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Products:    Ideazon ZBoard Keysets
                   Battlefield 2 Limited Edition Keyset
                   Adobe PhotoShop Keyset
                   Microsoft Excel Keyset

Provided By: Ideazon
Real-Time Price(s):

Introduction:

When many of us here the name “Ideazon” we immediately think of the Zboard or Merc Keyboards.  These are traditionally geared toward the gaming crowd, and while this crowd demands high-quality products, there is also a market for the Zboard outside of the gaming circle.  Today we are looking at some extra keysets for the Zboard that cover more than your average games.  We are looking specifically at the Adobe Photoshop Keyset as well as the Microsoft Excel Keyset.  We will also be briefly covering a limited edition BF2 keyset as well to see how this set differs from the standard gaming keyset included with the Zboard.

Standard Keyset

If you currently own a Zboard, this review will be of interest to you as you will discover some things about your board that perhaps you didn’t know before.  If you are looking at a new keyboard, maybe you will reconsider the Zboard and take a look at the productivity options that it has to offer.

About Ideazon:

It all began back in 1999 as Oren Kramer, an avid gamer, tried his hand - both hands, in fact - at mastering the tricky basic commands of StarCraft™, an extensive real-time strategy game. Oren was also an avid Quake™ player, an intense first person shooter game. Suddenly, the proverbial light came on and in a moment of inspiration Oren asked himself three questions he would soon pursue the answers to . . .

What if a gaming keyboard could be designed to let gamers execute complex maneuvers and a combination of movements with just a single easy keystroke?

Could such a keyboard eliminate the need to memorize key commands and free gamers for the first time to focus all of their attention on action, strategy and ultimate victory?

Would a keyboard dedicated to gaming action not make it easier and faster for gamers of all levels to master any game and maximize playing enjoyment?

So began the Ideazon revolution.

Oren went on to create the first Zboard and the rest is gaming history. The Zboard was the world's first gaming keyboard, an innovation that forever changed the way gamers connect with their favorite games. It cut down the learning curve to deliver a lethal competitive edge to core gamers, while helping casual players dramatically and immediately improve their play.

Zboard: Built by Gamers for Gamers
A compact powerhouse of a homegrown Canadian company, Ideazon exploded onto the market in 2000 with an ever-widening global ripple effect that continues to rock the gaming world.

Always striving to deliver a bulletproof keyboard that could consistently meet the rigorous standards of even the hardest-core PC gamers, the Zboard system was finally introduced to the world in March, 2003 to rave reviews from both gamers and the gaming industry alike.

Backed by solid partners and a loyal global cult of core gamers, Ideazon has released Limited Edition Keysets for some of the world's hottest games, including Doom 3™, World of Warcraft® and Battlefield 2™, Call of Duty™ 2, Age of Empires™ III and The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II.

The Future is Now
The Ideazon team has built on the success of the Zboard to launch MERC in 2006. Developed through years of research combined with feedback and intelligence gathered during hundreds of thousands of hours of gaming action, MERC is a premium hybrid keyboard that features an integrated gamepad powered by Z Engine technology.

What Makes a Limited Edition Keyset (BF2)?

Ideazon has many different keysets available for the Zboard.  Currently there are 19 different gaming keysets available and 7 business solution keysets on offer from Ideazon.  While basic functionality of every game is built into the standard gaming keyset, there are a few features and changes that make up a "Limited Edition" keyset.  I know we said we'd talk about Business Solutions, but I wanted to quickly touch base and show you the difference between the standard gaming keyset and the BF2 LE keyset.

BF2 Package

BF2 Keyset

At first glance you assume that the BF2 Limited Edition keyset is merely a nice sticker on top of the standard keyset, but there is a little more to it that than.  The middle and right-hand sections are laid out exactly the same as the standard layout, but the left-hand gaming portion is a little different.  Click both of the images below to view a large image of the key layout and setup of both keysets when plugged in for BF2.

 
Standard Gaming Keyset

BF2 Gaming Keyset

If you missed it, the BF2 keyset actually has two less keys on the gaming side.  BF2 requires a fair amount of keys, but the position of the two keys below the down arrow are hard to reach in intensive situations, and I honestly never used them when playing.  They have customized the layout a bit and added a nice graphic.  Gaming keysets generally set you back $23USD and while they may not help you play the game better, they add a nice look to your setup.