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The Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 is like a Cadillac—huge, bulky, and unhip, but it’s the smoothest ride around.
Ergonomic keyboards aren’t as popular as they once were, and Microsoft is the only company still making a real play for the market. As a result, there hasn’t been much in the way of innovation lately—the keyboard in the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 is essentially the same as that in the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which was released in 2005.
Still, if you type a lot and you’re looking for something comfortable to rest your hands on, you’re not going to do any better than the Ergonomic Desktop 7000. It’s got a great ergo split-keyboard shape, big, cushioned wrist-rests, and a stand that lets you adjust the keyboard’s angle forward or backward to your liking. It’s wireless, and it comes with a wireless, ergonomic laser mouse that is, unfortunately, no good for gaming.
The crappy tie-in mouse dragged our original verdict down to a 7, but the keyboard itself is as comfortable as they come.
The keyboard: ergonomic, long battery life, hella comfy.
The mouse: not precise enough to use for gaming; no rechargeable batteries.
$120, www.microsoft.com
The Das Keyboard has two things going for it. One, it’s awesome. It has no labels on the keys. When you type on it, you look like a ninja. That’s awesome.
The other thing is that it feels great to use. It’s a mechanical keyboard, and even though it uses the same switches as the SteelSeries 7G, we prefer the feel of the Das Keyboard. If you want the smooth typing experience without the no-label keys, there’s a model called the Das Keyboard Professional, which is just that.
For people just looking for an awesome typing experience, the Das Keyboard Ultimate S (or Professional) is an excellent choice, provided you don’t mind spending $130. For gamers, this one’s a toss-up—it’s essentially identical to the SteelSeries 7G, but a little better-looking, and without the headphone jacks and insanely heavy-duty construction. If you like the Das Keyboard’s aesthetics, buy with confidence—you won’t be disappointed by the way this one performs.
Great performance from the mechanical keys, solid construction
The $130 price tag, hot commands can get confusing
$130, www.daskeyboard.com
Lots of gaming keyboards have the ability to set up different profiles, which let you change what key does what, depending on what game you’re playing. The SteelSeries Shift is the only keyboard (not counting the original ZBoard, which the Shift is based on) that allows you to go one step further and not only swap your profile, but your entire keyset to match the game you’re playing.
In addition to custom faceplates, the Shift has a respectable lineup of gaming features, including on-the-fly macro recording, a headset pass-through, and a top-notch software suite with profile setup and statistics tracking.
In our experience, the swappable keyplates don’t offer a whole lot of individual value, and the key quality suffers to accommodate them, but if it’s something that appeals to you, the build quality and feature set of the Shift won’t leave you wanting.
Read the original review here.
Amazing feature set, including huge customization and great software support.
Switchable faceplates require more sacrifices than they’re worth.
$90, www.steelseries.com
| Razer BlackWidow Ultimate | Razer Anansi | Thermaltake Challenger | SteelSeries 7G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch Type | Mechanical (Cherry MX Blue) | Dome | Dome | Mechanical (Cherry MX Black) |
| Connection Type | USB | USB | USB | PS/2 with USB adaptor |
| Anti-Ghosting | 6-key | 6-key | 6-key | N-key rollover |
| Macro Keys | 5 | 5 | 10 | None |
| On-the-Fly Recording | Yes | Yes | No | N/A |
| Pass-throughs | 2 USB | None | 2 USB | 2 USB, mic, headphones |
| Logitech G19 | Microsoft Ergonomic Desktop 7000 | Das Keyboard | SteelSeries Shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch Type | Dome | Dome | Mechanical (Cherry MX Black) | Dome |
| Connection Type | USB with power brick | Wireless USB | PS/2 with USB adapter | USB |
| Anti-Ghosting | 6-key | 6-key | N-key rollover | 6-key |
| Macro Keys | 12 | None | None | 8 |
| On-the-Fly Recording | Yes | N/A | N/A | Yes |
| Pass-throughs | 2 USB | None | 2 USB | 2 USB, mic, headphones |
There are three main varieties of key you’re likely to encounter in a keyboard. They are as follows:
Dome Switches
In a dome switch, the keytop presses down on a rubber (or sometimes metal) dome, which collapses under the pressure, allowing a graphite pad mounted inside the dome to complete a circuit. This is the technology most commonly used in desktop keyboards.
Scissor Switches
A variant on the dome switch, scissor switches use a small plastic mechanism to allow for shorter travel on the key. As a result, this style of keyswitch is good for low-profile boards, such as those found in laptops. And because less force is required to depress a key, these boards are usually more quiet.
Mechanical Switches
Mechanical keyboards use an actual physical switch beneath each key top to complete the circuit, resulting in greater responsiveness. Most high-end mechanical keyboards use the Cherry MX switch, which comes in three varieties (known as the Black, Blue, and Brown MX switch) with differing response profiles.
A lot of keyboards advertise various “anti-ghosting” technologies—but what exactly does that mean? It has to do with how keyboards detect key-presses. Because it would be cumbersome to have each key on a keyboard connected to its own electric circuit, most keyboards rely on a wire matrix to more economically detect which key is pressed. Unfortunately, there’s a downside to this technique, which is that it’s not well-suited for detecting more than two key-presses at once, and additional presses can result in erroneous “ghost” key-presses being registered. When you’re in the middle of a fierce firefight trying to crouch, reload, strafe, and retreat at the same time, the last thing you want is bogus key-presses going off.
