Saitek Eclipse Backlit Keyboard - Red LED ( PZ30AUR ) Reviews

• full-size rules

  
  By A1TL1P030KYGAD on 2007-01-11
  Unlike a lot of illuminated keyboards, this bad boy is the full-sized and standard layout. Illumination comes around each key and through each letter, rather than through the key itself, which makes it much easier to use in the dark.
  
  

• a great gaming keyboard

  
  By A3JXXFCQ2JHYOQ on 2006-09-11
  I play lots of games of all kinds of genres (strategy, shooters, role playing) and so of course I needed a good keyboard to keep me company.
  
  I have to say that I've been pretty satisfied with my decision.To be honest, there aren't too many keyboards out there that make you jump up and down with delight, but this one nevertheless does its job admirably. The keys feel nice and smooth, and they are also quite soft and quiet, which is great for gamers (and late night typists) who don't want to be disrupted by a sound resembling a pneumatic drill.
  
  Function-wise, this keyboard keeps it simple. You've got your basic keys, plus a few discreet buttons in the top right which are (from left to right): lower volume, raise volume, mute sound, and cycle keyboard brightness. Although I would have liked a 'pause' button for movies and music, I like the fact that they keep the extra buttons to a minimum- it encourages you to actually use them, since too often keyboards give you a plethora of shortcut buttons which simply aren't accessible to use.
  
  As for the backlighting... well, to be honest, it hasn't made that much of a practical difference to me (I touch type anyway, so I don't really need to see the keys- plus, when gaming, my fingers use the same few keys). Nevertheless, it has added a lot to the visual appeal of my desk. The black finish goes really well with my equally black BenQ FP202W monitor. The red lighting makes it look especially nice, without it drifting into the over the top territory of 'gaming bling' styling, which seems to dominate so many hardware manufacturers' premium products.
  
  My one complaint: when the foldable stands on the forward part of the keyboard are not up, the keyboard slopes downwards. This is kind of annoying, as your fingers need to stretch a little bit more to get to the top row of keys- especially when you're playing an intense first-person game where the WASD keys are in constant use. The reason I find it annoying is that the plastic parts that help tilt the keyboard upwards a bit more are kind of flimsly, and it annoys me that I have to rely on them. This isn't a big problem though, and as a gamer and an everyday computer users, I recommend this keyboard.
  
  Furthermore, if you're not sure that red appeals to you, these keyboards are available with different backlighting. Also, if you're a gamer, many preferred this keyboard's predecessor (of the same name, I believe); the reason being that it came with an extra number pad type thing which was useful for binding macros.
  
  

• This keyboard is awesome!

  
  By A3R24Z18JA51L7 on 2006-10-25
  I have the blue version also, I recently purchase the red one. For me this is great becuase the computer I use for games is in a dimely lit room, sometime with only the TV and the computer on. So I struggle constantly to see the letters on the keys. Not only does this keyboard look cool, I can see the keys! I wish I had thought to look for one of these a long time ago. You can also adjust the brightness of the light.
  
  
  
  

• Delightful Keyboard

  
  By AHT9NFY6OT80F on 2006-07-05
  For the person who has everything! (Also very functional). Most important, the QWERTY area is visibly well lit no matter how you position yourself to type; each letter is well defined. I would have to say though, that this keyboard looks best when you sit directly over it as much as possible. This is best made possible by placing the keyboard on a slide out keyboard tray such as the one that slides from under my desk.
  
  If I were to nitpick.... Even in this ideal position, some keys are not evenly lit; some portions of the character black out. For example, the '@' above the 2 is not illuminated entirely and evenly. However, you can live with this. You see just enough to know what it is!
  
  In addition, the most important thing is that the QWERTY area is well illuminated. Most keys that do suffer uneven lighting, suffer uneven lighting only to the slightest degree. I chose the red version over the blue for reasons I've read over the net. Apparently, looking at the color red affects night vision less than other colors. After extensive use of this keyboard, I've had no complaints!
  
  This keyboard is a delight to use in low light environments; no more fiddling about with desk lamps in a futile attempt to make out your keys! This solution is much more elegant. The defining attributes of this keyboard outweigh its very few and very minor foibles. Buy this keyboard! It well set you well on your way to feeling as if you are Mission Commander!
  
  Note that the Logitech illuminated keyboard is a close competitor but I have not used it before to be able to make a comparison.
  
