X-keys USB Programmable Keypads and Keyboards (60 Key, XK-60)

This thing is simply amazing. It Just Works. You don't even need software-resident on your computer-- you can store the keys or keystrokes directly into the device's memory, and then? Never need to re-load the software again, if you don't want to.The software is pretty easy to use; basically you're given a simple graphic of the keyboard, which you double-click each key, to change it. I would be very nice if the software was "smart" enough to blink the corresponding key, when you did that, but as I understand it, the individual key lighting isn't addressable by the main keystroke-programming software. You use a separate utility for that feature. Oh well.When I bought this, I also purchased an assortment of double-keys-- some "tall" and some "wide". These are not interchangable! Depending on how you place the keyboard, these accessories will go left-to-right, or up-and-down across two keys. So you need a pack of each, if you plan on having some double-wide keys, and some double-tall. You can also purchase blanking plates, for unused keys, which can help to highlight your layout.I found the keycaps a bit tricky at first, to remove-- it comes with a little tool (a stainless-steel "tweezer"), but I kept pulling up the whole key--not just the key-cap. With some practice, I found just where to grab with the tool, to *just* remove the thin top-part, and not the whole key.I had ordered several sheets of key-labels, for hand-written legends. I used these at first, and they were okay. However, with 80 keys, it was tiresome hand-writing all those individual legends, to say nothing of my handwriting being too large for the standard sized keys.So I used yet another utility that came with the software, and painstakingly typed in all 80 legends, one key at a time. The interface wasn't too bad-- double-click on a key, click to select one line, two lines or three lines (max). The default justification is centered, but you can left- or right- justify too. I found if you leave it on 3 lines, but click on the middle of three lines, and only use that, it's a wee bit faster, per key.What I wish it had? Was multiple selection feature-- and apply the same legend to a set of keys, then you'd just need to *edit* individual keys some-- it would be much quicker, I think, to edit a minor change or sequence, than to edit each key individually.Even better? Specify a sequence, as in a special symbol is replaced with a sequence, starting with 1, then specifying an adder (usually +1) up to as many keys as is selected in sequence. Or start with "A" and going up the alphabet in sequence. That would have saved me a couple of hours.Once I got all the keys labeled, I simply printed it--on plain paper. The labels it came with? I found rather cumbersome to use, and do *not* recommend them at all. They have mild sticky--but only to hold them to the sheet! The label itself is plain paper, one removed! And between the small size, a mild static electric charge? It was rather a pain to get the keys labeled. With plain paper, I simply cut the individual labels apart with scissors-- an entire row, then individual keys as I was installing them. Very much a pain--and impossible to keep square. Oh well--the printed labels are ever so much better than my hand-written ones anyway.What I would love to see? Is Post-It type glue on a sheet of labels-- that *would* let you keep them perfectly square. I may see if I can find this as a larger sheet, that I can put through my laser printer.I should point out, that the labels are underneath a little plastic cover--so once you have them in place? They are protected, and ought to remain for the life of the keyboard.All in all, this is an amazing product! I would buy it again, in a second. Indeed-- I have considered purchasing a second one, to use as a dedicated directional keypad--but I am worried a bit, that the software would be confused as to which unit was which. So I purchased a different product for that role (keypad) (see my review on a Razor gaming keypad).One additional nit-to-pick: if you allow their programming software to remain resident (in memory at boot-up)? The light pattern you programmed, using the little lighting utility, is messed up the minute you re-start your computer. Then, you are obliged to re-start that utility--which immediately restores your pattern. My solution was to disable their software from remaining in memory-- you don't need it, if you use the "write to device" and "hardware mode".I recommend using hardware mode anyway: many games bypass the built-in software engine that Windows uses, and talk directly to the keyboard at the hardware layer. Such games would simply ignore the resident software key programming, and the keyboard would not work-- or worse, some games would see such software as a "cheat", and disable your game ID! But using *hardware* mode, all the keystrokes are saved to the keyboard's copious memory-- and the game simply sees it as another USB keyboard. To be sure, I have not tried the keyboard's ability to simulate a mouse, so if that is a feature you need, you may need to experiment.

Prodict is good, well built. It suits my needs. I haven't had it for very long, but so far I'm very happy with it. Macro works was easy to work with.

I picked this up about a month ago, and am now not sure how I ever lived without it. As a long-time Photoshop user, I work and even think in keyboard shortcuts. My brain doesn’t even recognize the icons anymore. I love drawing directly on the screen of a Wacom Cintiq or Surface Book, but trying to live without the keyboard was always an exercise in frustration. The programmable hotkeys on the Wacom are nice, but limited, and the radial menu option sometimes seemed more difficult to page through than just using the existing icons. I tried dozens of different configurations, and always went back to some clunky combination of my keyboard and tablet.Enter the XK-24. First off, it’s small enough (unlike a keyboard) to fit right under my Cintiq. I use it with my left hand while the pen is in my right, and my work-flow is seamless. I have all the obvious keys programmed (Ctrl, Alt, Shift, Spc, B, etc.) plus a few key combinations, my favorite being opacity and brush size (Ctrl-Alt-Right Mouse Click) keyed to a single button, something I found almost impossible to do with a stylus in my hand.It has 24 keys, but technically, that number can be doubled if one key is programmed to toggle to a second keyboard layout. I read in one of the reviews that you couldn’t program mouse clicks, but that’s not true. You can program keys, mouse clicks, text, even macros if you’re so inclined. I also read that it was difficult to program, but I’m guessing that was a much older version of the software. MacroWorks 3.1 was pretty intuitive, and the setup was very simple. The ability to have different layouts for different programs was also a huge draw, and I’ll be setting up a separate layout for Zbrush before too long.Finally, the other thing I really like is the hardware and software modes. The software mode has greater functionality, but if you just want to eject the thing from one computer and plug it right into the other, you can hardcode the layout into the device itself. Now when I move from my desktop to my Surface Book, there is no syncing, no programming, nothing. I just plug it in, open Photoshop, and it works.So no complaints, maybe just one observation. When you finish programming it in software mode, you can’t simply write your software layout to the hardware. Unless I missed something, it’s a completely separate process, so you have to go back through and replicate your steps in hardware mode. Not a big deal, but it took me a minute to figure that out.So I love this thing. For me, it has sped up my workflow and allowed me to work in a much more ergonomic position on my Cintiq without sacrificing the convenience of my keyboard shortcuts. Plus the ability to map some of the more ridiculous combinations to a single key (Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E, anyone?) is just fantastic.