I know you probably didn't mean to, but you just made me laugh 

"retards" was the kindest way i could put it.

i didn't mention that their hotkey manager doesn't accept combinations like Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F12. well, it accepts everything up until the F key. so, quite frankly, i think they can just go an F off.

sorry.

I've just started to (seriously) "program" the Sidewinder keyboard - which means the Intellitype key/macro manager needs a lot of help to make it usable. Help from something like autohotkey, of course.

I'd been putting this off for a while as i didn't want to reinvent the wheel - i was sure someone would have worked out a good solution for utilising autohotkey with the sidewinder. and so they have...

http://terrylurie.com/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=12

this is, pretty much, everything the Sidewinder (with Intellitype) keyboard should have been able to do out of the box.

Terry Lurie, has come up with a clever way of adding virtual keys into the registry which can then hook into autohotkey commands. i think that is pretty amazing. there won't be any conflict with hotkey combinations you may already use (or, at least, what you system uses), and autohotkey gives you the power to do what you like (within autohotkey's universe).

this find has made the Sidewinder the ultimate macro keyboard that i so wanted. (i've still got the spare faulty sidewinder keyboard too - i'm tempted to plug it in and double the insane macro hotkey fun.)

(so, Chris, it might be time to consider a sidewinder after all.)

yes, something like that - but with illuminated keys 

I'd already looked at the Evoluent before getting the Sidewinder. One advantage it has over the Sidewinder, is that it has even more room for a right handed mouse user - as the cursor and home keys are moved from their standard location.

But, i do find that i quite like using the cursor keys at the expected keyboard location - they are the sort of keys i use without looking at or thinking about - it's all by habit. so, if they weren't in their typical place, i might find it annoying. which means i'd not risk getting the Evoluent - well, i would risk it if it had illuminated keys, i wouldn't be able to resist trying it.

umm, i know what you mean. at least, you can be thankful that your own machine is set up "just right". using other computers without my hotkeys installed does just make me think how glad i'll be to get back on my own machine.