Dr Gadget - Gadget Shop - Ideazon Zboard 'MERC' Gaming Keyboard (PC)

	List Price: £34.99 Our Price: Your Save: £ 0.00 ( % ) Availability: Manufacturer: Ideazon
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Manufacturer Maximum Age: 18 Binding: Video Game Brand: Ideazon EAN: 0826734001935 Feature: USB Label: Ideazon Manufacturer: Ideazon Manufacturer Minimum Age: 36 Number Of Items: 1 Platform: Windows XP Publisher: Ideazon Release Date: 2006-06-30 Studio: Ideazon
Features USB Dedicated Gaming Terrain - MERC's dedicated gaming terrain combines 34 gaming keys, a deadly central butterfly layout, three thumb keys and 11 weapon keys. Sleek Ergonomics - Sleek ergonomic game pad tilts 11 degrees to match natural wrist position while providinghours of comfortable gaming. Core game commands are labeled for quick access, including run, walk, jump, crouch and reload. Multimedia Controls & Hot Keys - MERC features multimedia keys and programmable hot keys Powered by ZEngine Technology - Supplies gamers with pre-defined key layouts (a.k.a. MOD Files) and the ability to easily switch between them for today's top PC gaming titles.
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Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: A true gaming keyboard. Comment: This keyboard has Ideazon's "Butterfly pad" integrated into a standard QWERTY keyboard. It is much better than other so-called gaming keyboards because it actually has different shaped keys which make it ideal for gaming. The butterfly pad is very comfortable to use, with keys the right shape and in the right position for gaming. Also tilted 11 degrees to match natural hand postion, and I have really felt the difference from that. Compared to the original Zboard which I used previously, this is much better. As said before, the pad is tilted, also the movement keys feel nicer to touch - less plasticky - and the number keys are much better placed. The QWERTY keyboard isn't ideal, the keys spacing is all wrong and isn't good for touch tpying, and the fact that many keys are integrated into the number pad can be quite annoying, but I suppose it's neccesary to make room for the butterfly pad. The software is very good, though it's best to download the latest version from the website rather than using the software on the CD that comes with it. The quick switching software keysets is very useful, and saves you configuring the controls in-game. It also comes with suggested key setups for most games. In all I think this a very good keyboard, and a must for any gamer, but the newer MERC Stealth looks better if you're willing to spend more money. Customer Rating: Summary: Great!! Comment: Quite simply, the Zboard Merc is the best and most functional Zboard to date. I dont know what the durability will be like but they are great!!! BUY IT!! Customer Rating: Summary: Gaming just got better. Comment: I picked up this keyboard the other day, and I have to say it is well worth the money if you are a serious gamer. Finished in a cool black and silver hard plastic, it looks the biz and feels pretty sturdy, and it is quite a wide keyboard. To accommodate for this, Zboard have combined the cursor and home keys into the numpad, with lock keys to activate the various functions. TBH this is the only sensible option, as this keyboard would not fit on many desktops otherwise. Now onto the main point of this board - the gaming pad! I must warn in advance that for a few days it takes some getting used too, but once you get the feel for it, you will not want to go back to an ordinary board. The main problem with the Pad is that it is a little cramped, and the number buttons are set in a rounded profile above the movement keys. This often makes it hard to hit the 3, which for most games is the primary weapon. Other than that I found the layout felt very natural and comfortable for long into the night server sessions. The sortware that comes with the Zboard is easy to install, and it comes with most keysets pre mapped for the most popular online games.And there are loads of keysets for Fps, mmorpg, adventure and action. Just load the keymap and then start your game, and the keys are ready mapped. However you can still map the keys in the normal way if you do not like the mapping. As a side note - This is a different keyboard to the other Zboard products, in that you do not need to buy any extra keysets for games, that slot into the baseboard - this is a complete gamepad/keyboard combo that is software controlled, this means it is by far the cheaper option than having to buy a different keyset for your top games. The only other problem with this keyboard is that the keys are set on rubber gromits, giving them a very spongy feel. If you do more word processing than gaming then I reckon you would be better off looking elsewhere - but for gamers this keyboard is a must. Customer Rating: Summary: MERC GAMING KEYBOARD Comment: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT, CAN'T FAULT IT, IMPROVED GAME PLAY, DOUBLED MY SCORING FAST RESPONSE AND COMFERTOUBLE QWERTY KEYBOARD IS GOOD TO, BRILLIANT LAYOUT AND RESPONSE FROM GAMING KEYS IS AWESOME, USED WITH LOGITECH BLUE GAMING MOUSE IS LUVLY JUBLY, IN TRAINING AT MOMENT USING ON BATTLEFIELDS 1942, 2 AND 2142 GEREATRIC GEORGE THE OLD AVENGER, IN TRAINING AT MOMENT, 75 YEARS OLD AND STILL WOBLING ABOUT ON THE BATTLEFIELD (WISH I COULD RUN LIKE THE GAME HE WHO FIGHTS AND RUNS AWAY, LIVES TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY, JUST GOT ME GRENADES, THATS ANDY, GOT FED UP WITH BIENG BLOWN UP BY OTHER GAMERS ? SO LOOK OUT AND ENJOY, SADLY I HAD TROUBLE IN MAY WITH LETTER KEY STICKING BETWEEN O&Q I WAS GOING TO RETURN IT BUT AFTER CLEANING I FOUND IT WORKED AGAIN, MOST OF KEYS STUCK AT FIRST BUT DECIDED IT WAS NEW SO IT WOULD BE OK THE GAMING SECTION WAS EXCELLENT BUT IN OCTOBER 07 THAT KEY CEASED WORKING TOGETHER, SO I ORDERED THERE LATEST Z BOARD (ILLUMENATED ONE FROM AMAZON OUT ON NOVEMBER 22 07) I WAS JUST UNLUCKY WITH OTHER ONE, TRIED TO FIND IF THERE WAS ANY GAURANTEE ON IT? BUT HARD TO CONTACT MAKERS??? BUT THE GAMING SECTION IS BRILLIANT? YOU WOULD AMAZED HOW DIFFECULT IT IS TO WRITE LIKE THIS WITHOUT THAT LETTER BETWEEN 0 AND Q?? SEE NOT ONE OF THAT LETTER IN THIS LATER REVIEW? ALL OF YOU HAVE A NICE DAY Customer Rating: Summary: Great for games! Comment: This is a great keyboard for gaming - the key layout on the game keypad works very well, with the buttons in convenient places. The software for mapping keys for different games is also good. The only downside for games use is that the key labels are fixed, so you still need to remember where the nonstandard commands are. As a non-games keyboard, the extra multimedia keys are a nice add on, but it's a pity that they've merged the cursor keys and ins/del cluster with the numeric pad. I can see why they've done it - the keyboard is pretty wide with the gaming keys, and adding another key cluster would probably make it too wide for most people (and not leave enough mouse room on many workstation keyboard shelves) - but it takes a little bit of getting used to, although at least the cursor keys are where you expect them to be :-) More Reviews
Editorial Reviews: Including a cluster of 34 programmable keys specifically for gamers. On its right side, theres a conventional QWERTY keyboard, but on the left is the fun stuff: among others, it has three thumb keys and 11 keys that can be assigned to a variety of weapons in your favourite first-person shooter. The keyboard uses a routine called phantom limitation capabilities that allows seven simultaneous keystrokes without sending Windows XP crazy.