Overall, a pretty impressive showing of gaming hardware, especially the keyboard—the dials for volume and lighting add to the whole Death Star control panel quality. I'm definitely planning on getting my hands on it. The X6 and X5 will hit next month for $80 and $60 respectively, and will be up for pre-order on Amazon shortly.

Tip: You can buy the original Sidewinder mouse now for just $38, and it has adjustable weights and an LCD that the X5 doesn't.

Transform With Microsoft’s New SideWinder X6 Keyboard; Industry’s First Switchable Key Pad Moves From Work to Play

SideWinder line expands with first-ever keyboard and new SideWinder X5 Mouse.

LEIPZIG, Germany ─ Aug. 20, 2008 ─ Today at the Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, Microsoft Hardware debuted the SideWinder X6 Keyboard — the most versatile gaming keyboard on the market with the first-ever switchable key pad that can be attached to the left or right side of the keyboard for ultimate flexibility. To round out the SideWinder line, the Hardware team is also announcing the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge.

The switchable key pad makes the SideWinder X6 Keyboard ideal for gaming as well as productivity, as the key pad functions as a standard num pad in normal keyboard mode, but becomes a programmable macro pad in game mode. Complementing the unique versatility of the keyboard are features specifically designed for gaming, including the capacity to store up to 90 macros per game and backlighting that helps users get immersed in the game.

“We know that consumers don’t want to pull out and set up a second keyboard for a gaming session, so we created a device that was perfect for both gaming and regular computer use,” said Kevin Flick, user researcher for Microsoft Hardware. “With the switchable key pad, gamers will have a fantastic, customizable experience whether they’re playing their favorite game or creating Microsoft Office PowerPoint presentations.”

Powerful Versatility

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard’s switchable key pad allows gamers to program up to 90 macros per game with the help of a set of dedicated macro keys as well as a fully programmable key pad. With mode switching, gamers can instantly go from Microsoft Office Excel to their favorite game — and place the macro pad on whichever side they prefer for gaming. The X6 also offers the following features to take advantage of its adaptability:

o Mode switching lets gamers manually toggle the keyboard from standard mode to either of two gaming modes. LEDs show the selected mode.
o Automatic profile switching detects the application that is running and applies the custom profile.

Designed for Gaming

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is more than a standard keyboard with a few extra bells and whistles — it was built from the ground up with gamers in mind, to give them an edge up on their competition. To complement its versatility, the keyboard has the following additional features to produce the ultimate gaming package:

o New Cruise Control feature continues an action without having to hold down the key or keys assigned to the action. Gamers can use Cruise Control with up to four keys at a time.1
o In-game macro record button lets gamers record any sequence of keystrokes — even standard chat messages. Macros are stored on the PC hard drive and can be easily shared.
o WASD gaming keys, the most commonly used keys for gamers, have front-face lighting for enhanced visibility.
o Quick-Launch key gives one-touch access to Windows Vista Games Explorer, allowing gamers to quickly see the games in their PC’s game library.2

Get Immersed

Gamers enjoy a heightened experience when adsorbed in the gaming world. Research shows many gamers like to dim the lights, and the X6’s two-color adjustable backlighting helps set the mood to achieve total immersion. The red backlighting indicates standard keys that are not programmable, while the amber color indicates custom-programmable macro keys in game mode that can be tuned to the gamers’ preference. The X6 also includes full media keys and volume and backlighting control dials to fine-tune the gaming experience.

SideWinder X5 Mouse

Today, Microsoft also announced the SideWinder X5 Mouse, a fast, powerful gaming mouse designed to give mainstream gamers a competitive edge. The nine-button gaming mouse is designed for handling with vertical side buttons, adjustable sensitivity switching up to 2,000 DPI, five customizable buttons, and a Quick-Launch button that instantly launches the Windows Vista Games Explorer.

SideWinder: It’s Only the Beginning

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard is the first keyboard to join the popular SideWinder family of gaming products. Established in 1995 and revived in 2007, the SideWinder line is known for its top-notch PC gaming peripherals, including mice, game pads, joysticks and steering wheels.

