Microsoft Sidewinder X6 Gaming Keyboard

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 10 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  Almost perfect: Excellent for gaming, Good for everyday

  by joshhuggins on February 6, 2010

  Pros: I have been waiting for YEARS for a good keyboard with the 10-key on the left side.This should be a no brainer since mice were added as input devices. Backlit well. Comfortable. The programmable 10-key / 5 hotkeys on the left is a godsend for gaming.

  Cons: Media keys don't work for non-MS apps. I have 2 of these KBs and the first was missing a peg which holds the internal pad in the correct location. A little black electrical tape fixed it right up. Newer 2nd one was built right.

  Summary: I am on one of my 2 SWX6 KBs pretty much 8-14 hrs a day. They have been great for over a year now. Will be buying another should one ...

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  Summary: I am on one of my 2 SWX6 KBs pretty much 8-14 hrs a day. They have been great for over a year now. Will be buying another should one of them fail at some point in the future. The magnets are not an issue with the PC, but if you have paperclips or similar metal objects on your desk they will stick to the mags, but it's not an issue and the connections are well shielded.
  
  I use J. River Media Center which is the BEST media app on the planet, and I hate that the media keys do not work with it when the app is not in the foreground. This is MS being a jerk plain and simple promoting WMP, and I am a MS fanboy ;) Took a leap coming from 10 years of using Logitech only products, and glad I took the chance. But if Logitech ever comes up with a backlit device with the 10key on the left I will probably prefer that. Until then it's the Sidewinder X6 baby!

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  If Batman had a (gaming) keyboard...

  by blueknight06 on March 13, 2012

  Pros: * Ergonomically different in a good way with the switching keypad.
  * The back-lighting is pleasant and un-obtrusive.
  * Quality feel and neat styling appropriate for gaming and daily work.

  Cons: * Slightly larger dimensions than a standard keyboard.
  * Wrist rest is not removable.
  * Key feel is similar to a laptop, but not a deal-breaker.

  Summary: If Batman had a (gaming) keyboard:
  
  Key touch: The key touch is very smooth, but medium/soft and similar to a laptop keyboard. The keys aren't very tall and ...

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  Summary: If Batman had a (gaming) keyboard:
  
  Key touch: The key touch is very smooth, but medium/soft and similar to a laptop keyboard. The keys aren't very tall and don't have very far to push to reach the bottom of the keypress. The small "ribs" on the "F" and "J" keys feel a bit more noticeable than some other keyboards I've tried and I like it. This is NOT a mechanical keyboard or like a traditional "clicky" keyboard. I would prefer a little more key feel and travel, but I find it comfortable and not "cheap" feeling.
  
  Back-lighting: Rich, red, and inoffensive. The back-lighting does shine through the lettering of the keys. I have the keyboard in a cubicle environment and the fact that I can dim the back-lighting all the way makes the keyboard a little more stealthy. However, the red back-lighting is not ridiculous or "cheap" looking. This might be important to someone who doesn't want to be identified at work as a "gamer" or "that guy".
  
  Keyboard geography: The ESC key location other reviewers complain about is not too hard to get used to in my opinion. The removable keypad makes a huge difference in tight quarters where you want your right-handed mouse to be close to the center of the typing area. I definitely appreciate that the arrow keys and "Insert, Delete, Home, PgUp, PgDn" key grouping is traditional and doesn't require re-learning.
  
  Size: This is not a "compact" keyboard and takes up perhaps 2-4 inches more space than a traditional keyboard with they keypad attached. Without the keypad attached, the keyboard is about an inch smaller than a traditional keyboard. Also, the wrist rest is not removable which makes this keyboard larger than a traditional keyboard and is a small complaint but works ok for me.
  
  Overall: I have used the keyboard for about a week. The keyboard is an excellent upgrade for my workstation. The ability to have my right-hand closer to the center of the keyboard is the major reason I bought this and it significantly helps with arm/shoulder fatigue. It can look stealthy or cool and well-defined. Nothing about this keyboard says "cheap". If Batman had a keyboard, this would probably be it.

