Packaging:
Very well presented box, very well packaged, features etc detailed on sides and back.
Build Quality:
Absolutely 5 stars, the keyboard is solid with a nice glossy finish that amazingly doesn't get dirty easily or attract dust, the keys are very responsive, have a reasonably low "drop height" so you don't have to mash each keypress, and unlike the more expensive mechanical keyboards the typing 'loudness' is relatively quiet, personally I cant stand the loud clickety-clack of some keyboards so I find this a major advantage. The wrist-bar rest cannot be de-attached, but I don't view this as a hinderance and it provides excellent grip and support. The clips on the back are thick and don't look to be the sort that will break easily, which is definitely a major plus point.
Software:
Non existant as such, literally plug and play and use the keyboard properties from control panel to customise the (very customisable) keyboard. The macros etc are easily setup, but to be honest I haven't actually found a use for them yet. The keyboard has 3 seperate profile options for easily switching if you want program/game specific differences on your keyboard, and utilisation of 6 different macros per profile.
Layout:
Ive been using the keyboard for a week and i'll be honest it takes some getting used to, the key issues I found was based on "unfamiliar" key positioning and size, at first was that the Escape key is not at the top left instead the profile button is, causing me to not cancel out of programs and instead, infuriatingly, switch profiles, then having to select that key again twice and move across to the actual in-laid escape key. The same applies with the S1-S6 keys down the side, presumably intended for macro-commands yet can be programmed to do anything, frustratingly you find yourself pressing S6 instead of Control, S2 instead of Tab etc. The function keys (F1-F12) are rather small, sacrificed in size to accommodate for the quite frankly unnecessary media control keys. The Caps Lock key is very small thus dropping the WASD keys in a slightly cramped layout, with me having to disable Caps Lock so as to stop pressing it.
Bear in mind these critisisms may just be teething issues, but it has taken me I would say around 30 hours of use to get fully adjusted to the slightly irregular layout and key size, and even now during games I find my hand drifts off where it should be if I move my 'guide' fingers off WASD, the dents on the W key cannot be felt and you need to visually reposition your hand.
Key features:
Up to 26 simoultaneous keypresses: Well considering the average human doesn't have 26 fingers (anyone who types as much as me I bet wishes they had!) seems a bit overkill, but in reality they don't mean 'any 26 keys' they mean commonly used combinations such as WASD etc can be used in addition to 3-4-5-26! other keys, for gaming this is an absolutely OUTSTANDING feature, and will actually improve your skills on any game, particularly MMO's or any key-heavy program/game.
Backlit Keys: Absolutely gorgeous backlit keys with 4 brightness settings (one being OFF), to be honest your only ever gonna use brightness 3 and Off as the brightness 3 isnt exactly bright enough to be overpowering, so a simple on/off option would of sufficed, the ability to change the colour would of been great but the Red is aesthetically pleasing.
Durability:
As I have only owned the item for 1 week, it is unfair for me to give an accurate response on this yet. Based on the build quality I think it should be fine.
Cable:
A meter and a half in length I believe, standard USB 2.0 connection, reasonably thick and as far as I can tell, good quality cable and connection.
In summary:
An absolutely incredibly good keyboard for the price, Im hoping it will last for many years infact, and even if anything does go wrong after 1 year I'd gladly buy another. While the layout is somewhat frustrating at first when switching from a more conventional layout I think that once your hands have got used to it it will actually work BETTER than a standard layout (less distance therefore less strain, convenient placement of keys) All in all I have basically no critisisms other than that, I give the product 9.6/10.
Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard
by
Microsoft
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| Customer Rating | (400) | (990) | (503) | (66) | (441) |
| Price | Unavailable | £39.48 | £39.98 | £19.99 | £86.97 |
| Shipping | — | FREE Shipping | FREE Shipping | FREE Shipping | FREE Shipping |
| Sold By | — | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.co.uk | Perixx UK | Amazon.co.uk |
| Batteries Required | No | No | No | No | No |
Product description
A powerful keyboard for serious gamers. The Microsoft® SideWinder® X4 Keyboard has all the core must-haves for serious gamers, including industry-leading anti-ghosting, a first-ever Repetitive Macro key, in-game macro recording, a full media key set, automatic and manual mode/profi le switching, adjustable backlighting for playing in dim conditions, and more. Plus, at the touch of a button, this customizable keyboard—the latest in the award-winning Microsoft SideWinder line—doubles as a high-performance keyboard for everyday computing.
Features:
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| Advanced anti-ghosting capability | Mode switching | Backlit keys |
| Other Features:
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System Requirements:
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Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
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Fra
Fantastica
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