
lockups, SteelSeries designed its key mapping so that the board?s most
frequently used keys are all on separate circuits -- genius! The 7G
also uses the PS/2 interface and a proprietary keypress buffer to
ensure lockup is all but impossible. While we?ve tested other keyboards
that didn?t lock up during gameplay, we?ve never tested one that we
couldn?t get to lock by mashing two hands worth of keys at once. Well,
the SteelSeries didn?t lockup, even when we mashed 20 keys in unison.
Aside from that, the 7G is a pretty straightforward keyboard. The
fairly standard layout has but a single deviation: It sports a
SteelSeries key, which can be used along with the function keys to
control volume and media playback. The SteelSeries key replaces the
normal Windows key on the left side of the keyboard. We understand why
SteelSeries would ditch the Windows key on a gaming keyboard, but we?d
much prefer a physical switch that lets us turn the annoying Windows
key on and off rather than an outright removal. We don?t understand why
SteelSeries would bother adding USB 1.1 ports to a modern keyboard, but
that?s what you?ll find on the back of the 7G. While USB 1.1 would be
suitable for use with a mouse, we wouldn?t use these ports for anything
else. But we do love the integrated headphone/microphone ports on the
plank, although we wish there was an easier way to integrate this
feature with our speakers. We should also mention that this is one of
the loudest keyboards we?ve tested in recent memory. Although
SteelSeries describes the 7G?s keys as no-click, they?re certainly not
quiet. The other thing we need to touch on is the 7G?s price -- this is
an incredibly bare-bones keyboard for an MSRP of $150. So, if you?ve
never managed to lock up your keyboard in the course of normal game
playing, you probably don?t need to shell out the big bucks for this
one.
Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave
Logitech has been producing high end peripherals for years, but can the
company?s midrange products maintain the aesthetics and functionality
of its more expensive gear? We tested the Desktop Wave to find out.
Right off the bat, we loaded up Team Fortress 2 to see if this
keyboard-mouse combo could gain our gamer?s stamp of approval.
Throughout the game, the Wave keyboard yielded none of the registry
flaws we experienced with the Alto. The experience was a bit rough,
however, as the mouse lacks Teflon skates and has no on-the-fly dpi
adjustment. While clearly not designed for hardcore fragging, the Wave
provided an acceptable gaming experience?but we wouldn?t recommend you
use it at your next LAN party. The keyboard features a curved layout,
quiet keystrokes and padded wrist support. The function keys have
secondary binds programmed through the SetPoint drivers and are
positioned in four groups of three. We tested every one of these extra
buttons and found that all of them worked, except the zoom key. In
fact, the drivers didn't even detect the key, barring us from manually
configuring it. The laser mouse is comfortable and completely
symmetrical for the rare left-hand user. While this is great, it
creates an annoyance for both left- and right-handed users looking to
utilize both function buttons. Each identical, opposing buttons are
placed to accommodate left-hand thumbs and right-hand thumbs; this
leaves the left-handed thumb button awkwardly placed for right handed
users who want to use it. Additionally, during testing, the wheel
occasionally failed to register our scroll, leading to a double scroll
(a problem akin to nearly all Logitech mice). This wasn?t a huge
problem, but if you're a gamer who scrolls to switch weapons, prepare
for frustration. As advertised, the Wave is comfortable to use for
extended periods of time but is really suitable only for casual use.
Gamers and power users, keep looking.
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000
We?ve long admired Microsoft?s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000; its
combination of a downward tilting typing surface and a split layout is
the perfect salve for our aching wrists. But we aren?t as fond of the
Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, which is unfortunate, as the devices
are paired in one bundle for the weak-wristed. The wireless version of
the Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 is virtually identical to the wired one,
but it communicates with your PC via a 2.4GHz transmitter. The key
action and layout of the two boards are the same; the only differences
between the two are that the wireless board sports a slightly lighter
color scheme and its status lights (for Caps Lock and its cronies) are
replaced by software toggles to conserve battery life, which is good.