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• 10 stars

  Great piece of keyboard

  by sarutobistop on August 15, 2011

  Pros: lots of programmable keys
  great touches for the keys
  removable numpad

  Cons: none really

  Summary: basically a very well built product, however from the above comments I see that some people might have a defected product. I've had mine X6 for 2 and a ...

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  Summary: basically a very well built product, however from the above comments I see that some people might have a defected product. I've had mine X6 for 2 and a half years now. Everything is working perfectly and no paint chipping off so far.

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• 8 stars

  You will not regret the money you pay.

  by saymi on November 21, 2010

  Pros: Very good backlight, you can see all buttons in dark. Bouncy buttons for fast response in strategy and mmo games. Easy to understand software. I could program all my Sc2 buildings to macro buttons which gave me speed in combat. Volume knob is great.

  Cons: There is no lifting legs. I could wish for standby, power up, browser control buttons (but you can assign them to macro buttons with the software. No Turkish layout.

  Summary: I was going to wait for razers new mechanical or gigabytes new gaming keyboard but my keyboard suddenly started fail in several buttons. Because of the my computer was going ...

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  Summary: I was going to wait for razers new mechanical or gigabytes new gaming keyboard but my keyboard suddenly started fail in several buttons. Because of the my computer was going out of standby state. After walking for hours to see what options I have in retail stores I finally saw this and the shop worker finally agreed to open one box and show how this stuff is like. I clicked few times and I got the right feeling. I could not find a high grade gaming keyboard cheaper than this (including logitech and razer keyboards) so I ended up buying this and I am very satisfied so far. I have to get used to the key layouts now. Sometimes I press wrong buttons during rts games. I think this will take some time for me.

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• 1 stars

  A piece of crap

  by Anuarp on February 28, 2010

  Pros: Looks good, and works fine (for a little while).

  Cons: Bad construction, some keys eventualy stoped working after a month.

  Summary: two number keys stop working after the first month I bought it. The o key stp workinh yesterday. This keyboard is suposed to last longer that normal and cheap keybards, ...

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  Summary: two number keys stop working after the first month I bought it. The o key stp workinh yesterday. This keyboard is suposed to last longer that normal and cheap keybards, but mine lasted only one month working correctly. Too bad that guaranties in Mexico are hard to apply.

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• 10 stars

  AWESOME!!!

  by fierguy on January 5, 2010

  Pros: This is a great keyboard for gaming, cool backlighting, and FANTASTIC customization

  Cons: InteliType Pro 6.3 isn't compatible with Windows 7 :(

  Summary: Its a great keyboard, you should buy it if you are into gaming.

  Summary: Its a great keyboard, you should buy it if you are into gaming.

• 10 stars

  Incredible

  by Chadian19 on March 13, 2009

  Pros: Great backlighting (red seems to be better than blue)
  Backlight and volume knobs are great
  Macro control and setup is the best I've seen (even better than Logitech G15)
  Number Pad is superb
  Looks great

  Cons: Keys need a little getting used to (bizarre surface)
  No adjustable feet to raise the back of the keyboard

  Summary: First off, I'd like to say that I had been using the Logitech G15 for 4 years prior to buying this keyboard, and the G15 certainly served me well. ...

