Hardware Review: Saitek Cyborg Keyboard

By Macky

Okay so I got this two or three weeks ago now. I bought it for like £40.00. It usually costs more, I found a cheap website somewhere though.
So it boasts quite a lot of nice features:

12 programmable 'C' keys with three modes of programming
Tri-colour backlighting with Tru Vu illumination through keys (Red, Green and Amber) Also dim, normal, bright.
WASD, Cursor and 'C' keys can be lit independently from the rest of keyboard
LED brightness illumination adjustment
Adjustable rake angle of keyboard - unique clutch mechanism allows the keyboard to be positioned at the exact angle required
Up to 6 keys can be pressed simultaneously - no need to worry about keys not activating
Media keys (Play, Skip) and volume control
Replacement hard-wearing keycaps for WASD and Cursor keys
SST Programming software
It also has a USB extension port and headset and mic ports. Cables are all goldplated too.


The lighting is incredibly customizable, just check on Youtube lots of people have posted videos showing it's nifty lighting.
As you can see, you really can do anything with it. Dim or brighten a certain bunch of keys, etc, etc. The first picture of mine is not in Cyborg mode.

The second is in Cyborg mode. I did it kind of Lycosa style. But also turned on the macro lights and arrow pad.

Cyborg mode disables the windows keys and changes the lights. You could have it the same as your normal lighting but whatever you do it will save it so next time you turn your computer on it will remember how the lighting was. Pretty neat. Also the heavy gaming keys so; W A S D, the arrow pad and space bar all have a toughened metal coating. I'm guessing so they don't wear out easily. They do feel nice and smooth and a tiny bit colder than the rest of the keys.

Okay so the typing experience. It took me a week or so to get used to the keys, they are spaced slightly further apart than a normal keyboard. They have a nice press, and the keys don't wobble or rattle. They are nice and firm. They are also very easy to read as they have larger print letters on them compared to a regular keyboard. The only poor part I found were the customizable C keys. They feel a bit cheap and not as nice as the normal keys. Still, they work well. (Money shot) \/

Comfort. They Keyboard is very comfortable, and once again, very customizable. It has 2 different sized stands at the back and one at the front. The wrist rest also has 3 positions it can be in. I keep mine tight against the keyboard as I have small hands. The wrist rest does look quite odd though it has a nice rubber texture and is grippy and firm. Also you can slip your headset through the middle of it. Plugged in is my WD HDD and a headset.

Software. Probably the keyboards biggest let down. Okay I didn't know how to programme the keys at first but after watching some videos on Youtube I know how to now. And once again, they are very customizable. Once you know how to do it, the possibilities of what you can programme are endless. You could just do a simple (C1) = F1. (C1) being the first macro on the left. Or you could do some complicated stuff by adding in multiple commands and time delays. I haven't had chance to do this yet but for instance you could; Turn your semi-auto pistol in COD5 or whatever into a pretty much full auto. You can do this by adding in the time delays. So by adding a very small amount of time in between each command (0.01sec) it would do each command after another with a 0.01 second gap. Or you could change each separate time delay, so start off slow and then go fast. I dunno, it is just very up to the user. You can have up to 3 profiles I think, if I'm wrong you can have lots more. You just save them as .pr0 files. Odd I know. Then when you are done you just right click on the system tray icon and click which profile you want. Quite simple really, though they do need to get some better instructions on Saitek.com or an official video perhaps. - I hope I didn't get too deep, sorry! I called my profile "css_f_keys" As I just programmed the Macro keys to double as F keys which I binded some guns and stuff to in CSS. Simple enough? It has some fantastic potential, it just looks too basic though.

Aesthetics. Ok so the keyboard looks quite strange in all honesty. It is also quite big. I'll admit that it certainly isn't as sleek as a Lycosa or the Dinovo Edge or some very expensive nice looking keyboard. However, I would rather have this keyboard than a Lycosa because of it's sheer customizability. I wouldn't say this keyboard looks necessarily bad, however it doesn't look sleek at all. This thing is more for performance than looks I think. The touch strip across the top is quite nice and works well too. The only thing I haven't got to work yet is the Play, pause, rewind, fastforward bits. Possibly because I don't use Windows Media Player. EDIT - Keys Play/pause FF/RW work in WMP. Volume and mute are used in Vista. There is also a huge bulky cable, containing the Keyboard USB, Extension USB, Mic, Headphones.

Overall. I love this keyboard. It is a huge improvement from my old crappy Microsoft one from about 4 years ago. It actually has improved and made my gaming more enjoyable. You may think I'm lying but I'm not. It is easier to move and to type with nicer and firmer keys. Also the macros are incredibly useful, I am yet to unlock their full potential, though even with the simplest commands they are a joy use, when they work. Fantastic keyboard, glad I bought it, go and buy one now.

The Box.
Front.

Back.

Scores
Ease of use - 7
Price - 8
Features - 10
Looks - 7
Performance - 10

Overall - 9/10