Rosewill RK-800G Gaming Keyboard Review

If all you're doing is playing Peggle, any ol' plank will do, but the PC gamer's handbook says that if you're serious about fragging, you should settle for nothing less than a bona fide "gaming" keyboard. Sounds reasonable, but has anyone ever sat down and actually defined what a true gaming keyboard really is?  Is there a definition or some kind of blueprint keyboard makers have to follow in order to reach this upper echelon of planks?

Sure, we've all seen those fancy-smancy keyboards sporting LCD displays and enough LEDs to light up your room like the Las Vegas strip, but are we simply being upsold on what amounts to snake oil in the gaming industry? Maybe these so-called gaming companies are really just charging a premium for what amounts to little more than marketing bullets, leaving you with a big, fat burning hole in your pocket, and nothing else.

Not everyone, folks, It appears Rosewill is out to redefine what a "gaming keyboard" is all about. Rosewill's RK-800g doesn't come equipped with macro keys, media keys, or gaming profiles. It does't have any onboard memory, integrated LCD displays, or even a USB connector. Nope, you'll find nothing of the sort on Rosewill's version of a "gaming" keyboard. So what's so special about the RK-800g that earns it the gaming moniker? Good question, and if you're hoping we'll answer it for you, well, you're better off wasting the next few minutes surfing hilarious YouTube videos. But hey, every click counts, so keep reading anyway, we'll make it worthwhile.

In case we somehow managed to be too subtle up to this point (are you even paying attention?), let's make one thing abundantly clear: this is NOT a gaming keyboard. If you look past the unexpected "Classic" title on the box, however, you will find a few bullet points describing how Roseill perhaps thinks it is. The company also spent some ink bragging about the complete rubber sheet design underneath the buttons, as opposed to individual rubber domes that Rosewill claims have a tendency to slip and slide all over the place. 0_o If we had a nickel for every time that's happened to us, well, we'd be 5 cents in debt.

Whatever, maybe we're just far more gentle with our keyboards than everyone else, so we'll keep an open mind (for the next page, anyway).