Ideazon MERC Gaming Keyboard

[funboy6942]

Linkage to Amazon

Linkage to the rebate.

Idealzon lists Amazon as a retailer on their site, and the Keyboard is coming direct from Amazon so they should Honor the rebate. If your too scared, you can get it for $2 more from GoGamer, who is the supplier of the Rebate, they sell it for $29.99, but its $5 to ship it, but you would have a 100% chance of them honoring the rebate.

Linkage to GoGamer for the chicken chits.

 

[konakona]

Thx for your effort, but...
I was curious about the n-key rolloever characteristics of the keyboard, but the user reviews alone scare me. This guy has an abridged version with most faults echoed by other reviewers:

I have been using the Merc a month now and I've decided:
It's a really good idea...the only problem is well, the design (the hardware), and the software. The gamepad is too spread out, its just as hard to reach all the keys as it is on a normal keyboard, it involves too much hand movement. I have big hands and I can't come close to reaching the top row of numbers comfortably. And as far as using it for regular typing when not gaming, you have to push num lock before you use any windows hotkeys...so it's not that great for gaming, and its awful for typing. Once you finally get the software set up just the way you want it, it randomly resets itself. Have yet to figure out why. It is decent for shooters, but not for MMORPGS (Warcraft), mainly due to it randomly changing key bindings and sometimes sluggish response. I honestly can't recomend this product, maybe with a few revisions.

To sum it up: too----wide, need to hit num luck to access any of pgup/dn/home/end/insert/del, randomy changing keys, sometimes sluggish (no thx)

 

[funboy6942]

I read that too, and I read review where that was a software problem, fixed with a update from the site. It is recommened that you dont even dare install the software on the disc that comes with it, but right away install the updated driver for it, and the problem is addressed. If you read more you would of seen this, and where the problem is corrected people were having. There were more people saying they had no problems at all doing it that way.

As for being too big, I kinda laugh at that, for I read quite a few say that the keyboard is slightly smaller then a regular one, I cannot say that is true or not as of yet, but will soon for my wife bought me one for my birthday to hook up to my HT/Gaming PC, and I am I HUGE guy at 400lbs, standing 6'4 with hands that make grapefruit look like cherries. If anyone has ever read any of my buys knows Im honest when I get the stuff, and this wont be any different, if it sucks, I will say it sucks, I wont just go on assumptions. Most of almost everything I post I have owned, or bought, so I dont just post about crap I dont know, and I read stuff for hours before buying it to make sure it hopefully wont be crap, if there is a issue with it now, if there is a fix, and that got the best buy I could find. I will in a few days update whats up with it or not.

 

[hellfire88]

I have one of these. I bought it a few months ago as an impulse buy since there was one of these in the "open box" rack at my local Best Buy ($24.99). It looked like-new and I've always wanted to try one of these "gaming keyboards".

So far, I've used it playing World of Warcraft (takes up most my free-time nowadays), Guild Wars, Day of Defeat: Source, Counter-Strike: Source, and it's been great. I find that I don't like playing World of Warcraft or Guild Wars with a regular keyboard anymore, since I'm pretty used to this "Merc" by now. I installed the Windows Vista software for this keyboard from Ideazon's website as soon as I got it (didn't come with a CD, and I run Windows Vista Business 32bit), and I've never experianced keys remapping themselves, not even once (knock on wood). It does take a bit to configure all the keys to your liking, but once you do, it's pretty nice.

I don't have any trouble pressing any of the keys on the "left gaming side" except for the top row of numbers (7-11?), and perhaps the upper-right 3 buttons. I just bind lesser-used functions to those keys I guess. Also, I guess they had to consolidate the numpad and windows function keys (del, pg up, pg down, home, end, etc.) since accomodate the left "gaming buttons", else this keyboard would really be too big. It does indeed make it less convenient to have to press the "numlock key" often to switch between numpad and windows functions mode, and I can't enter numbers as fast on it with the "numpad", but I kinda got used to it. If/when this breaks, I'll probably get a regular keyboard again for the normal numpad, and just get the Ideazon "Fang" stand-alone gaming pad to complement my normal keyboard. Overall, I'd say it's worth a shot for ~$30, and they have this on display at Best Buys so perhaps you can go try it out in person before you buy online.

 

[hellfire88]

Also FYI, I think Ideazon is coming out with a new "Merc" keyboard in September with some minor improvements. One of the new features of the new "Merc" is 3-color LED backlighting (red, green, and purple?) on all the keys. Perhaps they're clearing out the old models to get ready for the new "MERc's".

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: hellfire88
Also FYI, I think Ideazon is coming out with a new "Merc" keyboard in September with some minor improvements. One of the new features of the new "Merc" is 3-color LED backlighting (red, green, and purple?) on all the keys. Perhaps they're clearing out the old models to get ready for the new "MERc's".

I saw that on their site, if this works out, and it should for I dont do any realy typing on the pc it will be used for, it does nothing but movies and games, so this keyboard should be perfect for me for what I want it for. And you can bet your ass, if I do like it, Im gonna give the old one to my oldest and get the lighted up one for the room is kinda dark, yet another reason why I am liking this one, for I wont have to fumble around in my half lit room trying to find my key I need to hit with the side game pad on it.

I have never looked forward to a keyboard as much as this one, also never paid quite as much for one either
If the rebate comes through, I think for $22, and it does what its supposed to, I will be a very happy camper. Im just going to do what I read and pitch the driver it comes with and use the updated one asap.

And thanks, you have made me very happy knowing that I may have made the right choice, with my huge, long fingered hands, I shouldnt have any problem reaching all the buttons I hope, and if so just do the same as you.

 

[funboy6942]

I got my keyboard and all I can say if WOW, this thing kicks ass!
No problems at all, didnt bother with the cd it came with, just installed the update from this month off the company website, and works like a charm.

Cannot wait to install more games on my hdd to try more with it.

 

[RallyMaster]

People buy gaming keyboards? This is certainly a novel idea...