Pricing and Availability

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be widely available in September 2008 for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.) and $59.95 (U.S.), respectively.3 The products are available now for pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship in September when they are widely released. The SideWinder X6 Keyboard and SideWinder X5 Mouse will be backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft Corp. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

[Microsoft]

The Price: $159

The Verdict: High quality for a semi-premium price. The DiNovo keeps the same form factor as the old PC version, but adds Mac-centered function keys and shortcuts like Dashboard, Mail, Safari, iTunes, iPhoto, Expose and Spotlight, as well as custom playback controls, an on-board mini-trackpad, a volume slider and the obligatory command, option and control keys.

In terms of build quality, it's super stable and can stand up to quite a bit of hard typing if you've got hammer fingers. It's also on the soft side of keyboard (not like the IBM clackfests), so people who enjoy the latest Apple aluminum keyboards will definitely like this. In fact, it's probably even slightly more comfortable than Apple's, which is good, seeing as this costs about twice as as their wireless version.

There's no num pad, but even without it the keyboard takes up a not insubstantial amount of space on your desk. There's a nice docking station for recharging once a month. We'd definitely give this a thumbs up for users who type a lot to justify the $160 price tag. [Logitech]

FREMONT, Calif. —(Business Wire)— Aug. 6, 2008 Logitech (SWX:LOGN) (NASDAQ:LOGI) today announced the perfect keyboard to complement your Mac(R) computer. The Logitech(R) diNovo Edge(TM), Mac(R) Edition is the newest addition to Logitech's line of award-winning diNovo keyboards and the first diNovo keyboard specially designed for the Mac.

"We're truly delighted to offer discerning Mac enthusiasts our highest quality in keyboard design and performance," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech's keyboards and desktops. "From the piano-black finish to its built-in TouchDisc(TM) touch pad, the diNovo Edge can make it a pleasure for you to type, control music or launch your favorite applications."

Since the introduction of the original diNovo(TM) Media Desktop(R) in 2004, Logitech's diNovo line of distinctive keyboards has garnered many awards in response to its blend of design and performance. The newest diNovo keyboard is exceptionally thin (1/2 inch or 11.05 mm) with a high-gloss, semi-translucent Plexiglas(R) frame, sharp angles and soft-orange backlighting. The aluminum palm rest with anodized-silver finish looks good with any Mac computer, including the iMac(R) and the MacBook(R) Pro.

In addition to its design, the diNovo Edge, Mac Edition features optimized Mac keys for one-touch access to Mail, Safari(TM) and iTunes(R), as well as many other Mac-specific applications. The new Logitech keyboard even offers a Power button that turns your Mac computer on and off, while the TouchDisc allows you to scroll and navigate from your keyboard. Moving a finger up and down or across the disc moves the cursor on the computer screen, and moving the finger in a circular motion around the perimeter of the TouchDisc enables you to scroll horizontally and vertically through documents. (Logitech Control Center software installation is required for some features.)

For a typing experience that's comfortable, fluid and silent, the new Logitech keyboard features the Logitech PerfectStroke(TM) key system. PerfectStroke is designed to create longer key travel - 3.2 mm compared to 2.2 mm - than that of typical notebook keyboards, which means that the distance your fingers have to travel to activate a key is optimized for your comfort. And because micro-scissors distribute force evenly across key surfaces, even if you strike the edge of a key, the key stroke still feels the same.

An included charging base eliminates the hassle of changing batteries, with a four-hour charge giving you up to one month of battery life. A 10-minute power charge provides one day of use.

So you can get started right away, the new Logitech keyboard connects directly to a Mac computer through Bluetooth(R) wireless technology, providing a range of up to 30 feet.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech diNovo Edge, Mac Edition cordless keyboard is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning this month. The suggested retail price in the U.S. is $159.99.

[Project Page via Swissmiss via Likecool]

The software is Windows-only, sadly, and the keyboard comes without a standard numeric keypad. That'll cost you an extra $35, and it doesn't light up. But with the main keyboard costing just $200, it's one eighth the price of Art Lebedev's funky keyboard offering. Available in black or white, with the white model having translucent keys. [ThinkGeek via Technabob]

[HackaDay ]

That's right Mark; we have sold a product:) and booked a dollar...what is the world coming to?

