Eclipse Wireless Litetouch Keyboard Video Review

In the grand scheme of things, the basic design of computer keyboards hasn't changed since their inception decades ago. There are however a number of companies who are striving to bring innovation to the run-of-the-mill keyboard by adding new and innovative features.

It is quite possible that you may not have heard of them but a little-known design studio called Art Lebedev was one of the first to introduce a full customizable keyboard. Called the Optimus (and now the Optimus Maximus), this amazingly complex product uses miniature OLED screens on each key in order to offer an infinite number options. The only downside is this type of cutting edge technology understandably costs more than most are willing to stomach: $2400 USD.

The product we will be reviewing today comes with slightly less lofty expectations but still packs some pretty cutting edge technology. It's name is the LiteTouch from a company called Eclipse which is a division of the Mad Catz peripheral empire. The Eclipse uses an LCD touchpad in the place of the usual number pad to stunning effect but is only geared towards home and office use. With a price of $99 for the corded version, this is sure to be a device that starts conversations among your friends.

-SKYMTL (HardwareCanucks Editor in Chief)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• saitek
• eclipse
• wireless litetouch keyboard
• video review
• hardware canucks

[fordfreak521]

r u the camera man for linus sebastian?

[HardwareCanucks]

@fordfreak521 Haha no. I did help Linus out one day though when we did the GTX 480 videos.

[thelilhacker]

Hey hardware canucks why dont you guys click the button where it only shows when its done buffering i hate it when the vid looks like crap

[HardwareCanucks]

@thelilhacker I didn't know a feature like that existed. Will have to look into it.

[MagicAbracadabra]

Is it just me or is the 'LCD' panel just a cleverly backlit glass panel? The icons on the numpad keys are placed in different locations for each mode, and the icons are non-customizable. Don't see what benefit an LCD panel provides over three sets of backlights. Then again,because of the lack of customizability, there's really no point to it being either.

[weefek]

@MagicAbracadabra Sounds to me like you're being redundant.

An LCD panel is a backlit glass panel, with, surprise surprise, an LCD (LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) between the glass and the backlight. TA DA MYSTERY SOLVED

[XxMrMinecraftGuyxX]

Lol I'm buying it now for $31.40

[speedfreakpsycho]

oh crap..i just ordered some crappy illuminad keyboard from china for 33$..i could buy this one..:(

[jjchang310]

is it capacitive or resistive?

[skizzarz]

top-notch review!

[low351]

Thanks for the review. I would have liked to see you demonstrate the trackball. I wonder if it's as prone to failure as the ones on blackberries which they replaced with an optical sensor most likely for that reason.

[mandaltby]

what they should of done was an option to make the LCD into a trackpad too, now that wold be cool

[omgthisiswerid]

Does it support the key combo Shift+W+Space? It looks good but the lack of that combo is what made me regret my logitech backlit one.

[puppyjoe69]

I thought about these wireless keyboards doing away with the numeric keypad (or the arrow keys) months ago and replacing it with a track/cursor pad to replace the mouse so one doesn't have to bring a mouse. This comes closest but I don't think you can use the touchpad as a track pad, can you?

[XDS20009]

A keyboard that "isn't really meant for extensive typing" .

How stupid can you get ?

This is the most stupid review i've ever seen in my life.