[BLOG] ZBoard Potential
I really like the functionality of my ZBoard. In fact: ZBoard is the wheelbarrow that carries the otherwise useless FPS gamer in me through latenight sessions of TF2. However, the ZBoard could be much more than it is, for the user, and for it's distributer, Ideazon.
If you're not familiar with this product, it's essentially a keyboard with interchangeable keysets. It comes with two inserts: a standard layout insert and a FPS gaming insert with a 'butterfly' control pad on the left side to make WASD controls more intuitive. Beyond this, you can also puchase additional inserts for other games. I bought two of them ('Guild Wars' and 'Age of Empires') before I realized that all of the inserts are just bestickered iterations of the same three keysets: The standard (of which there is only the one version), the FPS, and the strategy. These are then programmable per game, so that each key does exactly what you want it to do for each game.
The Battlefield keyset is an example of the FPS style, which its homerow-murdering Qwerty reconfig.
The Guild Wars keyset is a good example of the 'Strategic' keyset, which is exacltly like the standard, except the numpad has been replaced with 32 small to midsized buttons.
This is the first place where Ideazon could really increase the potential of the ZBoard. Since it's all programmable, there is never a reason for me to buy more boards for more games. I don't think that the programmable engine should be scaled back; I think that they could come up with more than 3 layouts. Once the user realizes that the only difference between the Guild Wars keyset and the Warcraft keyset is the stickers, they are much less likely to want more than one. A few keys in some very different places would vastly improve the potential sales.
However, that's not the biggest area of potential. The primary thing that Ideazon could do to improve the potential usability, and increase the user base, is simple: Make inserts for programs other than just games.
Imagine a keyboard that has a different layout for Microsoft Office, another for Photoshop, and yet another for AViD or AutoDesk or whatever you use regularly. If Ideazon were to make some deals and tap the market of 'professional' PC users, I think they could really have something universally appealing, as opposed to their current image as little more than a toy or gimmick.
Ideally, these inserts would be designed by the people who make the software, and those companies could buy the inserts from Ideazon, and bundle them with the software. If retail CS4 came with a custom ZBoard insert, not only would it give CS4 users more reason to obtain the software legally, but it would create new customers for Ideazon.
Are there any applications you use regularly that you think could benefit from a unique ZBoard insert?
If you're not familiar with this product, it's essentially a keyboard with interchangeable keysets. It comes with two inserts: a standard layout insert and a FPS gaming insert with a 'butterfly' control pad on the left side to make WASD controls more intuitive. Beyond this, you can also puchase additional inserts for other games. I bought two of them ('Guild Wars' and 'Age of Empires') before I realized that all of the inserts are just bestickered iterations of the same three keysets: The standard (of which there is only the one version), the FPS, and the strategy. These are then programmable per game, so that each key does exactly what you want it to do for each game.
The Battlefield keyset is an example of the FPS style, which its homerow-murdering Qwerty reconfig.
The Guild Wars keyset is a good example of the 'Strategic' keyset, which is exacltly like the standard, except the numpad has been replaced with 32 small to midsized buttons.
This is the first place where Ideazon could really increase the potential of the ZBoard. Since it's all programmable, there is never a reason for me to buy more boards for more games. I don't think that the programmable engine should be scaled back; I think that they could come up with more than 3 layouts. Once the user realizes that the only difference between the Guild Wars keyset and the Warcraft keyset is the stickers, they are much less likely to want more than one. A few keys in some very different places would vastly improve the potential sales.
However, that's not the biggest area of potential. The primary thing that Ideazon could do to improve the potential usability, and increase the user base, is simple: Make inserts for programs other than just games.
Imagine a keyboard that has a different layout for Microsoft Office, another for Photoshop, and yet another for AViD or AutoDesk or whatever you use regularly. If Ideazon were to make some deals and tap the market of 'professional' PC users, I think they could really have something universally appealing, as opposed to their current image as little more than a toy or gimmick.
Ideally, these inserts would be designed by the people who make the software, and those companies could buy the inserts from Ideazon, and bundle them with the software. If retail CS4 came with a custom ZBoard insert, not only would it give CS4 users more reason to obtain the software legally, but it would create new customers for Ideazon.
Are there any applications you use regularly that you think could benefit from a unique ZBoard insert?
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