Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard

Product Description

Powerful. Programmable. Gaming Keyboard. Ready for the next dimension in gaming performance, custom tuning, and action. Then grab on to the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard the powerful companion to the Microsoft line of award-winning SideWinder gaming mice. This breakthrough keyboard incorporates a host of powerful features, including a detachable key pad, in-game macro recording, a full media key set, automatic and manual mode/profi le switching, two-color dimmable backlighting, and much more. Plus, at the touch of a button, it doubles as your Ready for the next dimension in gaming performance, custom tuning, and action? Then grab on to the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard--the powerful companion to the Microsoft line of award-winning SideWinder gaming mice.

I am not a game player so I have been looking for a good typing keyboard with a few features that might enhance my computing life a bit easier such standard edit key layout and programmable keys.

I tried a couple of keyboards prior to buying this keyboard; I've tried Razer Lycosa and Saitech Cyborg. The Lycosa keyboard I tried came up on the top yet I had issues with the keyboard driver on my Vista 64 and had to return it. However, it had almost perfect touch-key-feeling (key depression effort and rubber coated keys) and was very responsive.

The second keyboard I tried was Saitech Cyborg. It was very functional but typing experience wasn't that great at all. It felt very mush when tying (plastic rubbing against plastic) and the keys needed to be depressed a bit too deep.

And I happened to come across this keyboard and decided to keep it. The touch feeling on this keyboard is very similar to the Lycosa's although it requires a bit more effort to depress the keys. All of the multi-media keys are functional right out of the box and it has traditional keyboard layout for a software developer like me.

Other than a couple of 'would've been better', this can be both a good game playing and every-day keyboard. The keys on this keyboard is slightly too small for the people with fat fingers (literally speaking). Especially the special function keys on the top are way too small and they remind me of an old IBM PS2 keyboard.

Another feature this keyboard lacks is keyboard-legs. As long as the edit keys are laid out traditionally, I can get used with any keyboard easily. However for many people, this can be very annoying.

To recap, what this keyboard needs to it even better:
1. Slightly bigger keys (it has plenty of room to make them bigger).
2. Soften the key depression pressure so the users require less effort typing.
3. 3 props on the bottom of this keyboard.

Regardless of the improvements it needs to make and me being very picky person when it comes to computer keyboard selection, this keyboard turned out to be a 'keeper' for me.




Its a great key board - except for one glaring problem. It does not have the little height/angle adjuster legs so that you can tilt the keyboard up to face you.




I just got this keyboard today and i am loving it! The reason why i couldn't give it 5 stars is bc there's no stand,it collects dust very fast, and it is a bit over priced. Very minor cons to me so i wouldn't give this product anything less then 4 stars. Will keep everyone updated, but so far so good.


Let me start by saying I have a thing against Microsoft anything, but I also have to be fair. I have had a Logitech 15 and more recently a Saitek Cyborg. Both of these had issues. With the Logitech the letters on the keyboard started to wear out and the Saitech had issues with sound and the space bar got stuck over time and the keys were horrible to press on. Also this must have had the worst documentation of all time. So I replaced it with this Microsoft keyboard as I swallowed my pride and my dislike for Microsoft.
I have to say that even though the sidewinder does not have all the bells and whistles of the other two mentioned, one forgets about it for these reasons. The keyboard is smaller and the lighting is well lit and soothing. You can move the number pad to the right or left. The keys on the board seem rather sturdy. You can also program you keys to what you need and there is something called cruise control so when you press this key you can continue the action of that paticular key without holding it down. There is a volume control and lighting brightness that works well.
I still feel that a USB slot would have come in handy, but this still seems like a quality keyboard and so far I like it more than I thought I would.



Having received this keyboard a few weeks ago, I decided to hold off on writing a review until I was able to properly test and burn it in.

My previous keyboard was the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which I loved (and actually, still do). This gaming keyboard was a bit of a challenge to get back into the "non-ergonomic" keyboard style.

The keyboard is a high quality build. It doesn't have a cheap feel to it (I don't think any Microsoft keyboard has ever felt cheap; those that have worked with cheap keyboards know the how one feels).

Some of the gaming features include the red back lit buttons with adjustable brightness, you can swap the number pad from the left to the right side of the keyboard and keyboard macros.

First, the back light option is really nice. For those who like to play in the dark and don't necessarily know where every key on the keyboard is, this is a great feature. Being able to adjust the brightness from fully on to fully off is great for when you want to play with the lights on, as you don't need the back light option then. Of course, this says nothing of the stereo type that all gamers are dwellers of the darkness, but for those that fit the stereo type, the option is there.

Next up is the swappable number pad. If you're a lefty or a righty who would prefer using the number pad on the left, you just pop the num pad off the one side and swap it to the other. Don't use the num pad? Pop it off and have yourself a shorter keyboard to play with. It's really a great option.