  

• Sweet Keyboard, but not as good as the second

  
  By A31V7QWAFIPE12 on 2007-04-17
  This keyboard is pretty sweet, but i recommend the second saitek eclipse. It has all backlit colors that include red, purple, and blue. See my other review on the saitek eclipse 2 keyboard section.
  
  
• Looks Great but not Perfect
  By A32MYJS69VIO2S on 2006-07-14
  The keyboard looks as good as advertised - the red backlighting is great. Unfortunately the keys are mushy. I like to have a nice, smooth, defintive click when I press down. In this the keyboard falls short. The little feet in back that push the keyboard up at an angle are too short as well and I ended up using the wrist guard to help prop it up at a little steeper angle.
  
  
• Good Keyboard!
  By A118BT6H1JU1KP on 2007-03-21
  The keys give a good amount of resistance when being pressed. The red light helps even if the entire room is dark. The button of the keyboard seems to have rubber grips, so the keyboard doesn't move around at all. I'm satisfied!
  
  
• nice smooth keyboard
  By A26FLBWKS3U9I2 on 2006-08-11
  The eclipse keyboard is one very nice keyboard with soft tactile feedback on the keys. some people may not like it because the click sound when you press a key is very soft. The keys are all smooth too, so you need some time to get used too. The typing sound on this keyboard is not totally silent, but a lot softer than other keyboards. I have heard that the keys are smooth because they are painted, and that after a while the paint may peeled off, but I have no problem yet (owning it for a month only though).
  
  The backlight on the keyboard is ok. There are 3 settings for the light: off, low, bright. The bright setting make all the keys distinguishable in total darkness without too blinding on your eyes. I never use the low setting though.
  
  
• What a disaster, could have been so nice!
  By A3SVQZELKWG3YT on 2009-10-21
  The idea of a backlit keyboard intrigued me. This one initially was great. It has a smooth touch. It is great to use in the dark. However, and this is a BIGGIE, the paint has totally worn off most of the keys and the backlight has gone out. The keys started wearing out after several weeks of use. Now a few months later, the paint is almost totally worn away on 27 of the keys, making them totally illegible. Good thing I am a touch typer. Today the light went out which prompted me to finally write a review. The keyboard now looks like junk. It still has a smooth touch but for the money, there should have been more testing done. The manufacturer and the store where I bought this were totally unresponsive to my complaints. I can't believe the good reviews this keyboard got. I am extremely disappointed.
  
  
• Dont buy it!
  By AXFF51WU1CB9V on 2009-03-11
  Im actually surprised this keyboard has gotten the reviews it has. Initially I thought "wow this looks pretty cool." and since Im a gamer and play in the dark from time to time I thought a lighted keyboard would be a nice change. WRONG!! The picture makes it look brighter than it actually is. Its barely illuminated at all.
  
  Additionally, Ive owned it for about 3 months now and the buttons are already fading. By fading I mean.... the silver paint they painted over the buttons with WEARS OFF!!!
  
  The wrist rest is okay, but really cheap and if you move your keyboard or adjust your station it falls off and is generally just a PoS.
  
  I would never recommend this keyboard to anyone.
  
  
• Great keyboard!
  By A1WY1CXRP6OH1R on 2006-08-22
  I was just looking for a good illuminated keyboard when I bought this one. Yep, it's illuminated but it's also a VERY good keyboard. I like it better than the Dell keyboard that came with my PC. If you're looking for a keyboard, illuminated or not, buy this one!
  
  
  
• A pretty fun keyboard
  By AS8C336DDLSO4 on 2010-01-12
  I'm a fast typist (70wpm), but when i'm playing games and using software like Premiere or Photoshop, the traditional "typing mindset" goes away and I'm left hunting for keys. Due to courtesy, a keyboard like this was required. I'll be up front: I paid about $60 for it, and the price seems to vary wildly (i've seen the blue or red models selling for $35 on up to $80), though I think fair value should be under $60. Why?
  
  Pros: This is a straight up good keyboard. the keys feel good to me, they are responsive- though not perfect, the keys are the right sizes and in the predictable places for me (no oddly shaped enter key, no miniscule function keys like on my old MS board), and it works right out of the box on my Windows 7 computer (the volume buttons, the key-light-adjust button). And most importantly: the keys light up nice and evenly.
  
  Cons: the volume buttons, mute, and brightness control button (4 in total) all feel exactly the same. When you're feeling around in the dark, it would be nice if these were differentiated. Still, worst thing that happens is you unmute something loud or briefly kill the lights on your keyboard- no major keys are hard to find. Also, at the price I paid ($60) it would have been nice if they included even a single USB port. Also, if you plunk down a few dollars more keyboards start getting really fancy with LCD screens and knobs and other coolness.
  