It's good to see the $129 Phantom Lapboard finally released, a tale that started back in 2004 finally finished—expect the sky to fill with winged pigs shortly. [Phantom]

The Price: $129.99 ($99 Pre-order)

The Verdict: You may recall earlier versions of the Das Keyboard as a wacky typing aid with blank keys. Well, the third installment of the series is on its way, and this time the focus is on comfort, not gimmicks. As with the earlier versions, if you like an IBM Model M keyboard typing experience, you will love the Das Keyboard Professional. In other words, this keyboard provides a satisfying "click" sound with each keystroke and it has a very positive tactile feel. To be quite honest, it was one of the most comfortable keyboards I have ever typed on.

The Das Keyboard Professional also has a high-quality feel to it—like it is sturdy and well-made. Plus, the addition of n-key roll over (12 simultaneous key presses) and the two USB ports on the side will undoubtedly prove useful for gamers and serious typists. As for the blue LEDs, they are a nice touch I suppose, but they are more of an afterthought than anything else. In fact, my test unit did not even include them.

On the flipside, we are talking about a $129.99 corded keyboard with no multimedia functions here—which is a tad expensive for a keyboard with what some may consider limited functionality (not to mention the fact that clicky keyboards are not for everyone). Still, I view the Das Keyboard Professional like a pair of expensive jeans that look like any other pair of jeans, but you wear them everyday because they fit you perfectly. If you are looking for a sturdy, comfortable keyboard that is big on accuracy, it may be worth the extra money. And if you hurry, the $99 pre-order price is not entirely unreasonable (a blank version is also available). [Das Keyboard]

The Verdict: As a personal trainer myself, I welcome any device that will motivate people to work out on their own—especially when outside of the gym. However, far too many of the gadgets that exist for this purpose are gimmicky and serve only to clutter up a garage after a few weeks of use. Unfortunately, I have to group the Gamercize GZ PC-Sport Power Stepper into this category.

Just to be clear, let me start off by saying that the device does what it is supposed to do. If you exercise, you can use the peripheral device hooked up to the machine. If you slack off, it will hijack the device until you get back on track. That having been said, I was a bit miffed about the machine's reliance on batteries. Both the power stepper display and the controller require them (one AA and three AAAs respectively). If the batteries die, it will probably be a while before they are replaced—and that could be the perfect window for unmotivated users to stop their workouts.

Another problem is that steppers of this type don't exactly provide an intense full-body workout (users can choose to hook the device up to an existing stepper with a 3.5mm jack connector). Sure, there are five different intensity levels to choose from and it will burn some calories, but the bottom line is this: If you are going to town on this thing at the office, your co-workers are going to plot against you inside five minutes. As you can hear in the video, the sounds of the power stepper would eventually drive anyone around you into a murderous rage. Even if you only used the device in private, trying to type on a keyboard or use a mouse while stepping can get annoying real fast. It's like trying to thrash on a drum kit and sing at the same time. It's just plain unnatural.

Finally, you are going to need a big desk and some short legs if you want to use the GZ PC-Sport Power Stepper correctly. I'm tall and my legs were up in my chest during the workouts—and adjusting the height of the steps on the machine only serves to reduce your range of motion which, in turn, reduces the effectiveness of the machine. Again, just about any type of workout is better than nothing, but you could get more out of your $200 by getting a gym membership and using your lunch hour for a quick 30-minute workout. [Gamercize]

The keyboard includes raised, mechanical snap-dome keys under a hardcoated polyester film that's more rugged than conventional silicone rubber keypads. It also has an integrated Synaptics touchpad, like the ones found on laptops, which can substitute for a mouse. The device is especially built to withstand the humidity and dust of industrial settings, such as a work shop or food processing company (or certain blogging locations).

iKey's keyboard comes in either a conventional desktop design or a panel mount model that can be put in a stainless steel case. The company sells it quote-by-quote, so no pricing info was available. A backlit version will be out later this year. [Softpedia

May 05, 2008 09:00

SteelSeries Introduces the 7G Professional Gaming Keyboard

Mechanical keyboard increases responsiveness by more than 90 percent and is more than 10 times more durable than typical keyboards; Eliminates anti-ghosting

CHICAGO —(Business Wire)— May. 5, 2008 The leading manufacturer of innovative professional gaming gear, SteelSeries, today announced the U.S. release of its new gaming keyboard, the SteelSeries 7G. The keyboard, designed with 18-karat gold-plated mechanical switches, sets new industry standards for advanced key combinations and Actions-Per-Minute (APM). This translates into quicker reaction times and stronger results.

