Testing
As I said before, Deck uses high-end components to construct their keyboards. Some of you may know what I am talking about when I say this, but most of you won’t. Deck uses a key switch by the name of Cherry MX. Cherry Corp. is a company that manufactures “computer keyboards, snap-action and rocker switches, magnetic sensors and controls, and automotive modules.” They have been around since 1953 and are well known in the component industry. One of their more famous components is the Cherry MX switch. A switch is the actual module below the key. Your keycap is attached to a switch that is responsible for the transmitting of your actions to the PCB board and the differences of the switch are what determine the way the key performs. In other words, some switches are designed with noise in mind and have a soft spongy action to them so as not to have a tremendous amount of clicking noise when the keys are pressed. Others are designed for different uses, but the Cherry MX is designed specifically for high performance. That being said, this keyboard is not for you if you don’t like noise. However, if you like solid feedback and a clack to your key presses, this keyboard is phenomenal. I can’t say that I have typed on a keyboard that was more fun to use.

During my gaming sessions, I discovered a few things. For one, I didn’t like the keyboard being so close to my mouse. I say this because some people around the net say that it was better gaming with their hands closer together. It's why some people use their arrow keys instead of the WASD we are all used to...freaks. I for one felt like my wrists were in a bad position, so I purposely set my keyboard where it would sit if it were a full-sized keyboard. Problem solved. The response time and action on this keyboard were a complete pleasure to game on. Would I say the average user is going to notice this difference? The answer is a resounding yes. This keyboard feels completely different from anything you have used in the past and you can feel the quality.

Whether the lights are on or off, this keyboard is highly visible. One of the complaints I have with other backlit keyboards is that the keys are difficult to see when the backlight is turned off. The fact that the entire effect of the backlit keys disappears when the room has any light in it is another of my qualms. My office has three giant windows that the sun beats through every morning. Even in direct sunlight, the bright blue keys shone clear as day. The quality of the LEDs is very apparent in their brightness alone.

Lastly, one thing I learned is that I hate not having a full-sized keyboard on my desktop. I enjoy having a number pad and all my functions where they are supposed to be. The most irritating part of the layout was the fact that the Windows key is in the top right.  Additional Note:  Deck purposefully moved the Windows key to the top right so as to avoid accidentally pressing it while in game, thus kicking yourself to the desktop.  While I believe that the intention was good, I know I personally use windows shortcuts all the time.  It took me some serious getting used to.  Luckily, they make a full size keyboard so I won’t count this against them (as I would have purchased the full-sized keyboard if in the purchasing position). As far as the backlighting is concerned, you can adjust the brightness pressing the up and down arrow keys while holding down the Fn (Function) key on the right side of the spacebar. For quicker adjustment you can hold the same button and press 0-7 for immediate adjustment to the different brightness levels. The keyoard sits higher than most, and although adjusting to this was very easy for me, it may be more difficult for others. The rubber feet are stuck on to the bottom of the keyboard so well that it would take a flathead screwdriver and some serious prying to remove them (I know this because I tried ;)). They also kept the keyboard from slipping at all.