Excellence is the sum of all parts, and with performance and design intertwined in the DKTBoard you really get the feeling that less truly is more.

Introduction

Everglide has been catering to gamers for more than a decade. Perhaps that’s how long you’ve had your current keyboard. You might even be weary of “gaming” keyboards to begin with. The idea of your next keyboard being filled with extra buttons and features might not be appealing to you. Although whether or not people don’t like or use those features simply because they aren’t used to having them is a valid argument, with the Everglide DKTBoard, this does not apply. If you attend tournaments and competitions and are looking for a durable and compact keyboard, please read on. Even if you don’t, you owe it to yourself to check out the Everglide DKTBoard since it does some things better than other much more expensive keyboards.

Packaging & Contents

Care has been taken to insure the keyboard ships securely in a slim package. Note the powered by Razer logo and the endorsement of Brian “DKT” Flander. We don’t recommend anyone purchase a computer peripheral based upon what a professional gamer uses. Usually it’s a gimmick and it rarely offers anything except a higher price and a different color scheme. This time, it’s different. Inside the box is nothing but the keyboard itself, a sign of minimalism to come.

The keyboard is very light weight. Composed primarily of plastic with an aluminum top, the total weight is approximately 1.8 lbs. 15¼” x 6″ x ¾” puts into perspective just how compact and portable this keyboard really is. Despite this, repeated attempts to twist and warp the keyboard as if to simulate this guy proved fruitless. The keyboard itself does have a learning curve in terms of the unorthodox button placement. You’re more likely to struggle typing in Microsoft Word for the first few weeks than you are gaming, since the WASD area has been left untouched and feels natural. Gamers accustomed to using the arrow keys are advised to steer clear, since they are too thin and close to one another. The initial turnoff is lessened in general because the QWERTY layout feels like using a standard keyboard. There is sufficient tactile depth to each key to prevent it from feeling like you’re using a laptop style keyboard. The USB cord length is short at 4′9″ compared to a Logitech G15’s 6′9″.

Two non-slip grip pads prevent the keyboard from slipping on most surfaces. Although you have the choice of propping up the keyboard, without a wrist rest the DKTBoard feels more comfortable in the standard flat position. The corner light button allows only one brightness setting, which doesn’t matter since each key is sufficiently and evenly lit. It’s the best implementation of keyboard lighting I’ve ever seen. Compared to a Logitech G15, the Everglide DKTBoard uses brighter light and the typeface used on each key is larger and cleaner, allowing for maximum visibility. Eight simple and unobtrusive media keys sit above the function row. The intention being to keep the overall footprint as compact as possible is essential at tournaments where space is a premium.

The surface makes wiping away dirt and grime simple with a common microfiber cloth. Unfortunately opening the keyboard to clean it voids the warranty, but It does reveal how Everglide managed to light up each key so well. Removing the primary aluminum frame via eight screws reveals a typical plastic keytop sitting atop a silicone membrane - your typical everyday dome-switch technology. Beneath the circuitry layer is a thick plastic backing with patterned white etching - designed to allow light to reach all areas of the keyboard as much as possible. Overall the design is sufficient and should last as long as your standard run-of-the-mill keyboard. What a gaming keyboard should be able to do is handle as many simultaneous keystrokes as possible.

Testing

Testing of the Everglide DKTBoard involves using software to record the maximum number of simultaneous keystrokes. This test quickly shows for example, a standard Apple Keyboard meant for desktop publishing is only able to record five active keystrokes at the same time - unacceptable in a gaming keyboard. This deals with the underlying keyboard switch matrix recording each physical keystroke which can be affected by three phenomena - ghosting, masking and blocking. Each of these compromises user input by incorrectly recognizing additional keystrokes or not identifying them at all, and thus hindering gameplay. Competitively, RTS and FPS games dominate the PC landscape and both highly stress this factor. Testing focused primarily around the WASD keystroke combination area due to its popularity among gamers.

The area defined as the WASD zone spans from the Tilde key (~) to Number 4 to the Ctrl and Spacebar buttons on a standard U.S. English keyboard. We refrain from using the Windows and Menu keys for obvious reasons which leaves a total of 23 keys to test.

Key blocking occurs if any of the “typewriter” keys on the extreme left side of the keyboard except Shift are pressed. So pressing Tilde (~) and the Number 1 results in any other keys within the WASD zone as unregistered. The Shift key row is unique in that it registers every keystroke thereafter perfectly until the V key for a maximum of five simultaneous keystrokes in a row. Otherwise, all other simultaneous horizontal button presses are properly registered.

