I have had this keyboard for about 6 months now and I absolutely love it. I have looked at or tried the other gaming keyboards on the market and for me, this is by far the best. The only other keyboard that compares is the G15. Here is my criteria and how this keyboard meets them:

1. Backlit - The lighting on this keyboard is bright but not garish, and it has a nice WASD cluster, all key, or none lighting option. Unlike the Saitek, the keys are not clear with cheap paint on them. After a few months, all the paint had worn off my Saitek keys and you couldn't tell what was what. These keys are coated in a black rubber or poly and then laser cut to allow the light through in the proper place.

2. Standard Layout - There are a few decent keyboards out there with non-standard layouts. (Fatal1ty/Adesso I am looking at you) As I also do a lot of programming on this computer and use other computers at work, I needed a standard keyboard layout. No weird shaped keys, no misplaced buttons, need full number pad, home keys, etc.

3. Solid feel - Key action is awesome. This is my favorite keyboard to type on. The key action is not too deep, keys have good tactile feedback, and sensitivity is just about right. This keyboard feels well made from top to bottom.

4. Simple - I wanted a keyboard with only the features I absolutely needed. I did not want 17 different bells and whistles, heads up LED display, or any of the rest of it. To me, this is just more stuff to break or get in the way. Although I have some friends who like the Logitech G15, it does not appeal to me for this reason. The G15 is equivalent to a QVC Ultra-Brand-New-Super-Tool with 7 blades and 13 folding attachments not including the snap on Bread Slicer. This is more like a single, perfectly crafted and balanced blade, hand tempered by some Japanese master on a snowy hilltop.