Everglide DKTBoard aluminum gaming keyboard review

Page 2 - Everglide DKTBoard in pictures

It's well known fact that computer hardware manufacturers supply packaging that is proportional to the price of the product inside. This has grow to be something like a law for the gaming peripherals - it's easier to sell expensive keyboard or mouse if it's in a big shiny box and has a bunch of "free stuff" like, stickers , dust cloth and so on. This again is absolutely true for Razer, but not for Everglide. Some users would be happy and grateful to find that Everglide spared some trees when choosing the box for the DKTBoard. Indeed the box is small enough to allow us to describe it as a "tight fit" for the DKTBoard.

Upon opening the box we had out first unpleasant surprise. It was apparent that there were no special buttons. The 8 multimedia keys that are available are something you can find even on a 5$ keyboard. That alone is a good reason for a man to think about should he spend his money for this exact keyboard if he is in need of special buttons, such as ones available on most of the 50$ keyboards (same as DKTBoard price).

Still I hoped to find at least software for it. Well, there is no software or manual (though a manual would be unneeded), the lack of software excludes the option of any use of macro modes, which are common and frequently used by gamers. Good gaming keyboards have integrated memory and can remember combination's of keystrokes and serious gamers often set different combos of "fatalities", weapon changes, shots and so on, depending on the game. In the more inexpensive keyboards this is done only by software. Here neither of the variants is implemented.

Only after you touch Everglide DKTBoard you'll feel how compact it is. For comparison on the second photo I've put on top of it a 120mm fan. The small layout though suggests squeezed in buttons as well as unavailability of certain others that I'll mention later.

On the other hand the build quality seems on the level, buttons are plastic (nice plastic, very nice tactile response), but the base is and the body itself is aluminum. It would definitely take more "damage" than a regular keyboard...

There is a lot to be said about the keys lights too, since we assume that this is one of the important points that might lead to buying the DKTBoard. Even though in daylight it looks pleasantly blue, in the dark it's plain awful. The light is TERRIBLY bright and at some angles the light sources shine between the buttons directly in your eyes. Not only that in this condition the light is no help at finding the right key, but it seriously messes with your eyes. Sure if you ignore it at a LAN party and use the keyboard in well lit room it will be OK, but otherwise it's better kept off. It would be very nice if it could be dimmed on demand, yet no such luck - all you've got is on or off.

We must also mention the fact that the keyboard that we got was with dead NUMLOCK led - not a thing to whine about, but should you have that same problem, the keyboard should be covered by the warranty and replaced. And now to the tests...