11.23.07
Saitek Eclipse II reviewed
I’m fascinated by keyboards that have lighted letters. I really enjoy the new colors from LED lights and such. That “blue” color from blue LEDs touches some nerve. To that end I am looking for a good backlit keyboard. The Saitek Eclipse II is a good keyboard. The keys are a little light to the touch (no pun intended) and the action is a little loose, but it feels like a solid keyboard. They keys are sized and placed in a layout I like - Large backspace key and enter key. The Shift keys are also a good size and the CTRL and alt keys are along the bttom and adequately sized. There aren’t any gimmicky keys either, the layout is basic and well done.
Unfortunately the lighting is just not what I hoped for. The ability to switch between colors is cool and I did the shade of purple but the color just doesn’t come through the keys like I had hoped. The inclusion of the brightness control for the backlighting and the volume control switches are very welcome. And they work with Windows XP (I haven’t tested them with any other OS yet).
In all, the Saitek Eclipse II is a good keyboard and it has a nice lighting effect but if perfectly lit keyboard markings are what you are looking for, this isn’t it. I’m sure I will use this keyboard for a long time to come- or until I find a replacement that trumps this one in the weaknesses outlined above.