Yeah compare a keyboard which is 2 times as expensive with this one. Also i tested both and the K95 does have useless rgb and also keys which you have to press half a mile to actually get them down.
Yeah u threw it away. Sure. No refund sure. Gawd. Also this Review is totally crap. They are reviewing the apex showing the apex raw without rgb and complaining about the rgb. Yeah its useless and tahst why the Apex 300 / Apex RAW doesnt have rgb. I dont want to miss the configurable keys. Its awesome to reconfigure some keys for moba games for example. The Software detects the game and switches the profiles accordingly. If i tab out of the game i just press L2 and i got the usual keyboard again.Just awesome.
Avajatar
8 years ago
I don’t understand what you’re on about. It’s a great keyboard!
F051
8 years ago
I don’t understand it, is such a great keyboard I love it. I use to write a lot on my PC and after 3-4 hours of intense writing I don’t feel any sign of pain. Maybe you where not in a good position.
The reality is that I forgot that is made of plastic when I see the keyboard doesn’t look bad and personally I really like the type and material of the keys, they have a really nice response.
Steve
8 years ago
love this keyboard 🙂 worth every penny, ignore the review!
BGRATZ
8 years ago
I have the RAW version without different Colors and less extrabuttons.
You are right if you say that the Keyboard is different and you need some weeks to acclimate with it, and yes this is really a negative point. But as soon as you have aclimatized with it, its a very nice keyboard.
(Sorry if some words are strange, english is not my first speek )
It’s confusing and I’m sure people like you don’t like that!
So lets say how bad it is instead!
It’s not for typing all day!
It’s for playing games all day!
Ben
8 years ago
I have owned this keyboard for over a year and I can say that I have no problems with it except for a few minor driver issues. Typing is not an issue for me personally and I prefer the quiet response of the non-mechanical keys. I feel that there definitely are people who would love this keyboard. Also, what is the big deal about the colors? They just put rgb LEDs in and separated them into zones. The variety of colors available is just a result of that. It’s useful for setting up different color schemes for different macro arrangements so you easily know you a using the right setup.
i have the 350 variant since last december. The only 2 Problems i have with it are the w key beeing used off already adn the logo light not working in white (white is purple) i didn´t even get done reading with this horrible review
Mangomango
8 years ago
I actually use this keyboard for work, have for about 3 months now. No ergonomic problems. They only negatives are that I have to look at the keys when I first sit down at another type of keyboard, because the spacing is wider,and had to get used to the placement of the enter key. I have reprogrammed almost all macro keys, some function keys, and the pause and screen break (?) keys. If I need an original keyboard key back, I just hit layer two (default) and use it quick. The ability to use keypress macros is probably the best. I can direct my keyboard type ‘username + tab + password + enter’ for 8 systems that constantly autolog out after a few minutes of inactivity. That uses up like 6 macro keys total, but saves endless frustration. From there, any key sequence I have to press more than a few times a day for basic navigation is programmed. Why should I have to stop and type ‘unk + enter’ or ‘d + tab’ when I can press a single button and go on with my day? Excellent keyboard. Most of the others I’ve seen don’t have as many reprogrammable keys. If I run out of keys on this later I can always setup a layer for specific programs and just switch to that configuration. Bam – whole new set of keys.
But really – copy and paste keys…. My heroes.
Chris
8 years ago
I have to agree with the other commenters. This review is overly harsh. Bad for your health? I’m sorry you had a bad experience but I’ve used the keyboard to type quite a bit and have never even felt discomfort, let alone pain. Maybe that’s a personal issue based on an existing RSI? Not fair to criticize the board based on something that you’re not sure will even impact anyone else. Likewise, if you’re down on the colors, why are you reviewing an RGB keyboard? Ignore them. That’s personal preference and not a fair critique either. People who buy this will do so because of the customizable backlight. Further, why would you ever compare this to a mechanical keyboard? OF COURSE it’s not as good — you’re talking entirely different technologies. That’s like downrating a car because it doesn’t carry as much as a truck.
I’m sorry — the actual writing here was decent, but your opinions are unfair based on the product you’re reviewing. Sounds like a clear reviewer/product mismatch.
