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Gaming keyboards tend to be for just that: gaming. In the past we have enjoyed the Ideazon Zboard with interchangeable keysets, but not for everyday use. The Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard with special programmable “G Keys,” folding LCD panel, and backlit keys worked better for daily use but really wasn’t for someone with a penchant for a keyboard as comfortable as the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. And now we have PD Scientific’s Wolf Claw Type II.
Though perhaps not obvious from the photos, the Type II is a very sturdily built unit and exudes the top-notch build quality you expect from similarly priced Logitech and Microsoft offerings. The three-layer silicon under the keys make them silent, but the keys still have confident movement and don’t feel squishy. The keyboard requires a USB port but also features two additional USB 2.0 ports on its side.
Like its predecessor, the Wolf Claw Type II lacks a numeric pad on the right side and shifts some of the keys normally found between the main keyboard set and numeric keypad to right and bottom-right of the keyboard. The II also omits a right CTRL key, which may trouble some in daily use. Above the main keyboard are eight Web-friendly buttons. However, it’s the left side of the keyboard, the “circle of death,” that draws the most attention. This area focuses on bringing the WASD and other FPS-friendly keys to an area easily accessible by your left palm. We played World Of Warcraft, F.E.A.R., and Battlefield 2 without any serious adjustment period. It’s pretty obvious that a good deal of thought went into the placement of keys in the gaming section.
The Wolf Claw II is not revolutionary but happily does what it sets out to do. That still doesn’t make this an ideal product for someone who prefers another keyboard for daily use and does not want two keyboards cluttering up a desktop. Fortunately, that will be rectified by the upcoming Wolf Claw Devour, which features the circle of death as a standalone controller you can use in conjunction with your current keyboard. Watch for the review in these pages.