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  Summary: First off, I'd like to say that I had been using the Logitech G15 for 4 years prior to buying this keyboard, and the G15 certainly served me well. But I wanted a change and the paint was wearing off on the G15's keys, so I bought the Sidewinder X6... and I'm glad I did.
  To begin, I should state the obvious. The number pad is pretty cool, in that it is able to be placed on either side of the keyboard or be removed completely (on the fly). All of the number pad keys can become macros if it is on the left side of the keyboard... greatly increasing the number of available macros. Another minor feather that I like is the "Calculator Button" on the number pad, which came as a surprise since it wasn't talked about in any of the reviews that I had read and watched prior to buying it.
  The keys themselves have a rather bizarre feel to them, like they're sticky or something... maybe it's just me. But other than that, they are excellent. The keys are half-way between traditional keyboard and laptop keys; as a result, they have an almost perfect traveling distance. Some reviews of this keyboard mention the quirks in the key layout... I don't see a problem with it at all. They [the other reviewers] generally do not like the long space bar (as a result of taking out the right "Windows" button), the displaced "Esc" key, and the full-length "Caps Lock" and "Tab" keys... none of these have been a problem for me. The red and gold backlighting is easy on the eyes and is evenly distributed to every key (can be a problem for some keyboards). Another plus that I found over the G15 was that when the backlighting is not active, I can still read the keys (when I used the G15, I had to always have it on during the day). The majority of the keyboard also has a nice glossy look to it (similar to the Logitech diNovo Edge).
  The macro software is also excellent. I like the fact that you can control the time between key strokes. *Note: World of Warcraft players beware: you can get banned from WoW for using macros to unfairly use spells or abilities... this hasn't happened to me, just something to be careful about. The ability to disable certain keys like the "Windows" and "Application" keys is a nice feature too.
  Ultimately, the MS Sidewinder X6 is an awesome keyboard. It may perhaps be a Logitech G15 killer. It may lack the G15's LCD screen, but I hardly ever used it anyway. And for the medium price range, you can't go wrong with the Sidewinder X6.

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• 7 stars

  Very good hardware, but lame software

  by KMorwath on December 26, 2008

  Pros: Red backlightning is right
  Detrachable keypad make it very versatile
  Lot of macros can be created
  Good typing characteristics

  Cons: Intellitype 6.3 lacks basic gaming features
  A USB hub would have been welcome

  Summary: The hardware is very good, and the detachable keypad is very handy, especially with games that requires the right hand be kept on a joystick or the like (i.e. ...

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  Summary: The hardware is very good, and the detachable keypad is very handy, especially with games that requires the right hand be kept on a joystick or the like (i.e. my stick in FSX). The red backlighting is far better than blue because the eye in the dark is more sensitive at these wavelenghts. The keys feels ok, although I guess they are a little "hard" and can be tiring in the long run. But I use it only at home and that's ok.
  What I found really annoying is the Intellitype 6.3 software. It creates a file for each macro, making moving settings much more complex. It does not allow to set a repetition rate for a S-key, it just sends a single keypress and that's all. I still didn't find a way to remap +/- keys in FSX which are used to set several controls (radios, heading, OBS, etc.), so they repeat while I keep them pressed, that's makes the keyboard far less useful.
  Also, one you assign a macro or something else to a key, there is no way to reset that single assignment - Intellitype can reset a whole bank or nothing at all - not very clever at all!
  It looks like the Intellitype software was simply adapted from non-gaming keyboards and lacks important features a gamer keyboard needs.
  The Sidewinder X6 is a very good piece of hardware, but deserves a far better software.

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• 3 stars

  Good for its removable numberpad.

  by JustFiona on April 8, 2011

  Pros: This was my first Microsoft keyboard. I bought this model so the numberpad could be removed, giving me a shorter reach for the mouse (lessening shoulder pain). It's good for this purpose and has a nice touch when typing.

  Cons: Paint comes off keys too quickly. I've had my keyboard for about a year and about 15 keys are unreadable now because the black paint has CHIPPED off. Also the wrist rest is too deep. It would be better if it was removable.

  Summary: At the time of purchase, it was the only keyboard I could find with a removable keypad. I believe there are other models out now so I will be replacing ...

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  Summary: At the time of purchase, it was the only keyboard I could find with a removable keypad. I believe there are other models out now so I will be replacing this with a non-Microsoft keyboard as the paint on the keys just doesn't hold up!

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  0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  gaming lol

  by drksilenc on December 31, 2009

  Pros: looks cool

  Cons: 1 key ghosting... logitech and razor beat them hands down on that
  2 magnets with pcs... magnets screw with everything electronic in bad ways why would u ever use a magnet next to a pc

  Summary: bad bad bad
  bad bad bad

  Summary: bad bad bad
  bad bad bad

  0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

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