steelseries Merc Stealth Black USB Wired Ergonomic Gaming Keyboard steelseries Merc Stealth Black USB Wired Ergonomic Gaming Keyboard

Pros: I originally purchased one of these keyboards over 6 years ago with a new Dell PC. I had previously used various ergonomic keyboards to relieve wrist strain. This keyboard has held up extremely well despite some ... ahem ... brutal abuse. Yes, I occasionally take out my gaming frustrations on my poor keyboard. It is a very robust board and despite 3 cracked or broken keys, it performed perfectly. I've never had any problems with the software with Windows Vista, 7 or 8. I recently purchased a new PC, so, I decided to get a new keyboard. I was surprised at how little the keyboard action on the old one had actually deteriorated. The new board has even more features including headphone jacks and USB ports. I am still a " hunt and peck " typist, so, the addition of the lighted keys makes it much easier for me to type in low lighting situations which is also a great help for my decrepit 63 year old eyeballs.

Cons: Not really a con, it's just that all keyboards have those little adjustment feet on the bottom that break SOOO easy. I think the ones on my original keyboard broke after about a month, with very little abuse. The feet on this new board do seem to be better than most boards I've seen and are certainly better than the previous model, so, we'll see. The only thing that I could really fault is they still don't add the Z and X key to the gaming side of the board but it's not really a problem as I can easily bind those occasional functions to other keys.

Other Thoughts: Shipping from Newegg was very quick.

If you are a chronic gamer and you want a killer keyboard to help you crush your enemies and see them driven before you and hear the lamentation of their women, then this is the keyboard for you.

Pros: This keyboard is all about the game pad on the left side, and IMHO, it is the real deal. The learning curve is small, and the rewards great. No problems working on Windows 7, just don't load the software included on the disc. Go to the website and load the Windows7 64 NA version; you should be OK. Actually the keyboard works fine on the games I play without the software, but I thought I would give it another try (see below) .

Keys feel very good/crisp for a membrane keyboard, and the game pad keys are rubberized. I find the layout perfect. The 3 different back lights are bright. the audio jacks allow for some flexibility in connections that work very well for my particular setup. The volume controls are buttons. I prefer a wheel, but no biggie.

Sturdy and well built as compared to some other gaming keyboards.

Cons: Support appears to be non-existent as this company bought the keyboard from IdeaZon and really haven't done much with it. The game profiles included are no newer than a couple years old, so don't expect to find anything very new.You can create your own profiles, but from what I remember, this software can be a bit flaky/buggy. be warned.

Typing could be a challenge if you're using this as a primary work keyboard because the layout is a bit compromised to accommodate the gaming model; the delete key in particular is annoying. Slightly cramped as well. I am not a super typer, so this doesn't really bother me.

The USB ports are underpowered, I don't use them

Don't pay $90! It randomly goes on sale for ~ $65 at this and another major retailer. Wait.

Other Thoughts: I have the original "ZBoard" from IdeaZon on another PC and it is still working well (6 years old) . I tried a mechanical gaming keyboard for a while on my new PC, but I snatched this keyboard when it went on sale at another major retailer, and I'm glad I did. So nice having this pad back, really clears up all the convolutions I did on the normal WASD/Function keys. I want to give this 5 stars just for how well it performs, but I cited too many cons to seem legit. Gamers, you will love this keyboard. Hope it lasts as long as the original!

Pros: love it lots of macro keys not much else to say

Cons: none

Pros: Great gameing key board. I don't think I could do with out one. It works with windows 7, xp, 2000 and vista.

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: Ive had an original Z board Merc since they first showed up at an old Babbages so long ago. The steel series merc seems to have the same quality workman ship of the original merc. Better get one while you still can.

Pros: Amazing lighting and general keystrokes. Feels nice for a membrane. I love the usb and headset hub on the keyboard.

Cons: -Gaming Terrain is cheaply made and the keys get stuck or broken in 2 weeks to a month
-Weird key lay out to save space
-Drivers break the keyboard on W7 unless uninstalled

Other Thoughts: Could have been good if the gaming terrain buttons weren't cheap. Nice for a ton of close up options. Could have been way better if the freaking drivers actually worked.