  I can understand some peoples' complaints about the letters wearing, but that happens on a lot of keyboards and can vary due to many circumstances. To my hands, this feels like a solid keyboard and if you're in the market for a serious replacement board, this is a good choice that won't break your bank.
  
  
• Awesome!!!
  By AJOXVRG0J8MKY on 2007-07-26
  Perfect for the gamer in you! At midnight, turn out the lights and start up Quake 4... the red-illuminated keys are easy to see but not too bright. No more hitting the wrong key in the middle of a firefight just because you can't see it.
  
  But, this is also a great keyboard for typing. As a software developer, I find that these keys are spaced apart just perfectly, and they are neither too soft nor too hard to press. I can type faster and more accurately on this than any other keyboard I've tried (although I've never tried an ergonomic keyboard). This keyboard feels quite durable too. I expect it to last a good long time.
  
  
• Has Performed up to my expectations
  By A3K15KZLQ3ELOH on 2007-06-27
  I was looking for a durable keyboard as I am a programmer and the amount of typing I do per day superceeds most standards. Also I have 'heavy' fingerstrokes and thus far the keyboard still has minimal click compared to standard keyboards after a week of my torture. As for the lighting, it's pleasant to look at, however, if you recline back while typing and your eye angle is not more over the top of the keyboard, the numbers and small characters can be a little hard to read because you see through to areas inside the keys that are not as brightly lit. For me it's not an issue because I have the keyboard memorized. However, if you have to look at the keys while you type, then you will want to sit with a more proper posture so you are looking down from above.
  
  
• Great Gaming Keyboard
  By A7BE3AUWLRBT9 on 2006-10-23
  I was looking for a backlit keyboard and this one is great. The lights are great for playing in a dark room and during the day when the lights make it hard to see the keys you just turn it off. The two complaints I have is the wraist pad is worthless, because it caves in right where your right hand rests, bad design in my opinion and I don't even use it. The other complaint is I wish you could elevate the back higher. It seems almost flat even when you put the feet in the back up. It's a great looking keyboard and the keys feel great when typing, nice, smooth and quiet.
  
  
• Needs Improvement
  By A3VNAKMYO27RFX on 2006-11-18
  Pros:
  
  - Quiet and well balanced keys
  - Controlable Backlighting (Off + 2 levels)
  - Does not slide easily
  - Stylish
  
  Cons:
  
  - Special characters cannot be distinguished in the dark with backlighting on (have to lean over and close in to see them)
  - Num Lock and Caps Lock lights are way too bright relative to rest of keys(very annoying if you use Num Lock all the time)
  - Sound controls are not backlit
  - No media controls
  
  
• backstory
  By A3ITEDV7EYMF09 on 2010-06-19
  With 92 reviews already, I have little to add, but perhaps I can save you from having to scroll through them.
  
  The Saitek Eclipse doesn't come with a manual. You can download one from the Saitek website. It's uninformative, and you won't need it. The first time you plug the Eclipse into a USB port, the drivers load automatically from the keyboard--there's no CD-Rom. The Eclipse always loads with full illumination, but if you have a lamp on, it's not a distraction, so I'll leave it that way.
  
  The keys have a nice feel. The only real issue here is the silver paint on the keys. I haven't popped a key off, but the keys must be transparent, and the manufacturer simply screened the key legends. Had they injection molded silver keys, they would have had to mold the key legends into the key, and then used a transparent piece of plastic, which would have been expensive. They could have illuminated around the keys, or used semi-translucent keys--either would have been a better choice.
  
  One thing I don't like are the "tabs" at the corners of the keyboard. They give the Eclipse a futuristic look, but take up space and accomplish nothing.
  
  The Eclipse is a solid keyboard. At it's current discounted price, it's not very expensive, but much better than entry level models. If I get a year out of it, I'll be happy.
  
  
• Great Keyboard So Far
  By A1NQKWS81ENDTV on 2010-06-18
  I just received this keyboard yesterday. I'm coming from a 10" laptop keyboard so the first thing I notice with this keyboard are the raised keys. This is taking some getting used to but probably won't be that different if you are coming from a standard keyboard.
  
  The construction and quality overall feels great. The plastic is a high quality which is important because my son's favorite past time is beating on the keyboard every chance he gets. It comes with an adjustable wrist rest which I had a little bit of a problem connecting but works quite well. There are 3 settings for the lights (high, low, off).
  