Frank Honest
8 years ago
sorry, but this not a review except for what i would consider “personal” like/dislike.
a review should show the good/bad things about a product (doesnt perform up to spec, “lags” etc) and not about your personal preference.
i got the RAW/300 because i wanted to try a different brand this time, and got a got deal on a refurb (12$).
and so far, its the best keyboard i used in the past 15y up to the 80$ range.
I personally NEVER cared for ergonomical boards, i DONT want mech keys (yes, the space button is a bit louder than the other keys, but overall better than any silent mech), still use the arrow buttons when playing shooters (incl the additional ones for “leaning”), and like the fact i can customize stuff like brightness much finer than on other brands like logitech.
so i would rate it 8 from 10 (not all buttons are “identical” in brightness; overall size could be larger incl keys).
Lucian
7 years ago
I own raw version. it is just as bad as they say in this review. For office use, it’s one the worse I ever used. It’s beautiful, it looks great, but it takes a lot of effort to write a text. I can’t express in English what exactly is not good with this keyboard. It’s just there are a lot of keys you need to press hard twice or more in order to type. I think Ciprian did a honest review. I used this keyboard daily for more then 2 years now. I simply didn’t want to waste money for a new one.
Slick
7 years ago
I was very shocked that the key spacing was not standard, so it will take time to adjust. Why oh why non-standard? Especially since the keyboard is so large.
I bought this keyboard due to it’s back-lighting, RGB color choices (I prefer to choose colors that enable me to see most clearly. Diff people see colors differently) plus it has a “ton” of macro keys which are extremely useful as a programmer.
My 2 main complaints:
– non-standard sized keys!!!
– wish it was brighter
Nitpick: as mentioned in the article, the media keys alongside the numpad, I regularly use the Enter key on the numpad and so I tend to hit the large Play button instead. Good thing is I can reprogram that key to use Enter when I hit it 😉
So it comes down to whether I will be able to adjust to the non-standard sized keys. If I do then using other keyboards could be an issue. Think I will move on to a different keyboard because of that.. 🙁
Hi – could you tell me how you managed to re-programme the bizarrely positioned multimedia keys? I’m stumped.
jon rios
6 years ago
i have to agree. this is an old post bt i just purchased it on Amazon for cheap, $30. it is difficult to type, i constantly am correcting myself. the button feel CHEAP! i love the extra macro keys ontop of the F keys, but im not a gamer im a comp user so typing is critical. i will def return this..
TheTruth
6 years ago
Shot the RAW (Apex 300) for 30 Bucks.
I have to say the best keyboard so far. I really like that the keys do have a short way down. This was one of my most imprtant features. I hate the long way that Mechanicals are traveling even tho you dont have to press them all the way down.And god are mechanical keyboards loud. Why are people so obsseesed with ahving an extremely silent pc when you can hear every single click on your keyboard louder than anythign else?. Im a casual gamer, but also aprogrammer and can only say that i relly like this keyboard. Yes it is true you have to get used to it the keys are closer together than on other keyboards but u get used to them pretty quick. I bought the non rgb one becaus eits cheaper and the rgb does not give you a benefit at all. But i would also never ever buy a pc witha window in it. I look at my Screen not at my tower. Would rate the keyboard 8/10, have had a g15 1st and 2nd gen before and this one goes even or even better.
AJ
6 years ago
I think you are having arthritis old man…
Steve
6 years ago
I see you don’t like it, I do. I don’t type 2 hours straight,but I game 4 hours,np.I have a brand new Logitech Mechanical board,hate it. Mechanical boards seem to be a typist dream, oh the satisfaction of the key, there I’m not impressed. Testers are bias to Mech. boards. Keys are raised too high for me anyway, I wouldn’t give a Mech. keyboard a bad rating just cause I don’t like it. For me, I like the Apex and the membrane board.
Mike M.
5 years ago
What a crappy review! Just stumbled across this and the review is so unfair that I feel the urge to comment, even 3 years after it has been published.
If I were SteelSeries I would sue you guys, as this is an outright damaging unfair product bashing with unfounded claims… bad for your health? Seriously??