Third is the support for keyboard macros and the "cruise control." Macros allow you to program a bunch of button presses all down to a single button press. You have 6 physical buttons on the left side of the keyboard to control macros; each capable of 2 macros each with the press of the toggle switch. You can also set the num pad to act as macros as well, adding 17 more macro keys to the mix. You won't likely need more than that, and of course, you may find it easy to forget which macro key on which bank does what, but at least the options are there. Programming macros is rather easy as well. Press the Macro Record button, press the S-button you want the macro assigned, press all the keys you want in the macro, then press macro record again and you are done.

The cruise control is also extremely useful for "on the fly" macro style support. With cruise control you press the cruise control button, press up to 4 additional keys and the keyboard continues to press these buttons "forever" (or until you decide to end cruise control). Only useful for gaming, but a great option for those that do play.

You also have a nob to control volume, which is better than buttons found on some keyboards (such as my beloved Natural 4000 keyboard).

A caveat is the lack of tilting feet on the underside of the keyboard. This keyboard is built to lay flat out. I'm not a fan of the flat keyboard.

What would make this a 5 star product for me would be the gaming functionality with the ergonomics of the Natural 4000. One I'm sure others would surely love would also be a wireless option. For those that have their PCs connected to their big screen TVs, wireless would be a wonderful option.

In the end, I'm extremely pleased with the keyboard, despite the caveats. The only problem... I still prefer the ergonomic keyboard and will only be breaking this out for gaming sessions.


Excellent key feel and weight. Feels sturdy and durable, not a cheap at all. The red glow looks fantastic and really makes it stand out. I got this board for a little under fifty dollars and i would say its worth every penny. I will say that the magnets did worry me a little but now that i have the board it doesnt seem as much of a problem as the previous reviewer has stated. I happen to have a razer mouse which comes in close proximity to the magnets and it works great still.I would think it odd for a company as big as microsoft to put magnets in a keyboard without testing it with mice and other common peripherals, so im not worried.


Hello, the SideWinder X6 keyboard by Microsoft is great, it has a nice feel to the keys and make a light sound every time you press down the keys. The macro functionality is pretty good. Although, once you press a macro, you have to let it finish the macro to go onto the next one. So you must use one macro at a time. The removable number pad is great. It allows you to put it on either side of the keyboard or even leave it off. Overall, I am happy with my purchase and the SideWinder keyboard hasn't let me down so far.


I received this hoping to use it for some old school video game rom playing, but also for a work at home keyboard. Honestly, I like the design although the support at the bottom of the keyboard is a little oversized. I like smaller keyboards usually... until the 10 key comes along.

While working from home I often have to use the 10 key and on small keyboards it becomes a little annoying trying to pull the keyboard back and forth placing the 10 key at a comfortable position. This keyboard has all the cool media keys, volume dials, etc - but it also has the detacheable 10 key. This is both handy for the gaming that takes advantage of this design and very practical for work use. Being able to stretch the may keyboard away from the 10 key to use both hands at a comfortable distance is my absolute favorite - keeping the tension off my shoulders and back.


Got this for a leftie gamer and it works brilliantly for him !! It is much easier to play and/or type now.
The switchable side idea was brilliant !!

It looks great! It blends nicely..streamlined, black, low key.

It is excellent for those who are using a lot (like my daughter) and who are developing a carpal tunnel like problem. This gives the wrist support by being so low that the wrist can rest comfortably. the doctor liked the design for her to use.

The backlights help people like me who really need to see the keyboard..
I will never have it memorized it seems.... so i need to see it clearly. Backlights do this quite well for me.Day or night.

And last, but not least, the leftie gamer lOVES his Sidewinder !! He's 12
and they are fussy !! He's had no complaints, he loves it. Uses for everything.




This gaming keyboard works well. The detachable numeric pad is a nice feature and allows for righties or lefties to utilize it as they see fit. The keys are quiet and seem like they will be durable. I haven't tried any of the macro programming yet, but it seems like a great feature. The backlight is also a nice feature for those long nights. It's a pretty good product from Microsoft.

About Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard detail

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1521 in Consumer Electronics
• Color: Black
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: AGB-00001
• Dimensions: 3.11" h x 9.61" w x 17.24" l, 1.53 pounds
• CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
• Memory: 128000MB DRAM
• Hard Disk: 1GB
• Processors: 1
• Native resolution: 640x480
• Display size: 669.2913385827

Features

• Switchable key pad - Flexible design, choose right side or left side confi guration. Switch between standard key pad and macro pad in gaming mode.
• Two-color adjustable backlighting - Keyboard keys are red, and key pad and Macro keys are amber in Game mode. Lighting dial adjusts the brightness of the keyboard and key pad.
• Cruise Control - Use Cruise Control to continue an action without having to hold down the key or keys assigned to the action. You can use Cruise Control with up to four keys at a time.
• Mode switching - Manually toggle the keyboard from standard mode to either of two gaming modes. LEDs show the selected mode.
• In-game Macro Record button - Record any sequence of keystrokeseven standard chat messages. Macros are stored on your hard drive and can be easily shared.

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