- HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL PRO
- HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL SOFTWARE
- HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL SERIES
- HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL WINDOWS
Another button also lets you toggle among three different levels of brightness for the keys' red backlight, or even turn it off altogether-another function the X6 handled with a handy dial.Īlso present from the X6's design is an extra-long space bar that sucks up the real estate used on most keyboards for housing the right Windows key-if you frequently use that key (if probably not in games) the X4, like the X6 before it, is not going to be an ideal choice.
The keyboard can even detect which application you're currently using, and automatically activate the proper bank for it-a very helpful touch.Ĭarried over from the X6 are a range of media keys (for Play/Pause, Backward, and Forward) in addition to the button volume controls (Mute, Increase, or Decrease).
HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL PRO
(You can also set or change macros using the included Microsoft IntelliType Pro software.) A "bank" switch, located in the upper-left corner of the keyboard, lets you automatically switch between three keyboard modes-standard, and two for gaming (which can also be configured in IntelliType Pro)-and a numbered light always shows you which bank you're currently in.
HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL SERIES
It has six macro keys, which can you can set by pressing the Macro Record button, pressing one of the macro keys, typing the series of actions you want to perform, and then hitting the macro key again. The newer version does offer a few of the benefits that were also present in the X6. That model sported a detachable numeric keypad (that could also be docked on either the left or the right of the keyboard), volume adjustment knobs, and dedicated keys for opening the Games Explorer and entering "cruise" mode for depressing large numbers of keys at the same time-none of which the SideWinder X4 has. Some of the SideWinder X4's less desirable changes are particularly noticeable when you compare it to the earlier SideWinder X6. Unfortunately, although Microsoft has made some impressive steps forward with the X4, it's taken a few back as well. And, of course, the X4 also throws in a few dashes of the bling and bright lights that status-conscious gamers expect. Much more notable, however, is that the X4 aims to solve one of the problems that can lead to premature death or annoyance in games: the game not recognizing all the keys you hit, when you hit them.
Microsoft's new SideWinder X4 ($59.95 list) keyboard, which is currently available for presale and will be shipping early next month, types well enough, with a feel snugly between the squishy and clicky extremes that seem to polarize gamers and typists alike. Oh, they may need to send an occasional e-mail or IM, but it's how the keys operate under fire, and what other sorts of features it has for keeping them out of harm's way in the first place, that really matters most. Though die-hard typists will expound endlessly on the subject of whether this keyboard is better than that keyboard, gamers are a different breed-for the most part, they don't really care how a keyboard types.
HOW TO USE MICROSOFT SIDEWINDER X4 KEYBOARD MANUAL SOFTWARE
To switch to it, select Patcher from the IS menu, check "Download development (test) patches", then close and restart Inner Space. Build 5099 is now available as a Development build of Inner Space. Inner Space build 5099 adds support for the Microsoft SideWinder X6 Keyboard's S1 through S30.