The Ergo plank didn?t run down its two AA batteries after two months of
constant use. The Natural Wireless Laser Mouse is another story. While
we appreciate that the mouse allows for a neutral hand position, which
lets you grip it in your hand?s most relaxed position, we don?t like
the loss of precision that holding the device like a soda can
engenders. Even after several weeks of use, we weren?t able to
consistently make horizontal mouse movements; the cursor invariably
drifts down when you use your wrist to move the mouse from right to
left. We also wonder why this mouse requires standard disposable
batteries. Unlike keyboards, wireless mice need rechargeable batteries;
they simply suck up too much power to use standard AAs. Although we
were able to use the mouse for extended periods of time unassisted, we
don?t feel that this device is a significant improvement over a more
accurate, traditional mouse paired with a good gel-covered wrist rest.
The keyboard is a good match for gamers, but we can?t recommend the
mouse for anyone who needs to make high-precision movements.
Unfortunately, this wireless keyboard?s score is brought down by its
subpar companion.
Microsoft Entertainment Desktop 7000
The problem with having a PC in your living room is simple. It?s the
mouse. Mousing on the couch is a royal pain in the ass. Resting your
mouse hand on your leg, on a couch arm, or on one of your couch buddies
just doesn?t work. That?s why we were excited to see that Microsoft?s
new living-room keyboards ship with an integrated mousing surface. We
just didn?t understand why the company also included a wireless mouse.
The answer became clear after a few moments with this keyboard. The
mousing area just doesn?t work particularly well. Set it at a slow
enough speed to be accurate and reliable, and it takes forever to
navigate the screen. Set it fast enough to zip from side to side, and
it?s very twitchy. We couldn?t find a happy medium. The pad does
include a few nifty tricks, though. Flip a switch above it, and it
changes to D-pad mode, which is good (although slightly twitchy) for
navigating through the Media Center interface. We also really dig the
fact that in mouse mode the mouse buttons are located on the far side
of the keyboard, so you move the cursor with one thumb but click with
the other. Were the mouse surface slightly better tuned, it would have
been a perfect design. The keyboard?s layout is a little goofy; the
home keys are off center, and the entire keyboard is slightly warped.
It?s not a major problem, since we figure you?ll use this keyboard more
for typing URLs and instant messages than for banging out your first
novel. The placement of the media keys is excellent, and eminently
useful, whether you?re using Media Center or just iTunes, and we
especially like the inclusion of dedicated buttons that open Media
Center and the Windows menu. We?re still annoyed by the presence of
proprietary keys?like the Windows Messenger Live call button on this
board?but they?re easily reprogrammed to serve other functions. The
mouse is a decent rechargeable. If Microsoft improves the performance
of the mouse surface and ditches the then-unnecessary mouse, this could
be a killer living-room keyboard.
Ideazon Merc
Ideazon?s previous product, the ZBoard, sported interchangeable $20
keysets with custom labels for different games. The company?s latest
effort, the Merc, eschews that approach in favor of a customizable
one-size-fits-all design. Ideazon relegates the main gaming controls to
their own compact area on the left side of the keyboard. Red
directional keys take up a butterfly formation in the center, with
other action keys surrounding them. The keys come prelabeled with
commonly used commands. Spacebar, for example, reads as Jump, R key as
Reload, and so on. The keys are easy to remap, but you?re stuck with
the default labels no matter how you configure the keys. It?s not a
huge flaw, however, since you won?t have time to look down at the
keyboard in the heat of battle. Using the Merc requires Ideazon?s
ZEngine software. It includes printable profiles for several popular
games with predefined controls, and you can find more profiles at
Ideazon?s website. We?re bummed we can?t create our own, but selecting
the generic Windows profile and mapping keys in-game the old-fashioned
way is still effective. For everyday typing, the Merc is acceptable,
but not great. We?re thrilled that the numerical keypad was spared, but
our enthusiasm is tempered by the inclusion of cursor-control keys in
the numpad. To hit the Delete key, for example, you have to hold down
Shift and press 1. While not ideal, we can live with this drawback for
a better gaming experience, which Ideazon delivers. We still haven?t
