Zalman ZM-K400G USB Gaming Keyboard

I'm a gamer but not into gaming keyboards and mice. However some of the games I've started playing I've needed a few extra keys or macro buttons for functionality. I wanted something under £30-£40 that wasn't complicated like the £150 priced options as I'm fussy. This keyboard has G1-G6 macro keys as well as the normal short cut keys for volume and system features. The key presses feel nice but no where near mechanical standard it's nice to use it and the keys shouldn't wear to quickly and I mass them like the Hulk.Looks wise it looks like a hi-tech gaming keyboard and matches my black case and monitor it should go with most black setups. It's close to a standard USB qwerty keyboard in layout with just a few extra keys. Size wise it's only slightly bigger than my standard Trust budget keyboard I replaced with this so I can use it from the box without hours of getting used to different hand positions.Build quality wise it's good and should last a few years but it has a slight budget feel. It's nicely designed, a good size and feels like you could drop it or bang it without serious damage (GAME RAGE) however it's not to the standard of say a Razer, Corsair or Logitech product. You couldn't go surfing on it or kill a burglar by smashing him in the face, however if you get ganked by 5 people at level 1 on League of Legends and have a temper it will be ok.So far I've played League of Legends, Killing Floor and Elite Dangerous and it functioned perfectly and performed the job I needed it too. My main complaint in the past with gaming keyboards has been size and getting used to key layout but within 10 minutes I was comfy with this.I'll give it 4 starts out of 5, my only complaint is the LED brightness could do with being better and the keys are hard to view in sunlight with LEDs off.Summary:GOOD VALUE FOR MONEYChoice of red or blue LEDsGood USB cable lengthWindows 7 detected and installed with no downloads or drivers neededEasy to get to grips with and useIs a gaming keyboard not a basic keyboard smartened upBAD POINTSNeeds brighter LEDsA little bit of a cheap feel but not badly builtWould buy again if I wanted the same for the money.

I got this keyboard a couple of weeks ago. The first thing I noticed after fighting with the wrapping and removing some sticky plastic(why?), was the bent shape of it. The keyboard was not straight. The shape from left to right had a twist in it. Hard to explain properly, I'd make a picture but I can't be bothered and, to be honest it isn't worth it is it.I decided to return and replace.The new one arrived today and...you guessed it, it's bent out of shape again!!Strangely though, this time I just held the board firmly in both hands, gave it a stiff twist in the corrective direction and voilà, I now have a great straight new keyboard.I should have done that with the first one but I was exercising my rights.I will now speak of this wonderful product instead of the defective shape (which is fixed easily, see above).The backlit keys are great, just bright enough to see in the day or the night time. Very effective and you also get some 'front bumper' lights too!The keys have a very soft action, I find this satisfactory, it is a pleasure to type on. The space-bar has two thumb shaped indents on it, for, thumbs. You can also use the non-thumb shaped areas to great effect. There is a very handy 'Lock those damned annoying windows keys' button for when playing games or other full screen affairs. You also get to control the volume of your PC, with a mute key too. There are media keys. These are by default, tuned into Windows Media Player but don't fear! this is changeable. Only to Itunes or Winamp though. Or Winmap as they seem to call it.Lastly, the programmable Keys. I was surprised at how many different functions you get to choose from, to program the keys with. You can allocate mouse buttons to keys, browser functions, Win Explorer functions and, simply re-map a key or key combination to another key. Then there is the macro function. I would love to tell you all about this too but whilst I know what it means, I have no idea how to do it. Yet.Definitely a bit on the cheap plastic side, it actually looks like it cost more than it feels like, for those of you shallow enough to care about such things.Oh and I almost forgot, it can slide all over the desk despite the ineffective slippery rubber feet underneath. Blu-Tak fixed that.I will give this 3 stars, for the price, features and those lovely red & blue lights!