Killer price meets not-so-killer
performance
sharkoon has stepped into the
gaming-keyboard ring with its new budget plank called the Skiller, which is
loaded with hotkeys and a macro-recording software suite. Those of you not
familiar with Sharkoon should know that the company started out making
cold-cathode PC lighting a decade ago, and has since expanded its offering with
keyboards, mice, and other PC peripherals.
Sharkoon's newest keyboard manages to
include some high-end features but ultimately has too many flaws most notably a
less-than-optimum typing experience for us to recommend it.
On the plus side, Sharkoon includes
rubberized WASD and cursor keys on the Skiller out of the box, making it easy
to locate these gaming keys without taking your eyes off the screen. Rubberized
WASD keys aren't a new thing, of course, but they're generally found on far
pricier planks, such as Corsair's K60. For folks who don't care for the
rubberized surface, Sharkoon includes a set of standard keys, as well as a tool
for replacing them.
Sharkoon
Skiller
The right side of the Skiller has volume
and mute keys, above which are the media controls, including pause, play, and
stop. Sadly, the keys only work with Windows Media Player we had no joy trying
map to them to work with Pandora, VLC, or iTunes.
At the top of the keyboard there are wake,
sleep, and power keys the Skiller actually lets you power off your PC. Put it
LO sleep, and wake it up using the last three buttons located in the top
right-hand corner of the keyboard. Unfortunately, the power and sleep buttons
cannot be disabled. which means an accidental tap of those keys during gameplay
will put your machine to sleep or shut it down. We recommend changing these
functions in the power options of your OS before you put the board into action.
Most
budget keyboards don’t include macro-recording software, but the Skiller does,
which is a plus for folks on a tight budget who want big-dollar functionality
The top left of the keyboard is rounded out
with shortcuts to My Computer, Email, Windows Search. Windows Calculator, and
Windows Media player. While useful to some, these dedicated keys seem out of
place on a gaming keyboard.
Most budget keyboards don’t include
macro-recording software, but the Skiller does, which is a plus for folks on a
tight budget who want big-dollar functionality. Sharkoon's software makes it
quick and easy to create macro sets and it also makes the Skiller MMO and
RTS-friendly.
It
seem like a steal, but the one deal-breaker to us is the keyboard's mushy feel
When you take into account the Sharkoon
Skiller's $30 price, the inclusion of rubberized and textured WASD keys and
macro software might make it seem like a steal, but the one deal-breaker to us
is the keyboard's mushy feel. It’s just not that pleasant to type on. Yes,
we’ll acknowledge that you won't get a more satisfying mechanical plank in this
price range, but Sharkoon's Skiller is notably mushy by even mushy-membrane-key
standards.
Sharkoon Skiller
Pros
·
Cheap
·
slew of hotkeys
·
rubberized WASD and arrow keys
·
macro-recording software
Cons
·
Membrane keys feel mushy
·
power and sleep too easy to hit
·
media keys only work with WMP
·
Price: $30
·
Website: www.sharkoon.com
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