INTRODUCTION

   During the past 3 years or so most gaming keyboards we've seen roll-out from the majority of the gaming peripheral manufacturers out there have been mechanical ones since they offer superior durability (build quality), much longer lifespan (key presses) and tactile feedback compared to regular membranes ones (or at least that's what the general opinion is). Of course one of the things i love about this industry is that there's always at least one manufacturer out there who likes to stand out from the others and do things quite differently and Mad Catz did exactly that with their S.T.R.I.K.E. line of gaming keyboards a while back since they went with a special membrane design instead. Well although i can't really say if that was the right choice or not (time will tell just how good these keyboards were) SteelSeries has also decided to launch two new membrane (rubber dome) based gaming keyboards the feature-rich APEX and the more "mainstream" APEX[RAW] and so today we will start with the APEX.

   From day one, SteelSeries has been focused on making professional gaming gear that provide meaningful benefits to gamers of all skill-level, with the most demanding being those gamers whose lively hood depends on the performance of our products. We believe, as most gamers do, in winning, not trying! What originally began as a small two-person operation in Copenhagen back in 2001 has become a global leader in professional gaming products. SteelSeries recognized the need for superior, high-quality professional gaming gear that would give players a competitive edge. Fast-forward to today, and we've come a long way since our first glass mousepad. We have global offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, providing an integrated portfolio of products designed specifically for gaming. Fueling our growth is you, the gamer!

   The APEX gaming keyboard is perhaps the most complete model SteelSeries has built to date and comes fully packed with features including low-profile keys, 5 fully customizable illumination zones (16.8m colors), anti-ghosting technology that supports up to 6 simultaneous key presses during gaming use, 22 raised macro keys each of which can be used on 4 available profiles (resulting in 88 total macros), an enlarged space bar for increased comfort, swappable feet and finally several independent media keys (placed on the far right). Of course just like most gaming peripherals by SteelSeries you can customize and control most of the features found in the APEX through their very easy to use engine control software. So yes although the APEX doesn't feature mechanical keys that pretty much seems to be the only "downside" if you can call it that (since that comes down to personal preference) so let's see exactly what it brings to the table.