Page 3: Arctic K381
Arctic K381
The first thing that should strike you about this keyboard is that the keys are flat. In this regard, they mimic a newer laptop style of keys with the spacing and feeling. Don't let that scare you off, the keyboard is very much a full sized standard keyboard.
Compared to a standard CD, the K381 fits in the same area as a traditional keyboard with the number pad. You may notice some funny looking keys on this. Arctic sent the UK version of the keyboard. We had no trouble reviewing the sample, but Arctic insisted on sending the correct version. Using the UK version was no problem since we had the local set to US which made the keyboard act like any US keyboard, even though the labeling said otherwise.
Arctic Cooling also makes this keyboard in a white version. As you can see, this has the standard US style layout that we are accustomed to. The white version of the keyboard is very Apple-esque.
The US version has normal shift key sizes, check out the full sized image of the white keyboard or check the video review to see it. The keys are flat. This allows you to have more surface area per key. On most keyboards, the keys are angled and your fingers slide into each key. On the K381, the keys are the same "size" and go straight up instead of being angled. The effect works well. One interesting thing is that Arctic Cooling took out the branded Windows key in favor of an Arctic Cooling branding. We'll leave it to you to decide what that means. This is a multiple OS support keyboard, after all.
The layout is standard in the arrow keys area. Most FPS players won't be using this area for much since they've moved on to using the WASD setup. Still, numeric entry with this keyboard is a snap with the large keys and the space between the keys is good as well. There are some multimedia keys above the number pad such as volume control and sleep functions.
Both colors are extremely shiny. The black version has that classic piano black look and feel. There are four rubber feet to keep the K381 from sliding around while in use. The front of the keyboard contain a slight increase in height to give a slight angle to the keyboard.
Compared to my hand, this keyboard is extremely thin. It is very tiny compared to other gaming keyboards. While it may not have the macro keys that other have, it does have the edge in space. If you have limited space, this is a good design.
The first thing that should strike you about this keyboard is that the keys are flat. In this regard, they mimic a newer laptop style of keys with the spacing and feeling. Don't let that scare you off, the keyboard is very much a full sized standard keyboard.
Compared to a standard CD, the K381 fits in the same area as a traditional keyboard with the number pad. You may notice some funny looking keys on this. Arctic sent the UK version of the keyboard. We had no trouble reviewing the sample, but Arctic insisted on sending the correct version. Using the UK version was no problem since we had the local set to US which made the keyboard act like any US keyboard, even though the labeling said otherwise.
Arctic Cooling also makes this keyboard in a white version. As you can see, this has the standard US style layout that we are accustomed to. The white version of the keyboard is very Apple-esque.
The US version has normal shift key sizes, check out the full sized image of the white keyboard or check the video review to see it. The keys are flat. This allows you to have more surface area per key. On most keyboards, the keys are angled and your fingers slide into each key. On the K381, the keys are the same "size" and go straight up instead of being angled. The effect works well. One interesting thing is that Arctic Cooling took out the branded Windows key in favor of an Arctic Cooling branding. We'll leave it to you to decide what that means. This is a multiple OS support keyboard, after all.
The layout is standard in the arrow keys area. Most FPS players won't be using this area for much since they've moved on to using the WASD setup. Still, numeric entry with this keyboard is a snap with the large keys and the space between the keys is good as well. There are some multimedia keys above the number pad such as volume control and sleep functions.
Both colors are extremely shiny. The black version has that classic piano black look and feel. There are four rubber feet to keep the K381 from sliding around while in use. The front of the keyboard contain a slight increase in height to give a slight angle to the keyboard.
Compared to my hand, this keyboard is extremely thin. It is very tiny compared to other gaming keyboards. While it may not have the macro keys that other have, it does have the edge in space. If you have limited space, this is a good design.