Vertical testing consisted of pressing keys five in a column (i.e. 1-Q-A-Z-Alt or 4-R-F-V-Spacebar) and the Everglide DKTBoard showed consistent and correct key registration. Key blocking only occurred when attempting to press the Capslock key in combination with the Tilde, Tab and Shift keys. Pressing the three aforementioned keys plus Ctrl resulted in correct registration.

Staying within the internal column and row membrane structure results in excellent registration, however this isn’t anything special and occurs even with a standard Apple Keyboard. Real gaming consists of testing keys across multiple rows and columns. If you’re expecting a keyboard to be able to register twelve different keys at the same time then you’re in for a disappointment as no keyboard tested is able to do this.

At this point you have to ask how many keys will you actually press at the same time? It is physically impossible to press all the keys within the zone of Q to R and Z to V even with both hands on the keyboard. Obviously double-pressing Shift and Ctrl with a single pinky finger is possible and applicable to other buttons within the WASD zone, but even in hectic FPS and RTS gaming situations do you really press ten keys at the same time? Perhaps you would if your keyboard would allow it, or you just want the peace of mind that no button will fail you no matter how complex the maneuver.  What the Everglide DKTBoard offers in terms of multi-row and column key press performance is in-line with what most conventional gamers will use.

The Everglide DKTBoard was able to record seven maximum simultaneous keystrokes, compared to eight on the Logitech G15. The WASD area allows for only three simultaneous keystrokes while the Logitech G15 manages four at the same time.

Real world testing revealed both keyboards showed erratic behavior in Counter-Strike: Source. Utilizing the default keyboard scheme, pressing and holding the buttons necessary to move directionally to the left while crouch jumping and reloading at the same time caused our player model to become stuck in walking mode until the in-game console was opened and closed. Therefore the notion that gamers will never truly press more than one key per digit can be argued, but is for the most part true. If you find yourself playing the RTS or MMORPG genre you may be inclined to purchase a keyboard with extra buttons for macro recording and automized functions. On the other hand you may be focused on the FPS genre where a game like Counter-Strike: Source demands macros only in buy zones or other minimal usage. Overall the Everglide DKTBoard performs well and beyond finding the limits of the keyboard, exhibited no strange behavior.

Comfort Level

Using the Everglide DKTBoard on a daily basis is very comfortable. I wish to emphasize this point so as to make clear that if you’re the type of user adverse to abnormal keyboard layouts, your best bet is to either test the keyboard yourself or avoid it. That being said I’ve used the Logitech G15 and while I appreciate the LCD and extra buttons, I’ve grown to like the Everglide DKTBoard so much that I’ve nearly given up on the Logitech G15 altogether. In my personal situation I rarely used the macro buttons and while the LCD is useful in the desktop environment, it is as useless in games as the USB ports at the top of the keyboard. I do prefer using a full sized keyboard, but I also enjoy the better lighting on the Everglide DKTBoard compared to the comparatively dim Logitech G15. If Everglide ever decided to release a full sized version of the DKTBoard I would gladly give up using the Logitech G15. Until then it’s an extremely tough choice, but if you’re a gamer on a budget with an appetite for no frills input devices, the Everglide DKTBoard is the way to go. If you’re a speedy RTS or MMORPG player that demands extra macro-capable buttons and appreciate extras like the LCD and a full-sized keyset, then I recommend the Logitech G15.

Conclusion & Value

Pros

• Excellent Tactile Response
• Impressively Bright Backlit Keys
• Light + Compact Nature
• Easy to Clean
• Grips Slippery Surfaces Well
• Superb Price/Performance Ratio

Cons

• Learning Curve
• USB Cord Too Short
• Arrow Key Users Out Of Luck

The Everglide DKTBoard is one of the few devices I’ve tested that is endorsed by a pro gamer that doesn’t suck. The keys feel great and even though the keyboard is very compact, I found it easy to game with. The learning curve comes in the form of using the keyboard in non-gaming tasks, and this will no doubt be the biggest deterrent for most users. What helps make it easy is that although the keyboard looks like a laptop style keyboard, it doesn’t feel like one. The performance exhibited nearly matches that of a keyboard that is twice as expensive and doesn’t execute backlighting nearly as well. Some users may scoff at the backlighting concept altogether, but even without it you get a durable keyboard that provides an extremely valuable price/performance cost that is seldom matched by other competitors on the market. Overall the Everglide DKTBoard is a fantastic keyboard and a minimalistic gamer’s dream.

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