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I purchased the keyboard to replace the Ideazon Merc as my day-to-day keyboard. The Merc, while great for some games, does not have a good layout for normal use, spongy keys, and no backlighting.
I have read every review I could find on the Eluminx before I purchased. The board has received overall positive reviews. I ordered through Silicon Valley Compucycle (8.87 rating as of today), and had a painless buying experience. The board shipped via 2nd Day Air, and the box arrived on-time, and was undamaged. The packing was OK, but they used popcorn which I just loathe, but otherwise no problems.
The Eluminx box was undamaged as well. Opening the box, you are confronted with a bubble-wrapped keyboard, and a user manual. The board is PS/2, not USB, and is basically plug-and-play; all I had to do was reboot and I was good to go.
Obviously, the best feature of the Eluminx is the backlighting. My keyboard's case color is "bone" (off-white), and the backlighting color is "Auquamarine" (a sort of off-blue). Let there be light! Wow. I was very impressed with the brightness of the keyboard, and although one cannot control the brightness, I find that to be unneccessary as the intesity is perfect for dark-room viewing, and actually helps even in normal roomlighting. The board dims when your screen save kicks in, so it's not on all the time even if you leave your computer on.
The other great thing about the board is the size; this thing is tiny, and will take up very little room on your desktop or keyboard tray. The Merc is huge by comparison, but does have an excuse as it offers many more features.
The keyboard is light, but build quality is high. The key feel is very laptop-ish, and has a good tactile feel that is in a different universe from the Merc.
If your looking for a keyboard that has tons of features, and special keys, this board isn't it. There are no special keys at all. I actually like the minimilast philosophy of the board, but others may find this a negative.
The arrangement of the keys may also not suit everyone's taste. As a small-format board the Eluminx takes a bit of getting used to. However, all normally used keys, including the numberpad are exactly where they should be.
Overall, I love the Auravision Eluminx, and highly recommend it for everyday use. It's not a true gaming keyboard, like the Merc, but it's functionality is a country mile better.
And, let me not be remiss in mentioning the one real downside to this keyboard: cost. I paid nearly $100 for the Eluminx after shipping, and that's a whole lot of money for any keyboard. However, I do think that of the backlit boards out there today the Eluminx is in the very top tier. Throw in high build quality, and laser etched keys, and you have a high-priced product, but one that delivers the goods.
I see that Creative is introducing a clone of this board with the Fatal1ty logo branded on. If you can wait a month I do believe you could say some money as the Fatal1ty board will be cheaper.
Here are the Pros and Cons as I see them:
Pros: Backlighting
Small Form Factor
Laser-Etched Keys
Great Key Feel and Response
Cons: PS/2 Only
No Media Control Keys
No Gaming Specific Features
Enjoy!
Jim
I have read every review I could find on the Eluminx before I purchased. The board has received overall positive reviews. I ordered through Silicon Valley Compucycle (8.87 rating as of today), and had a painless buying experience. The board shipped via 2nd Day Air, and the box arrived on-time, and was undamaged. The packing was OK, but they used popcorn which I just loathe, but otherwise no problems.
The Eluminx box was undamaged as well. Opening the box, you are confronted with a bubble-wrapped keyboard, and a user manual. The board is PS/2, not USB, and is basically plug-and-play; all I had to do was reboot and I was good to go.
Obviously, the best feature of the Eluminx is the backlighting. My keyboard's case color is "bone" (off-white), and the backlighting color is "Auquamarine" (a sort of off-blue). Let there be light! Wow. I was very impressed with the brightness of the keyboard, and although one cannot control the brightness, I find that to be unneccessary as the intesity is perfect for dark-room viewing, and actually helps even in normal roomlighting. The board dims when your screen save kicks in, so it's not on all the time even if you leave your computer on.
The other great thing about the board is the size; this thing is tiny, and will take up very little room on your desktop or keyboard tray. The Merc is huge by comparison, but does have an excuse as it offers many more features.
The keyboard is light, but build quality is high. The key feel is very laptop-ish, and has a good tactile feel that is in a different universe from the Merc.
If your looking for a keyboard that has tons of features, and special keys, this board isn't it. There are no special keys at all. I actually like the minimilast philosophy of the board, but others may find this a negative.
The arrangement of the keys may also not suit everyone's taste. As a small-format board the Eluminx takes a bit of getting used to. However, all normally used keys, including the numberpad are exactly where they should be.
Overall, I love the Auravision Eluminx, and highly recommend it for everyday use. It's not a true gaming keyboard, like the Merc, but it's functionality is a country mile better.
And, let me not be remiss in mentioning the one real downside to this keyboard: cost. I paid nearly $100 for the Eluminx after shipping, and that's a whole lot of money for any keyboard. However, I do think that of the backlit boards out there today the Eluminx is in the very top tier. Throw in high build quality, and laser etched keys, and you have a high-priced product, but one that delivers the goods.
I see that Creative is introducing a clone of this board with the Fatal1ty logo branded on. If you can wait a month I do believe you could say some money as the Fatal1ty board will be cheaper.
Here are the Pros and Cons as I see them:
Pros: Backlighting
Small Form Factor
Laser-Etched Keys
Great Key Feel and Response
Cons: PS/2 Only
No Media Control Keys
No Gaming Specific Features
Enjoy!
Jim