SteelSeries Merc Gaming Keyboard

My only issue I have is that the keyboard is a UK layout, so the @ key is in the place of the " key. If you are used to touch typing it can be very annoying!

However, the actual game part is really very good. I play FPS games pretty much exclusively and find the easy access to reload etc very useful. Still retains the numeral keys above the movement pad which is nice given some of these style devices do not.

Excellent Keyboard – they are extremely durable. The last Merc I had lasted 5yrs, while a lesser keyboard would have died within 6months to a year at best. The additional keys make gaming a pleasure. Setup is a breeze. Mod support for games is excellent – there are very few games you'd have to set up a new one for – even if you do have to its a quick & fairly intuitive system.

One thing that should be mentioned however is that the board in stock seems to be the British layout. This is a very minor issue however. If you're not used to the change around of certain keys – using the American drivers instead of the UK ones mean everything is still bound to the keys your used to despite the labeling.

All & all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this (or the Merc Stealth) to anyone wanting a well priced durable gaming board.

This keyboard should not be confused with the Merc Stealth keyboard. However, it is still a decent keyboard for typing and gaming. The keys have a nice weighted feel that lets you know you've pushed the button. The gaming section requires some getting used to but is definitely an improvement over the traditional key configuration.

Another point to note is the lack of key “clashes”, which is when keys aren't registered when held down at the same time as others. This proves useful when you're trying to play fighting games with multiple people on the keyboard and sometimes during other games.

The main drawback of this keyboard is the fusion of the insert, delete, home, end, etc keys with the num pad. If you ever need to use excel or any data entry you will find this an excruciating experience as you type in numbers rather than deleting characters. The up, down, left and right keys are also placed just underneath the num pad so that typing in numbers rapidly can easily be screwed up because the zero key cannot be used as a reference and I often find myself confused and lost when typing in series of numbers.

Overall a nice keyboard with a good feel under the fingers but with a simple design flaw that affects data entry. It was well worth the $50 I spent on it.

This keyboard is great value for money! Directional key pad is fun to use once you get used to it. There is also a version with light up keys.

Designed very well for the average gamer(like me) with its comfortable and easy to configure set of controls that after a short while, become natural positions for everything from first person shooters, to World of Warcraft players.
The software is easy to adjust for your playstyle and the normal keyboard layout spares you any trouble for the rest of the day to day computing stuff.
Although its not too good if your a lefty, sorry :-S
Personally, i use the backlit version, but I'm a night owl.