Hands-On With SteelSeries Ikari Mouse and New 7G Gaming Keyboard

Engadget recently had the chance to review some high-end gear from SteelSeries. While they may be a little on the pricey side, it seems that both the Ikari laser mouse and the 7g keyboard received favorable reviews. "The Ikari laser mouse they announced last year is particularly great, with a built-in processor and sensitivity settings to allow for a customized and precise sensitivity setting in a plug-and-play setup particularly suited to professional gamers. Settings are easy to work, and the actual sensitivity and response of the mouse easily outclasses our prior mousing experiences. New to the market is the SteelSeries 7G keyboard, which is making its debut on Monday the 5th. The keyboard is fully mechanical, with no-click switches that give it a much stronger, smoother tactile feel, while simultaneously catering to gamers by registering half presses. The keyboard weighs a ton thanks to the heavy-duty iron-infused plastic and the gold electronics, and is quite capable of handling abuse. We grew up typing on heavy-duty keyboards, and this is easily the best one we've used this decade -- though the $150 pricetag also makes it the most expensive outside of the Optimus Maximus."

Professional gamers?

[a_nonamiss (743253)]

particularly suited to professional gamers

Once they've sold to all 6 of them, then what?

Re:

[joe 155 (937621)]

I dont know if its just for proffesional gamers even if this is a market its well suited for. I'd consider getting one just for typing and the odd game. They did say it was rather quite good even at the say to day tasks.. I guess if they could get the price down to £50 that's about the point I, and a lot of other people, might think about it as a productivity tool

IBM Model M

[Nursie (632944)]

You know it's the way to go :)

Re:

[marimbaman (194066)]

They're even available new from Unicomp.

(My Model M was born on March 16, 1990!)

Caps Lock! Oh No!

[TechyImmigrant (175943)]

The Caps Lock is still there. Why on Earth did they leave the Caps Lock there? I'm sticking with my happy hacking keyboard, with the much more useful Ctrl key on the left center.

Re:Caps Lock! Oh No!

[Aranykai (1053846)]

You cant remap your keyboard? What, are you some kind of windows user?

Re:

[AikonMGB (1013995)]

Well, it is a gaming keyboard.. I kind of took the Windows user thing as given.

Aikon-

Re:

[TechyImmigrant (175943)]

You cant remap your keyboard? What, are you some kind of windows user?

Yes I can remap the keyboard. I can't re-silkscreen the key caps though.

More importantly I don't want to have to fart around with keyboard maps in Linux, Windows and MacOS whenever I switch keyboard.

Re:

[magarity (164372)]

I can't re-silkscreen the key caps though
 
You bought the wrong keyboard then. Get yourself one fo these [thinkgeek.com] and never worry about it anymore. QWERTY, Dvorak, Gamer, who knows? Poke at a couple of keys and find out what's mapped where!

Re:

[TechyImmigrant (175943)]

My happy hacking keyboard does what is required.

I'm in the market for a robust, high quality, compact keyboard with the right layout. But nothing has surpassed the happy hacking keyboard yet.

Re:

[TechyImmigrant (175943)]

I never scour the keyboard for CapsLock, because I never use CapsLock. I can press the shift key on the occasions I need to. Ctrl however, is much more useful, and would best be places in a convenient location. Hence the happy hacking keyboard.

Re:

[djohnsto (133220)]

In XWindows, try this in xorg.conf:

Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"

In MS Windows, try caps-as-ctrl.reg [gnu.org]. You will need to reboot after installing.

Re:

[value_added (719364)]

n XWindows, try this in xorg.conf:

Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"

xmodmap might be the preferred solution as it allows you to test your configuration without restarting X. Also useful if you're a vim user and choose to remap ESC for a long editing session.

In MS Windows, try caps-as-ctrl.reg. You will need to reboot after installing.

A reboot? Say it ain't true! Seriously, thanks for that. There's a remapper utility provided in the Resource Kits that I regularly drag out, but it didn't occur to me after

Re:

[TechyImmigrant (175943)]

In XWindows, try this in xorg.conf:

Option "XkbOptions" "ctrl:nocaps"

In MS Windows, try caps-as-ctrl.reg [gnu.org]. You will need to reboot after installing.

Nahh. I just plug in my happy hacking keyboard. No config necessary.

Re:

[value_added (719364)]

For AOL users?

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[Trogre (513942)]

but.. but then it would be in the wrong place! And you wouldn't have a Caps Lock key! I'll stick with PC-101, thanks.

For both pro and casual gamers?

[the_arrow (171557)]

Both of these products are obviously built for pro and casual gamers

While I can see "pro gamers" shelling out $150 for a keyboard, I'm not so sure about casual ones.

Re:

[superbus1929 (1069292)]

Personally, I want to know what the fuck gamers are doing to their stuff where they need reinforced steel and a mouse with it's own CPU. Is this shit REALLY necessary?

