PC Gamers - Is a ZBoard worth the money?

I've been thinking about getting a ZBoard for myself but I've heard mixed reviews about it. Some people say the buttons are too small with a bad layout and others say it's one of the best gaming keyboards money can buy. Just wanted to see what other people think.

I'm a huge Battlefield 2 player (almost 130hrs. so far) and there is a custom keyset offered by ZBoard that I could get with it. I also wanted to know if the actual main gaming board is compatible with many shooter games like Halo, Battlefield 1942, 'Nam, America's Army, SW: Battlefront, Call of Duty, or Jedi Knight. Those are the games I mostly play.

Any imput would be great. Also, if you have any alternative gaming keyboard suggestions, feel free to add those too. Thanks.

 

WASD has always been there for me, in the good times and the bad.
WASD is my friend forever, because WASD makes me glad.
When people mock my dear WASD, I can feel nothing but sad.
Then the rage takes over, they don't like me when I'm mad.

So, like, what's wrong with keyboards? They've done the job properly for ages, and really, the only reason people struggle with them is because they only have 5 fingers to do anything with.

 

The ZBoard looks cool and all that, but it's a bit gimmicky. There's just no point in investing in one when the good, old fashioned 6 buck keyboard you got with your machine does exactly the same job just as well. There have been so many attempts over the years to try and come out with a replacement controller for FPS games, but mouse/keyboard is so effective that nothing can compete, or indeed needs to compete. Save your money, dude.

 

One last thing to add, Zboards are pretty durable, but not nearly worth the price.

Edit: Possibly a better investment since you play BF2 a lot is a joystick. I'm telling you it brings a whole new level to when you jump in a plane.

 

Zboard= Gimmick

My general controls on an english qwerty keyboard is:
W=Forward
S=Backward
A=Strafe left
D=Strafe right
Q=Jump
E=Duck
R=Reload
Shift=Walk

 

I tend to stay with the normal settings in most games

One thing I tend to change is:

Shift = Duck
Ctrl = Walk/Run

And if we're talking about BF2, well that's another story, lots of changers there. Not to mention UP THAT MOUSE SENSITIVITY. It's your friend.

 

I've also heard that Z-boards tend to break really easily and their customer service is non-existant.