Scissor key, illuminated, phantom key, wired woes

J

John Stamos

Gawd
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
1,012
So I'm at a brick wall here. I've been looking for a scissor key, illuminated, wired, spaced F keys, comes WITH a numpad, and at least a 4NKRO. I realize these keyboards aren't typically made for "gaming", and I'm not looking for macro keys so one would think it shouldn't be that tough. When I say gaming I mean ANY keyboard that fits this description and doesn't have ghosting issues.

So far in my travels I have come across a few, and I shall list them below.

Eclipse Litetouch: Key positioning is way off, touch screen numpad is a gimmick and renders my right hand of the keyboard useless. No spacing between F keys. The arrow keys, delete, home, etc. are all mashed together as they tried to fit it in a compact manner. I even wrote a review on amazon after purchasing it. http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member..._pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview
So that's out of the question. (It's my current keyboard)

Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin: Seemed like the best choice, but after further investigating I see that ghosting issues plague this keyboard. W + Shift + Space = No Go, which means I am not interested in this keyboard.

Logitech DiNovo: Owned this one, gave it away. Key ghosting...sigh.

Logitech Wireless Solar Powered: Not illuminated, not wired. Bleh.

I'm not a fan of the chiclet key style (like the ones apple keyboards have) so I didn't bother with those.

I'm out of ideas on where to go here. Do they just not make what I want? Can there really be no market for this? I'm at a standstill here, so any help is appreciated.

edit: http://forums.atomicmpc.com.au/index.php?showtopic=40952 Guess I'm not the only one! Wish that topic was resolved.

edit 2: I think I'm just going to go with the Luxeed http://www.luxeed.com/estore/product.php?id_product=43 There's even a numpad attachment. I don't get the F key spacing but I can't find any better.
 
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Logitech Illuminated is a good keyboard for gaming. I use it myself. I play BF3 and CoD4 with it. W + shift + space works fine. So I don't know why some people on the interwebs keep saying it has that blocking, my keyboard is working fine (I have one of the early batches)

Edit: I want to try this keyboard but I don't live in the US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0028PJ6OQ/ http://i45.tinypic.com/263hcwg.jpg
 
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Interesting, no issues with the key blocking eh? I wonder if they released different revisions over time. A lot of the amazon.com reviews claim that the keyboard is plagued with it.
 
You could buy it and send it back if it has the blocking. I have the one with the small shift, if that has to do with anything.
 
I ended up buying the Luxeed u7, crazy over priced but it seemed to have all the features I need. Upon arrival I quickly learned that it was a membrane keyboard...yuck. Low profile keys + membrane keyboards = old iBook keyboards. It's a terribly cheap feel, especially for spending 120 dollars AND an additional 50 for the numpad...oh, AND another 15 for the software, ...and 50 for shipping. So yea it cost me around 260 dollars. Within about 2 hours I boxed it up and requested a return. There's no way in hell I can justify the cost of that for the quality of the keyboard. The lights were nice, sure, but not 260$ nice. Hell, even the numpad lighting differed in shade from the keyboard lighting.

It was a gamble though. There was very limited reviews on it, so I figured I'd give it a go. I also tried the Logitech Illuminated at my friends house. It certainly did have phantom key blocking for Shift + W + Space, so that's out of the question. I honestly don't know where to go from here. As we speak (type) I'm testing out my girlfriend's Logitech G19 and I just can't see me going back to these massively large keys. There's so much play in the movement of them it's ridiculous. I know it's purely a preference but I have no idea how I used to type on these things before.

The Luxeed U7 was my last chance...now I don't know where to go. I'm not particularly interested in mechanical due to the size of the key (I never had a chance to try it though) as I just like the feel of a solid scissor-switch keyboard. My requirements remain but I'm certainly becoming more relaxed on some of them.

-Scissor-Switch (requirement)
-Wired (requirement)
-Anti-Key Ghosting (minimum 4 NKRO, requirement)
-Illuminated
-Spaced F keys (not a necessity)
-Numpad built in (I'll never do an accessory again)
-Preferably not chiclet style keys (http://www.shrani.si/f/s/mS/2kUHXPoi/scissor.jpg) As you see in the picture, that's the type of key I'd prefer. The slight curvature in the key just feels so right when typing.

I saw Razer had a few keyboards that partially fit these descriptions but the reviews were mediocre and I've never had luck with Razer products. Who would think a headset would cease to function from normal wear and tear (aka putting on and taking off). Those keyboards were the Arctosa//Lycosa. Anyone have any good experiences with these things for at least over 6 months?