I'm not asking that rhetorically, I'd seriously like an answer; the whole "Professional Gaming" thing, save my early flirtation with The Wizard when I was 10, passed me by in my old age.

Re:

[Kazrath (822492)]

Because "Hardcore" gamers get pissed and throw or smash shit. My old GM back when I played WoW was on his third keyboard after about a year. Nice solid durable keyboard will most likely be able to take a throw against the wall or maybe a good stomping on.

My roomate unfortunately has found it cheaper to punch a hole in the wall since plaster is cheaper than computer equipment.

 

Re:

[dslbrian (318993)]

Personally, I want to know what the fuck gamers are doing to their stuff where they need reinforced steel and a mouse with it's own CPU.

I don't know about the mouse, but a heavy keyboard with mechanical switches is nicer to use IMO. Weight keeps it from shifting around and the switches are more durable. If the keys are properly formed, using some kind of infused plastic rather than the surface printed labels then they won't tend to have the labels wear off either.

For this particular keyboard though I don

Re:

[Eirenarch (1099517)]

Well there are many gamers with money that dream of going "pro" or just want to copy the "pro". While pro gamers will probably spend that much money on gear they are usually addicted to their gear and will not buy new one unless the old breaks. I doubt any pro gamer upgrades his gear when new one appears on the market. However the pro wannabes do.

Prior mousing experiences

[drquoz (1199407)]

"...the actual sensitivity and response of the mouse easily outclasses our prior mousing experiences."

Well, that's a phrase you don't hear every day.

Re:

[Barny (103770)]

So, uh, will it outclass my Razer Lachesis (4000dpi, 1khz polling on USB port and a great feel)?

Gamers don't want a mouse to last forever, we want a mouse that is the best.

Re:

[Achromatic1978 (916097)]

Oh lord, a superiority complex.

Gamers bleat that 4000dpi is needed for that "uber" control. It's not. Not even close. The day any human being on this planet shows me manual dexterity with an object weighing half a pound capable of precision control to within SIX THOUSANDTHS OF A MILLIMETRE is the day I'll personally fund the construction of an 8000dpi mouse just for you.

I want to tell you just how fine that resolution is. SHORT head hairs on an ANT measure 0.006mm.

You could survive on 1000dpi at the most

Not sure how this qualified as a review

[NeutronCowboy (896098)]

More like a cut and paste of a PR release. All I saw was short blurbs about "This rocks, you ought to buy it", along with some tech buzzwords thrown in. Not a single word breathed about ergonomics, how the programmable interface actually works, the details of the customizations and how effective they actually are. Really, the summary IS the article.

This is a slashvertisement if I've ever seen one.

L shape enter/return key and small backspace key

[tknd (979052)]

Just from looking at the keyboard I hate it already. An L shaped enter/return key and a tiny backspace key with the backslash next to it.

I've always hated the L shaped return key because it forces you to move the center of the key slightly higher...which is too high for a pinky. The large size you could say makes it easier to hit, except that most L shaped keys have terrible balancing so hitting it slightly lower or higher than the middle of the key can cause the key press not to register.

Now the tiny backspace key really gets me. I had a keyboard with a tiny backspace key and it pissed the hell out of me because I would often hit the key next to it since it was so small.

Let me solve the problem for you..

[msimm (580077)]

Don't use it.

Personally as someone who enjoys playing games online (and has a little extra income to throw at it) I've been disappointed by the majority of gaming keyboards which seem to use standard switches. I haven't used this board or seen it myself so I wonder how the keys feel. Standard boards are good for typing and have a bit of play in the keys you don't need for your average twitch and shoot.

Typically I use a board that uses scissor [wikipedia.org] switches (like in laptops) because they have a much smoother

Re:

[timmarhy (659436)]

what kind of noob wants LESS clacky? the best keyboard i ever owned was a keytronics keyboard. it weighed about 5kg and had STEEL SPRINGS for the return tension. it's clickity clack was unrivaled, people across the road ducked for cover when i typed because the sound resembled machine gun fire.

the thing was about 10 years old and still going strong.

The shape of the keys depends on the country

[Joce640k (829181)]

Then again, their previous keyboard is only offered in "Swedish, Norwegian and Portugese" so the L shaped key is the least of your worries.

Re:L shape enter/return key and small backspace ke

[Trogre (513942)]

Yuck, I agree completely. That tiny backspace key is a dealbreaker for me, with my typing error rate.

I do like the complete lack of "evil" keys though: Power, Wake and Sleep.

Re:

[jackbird (721605)]

That would be a rebadged Keytronic Ergo series. An awesome keyboard, but considerably cheaper if you buy it with letters affixed.

