Which color for illuminated keyboard?

[SpatiallyAware]

I realize this is primarily personal preference but I'm 50/50 between red and green.

http://www.deckkeyboards.com/


At first I was thinking red, due to the whole 'not messing with your eyes at night' stuff. However, last night I was reading that green may actually be better for peripheral vision stuff like a keyboard, where the light isn't shining onto something that you're focused on.

I don't have any sort of scheme or whatever, so I'm not worried about matching anything else..


Thoughts?

 

[Ika]

I'm currently using a Logitech G11 with blue-only lights. They're pretty soft, so they're rather unobtrusive. Lets me see the keys without blinding my lower vision.

I used to have a Saitek Eclipse II, which after booting came out in blue, but let me change to purple or red. I liked red because it was also quite soft, and looked good. Purple was a bit too bright, and not a very good color to boot 😛.

Without having seen the keyboard, I'd say green might be too bright, unless you can control the color. Red or blue both would be fine.

Really, though, what are you using it for? If you're gaming, I think red might be the best. If you're not a touch typist and you need lettering on the keys, I'd just go with the brightest color - either blue or green.

 

[SpatiallyAware]

I'm currently using a Logitech G11 with blue-only lights. They're pretty soft, so they're rather unobtrusive. Lets me see the keys without blinding my lower vision.

I used to have a Saitek Eclipse II, which after booting came out in blue, but let me change to purple or red. I liked red because it was also quite soft, and looked good. Purple was a bit too bright, and not a very good color to boot 😛.

Without having seen the keyboard, I'd say green might be too bright, unless you can control the color. Red or blue both would be fine.

Really, though, what are you using it for? If you're gaming, I think red might be the best. If you're not a touch typist and you need lettering on the keys, I'd just go with the brightest color - either blue or green.

Great input, thanks for the advice..

This is for gaming only, I actually will have a separate keyboard for when I have to type something up. I have a keyboard drawer which puts my keyboard in the dark even with a lamp on. I'm fine with it 99% of the time but when I have to look at symbols and such it's incredibly aggravating.

However, when playing a game I don't want to be distracted by the lights on the keys. Yes, I can adjust the brightness so I'm really not worried about the direct light.


I'm thinking green, mainly because it sorta reminds me of a monochrome monitor..

 

[SpatiallyAware]

Arg, found this in the user manual:

"Note that LEDs may not be illuminated evenly from key to key at the low brightness levels – especially on the green backlit keyboards."

 

[NickelPlate]

I've had a green Deck Legend 105 for 3 years now. Aside from a little wear on the casing (you can get replacement casings) from 3 years worth of hand contact it's still in perfect shape and is my favorite peripheral. Absolutel zero wear on the keys themselves.

I have a friend who has the red and while it's cool looking, the green is vastly superior in terms of brightness and evenness. Remember too that the human eye is more sensitive to green. The brightness doesn't interfere with your vision at all and if it's too bright you can adjust it via 7 levels.

I also modded mine with blue function keys.

NP

 

[corkyg]

I had a Satitek Eclipse II, but it sort of fell apart after a year. I replaced it with this Logitech thin illuminated KB and love it.

I then got another one for my second system. Quiet, easy to see and 3 levels of illumination with added Fn combo keys in orange.

 

[JohnnyTech]

I've had a green Deck Legend 105 for 3 years now. Aside from a little wear on the casing (you can get replacement casings) from 3 years worth of hand contact it's still in perfect shape and is my favorite peripheral. Absolutel zero wear on the keys themselves.

I have a friend who has the red and while it's cool looking, the green is vastly superior in terms of brightness and evenness. Remember too that the human eye is more sensitive to green. The brightness doesn't interfere with your vision at all and if it's too bright you can adjust it via 7 levels.

I also modded mine with blue function keys.

NP

I have to agree with this. Green would be a better color and I think less distracting. Which brings my next question: isn't night vision primarily green? lol 😀

 

[C1]

Well, for what it's worth...... the human eye is most sensitive to color green. (That's why a green laser light pen at the same power as a red color can be seen so very much farther.) Red does not interrupt "night vision" & is what is used for most of the command & control equipment keyboards on board ships.

 

[shortylickens]

I would only settle for blue or white.

 

[Modelworks]

Low level white light is the best for human vision in a dark room. Other colors sacrifice peripheral or direct vision at night. The red light myth has been propagated for a long time. White light with very low intensity is best.

Better than a lit keyboard for your vision is a light behind the monitor that will provide bias lighting. I have used one for a long time and it makes gaming, work, much easier on the eyes. The light must be behind the monitor and not viewable directly with the eyes.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

Human eyes are most sensitive to green, so I'd think green or white (since white includes green) would be the best.

 

[davidrees]

I have the G110 and I keep it red. I love red and I had the original G15, but I am of the opinion that blue just does not offer enough contrast.

I am also partial to red because all my gear has red LEDs and I am a little but rigid about things coordinating.

You should look at the Alienware branded version of the G19. It's about $100 and it lets you do any color like the G19, but it lacks the LCD screen.

http://www.alienware.com/accessories/gear-shop-Detail.aspx?ItemId=17571&CatId=115

Their website has a little applet that lets you adjust the color in the image.