Finally, a unique idea that actually works! (Ideazon's ZBoard)
Written: Jan 17 '06 (Updated Mar 14 '06)
Product Rating:
Pros: Easy to swap keysets, many useful Windows XP shortcut keys, simple USB connectivity.
Cons: Standard keyset can be tricky to adjust to, keys aren't quiet by any means.
The Bottom Line: For a PC-user and gamer looking for a keyboard with a multiple personality problem, the Ideazon ZBoard is a good contender. FPS action games and strategy games are made much-easier.
openroad's Full Review: Ideazon (PW1USE1-B3) Keyboard
NOTE: The image above for this product shows the ZBoard with the FPS keyset installed. Since this review is for the base keyboard I won't go into the various gaming sets available for the ZBoard. This review is for the keyboard base and the standard 101 key QWERTY + num-pad keyset.
----- What the heck is a ZBoard? -----
Unlike many likely shoppers for a 'gaming keyboard' I wasn't even looking for a specialty keyboard when I first saw the ZBoard. I'm a certified Age of Empires freak, so I naturally picked up AOE3 the first day it came out. Included in the box was an advertisement for the Ideazon Zboard and the game-specific AOE3 keyset. the Selling point for a Zboard is its unique ability to adapt to many popular games in different genres. To do this you simply unlock and remove the keyset (a separate base unit actually houses the button membranes) and install another keyset. The software window opens and asks you what game you want to play.
I'd never really considered a keyboard designed to swap specialty keysets for each game, but I was willing to give it a try. Another factor was that I was more than sick of my horid Dell "Quietkey" piece-of-junk keyboard. I'd looked at a few of the ergonomic style keyboards from Microsoft which didn't really fit my hands very well. Once I researched the ZBoard a bit I decided to take the plunge and drop my $50 on the doorstep of Ideazon.
Installation is simple enough, if you've installed USB devices before you'll be right at home. Hook up the keyboard, install the included software, reboot your system, and voila! You're ready to begin gaming.
----- Using the ZBoard as a standard keyboard -----
As far as ergonomics go Ideazon's quirky keyboard has been better than the old Dell unit I was using. As is the case with most keyboards these days the ZBoard has two height-adjustment legs near the rear to angle the keys if you want. Also included with the ZBoard is a wrist-rest for a little extra support. Typing on the ZBoard is very close to using any other standard 101-key style keyboard. The only differences come with the extra WindowsXP keys and the split spacebar. Due to the folding design of the ZBoard the spacebar is split 60/40 which freaked me out for a few days. The crack between space keys ended up landing right where my right thumb usually lands. I've since adjusted my typing to accommodate for the split space, since then I've had no problems. The small concessions made during normal typing is worth the extra help you get from custom keysets in your gaming sessions.
The special WinXP keys are handy to have although most people probably won't use them. These keys are located above the function keys and include both media controls and program shortcuts. Media Player controls are on the far left and consist of volume up/down, mute, track forward/backward, stop, and play/pause.
The rest of the XP keys are devoted to quick-launch Program Shortcuts such as Calculator, My Computer, Media Player, Wordpad, Outlook Express, Google, Internet Explorer, ZBoard Homepage, and lastly the ZBoard Hotkey Settings window. I use Calc, Google, and My Computer shortcuts all the time, these keys have been very useful to me. I usually have 4 or 5 windows open and don't want to dig down to the desktop to find my icons. A quick press of a key and my program pops right up. If you don't like the defaults you can program all these shortcuts to open whatever program you want.
Behind the keyboard on the right side are two USB ports for connecting other devices. I frequently use these ports for connecting and downloading pictures from my digital cameras. While not the easiest to access, they work better than rooting around behind my system case. For the record I've got a simple computer case without any front mounted USB ports, for those of you with fancy cases the added ports on your ZBoard won't really matter.
----- Gaming Keysets -----
Included in the box with your ZBoard is the standard 101-key setup and one univeral first person shooter (FPS) keyset. This set includes large, oversized movement buttons arranged for easy finger placement, reload, crouch, jump, weapons switch, and other hotkeys used in most games of this genre. A smaller full-key keyboard is located in the center and right sections of the ZBoard, although the number pad is missing.
I've also purchased the Age of Empires 3 keyset which differs greatly from the FPS keyset. Since AOE3 is a realtime strategy game most of the custom keys are map-oriented and shortcuts for units. Keys are available for your Home City, Idle Units, building and chat shortcuts, and other AEO3 specific keys.
Other gaming specific keysets available include; Call of Duty II, World of Warcraft, Everquest, Civilization III, Madden NFL, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault, Battlefield II, and many more.
----- Bottom Line -----
I've read several poor reviews on the ZBoard on different sites complaining about the auto-detect feature when switching keysets. I've had about an 85% record of auto-switching successfully. The key is to keep your ZBoard control software up to date. I usually check about once every week or two for updates, since I've done that my settings have been auto-switching with no problems. Another complaint some have had was the inability to chat effectively while playing with the FPS keysets. On this point I'd have to agree, it's not easy to type with the tiny QWERTY keys you have left. I use a voice-chat headset with my online gaming so this is a non-issue with me.
The 101-key keyboard isn't perfect, if you're not planning on gaming a lot this probably isn't the best purchase for you. If you're willing to make a slight sacrifice in comfort and adjust to a split spacebar I'd recommend giving the Ideazon ZBoard a try.
Box Content - USB Keyboard Base, Gaming Keyset, Standard Keyset, Wrist Rest, Installation CD, and Documentation USB Hub - Your Zboard Base is equipped...More at Amazon
Box Content - USB Keyboard Base, Gaming Keyset, Standard Keyset, Wrist Rest, Installation CD, and Documentation USB Hub - Your Zboard Base is equipped...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.