WEBVTT

00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.920
in the steel series Suite they're showing off the Apex and the Apex raw

00:00:03.719 --> 00:00:10.160
and I'm going to start with the Apex raw welcome to Linus Tech tips at CES 2013

00:00:08.679 --> 00:00:14.599
our trip to the show this year is powered by Corsair maker of quality PC

00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:20.640
components and peripherals our trusted storage partner is seate technology and

00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:20.640
our trusted networking partner is

00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:27.519
linkis okay guys backlit keyboard has

00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:30.840
two layers of macro functionality so check this out we got macro Keys here

00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:34.719
you got five we have macro Keys here you've got 12 you can actually program

00:00:33.160 --> 00:00:39.320
those in two different ways but we've seen this before the entire keyboard

00:00:37.120 --> 00:00:43.600
itself is completely reprogrammable as well so that means you've actually got

00:00:41.360 --> 00:00:47.879
what is essentially what something like 200 functionalities that you can

00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:52.280
Implement depending on which layer of macros you're using they've changed a

00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:56.000
couple of the key ergonomic things about this keyboard versus ones in the past

00:00:53.960 --> 00:01:00.600
number one is they've added the Windows key back this is based on feedback from

00:00:58.680 --> 00:01:05.040
Gamers remember guys Steel series is not so much flare and fluff although this is

00:01:03.160 --> 00:01:09.400
a NIC looking product compared to the more blocky keyboards that we've seen in

00:01:06.680 --> 00:01:13.200
the past they actually designed for pro Gamers they've got a wide variety of

00:01:11.360 --> 00:01:17.000
teams they sponsor so this is one of the key changes that might cause some debate

00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:20.759
but remember guys all the keys on the keyboard are reprogrammable so don't

00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:24.320
worry too much about it number two check out this space bar it looks kind of

00:01:22.520 --> 00:01:28.040
stupid you know what it reminds me of it looks kind of like the 7g which also

00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:32.159
looks kind of stupid because it has that huge wrist rest you know what else my

00:01:30.240 --> 00:01:36.000
wife refuses to type on anything but a 7g if I put anything else in front of

00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:40.320
her she will not use it because it is incredibly comfortable things like this

00:01:38.240 --> 00:01:45.079
come from a comfort and design standpoint not from a a visual appeal

00:01:43.720 --> 00:01:48.680
standpoint so if you think about it in terms of typing you don't need a wide

00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:52.520
space bar because your hands are positioned like this with the tips of

00:01:50.399 --> 00:01:55.759
your thumbs on the space bar however Gamers you know I'm not going to

00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:59.560
generalize or anything but come on have you ever sat up straight and gamed like

00:01:57.280 --> 00:02:05.119
this I don't think so you slouching your seat you got your wrist down you got

00:02:01.960 --> 00:02:07.119
your thumb lying on the space bar here

00:02:05.119 --> 00:02:14.040
that makes it easier and faster to respond to so again good job steel

00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:16.080
series final sort of ergonomic weirdness

00:02:14.040 --> 00:02:19.640
is these diagonal Keys here these are a carryover from the acquisition of ideas

00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:23.239
on a number of years back and particularly for MMO Gamers steel Series

00:02:21.519 --> 00:02:30.519
has gotten extremely good feedback about it so this guy one zone okay two layers

00:02:26.360 --> 00:02:31.640
of macros this is the Cadillac at 9 9.99

00:02:30.519 --> 00:02:35.959
remember Guys these are membrane keyboards so that's why you're seeing these kinds of price points with this

00:02:34.200 --> 00:02:43.000
kind of functionality on the keyboards it has five zones Zone one zone two zone

00:02:40.519 --> 00:02:47.800
three Zone did I already say this one four and zone five which is the logo

00:02:45.360 --> 00:02:53.120
right here and these lights that are on the side cool thing about this one is

00:02:50.360 --> 00:02:58.319
it's got four layers 10 macro Keys here in addition to the ones up here and you

00:02:55.720 --> 00:03:03.519
can actually change depending on the layer you're in what zones are

