Predator Aethon 500 Keyboard

This is the best keyboard I use so far! The build quality is really good.

Beautiful and solid. Perfect for gaming and everything else.

Great value for the money now that the price has dropped. Great wide spaced keys, back-lighting is excellent. Keyboard is heavy and stays put. Programmable color and record-able macro's. Would buy again.

It is as advertised

Very high quality 100%

Acer is relatively new to making gaming keyboards, but this product is far from amateur. In terms of design and functionality, the Predator Aethon 500 is an excellent gaming keyboard that goes toe-toe with peripherals by more established manufacturers like Corsair and Razer. However, persnickety users may take issue with the customization and macro-programming capabilities - which aren't as robust as other keyboards that sell for around the same price. Here's what I think is worth mentioning: Design: Compared to the gaudy-as-hell "gamer" aesthetic you'll see with similar products, the Predator's plain black aluminum chassis is easy on the eyes. Extra features, especially the media control bar, are nice additions to the standard keyboard layout. However, they also make the Predator HUGE! Make sure you have the space to accommodate it before buying. The only mediocre thing I can point out is the cheap plastic wrist rest. This keyboard could fit into an office setting, but I wouldn't recommend it because the keys click loudly as you type, which may disturb others. Functionality: The patent on Cherry switches expired, so now we're finally seeing keyboard switches from other manufacturers - which creates competition in the market, which in turn lowers prices. At the risk of angering Cherry enthusiasts, I'd argue that these new switches don't use cheaper parts or design; the lower price is the natural result of market forces. With that in mind, the Predator uses Kailh Blue switches - which are ALMOST equivalent to Cherry MX-Blue switches, with the only difference being that Kailh Blues have an actuation force 60 grams (+10 more grams than Cherry). The difference is imperceptible to most humans and makes no meaningful difference in typing speed or response time. In keyboard switches, extra actuation force lets you rest your fingers on the keys without accidentally inputting any commands (important for gaming). In theory, if your fingers are 10 grams heavier than average, you might benefit from Kailh Blue switches... but like I said, the difference is imperceptible to most. Customization: Personally, I didn't use the macro keys at all, but if you need them for competitive FPS or high-level MMO play, they're nice to have. The software, "Predator Gaming Integration" is not well executed. It's not included with the keyboard, and the instructions make no mention of it. You must seek it out yourself from Acer's website. You can reprogram keys, set up macros, and make MINOR adjustments to the light-up patterns. However, there is nothing really unique here. If you care about serious customization and making your own light shows, look elsewhere.

The Acer PKB810 Predator Aethon 500 is a sturdy well-built keyboard for passionate gamers. It is made with an aluminum faceplate and panel. It has an anodized surface for a great feel. Each keystroke is fast and accurate and took the teen tester less than 10 minutes to get up to a rapid speed. It has excellent Kailh blue switches that are sturdy and tactile. They let you know when you depress them. The keycaps are double-shot injected. This keyboard has lots of fun backlighting that sets the tone for a great time. The keyboard has ten different preloaded lighting effects to enhance the gaming experience. The lighting also can be customized if you prefer your own effects. During the test, unfortunately, it took a while for the Predator Quartermaster software to connect as it would not open for the first week. It finally did open and was fine once it did. You have complete gaming control of your actions and can play the exciting game you want. Other than the problem with the loading of the software, The Predator Aethon 500 is a solid 4.5/5.

The Predator fills a sweet spot in my keyboard preferences: a keyboard with a couple bells and whistles, but not so many that a guy raised on the "learn to type" programs of the late eighties/early nineties feels lost. The macro keys and light button are situated to the left of the keys, where my hand won't accidentally wander and hit them. Similarly, all the multimedia controls are in the upper-right, another area that's hard to accidentally hit. In short, unless you make a conscious effort, it feels like a normal keyboard, which is what I like. Besides fitting in well with my personal preferences, everything about the Predator just works. The removable wrist rest works perfectly, and the magnetic attachments prevent it from sliding around while also making it easy to remove if you want. The mechanical keys have just the right amount of give to them and have satisfying clicks. And a minor thing, but I love the risers on the F and J keys: they're easy to find but don't intrude with any style of typing I do. The lights aren't exactly necessary for me but are executed really well, and are varied and visually appealing. A nice touch is that, rather than using indicator lights (they would normally be where the multimedia controls are), the lettering on the actual Caps/Num/Scroll lock keys will light up. I love this keyboard and recommend it highly.

Love it

El teclado tiene un diseño que es muy llamativo, al descargar el programa o aplicación, se incrementan las opciones de configuración, como el control de los colores, etc. Sin embargo, como a los 8 días de usarlo, la tecla "Bloq Mayus" funcionaba intermitentemente, lo cual resultaba muy molesto pues a veces "prendía" las mayúsculas y otras no, o viceversa. Por dichos motivos, tuve que dejarlo de usar y opté por un teclado gamer de 500 pesos, de membrana, que me funciona mucho mejor. Fue una lástima que un teclado tan caro, haya fallado tan pronto.