Posted 09/14/09 at 02:44:38 PM by Logan Decker

If you ask a gun enthusiast why he needs that M4 SOPMOD to hunt squirrel, you’re asking the wrong question. It’s not that the average squirrel in the Adirondacks is on PCP and likely to require two magazines to put down; it’s that the M4 SOPMOD is a fine and uniquely crafted weapon regardless of whether it ever sees action worthy of its true potential. So, please, don’t ask us why you’d want to spend $200 on a keyboard with up to 36 macros available across 12 programmable macro keys (recordable on the fly from the keyboard itself), customizable keyboard backlighting, and even a 320x240 color display. If you’re a gamer, understand that you’re buying more power than you may ever need, but absolutely should have.

The key action is cush and quiet (preferred by most gamers and characteristic of Logitech’s boards), and the plastic is smooth yet never slippery beneath sweaty digits. The keyboard itself includes a hardware switch to disable the Windows key, and both macro and function keys are slightly elevated for easier nailing. We appreciate the slightly larger than usual Mute button below the media control keys to the upper right, and love the barrel-style volume control (if only it were reprogrammable for use as a scrubber or dial).

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Posted 08/26/08 at 11:00:00 AM by Will Smith

A few minor flaws aside, the SteelSeries 7G is a truly spectacular piece of hardware.

Almost completely devoid of amenities, this keyboard was designed from the ground up to prevent keyboard lockup—the effect that suspends all input if you inadvertently press too many buttons at once. Lockup is essentially a death sentence for competitive gamers.

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Posted 08/11/08 at 05:30:42 PM by Reed Porter

Logitech has been producing high end peripherals for years, but can the company’s midrange products maintain the aesthetics and functionality of its more expensive gear? We tested the Desktop Wave to find out.

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Posted 11/26/07 at 05:11:56 PM by Will Smith

We’ve long admired Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000; its combination of a downward tilting typing surface and a split layout is the perfect salve for our aching wrists. But we aren’t as fond of the Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, which is unfortunate, as the devices are paired in one bundle for the weak-wristed.

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Posted 05/10/07 at 05:38:58 PM by Will Smith

The problem with having a PC in your living room is simple. It’s the mouse. Mousing on the couch is a royal pain in the ass.

Resting your mouse hand on your leg, on a couch arm, or on one of your couch buddies just doesn’t work. That’s why we were excited to see that Microsoft’s new living-room keyboards ship with an integrated mousing surface. We just didn’t understand why the company also included a wireless mouse.

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Posted 07/19/06 at 03:58:19 PM by Paul Lilly

Ideazon’s previous product, the ZBoard, sported interchangeable $20 keysets with custom labels for different games. The company’s latest effort, the Merc, eschews that approach in favor of a customizable one-size-fits-all design.

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Posted 07/06/06 at 03:33:00 PM by Paul Lilly

If we were grading on sex appeal alone, the Timber Wolf would skip to the head of the class. Its unique shape and two-tone color scheme instantly catch the eye, and gaming on the keyboard is sublime. When it comes time to work, however, we’re not so easily seduced; indeed, we have serious concerns about embarking on a long-term relationship with this board.

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Posted 02/24/06 at 03:38:25 PM by Will Smith

Finding the perfect keyboard can be tricky, especially if you prefer the split “ergo” design to the traditional style—as the options for the former have become increasingly limited in recent years. Fortunately, we’ve long been able to count on Microsoft’s Natural Keyboard Pro, finding its combination of split design, traditional key layout, and integrated USB 1.0 ports superior to all others. Now it seems Microsoft’s Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 could finally replace the aged Natural Pro as our split-keyboard of choice.

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