Edit: Upon research I saw that the Lycosa/Arctosa were NOT scissor switches. Scratch that. That and of course Razer is pretty hit or miss with their products...usually miss IMO.

Arg!
 
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Well, I don't necessarily need full anti-ghosting capable keyboard. A 4 or 6 NKRO would be perfectly fine.

I'll update my main post accordingly.
 
just wow @ expansive keyboard and crap quality

I have been in the same position so I know how hard it is to find a scissor keyboard for gaming. I can't see myself go back to those larger and loud (!) keys either.

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I guess I was really lucky to receive this Logitech Illuminated without the Shift+W+Space blocking. I have the small shift version and I wanted to return it for the large shift version at first, but I decided to keep it when I saw the complaints about the Shift+W+Space blocking. I'm really starting to think that only the short shift version and/or early versions of the keyboard have no Shift+W+Space blocking. If the short shift is an issue for you, just remap the key next to the shift, the backslach (\) key, to shift. I kind of like the extra key in games now.

I can confirm one other complaint people have on the interwebs: N+'+T does not fully register. I am not a fast typer so that isn't really a problem for me. The only complaint I have with this keyboard is the spacebar, but that is easily fixed. Also, for gaming I would prefer a keyboard without numpad but yeah, I can't have everything.

Other options:
Saitek Eclipse Illuminated Litetouch Keyboard
Enermax Acrylux Premium Ultra-Thin Aluminum Keyboard~ the logo lights up, not sure if its full illumination
Logisys Ultra Slim Soft-Touch Multimedia Illumination Keyboard ~ not sure if this has scissor keys
 
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The Eclipse Litetouch is the one I already own, it's in my first post.

The Enermax is scissor switch...I will look into it. The Logisys also seems nice, but I can't seem to find out if it's scissor or not. The reviews are also pretty mixed. I'll keep looking. Thanks for those finds. The real question is whether or not they have ghosting!

Edit: The Enermax seems like a solid find. There's a wireless and wired version, I would like the wired. It seems they no longer make the keyboard though. There's also hardly any reviews on it. It's definitely scissor and has some form of lighting which is nice. It also fits most of the other requirements I have. The only seller I found is on Ebay but it's 30-40 dollars more than what it's worth. Go figure, it's from the same part of Korea that I bought my Luxeed from as well. The only issues I have are that I'm not sure if it's an english keyboard or not, and I still haven't found out whether or not the keyboard has ghosting issues. This could be the most difficult purchase I've had in years. I cannot afford to make another return to Korea and lose out on shipping costs internationally.

Edit 2: Had to do some serious searching. Found the black one on their website but it was out of stock. Then I found a white one which would REALLY be nice. The manufactures website wouldn't ship to the US. I then found one on ebay. I purchased it and left a message in the instructions reaffirming that this was an English US keyboard. I'm concerned it may be UK, but honestly I can deal with that just fine if it is. It seems they don't make this keyboard anymore so I hope all works out for this one. I'll let you know once it arrives. It's a glossy white finish so it's gotta look spectacular. Thanks for the find. I've been going hard on this for days now.
 
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Ahhhhh what, how did you find it on that site?? If I can find a white on that site, I'll cancel my ebay order and buy it there. It cost me 100 on ebay after international shipping and that's assuming it's even a US layout keyboard once they respond. I actually found a lot of them on some foreign sites, but all of those are non-US layouts. What a shame (for me, not for others of course!)
 
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I saw the white one on another site. I will search my history for ya. They also have the Logisys, perhaps they know if it's scissor or not.
 
Judging by how they label the Logisys as a "soft-touch" key press, I would assume it's membrane. But yea, if you found that link I'd appreciate it. It's 4am here so I may be going to bed soon, but I'll be sure to check it out tomorrow.

I noticed you're a new member here. I'd say you've done quite well so far, welcome!!
 
Thanks :) The white one I've found comes from a german website. High chance that the layout isn't US.
I'll see if I can find another white one. I don't know why they call it white. The keyboard looks silver to me.
Edit: it looks silver in the videos I've seen of it.
 
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Yea, after finding the exact model number a lot of the foreign sites popped up. I can only assume the one I ordered on ebay is probably not a US layout. We will find out tomorrow I guess!
 
It's morning for me :) The white version definitely looks silver: click.
I read that a common complaint about the keyboard is that the keys easily wear off. Some had their keys wear off after one month, others after 9. That doesn't surprise me because the keyboard looks and probably feels like my old Dell M1530 which had the same problem.