Re:

[DMUTPeregrine (612791)]

IBM Model M, take off the keycaps (NOT the whole keys) and spraypaint them all black. Then spray them with 1 layer of Testor's glosscoat and 2 of Testor's dullcoat to seal. Thin layers. Place the keycaps back on the keys, you now have a Das Keyboard-style keyboard for a reasonable price. Whatever you do, don't spray over the date-of-manufacture/serial number sticker on the back.

Analog?

[Squarewav (241189)]

"catering to gamers by registering half presses"

Does this meen that the keys are analong and can be programed that way? or is it just another button that clicks halfway down?

The idea of having analog 'WASD' sounds real nice for pc games. Still 150 is too much when better supported gaming keyboards are on the market for less then 100

waste of money

[timmarhy (659436)]

seriously, "iron infused plastic and gold electronics"? way way too much masturbating.

Re:

[Nimey (114278)]

It's not too much masturbating until you bleed.

Re:

[exploder (196936)]

seriously, "iron infused plastic and gold electronics"? way way too much masturbating.

How much weight do the gold electronics really add? At over $800/oz, I doubt it's making a significant contribution to this $150 keyboard's weight.

That review is a crock.

Was this supposed to be a review?

[MythoBeast (54294)]

This has got to be the sparsest review I've seen for any product. WTF? The specs say that it has a USB port and speaker/mic jacks, but did we get a picture of them? Did they even mention them? Nope, I had to guess from the picture of the connectors. The most useful piece of information was the user comments that told us about the two USB jacks and the flimsy hand rest. What, pray tell, was the point of the four images of the logo on (what is that anyway? a bunch of mouse pads?). Really, this has got

Model M

[Digi-John (692918)]

Get it, use it, annoy your roommates. Seriously, I have 3 or 4 of these things, use them all the time, and only had to pay for one ($1.50, the rest were free).

Re:

[Nursie (632944)]

Oh hell yes!

I have a few hanging around, must be 10 years old. Best Keyboard Ever. Also comes with handy "super loud" click to annoy friends and workmates alike!

$150?!?!?!?

[AuMatar (183847)]

A decent keyboard is $20. Anything over that is robbery. Anyone who actually shells that kind of cash out for a keyboard needs to have his credit cards taken away.

Re:

[garett_spencley (193892)]

Great idea!

For all who are interested in saving your hard earned cash I will help you out. Mail your credit cards (preferably in tact with the PIN number for ATMs included) to:

Garett Spencley
1374 Copperfield Ave
Toronto, ON
N8W 5K7
Canada

I am offering this service FREE OF CHARGE to anyone interested. Seriously. NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

You're welcome!

Re:

[glittalogik (837604)]

I spent around US$75 each on Microsoft Ergo 4000 [microsoft.com]'s for home and work when I first started getting RSI, they're worth every cent.

Re:

[Joce640k (829181)]

I paid over $100 for my keyboard and don't regret a penny of it.

http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/en104bl.html [yahoo.net]

Re:

[DMUTPeregrine (612791)]

I have a Unicomp DSK-layout model M. It's excellent. The quality seems quite similar to that of the original model Ms I've used.

Sidewinder Mouse

[dedazo (737510)]

A few weeks ago I bought a SW mouse at BestBuy. I was a little worried about dropping that much money on a rodent, but my standard came-with-the-PC optical mouse just wasn't cutting it. After a few days I couldn't be happier. The size and chunky construction of that thing makes it a no-brainer for FPS.

I used to think dedicated gaming hardware was just a selling point, but really, if you're into FPS and you're still using the OEM crap that came with your box, you're missing out on a lot. Take it from someo

Some thoughts on pads and boards

[xx01dk (191137)]

I used a Steel Series frosted glass mouse pad for a while, but I had to stop because if even the most tiniest particle settles on the surface, my mouse made this horrible scratching sound. Even worse, I could feel it as well, so I was constantly wiping down the surface and also rubbing the mouse on my pants leg. Needless to say, this detracted from my overall gaming experience.

I'm sure their other pads are fine, and maybe I'm one of the unlucky few who works/plays in a somewhat dusty area. I'm just putting

Not the most expensive

[Metasquares (555685)]

I'm typing this message on a $200 Logitech DiNovo Edge.

Unicomp keyboards

[DigiShaman (671371)]

My vote goes for the Unicomp keyboards. They're mechanical and provides a nice "click". Oh, and their built like a tank. Got mine for about $70

http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net/ [yahoo.net]

Re:

[exley (221867)]

Of course it smokes both the aforementioned keyboards standing still...

I may not be a professional gamer but honestly I think the only way one keyboard should be able to "smoke" another is if one catches fire.

a...men

[OMNIpotusCOM (1230884)]

/signed

The ads for movies and what-not is getting really annoying. I don't remember /. being this bad but... maybe I'm just new here.