Ideazon ZBoard Customizable Gaming Keyboard Review

An anonymous user submitted a review of the ZBoard Gaming Keyboard. You really ought to check this one out just to see how nuts it is. It has custom plates with keys that are movable and... well just look at it. I can't decide if its pure genius or just ridiculous.

Comments

I know the answer to this one!

[mahdi13]

I can't decide if its pure genius or just ridiculous.

Ridiculous

This is for people that can't even type let alone find asdw and spend more time looking at the keyboard then playing or doing anything else productive with the keyboard...mouse people

Is this not a two or three year old product now?

[Lukano]

Is this review not two or three years late? I remember selling those ZBoards when I worked computer retail - and that was 2 1/2 - 3 yrs ago.

genius or ridiculous?

[engagebot]

This thing has been around for a while, and as for your question... the latter is true. Its ridiculous.

People keep trying this custom keyboard stuff, and it never takes hold.

Sitting duck.

[Poromenos1]

You don't move much, do you?

Neat idea, but not worth it.

[Andy Dodd]

They have keysets for only about ten games, if they even have ten.

If you don't play one of those games, it's just a really expensive (and in some ways inferior) QWERTY.

Logitech has the right idea with the G15 - A high-quality QWERTY keyboard with nifty extra features (namely a bunch of keys that can be assigned to macros, and an LCD display.) Same with Saitek's gaming keyboard - basically a standard keyboard + lots of macro functionality.

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

[Da Stylin' Rastan]

I know this thing looks stupid, and I would agree with you, but I've owned one for a little over 6 months now (I bought it with Battlefield 2) and I have to say it is fantastic. Not only is the base layout one of the best I've ever used (snappy keys, great look, function buttons are easy to use and reach), but the additional gaming layout (known as crossfire) is great. I know at first it just looks like a keyboard for dumbasses who don't know where the keys are. The first few days it took a bit of getting used to, but the blown-up arrow keys and convenient surrounding buttons make long gaming sessions *much* more comfortable, whereas with standard keyboards I get a tendency to cramp up. And I'm not a noob either. I've been an online gamer since Quake and offline since long before then. And my BF2 stats speak for themselves I was just as skeptical as about 80% of the "rediculous" posts that will probably be posted on these forums, but after having actually used it, I don't think I could ever go back. -DSR

Please explain the Slashvertisement concept.

[XorNand]

Taco,

You recently and candidly discussed the supposed "conspiracy" surrounding article submissions. One thing that I felt was left conspicuously unmentioned was what has been coined "Slashvertisements" e.g. enthusiastic submissions that promote underwhelming and uninteresting products. I remember seeing this keyboard in CompUSA (of all mundane places), at least six months ago. The only logical conclusions are: a) the editors don't get out much and have lost touch with what's considered new and exciting tech or b) OSDN is being compensated to provide stealth marketing services. Please provide some insight.

Thank you,
The Slashdot Community.

ZBoard Review.

[Calmiche]

Err.. What? This thing has been out for a LONG time. I've actually got one. It's okay, but not fantastic. I've got the World of Warcraft keyset, which is okay, but I eventually went back to the default keyset. It's a cute gimic, but the execution dosen't make up for the convenience of having a normal keyboard. The Pad Lock is pretty cool. It changes your numpad to useful windows shortcut keys.

Where it actually shines is in applications. I have a keyset for Photoshop http://webstore.ideazon.com/product.asp?pf_id=IW0U SE1-X2PHS01 that is increadible! It has cut down my searching for shortcut keys by quite a few minutes.

However, the keys are pretty mushy, it is way to quiet for gaming with surround sound, and the different keysets tend to take a LONG time to get seated correctly so that the keyboard sees them. It's not to bad for speed typing though. (The review says otherwise, but I don't have any problems.) The programable top set of keys is really nice though.

There are also 2 USB ports along the top. I've got my mouse attatched through there, meaning that I've got a longer reach and less cord clutter. I also plug my media card reader in there when I need it.

Not Totally Ridiculous

[Azarael]

• The Keyboard inserts work well, they are quick to take in and out and they are easy to store.
• The alternative button layout is good and bad. You don't loose your home key as easily when you are rushed, but on the other hand, the key size and spacing could be tweaked and the arrangment of the regular keys makes it pretty difficult to type chat messages.
• No one really needs or wants the weapon laybels on the number keys, overall though, the keyboard looks cool and makes an interesting computer accessory if you're interested in that sort of thing
• Zboards have very good game recognition and make it easy to set up and store your custom key mappings in one place. The utilities work well and aren't a major system hog.
• Zboards have better driver support for large key sequences. Some keyboards don't work properly when holding down 3 or 4 keys at once.
• I haven't had any reliability problems with mine in the year I've owned it. My girlfriend even melted a bunch of the keys by accident and that still didn't damage anything other than those keys

Re:Anyone got the user's manual tell me

[digitaldc]

Where's the /. key?

Don't you see it? It's right next to the ANY key.

Optimus ZBoard

[2obvious4u]

Back in October 2005, Wired Magazine showcased a keyboard called the Optimus Keyboard. This is truely the ultimate keyboard. It uses tiny organic-LED screens on the keys to dynamically change the keys for whatever your using them for. http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/ ZBoards are overprices and you have to pay for each additional key layout. Personally I'm waiting for the Optimus.

Eh, if you need something nifty

[phrackwulf]

Buy a Belkin Nostromo N52 or N50.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process ?Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=2071&pcount=&Product_Id=1 57024

You can program any key layout you want for as many programs as you want and never have to bother with buying additional keyboard sets for the z-board. I picked mine up for $29.99. That's cheaper than any z-board I've seen anywhere plus the added costs of the "custom" inserts for each game you play. Who needs that.

Logitech finally got into the gaming keyboard biz.

[TellarHK]

I looked at the ZBoard for all of five minutes once, about two years ago. It always looked and felt chintzy when I was in CompUSA looking at the display model (which was usually set up with something like an EverQuest keyboard module) and hated it because yet again, it not only screwed with the tried-and-true classic keyboard layout, but it was impossible for lefties to use.

For a while, I wanted the Saitek Eclipse - a nice gaming keyboard, backlit keys, not too much extra crap other than a good feel and the sort of look that would go over well in LAN sessions, but then the Logitech G15 was announced. Holy crap. Logitech actually went and did a gaming keyboard -right-. The only thing that bugs me is that the 'Gamer Keys' are on the left side instead of the right (which is really understandable) and that my first one (I'm on a warranty replacement now, and Logitech was amazingly good about it) had problems with the paint coming off the keys.

Logitech's usual decent quality, keys with lighted letters, a hackable LCD, 18 programmable macro keys with three modes and built-in on the fly programming. And best of all, NO FREAKY FUCKING LAYOUT. I despise what Microsoft has done with newer keyboards, screwing up the home/end/pgup/pgdown/etc. cluster, curving the arrow keys, etc. For a left-handed gamer especially, the G15 just rocks.

Note to lefties: For games like Counter-Strike and other FPS titles, I strongly suggest arrow keys with control for ducking, keyp/ins for jump, delete for reload, and end for use. Those keys are a really good layout once you get used to them, unless you mouse with your right hand.