Eliminates Anti-Ghosting

The SteelSeries 7G keyboard sets a new industry standard for gaming keyboards by allowing users to perform at new levels with advanced key combinations. Utilizing a powerful PS/2 buffer-system created specifically for gaming, the SteelSeries 7G keyboard eliminates "anti-ghosting" by supporting as many simultaneous key press commands as there are keys on the keyboard. What this does, for example, is allow users in a first person shooter game to walk, crouch, aim, fire and check the scoreboard simultaneously. Traditional keyboards do not allow this much functionality all at once.

The keyboard was built specifically to offer gaming-grade response times as well as an unmatched durability with a switch lifetime of 50 million operations, which is 10 or more times the lifespan of a typical "membrane" keyboard which has a maximum of 1-5 million total keystrokes in a lifetime.

"Professional gamers demand top quality equipment that provides durability and quicker response times," said Bruce Hawver, CEO of SteelSeries. "The time that we've invested into working with literally hundreds of gamers to design the SteelSeries 7G keyboard has resulted in a device that will truly change the way you play, limiting gamers only by their skill level - not their equipment."

The SteelSeries 7G keyboard is equipped with audio ports for headphone-out and microphone-in and includes a two port USB hub. With both PS/2 and USB connectors, the keyboard features the compact SteelSeries Media Controls, an essential gaming element that allows the user quick access to volume, muting and other audio controls.

Recognizing the importance of high-performance PC gaming equipment, professional Counter-Strike player, Franz "mouz/gore" Burghardt, said that, "SteelSeries creates top quality gaming gear that helps players perform at their best. The 7G has taken gaming keyboards to a whole new level by eliminating anti-ghosting and increasing the response time, which is so important for first-person shooter games. It's a tool I can rely on even on a professional level." Franz Burghardt and his teammates from mousesports recently won the ESL Masters championship at CeBIT in Germany, beating the best teams in the world and winning $50,000 USD.

The mechanical tactile system is ergonomically designed to ensure ease-of-use, and the no-click switches and iron-infused plastic make the SteelSeries 7G keyboard both comfortable and durable for professional or competitive gamers.

The new SteelSeries 7G keyboard, with an MSRP of $149.99 USD, is available for purchase at Dell.com, AlienWare.com, NewEgg.com, Amazon.com and on the SteelSeries Web site at http://www.SteelSeries.com.

About SteelSeries

SteelSeries is a leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, including headsets, keyboards, mice, software and gaming surfaces, selling in more than 75 countries. SteelSeries has been on the forefront of professional gaming gear since its inception in 2001, thanks to continued innovation and product development in cooperation with leading professional gamers. All SteelSeries products are developed in co-operation with professional gamers to ensure optimum performance and durability. SteelSeries supports the growth of competitive gaming and electronic sports through professional team sponsorships and community support all over the world. For more information, please visit http://www.SteelSeries.com.

1. It's not meant for a lot of typing. There's no way you're buying this $1500 keyboard for typing. If you wanted the best typing experience, there's plenty of boards from Microsoft or Logitech or Apple that are better suited (and protect your wrists better). No, you want this because of the shortcuts it'll let you see and the customization it'll let you perform. The individual keys are loud and clacky, which is not great for people who prefer scissor switch or membrane type keyboards. There is a decent amount of feedback when you press a key, however, and it springs back nicely. It's just not a keyboard you'd pick out to type 100+ WPM with.

No, if you do a lot of typing, you want to have two keyboards. One for typing, and the Optimus off to the side for button presses and shortcuts and gaming and the stuff that the Maximus was made for.

2. It works. Each key has a display on it, each display is bright like you'd expect, and each display is customizable. Not only can you pick what's displayed on each key (the whole point of this thing), you can customize what each key does when you press it. As of now, you can execute an AppleScript, Shell Command, trigger Expose, and open a file.

3. You can make the keys display ANYTHING. As long as you have an image, you can customize the display to show anything you want. Static images are fine, but if you wanted to, the keyboard can even support GIFs or MOVs. Play back a movie on your keyboard!

