PC Gaming Keyboard And Command Pad
by Saitek
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Our Price: $99.98 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of PC Gaming Keyboard And Command Pad
Customer Review: What's the probelm?
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this keyboard despite some of the less than enthusiastic reviews I had read, and I couldn't be happier with it. I have no idea what those other reviewers are complaining about. The keyboard is nice and heavy with a detachable wrist rest, and of course the ever popular blue, backlit keys. The board is very stylish, but more importantly, it works flawlessly. Despite what you may have read in another review, the board DOES allow you to use the delete key to access the bios menu at boot up. It is no different than any other keyboard in that respect. It is also completely compatible with Windows XP SP2. Someone else mentioned that you couldn't use the separate command pad and the main keyboard at the same time. I don't know what their problem is, I use both the keyboard and command pad at the same time wihtout the slightest problem. The combination makes this the ideal keyboard for playing games such as first person shooters, as you can programme the keypad with up to 27 commands (9 buttons with three shift modes). Programming using the Saitek software is practically a no brainer (despite what others might have you believe) you simply open the profiler, click on the key you want to assign a function to, and then click on the key on the keyboard which corresponds to that function. It's no different that any other key mapping system. The one drawback is that, as mentioned elsewhere, there is no LED or any other indicator to show what shift mode you are in. It would have been useful had Saitek put the same blue LEDs around the shift mode keys and made it so that they would light up when that shift mode is selected. To me that is not a big enough of a problem to deduct a star for. I used a Logitech Elite keyboard prior to this, and the Saitek is far superior; if for no other reason than that with the Logitech you have to take an extra step to push a button to turn the I touch function on or off, and you have to push yet another button to lock or unlock the function keys. It was a real pain to be using a propgramme that made use of the function keys, and go to use the function buttons only to find that you forgot to unlock them first. No such problem with the Saitek. If you need special functions, you simply assign them to the command pad; so you have your special functions and your regular function keys work as they always have as well. All in all, the Saitek Gamer's Keyboard is a good, solid, fully functional keyboard that looks every bit as good as it works.Customer Review: Great Gaming Keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this keyboard about a month ago and I love it. I wanted a backlit keyboard, and was looking at the other Saitek (eclipse I believe), but people said the paint wore off the keys so that they didn't even have letters on them anymore. I found out about this keyboard, and decided to give it a try.
The backlighting is even and bright (or not too bright, depending on your settings), and the added numerical pad is awesome. 2 shift keys give you 3 times as much assignment than a normal number pad. I play everything from guild wars to first person shooters and having certain weapons/skills mapped out to those keys really helps. You can even assign entire sequences to each key (great for multiplayer games when you need to say sentences quickly).
This keyboard plus my Razor Diamondback (in blue, also bought from here) make an awesome combo, and blend with my blue-lit computer.
And anyone who complains that you can't see the keys...I haven't had a problem. Especially when its in front of my monitor. I definitely recommend this keyboard, esp for the price on here (I've seen it in stores for TWICE as much!)
UPDATE 1/14/2010 - It has now been years since I originally wrote this review and I'm still using the same keyboard. Everything still works, keys are still there with no rub off, backlighting is still going strong, and the wrist rest is still attached fine. I even did a full cleaning by removing and soaking the keys in rubbing alcohol, then wiping down the case with rubbing alcohol and it looks like the day I bought it. I'm VERY happy with this keyboard!
Customer Review: "I like the pretty lights..."
Summary: 5 Stars
Great keyboard(so far) nice moody lights that make the keys stand out even during the day.(great for rainy afternoons in a dimly lit house). Not so great for night if you don't have an overhead light(or dim lamp). The ambient blue light isn't enough to see the letters. The letters should have been machine cut into the buttons for a blueness that could be seen. Works perfect in DOS, however because of the dark screen. Windows has a bright screen anyway. Am "((hoping))" to get a corner office Hutch with florescent lighting but this keyboard lighting will still help as it isolates each and every key and gaming pad button in blue light easing eye fatigue as others have said. Gamepad says it works without software, it does not. You need to install the software and set up a profile to get it to work at all. But it is a great addition. Works in XP SP2 for me, but not for everyone. Be prepaired for a driver hunt across your hard drive and the system32 directory for the .inf files. That is the Saitek way.(didn't have that problem myself).
The keyboard "is" or SEEMS pretty robust(knock-on-wood) and the keys are firm and don't give a flaky click or a loose feel, they are pretty sturdy. The game pad is a bit less firm and the keys do give a click and are not quite as stable as the keyboard but the GP seems some-what durable anyway. Other than the pretty lights and the GP this is just a keyboard, not a specialty gaming device as posted on many review sites like Tom's Hardware or Gamer's Depot or Computer Gaming World Magazine.
Customer Review: Best Gaming keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros:
-Looks awesome, especially at night, very sleek and uncluttered
-It feels very sturdy
-Keys are very quiet
-Buttons feel very good, they aren't mushy like the Logitech Elite
-Backlight can be turned off if you don't want it on, plus it has 2 brightnesses
-Command pad is VERY useful and easy to program
-Very comfortable with removeable/adjustable wrist pad
-Full sized keyboard, unlike some other lighted keyboards
-Extra large space bar
Cons:
-Takes up a lot of desk space with the Command pad
-No media keys besides mute/volume, but that might not be a bad thing for some people
-Letters on the keys don't light up (Saitek has a new board out sans Command pad that has solves this)
-USB only, but that's probably because they need to power the LEDs
Customer Review: I bought it for the program keypad, love the blue glow!
Summary: 5 Stars
Best keyboard ever. Hands down. Has a very nice touch and responds when you type on it. The blue glow has a nice "kewl" factor. The MAIN reason I bought it was because of the programmability. You can program the function keypad to do commands or type sentences at the touch of a button. Bottom line? It works. rather nicely at that. It runs a program running in the background so you can use it in games. I use it in Word typing documents, cut-n-pasting things VERY quickly (one button) if you copy or paste a lot, this is perfect. I use it for database programming when I type the same few words over, and over. I even have one key to 'flip' windows (instead of alt-tabbing all the time, just hit the function button). I would highly recommend this keyboard over any other if you are looking for the BEST.