| OCZ Technology Alchemy Series Elixir I Keyboard
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Installation:
Setting up the OCZ Technology Elixir keyboard required nothing more than inserting the USB connection to the test computer. Right away Windows recognized the keyboard and it became basically operational (the standard keys worked). To get full functionality of the keyboard the "Elixir" software required a brief installation. After rebooting the system full keyboard functionality was reached; multimedia buttons were now operational and the macro keys were ready for programming.
Software:
The OCZ Technology Elixir keyboard software allows you to program the macro buttons we have been talking about, remap existing keys, and switch profiles. Switching profiles effectively allows you to have three separate keyboards. Each profile can save an unlimited number of mapped keys and ten separate macro keys, "L1-L10".
Mapping keys allows you to change the function with a click of the mouse, so you could "remap" the spacebar to give it the functionality of the enter button. See the screenshot below for a more detailed look, where I chose to remap the "W" key to the "A" key. To map any click you select it using the mouse on the virtual keyboard and then input the new key in the screen pictured below.
Macro keys can be programmed in a similar manner. See the screenshots below and read the explanation that follows. The below left screenshot shows an overview of the software. Once again you click the mouse pointer on the virtual macro key you would like to program and then enter the key sequence you would like the keyboard to output the next time you hit that button. Testing revealed up to eight key functions can be programmed into each macro. The below right screenshot shows the "L1" key has been programmed to output "ABCDEFG" whenever it is pressed.
 
Anyway you slice it gamers will be able to take advantage of the extra 10 keys on their keyboard if it does nothing more than reduce the number of mouse clicks necessary to perform a certain function. Oh, and be careful too, because some games including World of Warcraft (WOW) have policies that make it illegal to use macro systems other than those built into the game engine (that would include macro keyboards; so don’t get caught).
Testing / Usage:
During everyday office use the OCZ Technology Elixir keyboard performed as you would expect any keyboard to function; for every keystroke entered, the computer received that input. The keys do have a nice feel due to the rubberized coating and do not require excessive force or travel to register. The palm rest on the keyboard is small and not removable, and it is coated with a harder and slightly less comfortable non-rubberized material.
Evaluation of the OCZ Technology Elixir keyboard during gaming was conducted while playing Activison's Call of Duty 4. Once again the keyboard responded as expected. The remainder of the in-game testing was intended to emphasize the macro keys and the selectable keyboard profiles. To test the macro function I decided to program "L1" to throw a grenade then immediately lay prone. Surely with more of an imagination you could come up with all kinds of useful macros. Macros also work well with games like Counterstrike Source where users are required to make repetitive purchases every round. These types of games tend to have built in applications for "binds" and macro-like functions (making a macro keyboard redundant). After talking with clan mates and friends, I have determined the OCZ Technology Elixir keyboard may be best suited for gamers of MMORPG and Real Time Strategy (RTS) games where having the extra 10 keys on your keyboard will help the user group and control massive virtual armies.
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