Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard
View Larger Image

Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard

Average Rating:
Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5
List Price:
$74.99
Our Price:
$42.95
You Save:
$32.04 (43%)

Buy it now at Amazon.com!

Product Info

  • Brand: Microsoft
  • EAN: 0882224707626
  • Manufacturer: Microsoft

Features

  • Switchable key pad - Flexible design, choose right side or left side confi guration. Switch between standard key pad and macro pad in gaming mode.
  • Two-color adjustable backlighting - Keyboard keys are red, and key pad and Macro keys are amber in Game mode. Lighting dial adjusts the brightness of the keyboard and key pad.
  • Cruise Control - Use Cruise Control to continue an action without having to hold down the key or keys assigned to the action. You can use Cruise Control with up to four keys at a time.
  • Mode switching - Manually toggle the keyboard from standard mode to either of two gaming modes. LEDs show the selected mode.
  • In-game Macro Record button - Record any sequence of keystrokeseven standard chat messages. Macros are stored on your hard drive and can be easily shared.

Editorial Reviews:

  • Powerful. Programmable. Gaming Keyboard. Ready for the next dimension in gaming performance, custom tuning, and action. Then grab on to the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard the powerful companion to the Microsoft line of award-winning SideWinder gaming mice. This breakthrough keyboard incorporates a host of powerful features, including a detachable key pad, in-game macro recording, a full media key set, automatic and manual mode/profi le switching, two-color dimmable backlighting, and much more. Plus, at the touch of a button, it doubles as your Ready for the next dimension in gaming performance, custom tuning, and action? Then grab on to the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard--the powerful companion to the Microsoft line of award-winning SideWinder gaming mice.

Spotlight customer reviews:

  • Customer Rating: Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5Average rating of 3/5
  • Summary: Nice features, but a bit odd
  • Comment: This keyboard has a few features I found interesting initially -- keypad can be on the left or right, programmable keys for gaming, big knobs at the top for backlight and volume control. I have to confess, though, that it's not so pleasant for touch-typing. Something about the shape and arrangement of the keys doesn't suit me well. Most noticeably, the ESC key is moved from it's defacto standard spot to a location farther left than usual. I have a hard time finding it in a pinch. Also, the volume control software that responds to the keyboard knob has some lag in the control that makes it slightly awkward to use. Volume control is lost in some applications, for reasons I can't explain.
  • Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
  • Summary: I love it!
  • Comment: I have not used this for gaming though so I don't see any issue for it's basic functionality. I recommend this product.
  • Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
  • Summary: Good, but not perfect
  • Comment: Pros: Keys are fairly comfortable to type on. This keyboard doesn't have the best typefeel - my Microsoft Digital Media Keyboard 3000 felt much better to type on - but it is beyond acceptable to type on. Those of you who dislike those "soft touch" laptop-style keyboards will love this keyboard, as it feels more like a "traditional" keyboard. The keys are adequate in size and spacing. The F-keys are nice and wide, and there's a nice gap between them and the number keys, making it less likely that you hit them by accident. They also have a nice feel to them, which is consistent with the rest of the keys on the keyboard (which is where this keyboard has a huge edge over other boards like the Digital Media 3000, whose F-keys were hard little plastic buttons). The fact that the keyboard is lit is also a big plus for people who like typing in the dark, and has good aesthetic qualities for those who like the color. On maximum, it's not blinding, but it's enough to see quite clearly even in a well-light room. The backlight dial makes it easy to adjust the backlighting from off to max, and anywhere in-between. For gamers, the cruise control feature might come in handy if you find yourself frequently having to hold down a key for long periods of time (e.g., running long distances). For gamers and non-gamers alike, the macro keys are awesome. In games, you'll be able to customize up to 90 macros per game (18 on the numpad + 12 on the left side of the keyboard x 3 profiles = 90 macros in total). Even if you're not playing games, you can customize the macro keys on the left side for a total of 12 possible macros (e.g., you can configure them to launch certain applications or web pages). The volume dial is so much better than using volume buttons and allows for precisely changing the volume. Finally, the number pad can be switched to the left side, or taken off entirely. This is awesome for ergonomic reasons, as it allows you to get the number pad out of the way so that you can center the keyboard with your monitor and move the mouse closer toward the keyboard so that your arms aren't spread out too far and so that you aren't typing with your hands off-center. It will also come in handy for people who have limited desk space, as long as you're willing to sacrifice the number pad. The number pad is also hot-swappable and connects magnetically, which is nice.

    Cons: For the price, having built-in USB ports and audio in/out jacks would have been nice. The keyboard sounds a little too loud clacky for my tastes, but that's dismissible when you're playing games or loud music, which I frequently do. A soft touch keyboard would probably be a better option for people who are very worried about sound. The keyboard has no props on the bottom, which means you're forced to type on a flat surface. This was almost a deal breaker for me, but I decided to spring for it anyway and to find a DIY solution to remedy this (perhaps I'll glue silicon feet to the bottom). The only other real negative for this keyboard - and this is actually pretty huge - is that, like most (if not all) current Microsoft keyboards, the media keys (play/pause, next/previous track) will work ONLY with Windows Media Player if you have the IntelliType software installed and running. They will work fine for other media players like iTunes or Songbird if you uninstall the software, but then you're forced to sacrifice all of the other keyboard's special functions (in this case, all the macro keys and the cruise control feature). The best solution here is to go into the keyboard settings, select each of the multimedia keys in the list, and set them to a macro so that they emulate a certain keyboard shortcut. I use ctrl+win+enter for play/pause, for example. Then, for iTunes, you will need to install third-party controller software that will take these shortcuts and translate them into global controls for iTunes. I use iTunesControl. This will allow you to use the multimedia keys from any application to control iTunes playback. While this solution works, it is simply irksome that Microsoft would be so determined to try to control what software you use their keyboards with. Ridiculous, Microsoft. Stop it.

    Overall, this is a really good keyboard, but not perfect. And, in my opinion, a little overpriced. But it will serve you well whether you game or not.
  • Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
  • Summary: awesome keyboard
  • Comment: great keyboard. buttons are very crisp, typos are near non existent. some keyboards i absolutely hate because the keys are too shallow and you can't feel where your fingers are. haven't made full use of the macros, but the volume knob on the keyboard is a serious plus.

    downside to this keyboard is its length. its much longer than my previous one and doesn't quite fit in my pullout tray, but i manage. wish it came in other back-light colors, blue would be really nice.

    macros and other controls are software based and can take a second or two to respond when you first use them.

    other than that, im glad my wife got this for my birthday (exactly what i asked for) and am completely happy with it.
  • Customer Rating: Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5Average rating of 1/5
  • Summary: Not for Windows XP x64
  • Comment: Be warned that although the specifications on this site say that this keyboard works with Windows XP, it only works with the 32 bit version of that operating system. It does not work with Windows XP x64. Microsoft does not believe in supporting their own operating systems. I returned the useless thing.

Partner Sites:


Random Products: