Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard with USB Port

I rarely write reviews, however after 4 years of perfect use I figured that if any product deserves a review this keyboard does.I am going to start with the bads so that this review does not seem biased.* keys are slick offering very little grip. Oil from your fingers does seem to build up on them making them incredibly slippery* after about 3 1/2 years the function button that changes between macro settings seems to bug out at times and won't work properly* the "on the fly" macro recording does not seem to work well or if it does it is quite complicated* there is no 10 key rollover, and some key combinations do not work (for instance ctrl+w+r as in couch walk forward and reload in your average fps)* the F keys are not placed exactly like your average keyboard, they are shifted slightly and elongated* No usb/audio connections on the keyboard* occasional lag on volume adjustment* Magnets used to connect number pad are strong and will occasionally cause random things to stick to themSo now that I have the bad out of the way let me say this keyboard has blown away EVERY expectation that I had for it. I have used this keyboard extensively for the last 4 years spending honestly probably more time on my computer then I really should have. To give you an idea as to how much use this keyboard as seen over the last 4 years here are some numbers that will depress you400+ hours in Bad company 280+ days (2k hours) in World of Warcraft60+ hours in fallout 310 days(240 hours) in aion15 days(360 hours) in rift30 hours assassins creed II15 hours assassins creed70 hours borderlands20 hours half-life 220 hours just cause 2100 hours L4D220+ hours in Guild Wars 2 betaNot to mention huge amounts of typing that has come from using this keyboard to do everything from order things off of amazon to prove people wrong on the internet (har har).I have gotten TONS of use out of this keyboard and realize I should probably re-evaluate the amount of time I spend in front of a monitor.Now here are some of the things that I really like about the keyboard* detachable number pad...I like a lot of space for my mouse and honestly don't have a large desk area for it. being able to remove the number pad provided me with the extra space offered by a 10 keyless keyboard without actually having to give up my number pad.* Size, I felt this deserved another bullet because unlike a lot of other "gaming" keyboard on the market this is much close to the size of a standard keyboard and not some huge Goliath that is going to take over your desk and make your mouse feel inadequate.* volume knob...I don't think I will ever buy another keyboard that does not have this feature, that is how awesome it is. No more Shift+up arrow or whatever to adjust volume, just twist the knob* Media keys, I know almost every keyboard has some form of media keys now but the placement on these are great. They actually stick out in the back slightly making them very easy to find even when not looking.* macro system, while complicated it is VERY good. It even allows you to do some neat things like add delay and has an "auto-run" feature that will press a series of keys over and over again* The style of the F keys. It can take a little while to get used to but it is nice that they are just a tad wider than your normal F keys. I used to have trouble using them for the occasional keybind...no more* back light, not only is it red (because blue is soo main stream amirite?) but the knob allowing you to adjust it is kinda cool. Now I will admit that I almost never adjust the light...just crank it up and leave it but it is something that is fun to play with from time to time* after 4 years I still have 100% key function. The keys are obviously not as light as a mechanical keyboard however they do still all work after 4 years and TONS of use.* Calculator button on number pad. It is nice to have, I do use it* ease of connection for number pad. If you are concerned that connecting the number pad will be a pain, don't be.* also ZERO key wear. I have one tiny spot on the left top corner of my s key that has worn though the coating, other that that every key shows little wear (although there is some glossing)* Somewhere between standard keyboard keys and laptop keys. They are not totally flat with almost 0 travel like laptop keys but they are also far from the full size long travel keys that are more conventional. If you prefer typing on a laptop to type on a standard keyboard you will probably like this keyboard.* With proper setup attaching the number pad to the left side can result in "hot-key heaven"I hope you enjoyed my review and that it has helped you with your purchase.

