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badbadtz560
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2004
- Messages
- 440
So.. I don't do reviews.. but since someone stalked me down over AIM and asked for a review... here it is:
Aesthetics:
For some really stupid reason I thought the silver keys would actually match the anodized aluminum look on keyboard's frame - I was very wrong.. the silver keys look horrible next to the sexy anodized aluminum frame; the keyboard may look better in black. I believe these silver keys are the same material of the ones that are used in the original saitek eclipse... they seem to have matching texture
The blue leds are way too bright in my opinion and cannot be turned down. A ton more light bleeds between the keys instead of through the letters. It also has a slightly purple tint to it, which I do not like. To give a reference on my lighting tastes, I think the saitek eclipse II's lighting is too dim and the original saitek eclipse has about the right amount of brightness to its leds.
Typing quality:
I found this to be exceptionally poor. While it is true that the keys have a shorter depression distance, it requires much more force to get the actual letters to type out. What this translates to is: when I was gaming, the keys were not nearly responsive enough to my soft touch to move when I needed to. While typing, this also means that I was missing characters. Also, since the keys actually have a greater outer surface area (where your finger touches) and a small electrical contact surface, I found that if don't hit the keys in the center, you get a ton more resistance. None of this will be a problem if you type very hard.
A media jammed while I was playing music... sure I pressed it on the side and not the middle.. but this really ticks me off. I think it may have been the "next" or "play" key
To put some keyboards in perspective, here's my general opinion: I wish the original saitek eclipse came w/ media keys. It is my favorite for all-round usage, but I gave it up b/c the saitek eclispe II has media keys. I prefer Microsoft kbs for normal usage... and I like the natural kbs a lot
Microsoft kbs are very responsive but I like saitek better. I don't like logitech keyboards, but buy them b/c they are usually well priced and/or look good or have media keys in configurations that I like. My microsoft keyboards have lasted way longer than logitechs. I am a soft typer, but am not a big fan of laptop keyboards. My dell keyboard looks sexy but is horrible on typing response and has a great depression distance.. it feels like a logitech keyboard that I've had for a year and a half or something.
microsoft kb's - high quality: generally seem to have a longer depression distance, very responsive to light touches, and the keys require the same or less force over time to depress
wiresless kbs don't have nearly as much lag as logitech kbs.
logitech kbs - mid/low quality: generally have a shorter depression distance, but require a little more force than microsoft or saitek, and the keys require more force over time (I don't much like logitech keyboards for long-term use)
the wireless keyboards all seem to have a lag to them .. maybe it's b/c i type over 100wpm and am just anal about instantaneous response even for word processing.. everybody's wireless logitech kb that i've touched has this lag... ppl tell me there's no lag.. but somehow I see it and hate it.
saitek kbs - high quality: shorter depression distance than microsoft, but about the same as logitechs, very responsive to light touches, and the keys stay the same or become softer over time.
memorex: medium depression distance, responsive to touch, but did not work well for gaming - couldn't handle multiple key-pushes at the same time.
Conclusion:
For typing or gaming in general, I think this is a horrible keyboard. If I were some professional reviewer, I'd clearly get my ass fired.. but since i'm just a normal user.. I really don't care.. I used this keyboard for two days and quit after that. I gave it a full day of breaking in and it still sucked the same (atleast it didn't get harder to type with). I bet the only "razer" part of this keyboard is the laser-etched keys.. everything else sucks really badly compared to any razer keyboard I've ever laid hands on.
Pros:
small size
anodized aluminum frame is nice
laser-etched keys
media keys
feels like you can kill someone w/ the kb and still use it fine
free mousepad comes w/ it
cons:
horrible led coloring
led lighting bleeds b/w the keys more than through the lettering
horrible key response
media keys jammed somewhat easily
expensive
When you hit all the keys, you should hit them in the center.. wider keys doesn't mean you have a greater surface area with which to type with... don't be fooled
Aesthetics:
For some really stupid reason I thought the silver keys would actually match the anodized aluminum look on keyboard's frame - I was very wrong.. the silver keys look horrible next to the sexy anodized aluminum frame; the keyboard may look better in black. I believe these silver keys are the same material of the ones that are used in the original saitek eclipse... they seem to have matching texture
The blue leds are way too bright in my opinion and cannot be turned down. A ton more light bleeds between the keys instead of through the letters. It also has a slightly purple tint to it, which I do not like. To give a reference on my lighting tastes, I think the saitek eclipse II's lighting is too dim and the original saitek eclipse has about the right amount of brightness to its leds.
Typing quality:
I found this to be exceptionally poor. While it is true that the keys have a shorter depression distance, it requires much more force to get the actual letters to type out. What this translates to is: when I was gaming, the keys were not nearly responsive enough to my soft touch to move when I needed to. While typing, this also means that I was missing characters. Also, since the keys actually have a greater outer surface area (where your finger touches) and a small electrical contact surface, I found that if don't hit the keys in the center, you get a ton more resistance. None of this will be a problem if you type very hard.
A media jammed while I was playing music... sure I pressed it on the side and not the middle.. but this really ticks me off. I think it may have been the "next" or "play" key
To put some keyboards in perspective, here's my general opinion: I wish the original saitek eclipse came w/ media keys. It is my favorite for all-round usage, but I gave it up b/c the saitek eclispe II has media keys. I prefer Microsoft kbs for normal usage... and I like the natural kbs a lot
Microsoft kbs are very responsive but I like saitek better. I don't like logitech keyboards, but buy them b/c they are usually well priced and/or look good or have media keys in configurations that I like. My microsoft keyboards have lasted way longer than logitechs. I am a soft typer, but am not a big fan of laptop keyboards. My dell keyboard looks sexy but is horrible on typing response and has a great depression distance.. it feels like a logitech keyboard that I've had for a year and a half or something.
microsoft kb's - high quality: generally seem to have a longer depression distance, very responsive to light touches, and the keys require the same or less force over time to depress
wiresless kbs don't have nearly as much lag as logitech kbs.
logitech kbs - mid/low quality: generally have a shorter depression distance, but require a little more force than microsoft or saitek, and the keys require more force over time (I don't much like logitech keyboards for long-term use)
the wireless keyboards all seem to have a lag to them .. maybe it's b/c i type over 100wpm and am just anal about instantaneous response even for word processing.. everybody's wireless logitech kb that i've touched has this lag... ppl tell me there's no lag.. but somehow I see it and hate it.
saitek kbs - high quality: shorter depression distance than microsoft, but about the same as logitechs, very responsive to light touches, and the keys stay the same or become softer over time.
memorex: medium depression distance, responsive to touch, but did not work well for gaming - couldn't handle multiple key-pushes at the same time.
Conclusion:
For typing or gaming in general, I think this is a horrible keyboard. If I were some professional reviewer, I'd clearly get my ass fired.. but since i'm just a normal user.. I really don't care.. I used this keyboard for two days and quit after that. I gave it a full day of breaking in and it still sucked the same (atleast it didn't get harder to type with). I bet the only "razer" part of this keyboard is the laser-etched keys.. everything else sucks really badly compared to any razer keyboard I've ever laid hands on.
Pros:
small size
anodized aluminum frame is nice
laser-etched keys
media keys
feels like you can kill someone w/ the kb and still use it fine
free mousepad comes w/ it
cons:
horrible led coloring
led lighting bleeds b/w the keys more than through the lettering
horrible key response
media keys jammed somewhat easily
expensive
When you hit all the keys, you should hit them in the center.. wider keys doesn't mean you have a greater surface area with which to type with... don't be fooled