Saitek Eclipse Backlit Illuminated Keyboard and Multifunction Prgrammable Number Pad

So I have been on the hunt for a UK keyboard with low profile keys that is illuminated - should be simple enough right? Well I've been looking for 6 months to find one that meets all the criteria. I have an issue with RSI in the writs areas, so the normal mechanical or raised keyboards are no good for me. The high key caps on other mechanical keyboards also require you to raise your hands at an angle and this was quite painful so I was glad to find this.I Have used the Cougar Vantage - but sent that back as the lights were like floodlights and lit up the room so brightly you could not see the keyboard!That was until I found the Eclipse Litetouch.Now I should say that this keyboard is made by Saitek / Mad Catz, who went into administration last year, so they no longer have a website or any support. This keyboard came out about 2010/11 to my knowledge, so I was a little concerned about drivers for Windows 10 64. I can confirm that this is working fine with me.The keyboard has low profile keys, so nice and quiet, limited key travel and have a nice solid feel.There is a single white backlight that is adjustable,The keypad area is actually a digital LCD pad - that is configurable and changeable depending on your preferences. This can be used as a standard number keypad as in a full sized keyboard, or it can be switched to a media device controls layout with the touch of a button, This will give you access to volume controls and fast forward, track skipping etc. It also has dedicated buttons for your Home Page, Favourites Folder, Calculator, My Computer, Music, Video, Documents, Pictures and Music folders - (see photos).The My Eclipse button changes the pad into a programmable section where you can assign any of your apps or programmes or even favourite web pages to a key using the supplied software - that again works on Windows 10 64 bit.There is also a sliding volume or brightness control on the LCD (a bit like the Star Trek LCARS transporter control!) that can be switched to either using the toggle button.On the main keyboard, there is a Lock button that can be activated to lock out the LCD pad if required to disable it from any accidental touches - an excellent feature.So my long search is over. These were over £130 when they came out - and have now dropped to under £30, so a bargain.There is a manual that comes with the keyboard and all the software and drivers are contained in the Mini CD supplied. I'm not sure who is providing the warranty (if at all) since Mad Catz are no longer in business - but for this price, you can't go wrong - especially when you consider some of the other rubbish on the market from the far east shall we say!I liked the keyboard so much that I ordered and received an identical one for storage and future use before remaining stocks are depleted, although I hope I don't have to use the second one for quite a while yet!

Works perfectly with OpenSuSE 12.1. Never even needed the supplied driver disc, just plugged it in and all works, most of the buttons on the panels have default actions which can be easily reassign in the KDE4 control panel. There is also a little speaker that gives feedback for presses on the panel with a little click sound which is nice.Not used the "my eclipse" panel and probably never will as its full of odd icons like an airplane and a tennis raquet, but have been using the other two all the time.Its probably more of an issue with KDE4 and should be easily fixed that the volume up and down are round the wrong way.The keyboard buttons are nicely spaced and it all feels very well made.

As functionality goes, this keyboard is OKAY. After using it for a month, I haven't had any technical problems and the keyboard seems sturdy enough to last.My main beef with this keyboard is that it is way too small. If you're used to small keyboards, you will probably enjoy it. It's around about the same size as an apple keyboard. There is no windows key lock function that I know of and this is very frustrating during gaming, especially as the CTRL button is actually smaller than the regular keys.The LCD numpad is a novel idea however I dislike the lack of tactile sensation when using it and I have been using the top numbers as a result. I barely use the LCD functionality and it comes across as a little bit gimmicky.An OK keyboard for day to day tasks (so long as you don't extensively use the numpad) but I would definitely not recommend this keyboard for gamers.

Robust, small form factor , not harsh lighting , tactile keyboard . Just what was needed .

Overall a decent keyboard at the start, nice key spacing and response. only after a few weeks or so did the problems start. Random freezings of the keys (requiring removal of the cable from the back of the computer), software crashes on the touchpad (which lasted about 3 days before malfunctioning) and then the f11 key decided to break completely despite no damage done to the keys. Disappointing.

3 of the keys were non functional so i threw it in the bin !

I've had this keyboard for two weeks now, and since I've started using it, I've had no problems with drivers/keyboard not being recognized/having to unplug and plug back in etc... that the other reviewers have mentioned.This keyboard does have slightly different key positions to the usual QWERTY keyboards (the layout is that of a laptop) - due to the LED numpad, but after a little while i have got used to it.The LED keypad itself seems fine, i would say it could be slightly more responsive, but i do not use it too often so doesn't bother me.The reason i bought this keyboard is because i wanted a budget backlit keyboard, and it ticks all the boxes.

I received this keyboard with the entire home row inactive so I returned it, however these are my opinions of it before it was back in the box.The look and feel of the materials on this keyboard are classy. I would very much enjoy having it sat on a professional desk or workspace. I've owned two original Saitek Eclipse keyboards previous to this and the back lighting was superb in comparison. The touch screen was fun to play with but a little difficult to understand how to customize and there was some sensitivity issues in regards to the volume/back light brightness slider. This could be down to the defect that made the home row inactive but the rest of the touch screen was fine.After receiving it however I immediately realized it wasn't the keyboard I needed more then the keyboard I wanted for a fancy touch screen. I use my keyboard on my lap rather than on a desk and travel with it frequently, both things the size and perceived frailty of the keyboard wouldn't permit me to do with confidence. After returning the keyboard I went on to purchase a Roccat Arvo Compact keyboard due to its small size and all metal back and frame.