Saitek Eclipse II Backlit Keyboard (PK02AU)
by Saitek
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List Price: Our Price: $43.08 You Save: $26.87 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Saitek Eclipse II Backlit Keyboard (PK02AU)
Customer Review: Functional,but failed at intended goal
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a writer, and I play word games, so I am very hard on keyboards. Plus, I apparently have alien oil in my skin that eats the letters off or something. After years of springing $12 every other month for a cruddy mass discount store keyboard, I upgraded to a lit keyboard last year. Then the letters came off it. So this time I thought I'd get smart and pay the extra for "laser etched". I asked my husband to buy me this Saitek for my birthday.
I got it six days ago and use it about two hours a day, in between our daughter's naps, for playing a word game. In six days, already the "S" and "A" keys as well as half the space bar are almost rubbed off and transluscent. Honestly, some of the other keys are showing wear, as well, around the key itself so the light shines through where it's supposed to be black. I know this is bound to happen with use, even with the best keyboard, but SIX DAYS? As much as I liked the multi color illumination of this keyboard, the entire appeal of spending this much on a keyboard was to get at least a year before the letters wore off and it started looking banged up. I know where the letters are, but I also like having a keyboard that looks complete and not ancient. This has been a big failure in that capacity.
I also don't like that the keys stick up so far and are quite noisy.
But if you don't mind some noise and missing letters, it seems to be pretty functional. I could have gotten this level of functionality at much less price,though. Even my last Wal-mart keyboard lasted 3 weeks before the letters rubbed off and it was quieter.
Maybe I just use the keyboard too much, I don't know, but as much as I like some feautures of this one, ultimately I don't feel we got our money's worth and will not purchase another one nor will I be stuck with the costs of sending it back after only six days of use. Live and learn. But,like I said, if you're not using the letter keys alot and just want a gamer keyboard to use in the dark, I suppose this is ideal. It just did not meet my needs or expectations.
Customer Review: Great keyboard, could be brighter though.
Summary: 4 Stars
I really love this keyboard but I would have liked the lighting to be a bit brighter. The photos online show the dimmer turned to it's highest setting which looks very bright but the glow from my monitor definitely diminishes the lighting on the keyboard (even with it sitting below on my keyboard shelf). I've found the purple to be the brightest color and the easiest to use for general typing. The red is nice but the number keys don't show up as well. The blue is my favorite but unfortunately it's the dimmest color and you really have to strain to see the number keys at the top.
Note To Saitek: It would be great if you got rid of the opaque white and just outlined the letters in bright white leaving the center of the letter clear for the light to show through, I think it would help reduce the fading effect making the keys much easier to see.
I've found that the keys have a louder click than you normally find on the newer keyboards. I've become accustomed to my "quiet key" soft thuds so it's somewhat surprising to hear the light clicking while I'm typing. The keys also have a firmer resistance to them and are not as touch sensitive as my Logitech or Microsoft keyboards. This is not a bad thing, you just have to use slightly more pressure when typing. The surface of the keys have a light texture which is nice for gripping and the "Esc" and "F" keys are slightly smaller in size but still comfortable to use. I also love that you don't need to install any drivers, just plug the keyboard in and a "New Hardware" window pops up, very simple and easy. The plastic palm rest is fully adjustable or you can remove it completely, it's a wonderful little feature that should be standard on all keyboards. The base is heavy and stays put, no sliding backwards. I would definitely recommend buying these keyboards as gifts for friends and family, it has that "wow" factor that makes the inner child in you want to plug it in and play with the colors.
Customer Review: Great Keyboard
Summary: 5 Stars
I read most of the reviews here before deciding to purchase this keyboard. My take on most of the reviews was that the keyboard was decent but could have brighter lights. I'm sitting in a dimly lit room (light from kitchen) and I can see all the keys fine. Now I'm turning out all the lights... Still looks good to me.
Having to use my keyboard of choice for 8+ hours a day, I've been pretty picky. Right now, though, I love this keyboard. Like another reviewer, Peg, said, the keys have a sort of leathery feel them, not hard plastic. The keyboard feels solid and well built.