4. It's heavy and big and wide. This is not a small keyboard. This is probably the heaviest, biggest, and sturdiest keyboard we have ever used. If you heard an intruder in your house and you wanted to decide between a bat and the Maximus, it'd be a tough decision. Then again, unless that was a signed commemorative bat, you should probably leave your $1500 keyboard be.

5. It's not wireless. Sorry folks, this thing is wired. Not only is it wired to your computer, there's an AC adapter wire as well. Double wired, you might say.

6. The OLED display doesn't fill up the entire key. Those early renders of the Optimus keyboard aren't accurate. There's a small display embedded in every key, but they're all the same size. It takes up a good 85% of a normal key, but when you get to Shift, Enter, or Space, it's noticeably smaller. Not a huge deal, but if you were hoping to get a huge stat readout of your computer on the Space key, you're out of luck.

7. It comes in four models. Because the keys are interchangeable, you can actually buy them one at a time, or only have some of the keys be OLED display enabled. There's four versions now, one with only the space bar active ($462), one with the 10 side function keys active ($599), one with the 47 regular QWERTY keys active ($999), and one with all 113 keys active ($1564). It's up to you which one you like, but you should at the very least get the 10 active key set.

8. It's not plug and play. When you plug in the Maximus, all you get is a standard keyboard. To get fancy actions, images, or animations going, you're going to have to program them in yourself. Not a huge deal for the hardcore users, but be aware that you'll have to spend a few hours getting used to the system, setting things up, and digging up images to go with whatever actions you want to perform.

9. It's heavily customizable—or at least it will be. Despite the previous target date of April for the final version of the software, it's only at version 0.591 now. There are instances of announced features on their Optimus Blog that haven't made it into the beta versions yet. This means a lot of features—like being able to simulate any series of keys when you hit a button—are still missing. Not to mention that the software currently has a memory leak and balloons up if left alone for more than a day. Quitting and restarting fixes it.

10. You probably shouldn't buy it yet. Even though Art Lebedev is currently taking orders for the keyboard, you should wait until the final release of the software is out. At the very least, wait for them to reach 1.0 and add in all the basic functionality they've been promising. This shouldn't take more than a few months. After that, if you're worried about how expensive the Maximus is, you can wait for the price to drop. Chances are that it won't drop too dramatically, but $1564 is a high price to pay for a normal user.

However, if you're in production or art and really need this for your work, you can go ahead and grab it now. $1500 is easily expensable, and if it helps your productivity by even a small percent, it's totally worth it. [Optimus]

Note: When the software version hits 1.0, we'll do another software oriented look at this keyboard.

The Price: $49.99

The Verdict: The Ci70 is a good typer, but you'll want this for the mini USB convenience. If you're a person that often syncs your digital cameras, smartphones or portable hard drives to your PC, you probably have a lot of mini USB cables. The Ci70 lets you ditch all those cables and just use one embedded into a slideable, hidden compartment that you can never lose. Ultra convenient.

The keys feel very much like the Kensington Slim Type Keyboard, but this time has both the Windows key and the Apple Command key on one unit instead of making two separate models for each type of machine. It's also fairly quiet and has laptop-ish (scissor switch) keys.

The only complaint we have are because of its slightly condensed size (Kensington says it's 35% "smaller"), which, like the Kensington Slim Types, place the Home/Page Up/Page Down/End keys vertically to the right of the Enter key. The same scrunched design also make the arrow keys smaller than usual and harder to hit. Other than these fairly minor issues, it's a pleasure to type on and almost ranks as high as Apple's aluminum keyboards in our book.

At $49.99, the Ci70 is a great keyboard for people who are looking for a quiet, soft typing experience and the convenience of not having to dig around for a mini USB cable. [Kensington]

The Digital Media Keyboard 3000 is the more basic offering of the two. The corded keyboard offers five favorite keys and quick access to features such as Flip 3D and Windows Media Player.

The 7000 bundle will retail for $130—the keyboard is not sold separately—when it is available in April. The 3000 sells for $30, and is available in June. Not bad Microsoft, not bad at all. [Microsoft]

Of course, RIM has fired out lots of other patents in the past which we've yet to see in reality. So if you're a Blackberry fan who'd love a bigger slide-out keyboard, don't get too excited by this — we suspect you won't be seeing a real product anytime soon. [Reghardware]

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