Finally I have a keyboard that I can work with! You sly dogs. You hid it with the gaming stuff. I forgive you. The fact that I can (permanently) leave off the keypad and then light up the keyboard to what these tired eyes need is just almost too much to ask for! The size is just right for my keyboard desk. The light wheel, which by the way is way neat, controls my lighting needs while surfing the net. (Stay home and save gas.) My volume wheel, which pleasantly surprised me, did control my Asus Xonar D2X sound card. Now there is no need to reach all the way across my desk to adjust my volume for different applications. The wrist rest, with much egg on my face, does workout just fine, especially after I slipped a slim,long strip of packing cardboard under it from the box it was held captive in. (and here I thought, with no legs, it was doomed for the band saw for re-modification) Some say the wheels may look dumb but look at it this way... when the volume or lighting changes on you suddenly and it is imperative that you don't disturb the baby, sleeping mother-in-law, or killer your not too friendly T-Rex look a like dog, having a button to smash with a finger doing 100 MPH can cause all of the metacarpal heads of your finger to converge into your elbow with no guarantee that the key won't just fly off (in slow motion) The wheel is a good thing. :)I might point out that I am "more mature" in age than most and my typing skills are nothing to brag about. Right now I have a band aid on my right index finger but I have little difficulty with tactile agility on these well placed keys. I don't type for a living, so memorizing key position is not an issue. I don't game, so the special options are not going to be used. But, by golly, I finally have a keyboard that I can work with!

Pros: Keys are fairly comfortable to type on. This keyboard doesn't have the best typefeel - my Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000 felt much better to type on - but it is beyond acceptable to type on. Those of you who dislike those "soft touch" laptop-style keyboards will love this keyboard, as it feels more like a "traditional" keyboard. The keys are adequate in size and spacing. The F-keys are nice and wide, and there's a nice gap between them and the number keys, making it less likely that you hit them by accident. They also have a nice feel to them, which is consistent with the rest of the keys on the keyboard (which is where this keyboard has a huge edge over other boards like the Digital Media 3000, whose F-keys were hard little plastic buttons). The fact that the keyboard is lit is also a big plus for people who like typing in the dark, and has good aesthetic qualities for those who like the color. On maximum, it's not blinding, but it's enough to see quite clearly even in a well-light room. The backlight dial makes it easy to adjust the backlighting from off to max, and anywhere in-between. For gamers, the cruise control feature might come in handy if you find yourself frequently having to hold down a key for long periods of time (e.g., running long distances). For gamers and non-gamers alike, the macro keys are awesome. In games, you'll be able to customize up to 90 macros per game (18 on the numpad + 12 on the left side of the keyboard x 3 profiles = 90 macros in total). Even if you're not playing games, you can customize the macro keys on the left side for a total of 12 possible macros (e.g., you can configure them to launch certain applications or web pages). The volume dial is so much better than using volume buttons and allows for precisely changing the volume. Finally, the number pad can be switched to the left side, or taken off entirely. This is awesome for ergonomic reasons, as it allows you to get the number pad out of the way so that you can center the keyboard with your monitor and move the mouse closer toward the keyboard so that your arms aren't spread out too far and so that you aren't typing with your hands off-center. It will also come in handy for people who have limited desk space, as long as you're willing to sacrifice the number pad. The number pad is also hot-swappable and connects magnetically, which is nice.Cons: For the price, having built-in USB ports and audio in/out jacks would have been nice. The keyboard sounds a little too loud clacky for my tastes, but that's dismissible when you're playing games or loud music, which I frequently do. A soft touch keyboard would probably be a better option for people who are very worried about sound. The keyboard has no props on the bottom, which means you're forced to type on a flat surface. This was almost a deal breaker for me, but I decided to spring for it anyway and to find a DIY solution to remedy this (perhaps I'll glue silicon feet to the bottom). The only other real negative for this keyboard - and this is actually pretty huge - is that, like most (if not all) current Microsoft keyboards, the media keys (play/pause, next/previous track) will work ONLY with Windows Media Player if you have the IntelliType software installed and running. They will work fine for other media players like iTunes or Songbird if you uninstall the software, but then you're forced to sacrifice all of the other keyboard's special functions (in this case, all the macro keys and the cruise control feature). The best solution here is to go into the keyboard settings, select each of the multimedia keys in the list, and set them to a macro so that they emulate a certain keyboard shortcut. I use ctrl+win+enter for play/pause, for example. Then, for iTunes, you will need to install third-party controller software that will take these shortcuts and translate them into global controls for iTunes. I use iTunesControl. This will allow you to use the multimedia keys from any application to control iTunes playback. While this solution works, it is simply irksome that Microsoft would be so determined to try to control what software you use their keyboards with. Ridiculous, Microsoft. Stop it.Overall, this is a really good keyboard, but not perfect. And, in my opinion, a little overpriced. But it will serve you well whether you game or not.