In my opinion, Logitech Illuminated is still the best scissor keyboard available. I might want to ask people to test SHIFT+W+SPACE for me and buy a couple more, just in case my current one ever breaks.
 
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Hm, that link you sent me seems to not work. I did read about a few people claiming the keys wore off. Then there's always a few that say they've had it for 1-2 years with no issues. I hate drastically different reviews!

If you end up sticking with your keyboard, you should definitely see if you can find a reliable resource with the alternate model that you have.

You'd think in a market where they have fans on a mouse to cool your hand, they would at least have a scissor switch keyboard with some basic features!
 
The Acrylux is not illuminated except for the logo, and the Aurora models are not illuminated at all. Enermax keyboards are also hard to find. It's like they only made one batch for each model. I had both the silver and the black versions of the original Enermax Aurora. The paint on the silver ones wears off but not the black ones. If you're looking for an alternative to the Aurora, try this keyboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823191007

Most standard keyboards have combinations of three keys that can't be pressed. The Enermax keyboards are laid out so they don't interfere with touch typing, which means you can usually press multiple keys if they are meant to be pressed with different fingers. Shift + W + Space works on the original Enermax Aurora. I find Logitech keyboards tend to be arbitrary, and I had one model that was so bad that I couldn't type normally without keys blocking.

You'll have a hard time finding an illuminated keyboard though. Finding a good scissors keyboard with the proper layout is hard enough.
 
Thanks for the post Toasty, it's certainly difficult finding all of those aspects. I did end up ordering a White Acrylux from ebay before you posted your suggestion though.

As I figured..it was in German. I tried 3 times to confirm from the buyer that it was in English (as pictured) without any response. I opened the box, tried a few keys to see if I like the feel, and boxed it back up. I will now have to deal with an over seas return and I'll be damned if I don't get a refund for my shipping either. It took this keyboard 10 days to get here. Since I like the feel of the keyboard, I'm going to go with the black version which is on a more reliable website that I've dealt with before. This one will in fact be English and since I got a good feel on the white Acrylux I can't see why this won't be the final nail in the head on my keyboard hunt.

Toasty, I did save your recommendation though in case things go sour. I'll let you guys know how the black acrylux turns out when I get it. Possible Friday, latest Monday.
 
I'm in the same boat as you OP, I've made due with the Logitech Illuminated for years but one of my keys broke yesterday. Sad there is no keyboard with the same features as the Illuminated but with a better n-key rollover.

Looking forward to see what you think of the Acrylux. I can always mount a cathode above my keyboard I suppose......
 
ToastyX said:
Most standard keyboards have combinations of three keys that can't be pressed. The Enermax keyboards are laid out so they don't interfere with touch typing, which means you can usually press multiple keys if they are meant to be pressed with different fingers. Shift + W + Space works on the original Enermax Aurora. I find Logitech keyboards tend to be arbitrary, and I had one model that was so bad that I couldn't type normally without keys blocking.

You'll have a hard time finding an illuminated keyboard though. Finding a good scissors keyboard with the proper layout is hard enough.
Click to expand...

Nice NKRO description.

Have you looked at the Zippy? KBTalking use those guys as a modding OEM and I bet the ghosting ain't bad.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA
 
I have the Logitech Illuminated keyboard and it does not allow w + space + shift. Only a very small percent of them will allow this. Logitech purposefully disabled this function after a small batch.
 
I recently received my Black Enermax Acrylux. Unfortunately it is NOT backlit like in the pictures. It actually has a red background behind the keys so in the picture it appeared to be backlit. I did say I would probably have to make some sacrifices and I guess that would be the one. I'll make due.

Typing feels good. Scissor switch is where I want to be and that's exactly what it provides. Although the N key roll over is pretty sour. W + Shift + Space works perfectly and that's all I really wanted. As far as key placement...I'm having a terrible time as this is literally the first thing I am typing. Don't forget though, I am coming from the terrible Eclipse Litetouch placement which took me a solid month to figure out.

The F keys are spaced out in 4's, something I missed having. I have a functional number pad back as well! The keyboard is also a nice piano black finish and it comes with a dust cloth which I'm sure I will need. There is also a USB slot on each side of the keyboard. Not a necessity for me, but I'm sure some people have a use for that.

The only problem is, there's no adjustments to the back of the keyboard to adjust the height of the back so it's a pretty flat keyboard and I can already feel some finger strain but it's something I will get used to. If anything I can just make a simple mount on the back to prop it up.

Otherwise this will due for now in my keyboard hunt. Perhaps one day all the requirements I wanted will come around, but for now the Acrylux will satisfy me.
 
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