Pros: Great ergonomics. Feels good to type on; key spacing is good and the keystrokes are fairly crisp.
Durable; I have had mine for about 4 years and still going strong.

Best thing about this keyboard is the "butterfly keys" and the gaming key layout. Once you use it one time you can never go back to using wasd and other keys on a regular keyboard. I don't really know of any other keyboards that have anything like the butterfly keys that Ideazon/Steelseries has made.

Cons: USB hubs don't work too well, they are underpowered and not many devices will work right with the hubs.

Num pad and function keys are condensed into one. At first it is irritating to switch back and forth between key uses, but once you get the hang of it, it's not that big of a deal.

Is somewhat large, and a bit long, so be prepared to have enough desk space.

Other Thoughts: If you want a gaming keyboard, do your left hand a favor and get one like this with the butterfly keys - This feature alone easily gives it 5 eggs.

Pros: The backlit keys are very nice, offering multiple settings. They show up brightly even in a well lit room. The gaming pad on the left side is convenient for many games. The software does work on windows 7 64 bit, I haven't tried 32 bit, but I assume it works as well.

Cons: This keyboard has very few cons, but the one that has always stuck with me and made me use a dell keyboard more often is the lack of a designated delete key and an unnatural feeling number pad.

Other Thoughts: If all you do is play twitch styled shooters and game, this keyboard may be a great and stylish addition for you. But it falls short as a multipurpose keyboard. If it is on sale, it might be a good purchase, but for the regular retail price, I'd suggest a solid mechanical keyboard over this one.

Pros: This is my 3rd one I've owned over a 6 year period. I replace every 2 years just to get that new keyboard feeling. The others are still in use with kids computers.. Merc is an excellent gaming and all round keyboard.

Cons: None

Pros: Though it takes a week or two for your fingers to get used to the new layout, eventually you will come to wonder how you ever gamed with a standard keyboard. The buttons are very well placed, large, and generally responsive. You will find yourself noticing more and more how superior a gaming-inspired keyboard layout is to standard models.

There are three backlit colors, and that's a nice touch.

I've owned it for over a year with no significant problems of any kind.

Cons: Unfortunately, the Z-engine macro software doesn't seem to work on Windows 7. It's unfortunate, because I wanted to rebind the top numbers, but no dice. So if you wanted to program macros and use the special buttons, but are running Windows 7, you'll run into difficulties.

Wasn't really an issue for me, however. I ended up buying a Razor Naga mouse and that solved all my number key problems.

Other Thoughts: There isn't much competition with gaming keyboards or peripherals, excepting maybe the Nostromo which I just don't see the value in, especially since this keyboard works so well on its own. Highly recommended.

Pros: I have owned two of these boards for over two years, and only replaced the first after one of my kids dumped a full soda on the thing. Anyone who FPS's with a lefty WASD has got to try this thing and you will never go back. The separate WASD area on the board with all of your favorite support buttons (e,f,c,space, etc) clustered for easy use makes this thing killer in gaming.

I owned this board before steelseries bought out Merc, and I am glad to see it still around as my second board is starting to get a bit tired. This is only because of constant and consistent use.

Cons: I wish the keys were mechanical, so they would wear better. The larger WASD buttons on the left are rubberized (at least on the original Stealth version), and if you do not keep the board clean, they can get sticky from a lot of use. I'vefound using a wipe (clorox or baby) can clean them up pretty easily. It does not appear steelcase is committed to updating the software for newer games (the software is AWSOME!), and I would like to see this as many FPS's change up certain keys, although really you can map any key to any thing you want in your own set-up, it just takes more time. Also, the USB outlet on the keyboard are bogus, and I have never gotten them to work, but really, I didn't even know the thing had them when I got it, so it was never really a loss to me.

Other Thoughts: A recent post to this keyboard prompted my review as I cannot believe anyone would say the software does not work on Windows 7. I have been on 7 for nealry a year (back when the multi-license package came out, thanks uncle Bill!), and I had no problems updating it, or using it since. Again, I will point out I have the Stealth version disk, but have updated the software from the steelcase website without any issues. Bambam, you might want to try re-installing or something, because it definitely does work.