One question I had before buying it (and couldn't find the answer to) was whether or not it had any USB ports on it. My previous keyboard had 2 and I used one for a wireless mouse. But no, this keyboard does not have that. Not a biggie, I think most keyboards don't.
Otherwise, this is your basic, but well built and illuminated, keyboard. It has your basic 104 keys plus a few media controls in the upper right. There is a knob, and at first I thought it was a volume control knob, but it's not- it a dimmer for the keyboard illumination. To the left of the knob are media buttons for Previous Track, Next Track, Play/Pause, and Stop. To the right of the knob are buttons for Decrease Volume, Increase Volume, Mute and Illumination. The keyboard starts up in Blue. Pressing the illumination button will cycle between Blue, Red, Purple and Off. Finally, the Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock lights are at the top of the keyboard, below the "Saitek" logo/name. Some might be bothered by the placement, but I hardly care. I'm usually conscious of whether I'm in caps and num-lock mode or not.
No CD/software comes with the keyboard; no drivers needed. (Good.)
The wrist-wrest comes detached; attach it if you want. Optional.
Would I buy it again? Yes
Customer Review: Good Keyboard - Paint wears off the keys!
Summary: 4 Stars
What? Wears well in a little over a month of use? HAHAHAH!
That isn't a sign of wear at all! Try TWO YEARS! I've been using my Eclipse 2 for over two years with games such as BattleField2, Battlefield 2142, Unreal Tournament 2004 and Unreal Tournament3, Quake Wars, etc.
Please don't post that it wears well when you've had the keyboard for less than three months because you've barely used it long enough to even talk about how it wears.
I have seven keys that you can no longer read because the black paint has worn off of them! You can barely read the key letters with the blue light on at the highest setting. Red and "purple" allow for better readability with the "Purple" color being a bit more readable.
Other than the keys wearing out and the poor light transmission through the keys, this has been a great keyboard for me for gaming and other use. It's been over two years and I haven't had a single key malfunction and I use this keyboard a lot. Hours and hours of pretty heavy gaming.
I'll be looking for replacement keys.
I'd recommend this keyboard but I'm a bit disappointed in how the keys paint has worn off.
UPDATE!
I just got off the phone with Saitek customer support. The warranty on this keyboard is 2 years! I called and told them about my seven keys with the paint worn off and they told me as long as I had a receipt they'd completely replace it with a new one! It's an exchange. My receipt says I purchased this keyboard on 1/04/2007 so it's under warranty.
Not only that but they said that when I receive my replacement keyboard the replacement receipt gives me another two years! You can't beat that!
So, just keep your receipt and when something fails or the paint wears off, fill out the form and get a replacement for free! That's what I call good customer service!
Customer Review: Great but back light needs work
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this keyboard after trying the Logitech G-11. I really liked the G-11 because the back light only lit up the letters/numbers on the keys and not the back ground behind the keys. But the G-11 (and G-15) are big keyboards. The space to the left has extra keys and most keyboard drawers/shelves won't hold it plus a mouse pad.
The Saitek Eclipse II's keys have a very nice feel to them as you type. They don't feel cheap at all. The keyboard is a good size and the colors are good too. It has a detachable wrist rest. It isn't soft but still feels comfortable.
As for the back light: On the plus side you can press a button to change the color from red, blue, purple, or off completely. The color defaults to blue when you turn your computer on. There is also a knob to control the brightness of the light.
On the negative side the keys are lit up with LEDs from under the keyboard. The tray the keys sit in is silver and reflects the light. So, the underside of the keys are lit as well as the letters/numbers on the keys. In the dark this tends to drown out the letters/numbers and for me is very annoying. You could turn down the brightness but then it's harder to see the letters/numbers.
The keys are easily removed by just poping them off. All I did was take off all the keys and paint the silver tray under the keys and the key posts mat black. I put the keys back on and now the light only comes up through the letters numbers. When I did this I just masked off the keyboard and stuck cotton into the key post holes to keep paint out of the inside of the key posts. This only took about 1/2 hour and it worked great!!
I love this keyboard now and highly recommend it (with this mod).