Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
 Awesome gaming keyboard March 27, 2010
Brian P. Dsouza (Arlington, TX USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Microsoft Sidewinder X4 keyboard is a fantastic keyboard and so far the best keyboard I have ever owned.
Pros:
- The keyboard has an amazing blood red back light and looks really good in the dark. You can choose from three different lighting settings as well as turn it off.
- There are six macro keys and you can program them to any key combination you want using either the included Microsoft Intellitype software or by pressing the record button for on-the-fly programming. There are also three different profiles to separately store the macros for the buttons allowing for 6x3 = 18 different macros.
- Keys feel good to type on and keyboard can be inclined using latches on the back.
- Anti-Ghosting technology. I haven't tested pressing 26 keys at once (cause I only have ten fingers lol) but this keyboard certainly lives up to its promise of registering 10+ keys at once.
Cons:
- Hand rest cannot be removed but I have no problem with that. It actually feels comfortable to both game as well as type on.
- Media keys only work for Windows Media Player which is what I primarily use. This may annoy those who rely on a different default media player.
Conclusion: The Sidewinder X4 is awesome. I highly recommend it to both gamers and those looking for a really good keyboard.
Great Gaming Keyboard for the Budget User June 6, 2010
J. Sterling
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have always used Microsoft hardware when it comes to keyboards and mice. I have used Logitech's, Dell's, and even the Mac Aluminum keyboard, but I think I am in love with the Sidewinder X4. My previous keyboard was a Microsoft Digital Media Pro keyboard, and while that keyboard was great, it was a bit hard to use for gaming and it was huge compared to the x4.
Pros:
-Price, for $50-$60, there are very few keyboard that provides the functionality that the x4 does, and the coolest thing of all lights for the keys.
-It is quieter than most keyboards. Trust me there are louder ones than this, my old one being one of those.
-Has macro buttons with 3 programmable sets for each of those buttons, and an auto mode that detects which set of macros the active application uses.
-Backlit keys. They have 4 modes, high/medium/low/off.
-Very sturdy/heavy build which is good compared to most keyboards I have used.
-Has media keys.
-They keyboard looks awesome with the backlight on or off.
Cons:
-It does not have the my music, my pictures, my documents, etc. keys that my old media pro had. However, you can program the macro keys to launch a program, so I have one of those set to launch winamp. There is calculator hot key which I do use from time to time, so at least they did not take that out.
-When the keyboard is hit with bright light while the backlight is on, the characters on the keys appear pinkish, but it is not that much of an issue.
-"F" keys are a bit narrow, but once you spend a week or two with the keyboard, you won't mind it.
-This only have 1 Windows key instead of 2 like most others. It took some getting used to using the left windows key instead of the right.
Someone mentioned earlier that the media keys only work in WMP, but if you do like I did and initiate Winamp, Winamp will assume control of the media keys and WMP will not pop up. So this issue is all a matter of which application has priority at the time. The arm rest is made out of a rough textured plastic, but it is actually a bit comfortable. Granted it is not leather/vinyl/rubber like some keyboards have, but again this is a budget gaming keyboard. What is interesting about the keys is that they have notches for the W and the macro keys, not just for the Numpad 5, F, and J like all other keyboards do. This will help a gamer find where the WASD area is without having to look at the keyboard.
All in all, if you are looking for a backlit keyboard, or a nice gaming keyboard, and don't want to trade your body parts for one, the Sidewinder X4 is probably the best option out there.
Excellent gaming keyboard March 19, 2010
Benjamin J. James (Brookfield, IL USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Finally received my sidewinder x4 after delayed shipping from amazon. no complaints though since i picked this up for 45 dollars instead of 60. thanks amazon.
Right out of the box i was pleased with the looks of this keyboard. very nice looking mirror finish but luckily the keys are more of a matte so fingerprints shouldn't be a problem. Its much smaller than the logitech curve i was using as i was hoping. Theres only one height level besides flat which doesn't bother me at all but might be something others care about. The usb isn't gold plated and the cord isn't braided. Once again not a big deal but i've been a little spoiled by my razer mouse. Since i don't use the f buttons all too often it's ok that theyre slimmer but i could understand people not liking that. The wrist rest is a durable plastic with no cushion so it wouldn't be very good for someone who types for very extended periods of time.
As far as functionality this keyboard is great. I installed the software to take full advantage of the features. I had everything up and running in about 3 minutes. The light looks really nice in the dark. It's blood red but does look pinkish if you have it on in a bright room. With the light off the keyboard is still extremely readable unlike some other keyboards i've seen. I programmed a few macros in and they worked perfectly. The media buttons do not work with media monkey and i have not tried them with other 3rd party software but i know they work with windows media player. The volume ones work all the time obviously. in other reviews someone mentioned that theirs did not have the bumps on the j and f keys but mine does and also has two small ones on the w key for gamers. The keys have a nice feel to them. The antighosting works very well and easily outperforms my old logitech in all four games i tried.
Overall i am very happy with this keyboard and i will now consider microsoft keyboards when i make any future purchases.
Pros:
~Very nice looking
~antighosting works well
~cool red led that doesnt leak outside of the keys
~calculator button
~nice marco functionality
~fairly thin
~keys have a nice feel
Cons:
~media buttons don't work with all players
~small f buttons
~plastic wrist rest
Great gaming keyboard May 10, 2010
J. Andraos
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
TF2, COD MW2, L4D2, BFBC2. If you have no idea what these stand for, then this keyboard is not for you. This is a gaming keyboard first and foremost, and it is built for pc gamers. I'm not talking dumb solitaire or some stupid facebook game, i'm talking about first player shooters, graphically intense games, the kinds of games people play on computers that they built themselves rather than ordered from dell or costco.
That being said, if you are a pc gamer, I recommend this keyboard if you are looking for something that will give you a slight boost to your gaming. Compared to my old keyboard, I do notice a much better reaction time (the stats say the keyboard's reaction time is 2ms compared to the standard 5ms of other keyboards.) The backlighting is really cool, the terminator red looks great in the dark, so if you don't like playing with a light on/glare, the backlighting helps see your keys in the dark, something my old keyboard didn't have. Some people gripe that compared to the x6, the x4 has a button so you only have 5 choices for backlighting rather than a dimming knob, but that doesn't really bother me. The anti-ghosting is also very good, I haven't had any problems yet with the keyboard not recognizing what keys I hit. I also notice that it's super responsive (may be a bit too much) while i'm just typing in Word or gChat.
Some people also mentioned the typing isn't that great, which I agree, but it's not horrible. Keep in mind though, this is first and foremost a gaming keyboard to be used with the occasional typing.
Ideal for Serious Gamers July 18, 2010
G. K. Libbey (Harbor Isle, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
After trying this keyboard which has many excellent features including the ability to choose right side or left side configuration, two-color adjustable back-lighting settings, red keyboard keys, programmable macro keys, red keyboard keys, and amber macro keys, I decided to switch back to my familiar, uncomplicated, comfortable Microsoft 1000 Wireless keyboard. If you are a serious gamer, you will not be disappointed by all this keyboard has to offer. The price is right. My personal preference is for a wireless keyboard because of the configuration of my personal computing space. Been using computers since 1986 and sort of a computer luddite. New & imporved is not always better for my everyday needs.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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