The z board

[land_leech]

http://www.zboard.com/global/

I seriously recomend this to any gamer who dosn't have it. It works great with games like PlanetSide and BF2. Best of all, you can take off the keys and slap in a regular keyboard setup.

[Visk]

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2288,CONTENTID=10717

Logitech G15 > Z-Board

G15 is practically hax. So much pwnage

[Fragmatic]

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2288,CONTENTID=10717

Logitech G15 > Z-Board

G15 is practically hax. So much pwnage

I was going to get a G15, but then I thought "Hang on, not only will it be expensive... but yeah, am I REALLY going to look down at that nifty screen all the time? Or use those macro and media keys? (Not really useful for an FPS player) What about the fact that I'd have to install drivers?" They're not out yet either.

The only nice feature of it is the backlight and the windows key disable switch. In the end though, I bought Saitek Eclipse - no drivers, nifty backlight, looks spiffy and it has the only media keys I ever use (volume and mute)

http://img321.imageshack.us/img321/6157/image001859qe.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Zsinj]

Very nice Frag, very nice. If only backlit laptop keyboards could be developed.

[Fragmatic]

Very nice Frag, very nice. If only backlit laptop keyboards could be developed.

Powerbooks have them with a light sensor.

[BizSAR]

I recently aquired a Z-board (older PS2 model), and have not tried it out yet. Is it even worth switching to it from my trusty Natural Keyboard Pro? I like the idea of the "butterfly" keys. How long does it take to get used to it?

Anyone else have expiriences with this keyboard?

[land_leech]

Not long at all. It took me only a day. Like I said, you can replace the butterfly keypad with regular keys too.

[myrtar]

if you're switching away from your natural pro, can have it?

[johnypilgrim]

Powerbooks have them with a light sensor.

Apple for the w1n!

JP

[johnypilgrim]

http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/products/details/US/EN,CRID=2288,CONTENTID=10717

Logitech G15 > Z-Board

G15 is practically hax. So much pwnage


I plan to get the G15 and the G7 with my hot Bday money!

JP

[Fragmatic]

I plan to get the G15 and the G7 with my hot Bday money!

JP

I was going to get a G5 (Don't like wireless mice) too, but there's a button missing on the side, so it looks like an MX518 for me.

:(

[land_leech]

Apple for the w1n!

JP

A computer isn't official unless it has bugs. Windows XP for the win!

[Fragmatic]

A computer isn't official unless it has bugs. Windows XP for the win!

Because all computers are stable as a rock.

OSX has a few problems too, and crashes about as much as XP - which is actually rare.

The only times I've had XP crash on me is when either -

A) I've had conflicting drivers
B) I've had hardware problems

Both of which are the fault of hardware manufacturers not Microsoft, which is pretty damn good, considering the amount of hardware configurations you can have on PC's compared to Macs.

We're not in the Windows 95 days anymore, XP is a stable OS with some great features. Get your facts straight before you insult things.

[BizSAR]

There is no software that exsists that is bug-free. It's a well known fact amongst software engineers and software test engineers.

Martyr, I'll give up my Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro when they pry my cold, dead fingers from it. :) Since MS quit making it, it's become quite the hot commodity. You can even buy parts for it on e-bay, and the whole keyboard itself is still going for pretty much what they were when they came out or more. Well known to be one of the best keyboards MS and some others have made.

Anyone else have experiences with the Z-board for gaming?

[Fragmatic]

Anyone else have experiences with the Z-board for gaming?

My cousin has one, I tried it and really wasn't too keen on it to be honest - I use a pretty wierd key layout for most of my games, and having the butterfly keyboard with all the pre-defined keys didn't do it for me. As far as the normal keyboard goes, it's nice but I hate the split spacebar.

My wierd key layout -

WASD - You know the drill on that one
Q/E - Lean (on games that use it, if not replace with often used function, such as Q for Previous weapon in HL2/CSS/etc)
F - Use (Or use E if no lean, then replace with often used function)
Shift - Sprint
Space - Crouch
Left Click - Fire
Right Click - Jump (bunnyhop button)
Small Side Mouse Button - Voice comms for HL2/CSS/etc, prone in other games
Large Side Mouse Button - Secondary Fire/Zoom
Middle Mouse = Flashlight
Caps Lock - TS/Vent button
Numerous other buttons for stuff dependent on game.

It's good - for manic games I can bunnyhop like a MANIAC, for games like BF2, I can be prone and sighted with just a tap of my thumb.

[BizSAR]

I use something similar, except somewhere along the way, I manged to get used to the 'W' and 'S' keys being reversed. I don't know why, but I can't play with 'W' being forward and 'S' being back. I have to reverse them. Very odd.

Anyway, I'm going to take the z-board out (many thanks to Jordy for donating it to the cause) and force myself to use it the rest of the week. I really don't like keyboards that are not "natural" or split, but it will be interesting to see how it goes.
Anyone know of any objective reviews of the keyboard?

[NeoPhoenixTE]

That Logitech G15 is really temptin me here...my old Microsoft Internet Keyboard is in need of an upgrade...hm..

[land_leech]

Anyone else have experiences with the Z-board for gaming?

Yes! Z board is the ultimate keyboard for the ultimate gaming experience(s)!


for games like BF2, I can be prone and sighted with just a tap of my thumb.

You probably already know this but, they have one made just for BF2. The Z board is a popular keyboard, but not known enought that a good amount of BF2 players don't know about it. So while they are fumbling with the keys trying to go prone and snipe me, I've have already riun right up to them, went prone, and tarted shooting him.

Belive it or not, the even made a z board layout for madden 2006. I know cause my dad has it. ;)

[ChewyLSB]

I was looking at getting that one keyboard on thinkgeek which is just a blank slate with a bunch of keys you just stick on... that would seem to be the "best", to me, anyways.

What I'm really looking for is a 7 button mouse, that'd be sick. Right now, I have a five button mouse, and my control scheme is... (Return to Castle Wolfenstein)

WASD - Movement
Q/E - Lean
Shift - Sprint
Caps Lock - TeamSpeak/Ventrilo
C - Crouch
Ctrl - Toggle Crouch
Z - Prone
F - Use
G - Drop Weapon
R - Reload
V - Voice Macro

Mouse1 - Fire
Mouse2 - Crouch (I find crouch to be MUCH more useful than jump here)
Mouse3 - Scope/Secondary Fire
Mouse4 - Usually the second to last weapon, like, in Return to Castle Wolfensteni as a medic, it'd be the syringe. But, for PlanetSide, this was Surge, and in Call of Duty, it was aim down the sights.
Mouse5 - Last weapon, but for PlanetSide it was Personal Shield, and Melee Attack in Call of Duty.

[myrtar]

i was looking at the board to which you refer, it has only 20 buttons :(

my mouse has 14.

[MVTek]

if you're switching away from your natural pro, can have it?

You can't have mine... it's my precious.