At last, a keyboard with programmable keys that can be positioned in anyway, customized to each individual.

It was a game enthusiast who first conceived of the Ergodex DX1 Input System, a USB input device by Ergodex, designed for users to place programmable keys anywhere on its 11-inch x 9-inch “DX1 Pad.” The concept is simple: You begin with 25 DX1 keys, place as many of them on the DX1 Pad in any layout you wish, and use the included software to assign functions to each one. An adhesive substance keeps the keys firmly attached to the pad, which comes with a clear plastic overlay that users can place over game- or other application-related skins.

You can, for example, assign the keys sets of macros for complex and repetitive software commands in any application that uses a keyboard for input. That includes video editing, word processing and graphics packages, as well as games, e-mail programs and Web browsers. You can easily change the customized key profiles when switching from from one application to another. Toggling between different programs would trigger the Ergodex DX1 software to change the keys’ profiles as you go.

Users can use preprinted labels with common keyboard symbols and icons to identify the keys. If 25 keys aren’t enough to navigate a particular application, additional keys numbered 26 to 50 can be purchased separately.

For anybody who would like to break free from the conventional keyboard, you can use the DX1 to your advantage, as long as you’re patient enough to program the macros. For $150, it may not be suitable for the average user, but rather for those creative pundits out there who can already envision a different keyboard layout they would rather use for gaming and other applications to gain that competitive edge in becoming more efficient.