00:03:01.200 --> 00:03:08.319
illuminated so if you go okay I'm an MMO player I have my you know my utility

00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:11.959
class my attack class I have my healer class or whatever else you can go okay

00:03:10.040 --> 00:03:15.400
I'm my attack character whole thing goes red so you know what you're doing you've

00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:19.840
got you can make sure that all the macros that you're going to be hitting are the ones that are optimized for the

00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:23.560
character you're using healer class turn the whole thing white or you can even do

00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:27.000
things like just change one zone you can go okay I want something more subtle so

00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:30.239
I'm going to change the yellow on the side it say 16.8 million colors or

00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:35.720
something like that so you can have whatever you want change that to a different color on the Fly I actually

00:03:33.319 --> 00:03:40.200
missed an ergonomic change and I think this I think this laptop went into sleep

00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:44.120
or there it is it's properly illuminated now final ergonomic change I didn't

00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:47.920
mention before is the macros up here are slightly raised here if I can get you to

00:03:46.599 --> 00:03:54.040
get a good look at that these are slightly raised this allows you to

00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:55.599
quickly perform some kind of a a combo

00:03:54.040 --> 00:03:59.599
where you can press one of them and then the other and fall off of it like that

00:03:57.760 --> 00:04:02.640
it's actually it's really neat the way that showed it to us and they gave us a

00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:06.599
couple examples of where Gamers will actually use these there's a couple of

00:04:04.720 --> 00:04:10.040
dots on the W which allows you to find your way back to WD the same way you'd

00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:17.160
find your way to the home row key if you were typing

00:04:12.480 --> 00:04:18.919
and sorry excuse me it's got a USB hub

00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:23.479
built in sorry diesel are are you focused on that there we go USB hub H

00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:28.080
built in and I think that pretty much wraps up everything I wanted to say

00:04:26.400 --> 00:04:31.680
about this keyboard oh yeah okay so you can adjust your brightness adjust your

00:04:29.400 --> 00:04:35.479
volume you got your media Keys over here full number pad like I said membrane

00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:40.080
keyboard all about quickness they're advertising this as the fastest gaming

00:04:38.199 --> 00:04:43.360
keyboard in terms of you know your travel distance the feedback that the

00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:47.080
tactile feedback that's required to press the buttons whatever you want to

00:04:45.360 --> 00:04:51.520
what however you want to look at it come on over here I want to show you guys a

00:04:48.400 --> 00:04:54.080
cool prototype this is of the apex not

00:04:51.520 --> 00:04:58.639
the Apex raw can you hit the lights sir so this one comes apart so they've

00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:01.800
got it programmed with a variety of different colors you can see has a very

00:05:00.360 --> 00:05:06.000
different look depending on what kind of colors you're using and this is the kind

00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:10.320
of technology that goes inside something like this they've also updated their

00:05:07.919 --> 00:05:15.400
software in kind of a neat way and that is they can create heat Maps where you

00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:19.840
can set it to okay maybe you don't know exactly what keys are optimal for you

00:05:18.039 --> 00:05:23.680
you can have it set up heat Maps while you're gaming to show you which parts of

00:05:21.840 --> 00:05:28.600
the keyboard you're using most on the software on your screen so it might be

00:05:25.639 --> 00:05:31.800
able to give you tips like okay most of the keys you use are in here and you're

00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:35.520
using R for reload still you're not really using e that much why don't you

00:05:33.400 --> 00:05:39.680
change e to reload save yourself 7% travel distance and potentially actually

00:05:37.919 --> 00:05:43.919
make you a better gamer I think we can all agree that in the past especially

00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:48.400
and for the most part better peripherals don't make you a better

00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:52.319
gamer inherently but steel series is trying to change that so don't forget to

00:05:50.840 --> 00:05:55.880
subscribe to lonus Tech tip so you can catch all of our CES 2013 coverage we'll

00:05:54.800 --> 00:06:01.479
see you guys soon thanks for watching Linus Tech tips

00:05:58.280 --> 00:06:05.440
at CES 2013 powered by Corsair Seagate

00:06:01.479 --> 00:06:05.440
technology and linkis