TF2 and a Microsoft Keyboard

I’ve lately been playing the game Team Fortress 2, developed by Valve in 2007.  The Heavy update finally came on August 19th and I’ve been playing non-stop for a week now trying to gain all the achievements.  I’ve managed to get twenty-three of the thirty-eight achievements available and am now using the nicely made K.G.B.  What pisses me off though is the keyboard I am using.

I know for a fact that since I am a gamer that wired keyboards and mouses are preferred to rather than their wireless counterparts. The main problem being that you never know when the batteries will run out, especially the batteries for the mouse that can crap out on you when you get ambushed from behind by a pyro wielding a backburner.
I’m using the Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 3.0 package and I can tell you, I do not like this keyboard what-so-ever. The keyboard and mouse have their advantages and disadvantages but the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.

The Pros:
1. Ergonomically, the design is alright and the keyboard feels nice on the hands
2. It has many programmable macro keys for your programs and also has for short cut keys like a button for MSN messenger, calculator, my documents, my computer, notepad, e-mail, and the internet.
3. It contains media player buttons which are always good for watching movies, television shows, and also listening to music.
4. The mouse feels great and is ergonomically designed and fits the hand well. It feels very nice to hold it.
5. Mouse and keyboard do not take up that much battery power. For two years of owning this keyboard, I haven’t replaced the keyboard batteries and I’ve only replaced the mouse batteries twice.
6. The range can go up to five feet at least. I didn’t test at any further distances as my room is not long enough for this testing.

The Cons:
1. The program that comes with the package is easy to use and easy to install. It is very easy to navigate through and is intuitive. Unfortunately the macro keys and the shortcuts do not respond very well to the programs that are assigned to these buttons. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. I had a problem with always resetting the macro keys to their respective programs. The keys would respond for a short period but after a while or even after restarting the computer, the macro keys stop working.
2. The mouse wheel is too sensitive for me. This is a subjective view as I like the old school mouse wheels in which you can feel each click the mouse makes. The mouse wheel rotates very smoothly and you can barely feel any of the clicks. The wheel feels nice though with a translucent rubber finish. The scroll wheel can be moved from left to right which is used to help navigate through the tabs in Firefox and Opera but it seems as if the keyboard problems extend to the mouse as well.

Now the biggest problem:
3. This keyboard is not suitable for gaming what-so-ever! If you are a gamer, do not buy this keyboard because it will fail you and get you killed countless times, so many times that you will want to throw the keyboard and mouse out the window in frustration. The major problems that occur with this keyboard is that somehow the keys become unresponsive and de-sync somehow while you are trying to move your character. Just by pressing two buttons at once, your character will stop moving. This is very problematic especially if you try to crouch jump onto a ledge or even try and dodge while strafing and running forward.

While playing a scout in TF2, double-jumping is very important. What happens when you regularly double jump is you jump forward first and when you try to do the second jump you stop moving and just jump upwards – very frustrating.
Rocket jumping also is a big problem as jumping and trying to move forward is a big problem. Many times while rocket jumping I never move forward but only upward.
The biggest problem is strafing. Many times as I run forward and strafe to the left or right, the keys malfunction and de-sync or so and my character stops moving thus sending me to my untimely death.

These problems though never occur when I play DoTA, but mostly in WC3 its all done with the mouse and the keyboard hot-keys are not usually pressed at the same time.
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In the end, this keyboard is ideal for any kind type of computer use except for gaming. It is great for businesses and casual typing. It is great for typing your blog or finishing off an essay for school but it is definitely not for games. If you are a gamer, stay away from this keyboard.