Microsoft launches a snoozer keyboard with the SideWinder X4

Following on the heels of their mild mannered Arc Keyboard, Microsoft launches a similar snoozer keyboard with the SideWinder X4 gaming keyboard. This luxury model has got it all, we’re talking A through Z as well as 1 through 9 for IBM FRU 92P1084 battery . All these come standard, but the X4 edition even packs the oft misunderstood zero for no extra charge. Additional keys are included for the working types like = and *, but underneath all that pizazz it’s really just a plain old keyboard.

Seriously though, this gaming focused SideWinder series has quite a few gaming features that might move you to replace your old one. Its all black keys have adjustable levels of back-lighting for night play (and having a cool accessory to impress friends for IBM FRU 92P1121). There’s 6 programmable macro keys which can be programmed to function independently or as part of a key profile.

These profiles can be set to favor certain applications and when they are active the keyboard software will automatically switch. With this, mappings for Excel can be different than mappings for BF2142. The other anti-ghosting feature is starting to become popular. The SideWinder X4 is built for games that require several keys to function and be pressed simultaneously for IBM FRU 92P1123 ,IBM FRU 92P1167 . Up to 26 keys can be pressed and transmitted at the same time.

Last time we checked there are more fingers, toes and noses that come standard on most model humans, so we aren’t certain how one can hit more than 10 at a time, but hey, who are we to argue with MS for IBM FRU 92P1125,IBM FRU 92P1169 The SideWinder X4 should be hitting shelves in March for the reasonable fee of $59 dollars.Described by Microsoft as “style that works,” the Arc Keyboard isn’t intended to just stay on your desk.

It’s wireless, of course, and its form factor lends itself perfectly to being slipped in a drawer or under a monitor, or discreetly tucked away if paired with, say, an all-in-one PC in a kitchen or living room for IBM FRU 92P1127.iPhone/iPod touch: TouchMouse is a free application for the iPhone/iPod touch that, when paired with its accompanying control software on your Mac or Windows computer, turns your touchscreen into a mouse and keyboard.

Once you download the software to your iPhone or iPod touch and pair it with the server software—Logitech has versions of the TouchMouse Server software available for Windows XP, Vista, and 7 as well as Mac OS X—you’ll be able to use your device as a mouse for controlling your computer for IBM FRU 92P1085,IBM FRU 92P1167 The interface allows you to click the mouse buttons, move the cursor via the touch screen, and pull up a small keyboard to enter text on the computer.

While such an arrangement isn’t a practical replacement for a full-out wireless keyboard, it is a great tool for presentations or for pairing with one of the awesome media centers we’ve highlighted for IBM FRU 92P1129 ,IBM FRU 92P1227. If you have another app for turning your iPod touch or iPhone into a remote or clever things to do with them once you have them set up as remotes, let’s hear about it in the comments.

And in those instances, the Arc Keyboard is a pretty attractive, if somewhat pricey ($60), solution. For anyone hoping to simply clean up the clutter on their desk of IBM FRU 92P1131,IBM FRU 92P1139 however, there may just be one too many trade-offs. For starters, the key travel isn’t much better than your average laptop keyboard and, while the keys thankfully aren’t as glossy as their surroundings, they are still a bit too slick for our tastes (gaming is practically out of the question).

There’s also a few minor annoyances, like the lack of an indicator light for the caps lock key, and a somewhat cumbersome rocker key that replaces the four arrow keys (although it’s actually not bad if you pick up the keyboard and use it with your thumb for IBM FRU 92P1133). As you can probably guess of IBM FRU 92P1141, all that glossy plastic also picks up fingerprints and dust with the best of them, making us wish Microsoft also made a version that extends the matte white finish of the bottom to the rest of the keyboard.

That said, there is still quite a bit to like about the Arc Keyboard of IBM FRU 92P1137, especially if you’re pairing it with an equally streamlined PC in a non-PC-minded workspace — just keep in mind that it’s better suited to Tweets and Facebook postings than your next novel.

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