  While this isn't the traditional gaming keyboard with LCD Screens, Hot Keys, built in USB ports, etc., it a great keyboard with a stylish look for those of us who occasionally need to use our computer in a dark room.
  
  I have to say that it feels and looks like a much more expensive keyboard.
  
  
• Outstanding product
  By A1Q0ORCVU9ID86 on 2010-04-08
  I guess I'm reverting to a teenager; I'm 65 but the backlight and see through keys are excellent for 1st person shooters in the dark (heightens the suspense and shock value). I also bought it because the red lights agree with my white/red computer room. As for the product, I've never had a more comfortable keyboard and would definetly recommend it to other touch-typers. Response is excellent, esp. for gaming. At the moment I don't have any complaints. I notice that some others have had trouble with its longevity, and if this fails to last, I'll re-do this review.
  
  
• After over a year.
  By A1U7YAYZCG6ELL on 2009-12-18
  This was my first backlit keyboard and as such I don't think I could ever purchase a non backlit keyboard again. So that in and of itself is a good thing.
  
  Pros
  
  -This keyboard is full size and sits level.
  -The keys have a nice responsive feedback to them.
  -Backlit keys are great.
  -Still going after over a year and a half.
  
  Cons
  
  -The keys themselves are painted, leaving the letters clear so the backlight shines through. Not so much a con until you consider that the paint on these keys wears off. I now have 4 keys which are unreadable.
  The keys are: s, C, D and .>
  The left shift is also wearing off though to the right of the lettering only.
  -Backlighting isn't uniform. It appears brighter around the C key and radiating outward. (This one isn't really bad, just an observation.)
  -No drivers or software to install so the keyboard always defaults to the brightest setting regardless of your last setting. So if you have the lights off and reboot your computer it will default back to the brightest settings.
  
  Conclusion
  All in all, it has been a good keyboard that has served me well, however the longevity of the keyboard is lacking due to paint wearing off on keys. In fact the C key was wearing off within the keyboards first week of use. I highly recommend that you get yourself a backlit keyboard as you will love it more than you could believe if you have never used one. I just don't know if I could recommend this keyboard specifically due to the paint on the keys.
  
  
• Saitek Backlit Keyboard
  By A18W1J0FNVMCMF on 2009-04-20
  This keyboard has a red backlight in two intensities. The keys are painted silver. In certain light it is difficult to see with the backlight on. Otherwise it workd as advertised.
  
  
• Saitek Eclipse Red Backlit Keyboard
  By A120NXKM3RK09T on 2009-02-24
  I have wanted a backlit keyboard for some time but I wanted one that was not so bright (like the Blue backlit keyboards) that it caused eye strain in low light conditions, and I wanted one that did not cost over $100.00. This was an excellent choice. I love the red LED back-lighting! I did not use the accompanying wrist support... its hard plastic and I was uncomfortable with the positioning.
  
  PROS:
  Red LED's are not as harsh on your eyes in dark rooms.
  Keyboard has an excellent feel and layout.
  Has a button to change the light level (three settings: High, Low, and Off).
  Didn't make my bank account cry when I clicked on the purchase button.
  
  CONS:
  LED brightness is not uniform across the keyboard. There are brighter spots around the edges.
  Included wrist support kind of sucks. Buy your own.
  
  Overall it is worth the money!
  
  
• As expected, but still very nice
  By ADRBHIW4YVEAN on 2009-01-29
  It was just as all the reviews described - nice feel, awesome looks, and not that great lighting. If you aren't almost directly over the keys you won't be able to fully appreciate the backlit keys because the light from one LED is "piped" to several keys instead of having a LED behind each key. There were reviews stating that the lettering would wear away after usage - I took the advice of one reviewer and applied 2 layers of my sister's clear coat nail polish to all the keys. No problem so far (almost a month of intensive use for programming) I admit I bought this keyboard primarily for the looks (my roommate was green with envy when I unveiled it) and it's great for showing off because people who look at it are usually standing so they can see the full lighting. Not being able to see a few of the keys because my viewing angle prevents that doesn't matter too much since I'm a touch typist, and it functions great as a keyboard, definitely a step up from my laptop keyboard (which was full size). I give it 4 stars because it's a great keyboard to use, but the advertising makes you believe the keys are super lit, while in reality you won't be able to appreciate it much while typing. That and the fact that I had to apply the clear coats, half an hour of careful painting and drying to prevent the lettering on the keys from wearing away with use (I would like my keyboard to have labels even if I don't need them to type...)
  
