Software and Installation:

     The software is easy enough to install, it takes all of about two minutes. Unfortunately, my main PC did not like the software at all.  Every time I tried to run the program, it threw out a memory access violation, and the program image was distorted.

     Not only was the software distorted, any attempt to load macros into the device failed.  I contacted Genius about this, however they are still investigating the problem.  I did install the software on a second PC and had no problems, so I am calling this an isolated incident for now.

     Here is what the software is supposed to look like.  If you notice at the top right, there is a “Def” icon, as well as “A”, “B”, and “C”. Each represents a different menu that can be loaded into the device, and used for the different modes that are enabled by the switch on the gamepad.  The modes work for all keys except for the D-pad.

     Each field in the program allows either a single key or a macro to be bound to it.  When right-clicking the field and selecting “Macro”, the Macro creation screen is summoned.  Each macro can be named for later. To create the macro, all you have to do is press “Rec”, and the software records all the following key presses until you press “Stop”.  The one thing that is missing however, is the ability to use mouse functions in the macros.  Sorry folks, keyboard functions only!

     Once you have the settings set up the way you want, then all you have to do is press the “Loading” button.  Loading the device only takes a minute, and the settings are persistent, meaning that the gamepad will keep the saved settings regardless of which computer it is plugged into. 

     The other software related to the device is the built in USB sound card.  As soon as the gamepad is plugged in, the sound drivers automatically installed. While the installation is painless, it is a bit annoying that it seems to constantly want make itself the primary soundcard, even if you do not want it to.  While it is a decent soundcard, it is no X-Fi. 

Gaming Performance:

     After getting the ErgoMedia installed and ready to go, I fired up some CoD2 under the default settings.  The keys have a very nice tactile feel, and the curvature of the palm rest was very comfortable.  I was able to hop right in and do some fragging, but it wasn’t very long before I started to notice the shortcomings of the key placement.  By default ‘R’, ‘G’ and ‘F’ are not bound.  This means I needed to bind them to the D-pad and use my thumb to not only jump, but Use, Throw Grenade and Reload as well.  I also did not care for the position of the space key, right under the index finger position, so I bound it to the D-pad as well.  The tab key being right under the 06 key, meant that I kept jabbing it instead of backpedaling, which meant that I kept bringing up the scoreboard. 

     In Battlefield 2, there is just not enough keys to get the job done.  Macros help, however mode switching is more tedious than helpful.  If you have different modes set up for different functions, you have to keep in mind that you can only switch modes one way.  This means if you are on ‘A’ mode, and you want to return to default, you have to hit the Switch Button three times.   

     The backlight, though it looks nice, also pretty much goes to waste.  Since the keys are tilted away from the player, the light is occluded by the palm rest.  If you can’t see the keys in the daylight, how is backlighting supposed to help?  It does add to the bling factor, I suppose.

     The microphone and headphone pass-through did prove to be quite handy, however.  Because it installs as a separate sound device, I was able to configure xfire to run VoIP through the keyboard and keep my game sounds on my X-Fi.  Why would I do this?  Simple, listening to my teammates over the headphones makes it much easier to understand them in the heat of battle, and yet, I can still enjoy the battle in 500W of extreme 5.1.

Conclusion:

     The ErgoMedia 500 looks good, feels good, and has some very nice features.  The backlight looks nice, the keys have a nice tactile feedback, and the wrist rest is very comfortable. The software, when it works, is just how I like it; small, basic and effective. I do feel however, that the layout is inferior to other, more established products on the market.  The ErgoMedia can be had for a street price of $35 or so, making  the Nostromo about $10 cheaper, with the Ideazon Fang running about the same as the Nostromo.  Is the ErgoMedia worth the extra $10?  That is for you to decide. 

Innovation:	8.0 out of 10
Performance:	7.0 out of 10
Quality:	8.0 out of 10
Stability:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	7.0 out of 10
Value:	7.0 out of 10
Overall Rating 7.5
Project Skill Level (10 being most difficult)	2 out of 10