But then again, this kind of review is bad for YOUR reputation, not Steelseries… just look at all the comments.
Yup one of the worse products I’ve ever owned just threw it away and got a Corsair K95 keyboard biggest joke I’ve bought in a while
since when is a 200-250$ keyboard NOT supposed to be better than one for 100$??
Yeah compare a keyboard which is 2 times as expensive with this one. Also i tested both and the K95 does have useless rgb and also keys which you have to press half a mile to actually get them down.
Yeah u threw it away. Sure. No refund sure. Gawd. Also this Review is totally crap. They are reviewing the apex showing the apex raw without rgb and complaining about the rgb. Yeah its useless and tahst why the Apex 300 / Apex RAW doesnt have rgb. I dont want to miss the configurable keys. Its awesome to reconfigure some keys for moba games for example. The Software detects the game and switches the profiles accordingly. If i tab out of the game i just press L2 and i got the usual keyboard again.Just awesome.
I don’t understand what you’re on about. It’s a great keyboard!
I don’t understand it, is such a great keyboard I love it. I use to write a lot on my PC and after 3-4 hours of intense writing I don’t feel any sign of pain. Maybe you where not in a good position.
The reality is that I forgot that is made of plastic when I see the keyboard doesn’t look bad and personally I really like the type and material of the keys, they have a really nice response.
love this keyboard 🙂 worth every penny, ignore the review!
I have the RAW version without different Colors and less extrabuttons.
You are right if you say that the Keyboard is different and you need some weeks to acclimate with it, and yes this is really a negative point. But as soon as you have aclimatized with it, its a very nice keyboard.
(Sorry if some words are strange, english is not my first speek )
http://steelseries.com/gaming-keyboards/apex
Great keyboard!!
It’s confusing and I’m sure people like you don’t like that!
So lets say how bad it is instead!
It’s not for typing all day!
It’s for playing games all day!
I have owned this keyboard for over a year and I can say that I have no problems with it except for a few minor driver issues. Typing is not an issue for me personally and I prefer the quiet response of the non-mechanical keys. I feel that there definitely are people who would love this keyboard. Also, what is the big deal about the colors? They just put rgb LEDs in and separated them into zones. The variety of colors available is just a result of that. It’s useful for setting up different color schemes for different macro arrangements so you easily know you a using the right setup.
i have the 350 variant since last december. The only 2 Problems i have with it are the w key beeing used off already adn the logo light not working in white (white is purple) i didn´t even get done reading with this horrible review
I actually use this keyboard for work, have for about 3 months now. No ergonomic problems. They only negatives are that I have to look at the keys when I first sit down at another type of keyboard, because the spacing is wider,and had to get used to the placement of the enter key. I have reprogrammed almost all macro keys, some function keys, and the pause and screen break (?) keys. If I need an original keyboard key back, I just hit layer two (default) and use it quick. The ability to use keypress macros is probably the best. I can direct my keyboard type ‘username + tab + password + enter’ for 8 systems that constantly autolog out after a few minutes of inactivity. That uses up like 6 macro keys total, but saves endless frustration. From there, any key sequence I have to press more than a few times a day for basic navigation is programmed. Why should I have to stop and type ‘unk + enter’ or ‘d + tab’ when I can press a single button and go on with my day? Excellent keyboard. Most of the others I’ve seen don’t have as many reprogrammable keys. If I run out of keys on this later I can always setup a layer for specific programs and just switch to that configuration. Bam – whole new set of keys.
But really – copy and paste keys…. My heroes.
I have to agree with the other commenters. This review is overly harsh. Bad for your health? I’m sorry you had a bad experience but I’ve used the keyboard to type quite a bit and have never even felt discomfort, let alone pain. Maybe that’s a personal issue based on an existing RSI? Not fair to criticize the board based on something that you’re not sure will even impact anyone else. Likewise, if you’re down on the colors, why are you reviewing an RGB keyboard? Ignore them. That’s personal preference and not a fair critique either. People who buy this will do so because of the customizable backlight. Further, why would you ever compare this to a mechanical keyboard? OF COURSE it’s not as good — you’re talking entirely different technologies. That’s like downrating a car because it doesn’t carry as much as a truck.
