Keyboards are an awfully personal thing, just like picking an underwear type. Some men wear boxers, some wear briefs and I am pretty sure a few BetaNews writers do not wear any at all. Believe it or not, much like underwear, there are many types of keyboards too.
Lately, mechanical keyboards have been all the rage with gamers and typists alike. It is not hard to understand, as these types of keyboards offer great performance and feedback. Today, Logitech announces a new model called the G910 Orion Spark RGB Mechanical Keyboard. The company calls it "the most advanced mechanical gaming keyboard in the world", but is such a claim true?
"Orion Spark features exclusive new Romer-G mechanical switches, which can't be found on any other keyboard. With an actuation point of 1.5 mm, Romer-G switches register your key presses up to 25 percent faster than competing mechanical switches. Improved durability at 70 million keystrokes, up to 40 percent longer than others on the market, also allows this keyboard to weather the wear and tear of intense gaming", says Logitech.
The manufacturer further explains, "the lighting in every key of Orion Spark can be individually customized from a palette of 16.8 million colors. You can mark keys by color to keep track of spells and other commands, change colors to match your setup, or set lighting by game. The lighting is centrally located within each switch and is directed by precision optics, to ensure that the lettering on each key is evenly illuminated".
OK, that is damn impressive. As a casual gamer, I often struggle with remembering which keys do what. By having the ability to light the keys in certain colors, I can better train my mind to recall locations. Of course, this looks very cool too and will be sure to impress other geeks at a LAN party.
Also included are nine programmable keys, which could be useful outside of gaming too. Sure, you can program spells and combo moves for your favorite game, but what about repetitive tasks in a work environment? Someone doing data-entry could find a use, I'm sure.
While these features look incredible, the price is a bit high, as can be expected. Sure, $179 is a lot to pay for a keyboard, but it is not crazy when you look at the prices of basic mechanical keyboards from lesser-name brands. Logitech quality combined with the unique features and exclusive switches make this very attractive and worth the cost.
Will you be buying the G910 Orion Spark RGB Mechanical Keyboard? Tell me in the comments.