It sometimes seems that companies try to get on bandwagons for the sake of moneymaking, without really putting actual thought into how they do it. Sadly, half of this product smacks of that. The idea is almost sound: have a keypad at the side that can be used by the ‘non-mouse” hand, and which provides a convenient grouping of frequently used keys.<\/p>\n
The problem here is the fact that the definition of “frequently used keys” changes from game to game.Yes, most first-person shooter titles, and some others, do use the WASD keys for movement – but there’s more to gaming than those four keys.<\/p>\n
All right, so the keypad includes some surrounding keys, as these are often used in games for various functions. Shift, Ctrl and Space are all often used, and are represented here, but in unfamiliar and uncomfortable positions.<\/p>\n
The F key, which normally sits right next to D, is mysteriously absent (even though many games use it), and is instead replaced by a copy of the T key. Now, this would all be fine if the keys could be re-programmed, but it seems that the keys are ‘hard’ copies of their original counterparts, which is to say that they are simply wired together.<\/p>\n
The keys are somewhat smaller than normal, which makes this keyboard somewhat awkward for people with normal-sized or larger hands, but should prove fine for the early teens. The duplicate WASD keys are normal-sized, however.<\/p>\n
Oh, there is no NUM-pad, by the way – this may not be a problem for some, but for others is definitely a factor, so take it into consideration. It is odd that the ‘gaming keypad’ (the reproduced WASD and surrounding keys) was placed on the left side of the keyboard, instead of where the NUM-pad would normally be – surely doing so would make playing more comfortable by bringing the hands closer together?<\/p>\n
The packaging claims that the keyboard is waterproof, and we are taking this on faith. Unfortunately, because this keyboard connects via PS\/2 (this, in itself is quite a surprising anachronism), risking shorting out the keyboard would be risking damaging the motherboard, so we didn’t test this.<\/p>\n
However, assuming it is the case, this is a very nifty feature (I can’t count the number of times I have spilled something on my keyboard at a LAN!). Another nifty feature is the fact that the Windows key
can be disabled – very useful when playing games!<\/p>\n
While the keyboard is, overall, very mediocre, the mouse is pretty good. Again, it is a bit on the small side, so this product is definitely intended for younger gamers, but the shape and responsiveness are both quite good. It is a five-button model, and also has a sixth button for on-the-fly adjustment of the mouse’s sensitivity.<\/p>\n
Unlike the keyboard, the mouse connects via USB.<\/p>\n
Overall, it seems that this product is aimed at the young teenage gamer, both in terms of styling and due to the small size of both the keys and the mouse. Older users will likely find this desktop too cramped, and the lack of a NUM-pad may be an issue for some.<\/p>\n
Price: R203<\/p>\n
Score: 6\/10<\/p>\n