found the perfect keyboard that blends work and play into a single
design, but Ideazon?s Merc comes close. Month Reviewed: August 2006 +
FLORIDAY KEYS: Sports three programmable hot keys, and the preloaded
profile keys are nifty. - LOST KEYS: Begs for a backlight, and lacks
the USB hub found on the original ZBoard. VERDICT: 7 URL:
www.zboard.com
Wolfking Timber Wolf
If we were grading on sex appeal alone, the Timber Wolf would skip to
the head of the class. Its unique shape and two-tone color scheme
instantly catch the eye, and gaming on the keyboard is sublime. When it
comes time to work, however, we?re not so easily seduced; indeed, we
have serious concerns about embarking on a long-term relationship with
this board. On the gaming front, a large circular portion of the Timber
Wolf serves as a dedicated command center, with 40 standard keys
(letters, numbers, and modifiers) in easy reach. Numbers 0-9 arc around
the top of the gaming area, allowing you to effortlessly switch between
weapons. The quick-access buttons are far superior to a standard
keyboard layout. When it comes to hand fatigue, we?ve never considered
the benefit of a vertical spacebar, but we?re sold after feeling how
comfortable it is to rest a thumb during extended gameplay. A spacious
area on which to rest our wrists made us feel even more pampered. We
also love the Timber Wolf?s K-lock feature, but hate its
implementation. The common method for engaging in voice chat is to hold
the K key down while speaking. Hitting the K-lock a single time
activates your chat feature until another key is pressed. Sadly,
though, the K-lock button?s location requires a long pinky stretch, and
the key is permanently bound to the K key, which makes it a wasted
feature if your game uses a different key for voice chat. But aside
from gaming, the Timber Wolf left us longing for our traditional
keyboards. WolfKing squished the cursor control keys onto the main area
of the keyboard, and eliminated the numerical keypad completely. The
design makes everyday typing less comfortable than a standard keyboard,
giving the Timber Wolf limited appeal. Month Reviewed: August 2006 +
BEOWULF: Circle design is comfortable, and the keyboard looks great. -
TEEN WOLF: K-lock feature is hard to reach, everyday typing is cramped,
and where's the numpad? VERDICT: 6 URL: www.wolfkingusa.com
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
Finding the perfect keyboard can be tricky, especially if you prefer
the split ?ergo? design to the traditional style?as the options for the
former have become increasingly limited in recent years. Fortunately,
we?ve long been able to count on Microsoft?s Natural Keyboard Pro,
finding its combination of split design, traditional key layout, and
integrated USB 1.0 ports superior to all others. Now it seems
Microsoft?s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 could finally replace the
aged Natural Pro as our split-keyboard of choice. Instead of sporting
the typical, and potentially uncomfortable, upward-tilting design, the
Natural 4000 tilts down, away from you. The downward action puts your
wrists above your fingers, which prevents you from contorting your
wrists into an unhealthy position. And, indeed, our sensitive wrists
remained free of irritation throughout our testing of the keyboard. The
?added features? are useful, but not revolutionary. There?s a series of
custom macro buttons above the standard keys. We immediately configured
ours to control our media player; alternatively, you could have them
open specific applications or fire up certain keyboard shortcuts. A
zoom toggle between the two halves of the keyboard is nice, but we?d
rather use it to scroll up and down than to perform the default
zoom/magnify function. The 4000?s key action is soft and quiet, even
compared with others of its ilk. We personally don?t mind a keyboard
with more resistance and a healthy click, but we know some users will
truly value the Natural 4000?s quietude. Also, the keys reside in
comparatively shallow pockets, making the distance of travel for each
key much shorter than that of a standard Keytronics keyboard, and even
the Natural Keyboard Pro. Like most boards we?ve tested recently, this
keyboard sports the ?enhanced? F-keys that ?supplement? the default
function of the F1-F12 keys. We?re not fans of this tack. What?s the
point of adding hardwired keyboard shortcuts for functions like Print
and Cut that already have perfectly serviceable keyboard shortcuts? We
miss the Natural Keyboard Pro?s integrated USB hub. But because we
haven?t been able to use the unpowered hub for USB thumb drives above
512MB, its absence on the Natural 4000 isn?t devastating. Month
Reviewed: March 2006 Verdict: 9 kickass=yes URL: www.microsoft.com