Certain key combos are more likely than others to cause ghosting—among the least likely are the modifier keys, such as Shift, Control, and Alt, which is why these keys are frequently used for important tasks in computer games. Quality gaming keyboards integrate anti-ghosting technology, which increases the number of keys that can be pressed at once by using a more advanced wire matrix. An extreme version of this technology is N-key rollover, which allows any number of keys to be pressed at once. A downside to N-key rollover is that it (currently) is only implemented in keyboards using the PS/2 connector, such as the SteelSeries 7G and the Das Keyboard Ultimate S.
Comments are closed on this article
CalDrumr
July 28, 2011 at 6:53pm
I have a Razer Lycosa, and it has served me well so far. I have never had any issues with it, and it has worked perferctly since I got it. It is a solid middle road between a gaming keyboard (software customization, LED backlighting, touch-sensitive controls) and a simple keyboard (no extra macro buttons or screens). The only thing I really dislike about it is that it has a bit of a cheap, plasticky feel. I wish it were a bit more solid. However, it hasn't broken or caused me any issues thus far.
I like mechanical switches, but I really, really hate loud key noises, and I have yet to see a mechanical keyboard that doesn't sound just like the old IBM keyboard of old: loud. The Razer Black Widow is very appealing, but I just can't do with the loud noise. If I could get a solid keyboard with quieter mechanical switching, gaming features, and just a little bit of bling, I'd be quite the happy camper. This keyboard is only 60-70 bucks, but I don't mind paying 100+ for solid gaming hardware that will last me years.
samuelw
July 04, 2011 at 4:07pm
Filco is a well established name. The supplies and distribution of high-end keyboard is not so readily available in America as it is in Asia or western Europe which is unfortunate as many of us have disposable income to indulge in tactile feedback sensation.
Ghok
March 07, 2011 at 10:33pm
All I want:
1) A screen. A tiny extra screen is so useful. I'd never buy a keyboard without one.
2) Media Keys. Same deal.
3) Mechanical keys.
4) USB ports are always nice.
5) The more macro keys the better. I love the extra 18 on my old G15.
Shouldn't be too hard...
routine
March 07, 2011 at 7:16pm
I like the SteelSeries but a couple of things turn me off:
1. Why is the ENTER key so big?
2. Why are the keys not standard? Small left SHIFT. What are those other keys between L and ENTER, etc?
3. I would have rather they replaced the Windows key on the right not the one on the left. I use the one on the left, a lot.
If not for those few things, I would have bought it... now thinking about the Das Keyboard instead.
Eoraptor
March 07, 2011 at 7:27pm
Dunno about 1 and 3, but 2; those are the semicolon and the apostrophe just like any US English standard layout. (Yeah, I thought the Enter key was a bit huge as well)
Ampere
March 07, 2011 at 4:17pm
I'm pretty sure the Das uses the MX Cherry Blue switches, which is why it would have a different feel than the the Steelseries 7G. Unless, of course, you were using the silent version, which I belive has the MX Browns.
EvilGenius
March 08, 2011 at 7:43pm
you can actually get the Das Keyboards with Cherry blues or the browns
SShadow
March 07, 2011 at 3:48pm
Why did they not include the Logitech G510? It is pretty much a better version of the G19, with all the -'s corrected...
HeartBurnKid
March 07, 2011 at 1:48pm
So, were the positives and negatives for Das Keyboard left blank on purpose?
Tenhawk
March 07, 2011 at 2:19pm
You know, I don't think the DasKeyboard HAS any real positives or negatives... I own one, and I can tell you, it's exactly what it claims to be. Not one thing more, not one thing less.
At it's core, it's a very basic, but very well executed, plank. That's it. You can wax philosophic over the quality of the typing experience, but for most people? Meh. Not going to notice.
The things that make it stand out other than the mechanical switches are all very straightforward and subjective. It looks awesome, it feels great, and it WILL draw comments from anyone who sees it. But are any of these really positives or negatives? not really, because of how subjective they are. Some people will love the feel, others will hate the sound... some will love the look, others will hate the fact that they can't hunt and peck on the keys.
The DasKeyboard is very upfront about all of these things, however, and it's pretty clear that it's not a keyboard for everyone... But one look is more than likely all it will take for you to know if it's for you. There are no hidden factors to worry about, it is what it is.
Positives and Negatives are for when you want to point out something people might have missed about a product, or warn them about something they may not see coming.
Eoraptor
March 07, 2011 at 6:45pm
that's a great review!
I worked with a couple of guys in a call center who had the v1 of Das Keyboard in place of the standard issue dell crapware at our stations. (the v1 had dome switches instead of mechanical) and even that was a great build quality. if I was a touch typist instead of a three-fingered wonder, I would definitely have made the move.
Eoraptor
March 07, 2011 at 1:09pm
It definitely says something that the G-19 is still not only on the list, but a genuine competitor (which might be why it is still in production) At least it bests the old Linksys wrt600N in that respect, which was still a list topper years after it went out of production. (then again, how many people still swear by their old IBM model M's?) And personally, I like the key travel on my Logitech keboards.
tharamanthar
April 21, 2011 at 7:10am
No - By all accounts it is terrible to type on and a keyboard that fails at typing is a EPIC FAIL of a keyboard, get your bread and butter sorted - THEN start thinking of adding fancy gimmicks
