We get pretty tired of keyboards that don't completely rule. The Eclipse III from Saitek probably isn't one of them -- it's backlit, after all, and that backlighting is totally multi-color, which is pretty important. At least to us. If that wasn't enough, this USB plug and play beast boasts a "two stage height" adjustor system, keys which are "laser-etched," headphone and microphone audio ports -- oh! and "time-saving Windows and internet shortcut keys." We have yet to see any indication of price, nor do we know when it will drop. Can we make a suggestion? ASAP would be for the best.
Update: It appears to be available for pre-order on Amazon for $79.99, and claims to be shipping within 2-5 weeks.
[Thanks, Calvin]
posted November 4th 2008 11:23PM
I have the Eclipse II and like it for some reasons, and not for others... It's kind of bulky, and I'm on my 2nd (first one randomly stopped working random keys on random days). Also it gets clogged up easily, VERY easily - I can't even tell you how much dried monster & crumbs I have under those keys... Yet again, it's kinda fun to take it all apart. I'll surely invest in the III, as long as it's still quiet.
Don't be too fast to jump for this Saitek Cheeze ball keyboard just for the backlight.
I just bought the new Logitech Illuminated Keyboard and it is hands down the best keyboard I have ever used. Laptop style key action. Wired for serious gaming, and good looking too.
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/keyboards/keyboard/devices/4740&cl=us,en
I think it blows the Saitek away in every regard. Unless you have a thing for cheap and cheezy looking star trek computer hardware.
How much did Logitech pay you for that post?
Don't bash a product you haven't used and isn't even out yet. I have a Saitek Eclipse and I love the thing. Not only does it look nice, but it's actually nice to type on in terms of noise and key responsiveness, something many other manufacturers seem to be forgetting about. One of the best $30 electronics I've ever purchased.
Looks like neither the saitek nor the logitech are available with Mac keys? the iRock is getting harder to find...
I have a Saitek Eclipse and it's the best keyboard I ever had, and I've owned countless keyboards from Logitech, Microsoft, and others. The build quality is extremely nice, the backlighting is well done, and typing feel is better than average. One of the things I like about it though is that they kept it simple--there are very few extraneous keys and features. I find I rarely use all the fluff so I actually prefer that approach, but this still looks pretty good.
Mic/headphone connectors.
That's what we need in ALL the keyboards, not just gaming ones (except the cheapo $7 ones meant for business).
Seriously, I've never been with my headphones to a computer where I don't have to use the extension cable... It's annoying
Is it just me, or does this thing have the same exact layout as the razer tarantula?
I've got a Saitek Eclipse (1st version) and it is a great keyboard in some respects. Very durable construction, pretty heavy too, and I love the backlit keys since I work in a dimly lit room. Unfortunately, the paint has worn off the a, s, d, l, ., and o keys pretty substantially. I've also noticed that it sometimes takes a couple presses of the 'y' key to make it type the letter 'y'- which is more of an annoyance than anything else. Occasionally it happens with the 'r' key as well. I might look into getting a replacement if that starts happening more frequently, but I may do a bit more shopping around next time...
How long have you had your Eclipse? I read about the paint issues on NewEgg and it almost scared me away from buying one, but I'm yet to run into any problems in the almost a year that I've owned mine. And I type a lot.
I had an eclipse 1 and 2 so far for about 6 months for the Eclipse 1 until I gave it away and have had the Eclipse 2 for almost a year and I've only noticed slight paint fading on the Eclipse 2's 's' key.
I play a lot of counterstrike but I don't do a lot of extensive typing so I don't know how abused you would consider it, but I've been completely satisfied with both products... not to mention they're a hell of a deal (Eclipse 1 $35, Eclipse 2 $50 as opposed to other backlit's like G15 $90 and Lycosa $80) so I expect them to keep competitive pricing
And macro keys FTW, that's been my one turn off of Eclipse keyboards... apparently my 9 button Lachesis isn't enough
Why don't they show a __BIG__ image?
How cool would this be, coding away in my semi-lit desk, on a green and black Slackware terminal, while playing "I will Survive" through muffled speakers... Hope it's fully functional on Linux boxes.
PS: Here in Kenya, it's been declared a public holiday because Obama has won... madness!
Does it have any Bs?
Isn't Fo-EVA a monarchy?
What exactly is it that is "totally multicolor"? Is each key able to turn a different color? It seems like a Optimus Prime on a budget.
Seems very slick, but those keyboards are usually very expensive. Also, does anybody know if you have any software utility to program each key color according to shortcuts in a specific program (e.g., if I'm usuing photoshop, I want different setting of colors vs. if I am using FireFox).
my comments at http://www.commentino.com/orim
I do not understand why people are saying this keyboard isn't available when I was just using it lastnight at Best Buy. For people who want more info, it costs $79.99 and here is a link http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8987563&st=saitek&lp=2&type=product&cp=1&id=1218006356083 I really like the keyboard but could be better if it had an lcd like the logitech g5.
That's the Cyborg Keyboard, not the Eclipse III, you can notice slight changes in the display at the top.
The cyborg has been out for a while, I've had mine for about 6 months now. What I want to know is what is different between the two, because they do look similar in design and feature set.
I replaced my eclipse 1 with apple's latest offering. Got tired of horrible keystroke mechanics, and I don't particularly like tall keys anymore. I miss the backlighting (I had the red version) but thats about it. It was way too bulky, and the mechanical action of the keys was somewhat sticky. Meh @ Eclipse. Yay @ Backlight!
I am a proud owner of the Eclipse, Eclipse II, G15
I don't know what you guys are smoking, but the Eclipse II even blows the G15 out of the water, let alone predicting that the Eclipse III will. The G15 has been downgraded to my one legged step child board that I use on occasion for my PS3 and 360.
The only thing about the Eclipse III that I'm wondering is what the hell is different about it? The features and design seem to be exactly like the Eclipse II.
Excuse me, not the Eclipse II, but the Cyborg board I also own. Would like to know the main differences between that and the Eclipse III.
I want a wireless backlit keyboard!
...And make the keyboard wireless, please. I hate wires.
Yeah, after trying the Saitek Gamer's keyboard, the Eclipse and the Eclipse II, I'll pass. With all three they had problems with multiple key activations. For example with the Gamer's I couldn't sprint while running on a diagonal in any FPS. Also each version I've tried has had conflicts with certain games, making them unplayable without manually going into the hardware manager and disabling certain kb features. Saitek makes great joysticks but I have never had a worthwhile keyboard from them.
Call me an elitist if you want, but I continue to insist that keyboards reached their apex somewhere around 10-20 years ago.
My ol' Dell keyboard has been serving me well for several years now, and nothing today lets me type quite as fast or accurately as it does.
I really dislike this new emphasis on extra keys, flashing lights, and LCDs on keyboards...