I’m sorry — the actual writing here was decent, but your opinions are unfair based on the product you’re reviewing. Sounds like a clear reviewer/product mismatch.
sorry, but this not a review except for what i would consider “personal” like/dislike.
a review should show the good/bad things about a product (doesnt perform up to spec, “lags” etc) and not about your personal preference.
i got the RAW/300 because i wanted to try a different brand this time, and got a got deal on a refurb (12$).
and so far, its the best keyboard i used in the past 15y up to the 80$ range.
I personally NEVER cared for ergonomical boards, i DONT want mech keys (yes, the space button is a bit louder than the other keys, but overall better than any silent mech), still use the arrow buttons when playing shooters (incl the additional ones for “leaning”), and like the fact i can customize stuff like brightness much finer than on other brands like logitech.
so i would rate it 8 from 10 (not all buttons are “identical” in brightness; overall size could be larger incl keys).
I own raw version. it is just as bad as they say in this review. For office use, it’s one the worse I ever used. It’s beautiful, it looks great, but it takes a lot of effort to write a text. I can’t express in English what exactly is not good with this keyboard. It’s just there are a lot of keys you need to press hard twice or more in order to type. I think Ciprian did a honest review. I used this keyboard daily for more then 2 years now. I simply didn’t want to waste money for a new one.
I was very shocked that the key spacing was not standard, so it will take time to adjust. Why oh why non-standard? Especially since the keyboard is so large.
I bought this keyboard due to it’s back-lighting, RGB color choices (I prefer to choose colors that enable me to see most clearly. Diff people see colors differently) plus it has a “ton” of macro keys which are extremely useful as a programmer.
My 2 main complaints:
– non-standard sized keys!!!
– wish it was brighter
Nitpick: as mentioned in the article, the media keys alongside the numpad, I regularly use the Enter key on the numpad and so I tend to hit the large Play button instead. Good thing is I can reprogram that key to use Enter when I hit it 😉
So it comes down to whether I will be able to adjust to the non-standard sized keys. If I do then using other keyboards could be an issue. Think I will move on to a different keyboard because of that.. 🙁
Hi – could you tell me how you managed to re-programme the bizarrely positioned multimedia keys? I’m stumped.
i have to agree. this is an old post bt i just purchased it on Amazon for cheap, $30. it is difficult to type, i constantly am correcting myself. the button feel CHEAP! i love the extra macro keys ontop of the F keys, but im not a gamer im a comp user so typing is critical. i will def return this..
Shot the RAW (Apex 300) for 30 Bucks.
I have to say the best keyboard so far. I really like that the keys do have a short way down. This was one of my most imprtant features. I hate the long way that Mechanicals are traveling even tho you dont have to press them all the way down.And god are mechanical keyboards loud. Why are people so obsseesed with ahving an extremely silent pc when you can hear every single click on your keyboard louder than anythign else?. Im a casual gamer, but also aprogrammer and can only say that i relly like this keyboard. Yes it is true you have to get used to it the keys are closer together than on other keyboards but u get used to them pretty quick. I bought the non rgb one becaus eits cheaper and the rgb does not give you a benefit at all. But i would also never ever buy a pc witha window in it. I look at my Screen not at my tower. Would rate the keyboard 8/10, have had a g15 1st and 2nd gen before and this one goes even or even better.
I think you are having arthritis old man…
I see you don’t like it, I do. I don’t type 2 hours straight,but I game 4 hours,np.I have a brand new Logitech Mechanical board,hate it. Mechanical boards seem to be a typist dream, oh the satisfaction of the key, there I’m not impressed. Testers are bias to Mech. boards. Keys are raised too high for me anyway, I wouldn’t give a Mech. keyboard a bad rating just cause I don’t like it. For me, I like the Apex and the membrane board.
What a crappy review! Just stumbled across this and the review is so unfair that I feel the urge to comment, even 3 years after it has been published.
If I were SteelSeries I would sue you guys, as this is an outright damaging unfair product bashing with unfounded claims… bad for your health? Seriously??
But then again, this kind of review is bad for YOUR reputation, not Steelseries… just look at all the comments.