  
• Keyboard review
  By A2J5NTFDCJA93U on 2009-01-07
  This product is ok, but not what i was expecting. It lights the keyboard but the keys are not clear and crisp to see as i had hoped. I still need proper lighting to see the keyboard.
  
  
• Great Keyboard
  By A1DYX1MJFYOT94 on 2008-09-20
  I'm using this keyboard right now. I've had it for a year or so, and I love it. As some reviewers said, there are no media controls, but if you're like me, you prefer to not have them because they're just extra buttons that get in the way. For me, this is a perfect keyboard with nice key action and simple design. As for the backlighting, i don't think I'll buy another keyboard in the future if it doesn't have backlighting. That is the main reason I bought this board, and it is even more useful than I thought. Honestly, who would rather play games with the lights on? I've bought two keyboards in the time I've had this, and both times switched immediately back to the Saitek. I'm going to buy another one for my second PC. I hope this review helped, cheers!
  
  
• A very good keyboard with one (kinda big) problem
  By AE88YOLLFI9Z2 on 2008-06-26
  I have now had this keyboard for a year, and I am very impressed with one huge exception: much of the paint on the more oft-used keys has rubbed completely off. Now, considering I'm not new to the typing thing, this isn't a logistical issue so much as an aesthetic one. I can live without seeing A, S, D, E, R, T, C, and L, but I shouldn't have to. One year is not the life expectancy of a forty dollar keyboard, and it should look nicer than this.
  
  A related issue I have is the viewable angle for the shift functions of the number keys. On the keys themselves, the exclamation point all the way down to the close parenthesis are very difficult to make out from my natural viewing angle. When the light is on (whether bright or dim), the top portions of the characters are dark while the bottom portions are lit (this is especially bothersome for keys 3-7, which all have kinda-pointy/kinda-round shift functions that are difficult to distinguish). I have to look from directly above them in order to see them clearly, or turn the backlight off, which kind of defeats the purpose of getting a backlit keyboard.
  
  Other than those issues, the keyboard is pretty good. I like the action of the keys, it's far quieter than some other keyboards I've had, the key texture and shape are nice, the volume controls are helpful, and the backlit is pretty neat-looking. If it weren't for visual aspects, I would give this keyboard five stars, but "looks like butt after a year" demotes it to three.
  
  
• Awesome Product!
  By A2PC51CB3J3ZLS on 2008-04-09
  I have to say, once again I am impressed with the quality of Saitek products. This is the second time I have bought something from them and I will continue to do so in the future.
  
  Pros:
  The keyboard is well made, the keys don't seem like the paint will rub off very easily. The brightness controls for the back-lighting are genius and set to the correct levels. The sound controls were the reason I bought this particular item, and they worked right out of the box, no drivers necessary. Amazon delivered a day early.
  
  Cons: No matter how much I beg it won't make me a sandwich.
  
  Other:I would recommend getting the red version as it's easier on the eyes and doesn't hurt your night vision. I previously had the creative Fatal1ty keyboard which was blue and has no media controls. This is a vast improvement.
  
  
• Very nice...
  By A3J9U30199MTLQ on 2008-03-01
  This is a great keyboard to work with. The keys are quiet, much quieter than my old keyboard, and are easy to work on. One of the main reasons I got this keyboard was the back light color. Finding a red keyboard to match my computer is tough, but this one fit the bill. It's bright enough to see during the day and has a dimmer so you can turn the light down or off. This is one keyboard I will be keeping for a long, long time.
  
  
• Saitek backlite-keyboard is sick!!
  By AXCBHHJDBWB47 on 2007-12-28
  Without one of these keyboards your really playing in the dark, now I get to turn all the lights off and can see every key I need to play world of warcraft ,worldwarllonline and the new pirates of the burning sea. True gaming happiness, did I say The witcher too? Frame rate increases too, Less work on the motherboard.
  
  
• Good keyboard but...
  By A3AURNWK6VI5L1 on 2007-09-30
  I got this keyboard because of the illuminated keys and volume controls. The illuminated keys are great! The lighting goes through the keys (not just backlit) and have 3 adjustments (bright, dim and off). The keyboard feels solid and has good weight to it. No sliding! The only drawback is that because the keyboard comes with no drivers, and none are available, the volume controls don't work! I've been in touch with Saitek's helpline and they got it functioning through a patch. The functions went away when my spyware (and I) removed the Human Interface Device service because of possible malware (probably the patch). Oh well, I guess I have to break out the windows disk to repair this. Overall, a good product.
  
  

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