Performance
The Lobera Spectrum is of course a mechanical keyboard which means the difference from any random office keyboard is night and day. Typing is a joyous symphony of clickity-clacks and a bit stronger feedback giving you a more comfortable and pleasing experience. I will say that this particular model does not have quite as noisy keys as the Tizona which to some may be a good thing, but I personally think the louder the better. That is more a matter of taste, however, so do not take my word for it. I would advise giving several keyboards a try to match your own personal preferences for maximum enjoyment and comfort.
You will be glad to know the Lobera comes with all the regular trimmings on the top row of keys; i.e. media and profile keys, so if you feel like changing things up a bit for different styles and modes of gameplay then you will not be limited by clunky design. As for the software, you must download the drivers/toolkit from the TesoroTec website. It is a simple download and once you get the software running you will be greeted by a very intuitive system that lets you play around with all the different settings and options to your heart’s content.
Something the Lobera has that the Tizona was sadly lacking is the almost unlimited ability to create and customize macros which means you will have a great range of commands to use for a variety of different situations. For example, you might choose to assign certain programming commands for Notepad++ or maybe just some cheap fun like programming a button for ultra combos in Street Fighter IV or try to anyway. Whatever the case, you have the option to change the speed at which commands are entered, change keys if maybe you are into Dvorak, and several other uses that could fill a small book. A lot of uses in my experience were for mass strings of text on a single button, say an email address. Just make sure you do not put in credit card information, as tempting as it might make those Steam purchases.
Oh yes, another thing the Tizona did not have. I am just going to say it…LIGHTS!!! Yes…this keyboard has LIGHTS. And let me tell you this is no ordinary lighting system. It uses a lightboard that is similar to a disco floor with cells that light up independently of each other depending on what key you press. And of course have the ability to edit the lighting setup. There are so many options it is almost overwhelming. You can actually set each individual key to whatever color you desire. From a constant glow to pulses or ripples, one thing is for sure: you will have a hell of a time and a light show with this bad boy.
But lighting and macros aside, how well does it perform under pressure? Again, the Lobera shows its strengths in many different areas when it comes to casual or serious gaming. For one thing, there is a lovely palm rest which really comes in handy if, like me, you spend a great deal of time typing and need something to ease the tension from prolongued use. No longer will you have to give your hands a rest from the indent in your palms or mess about with the position of the keyboard. More than that, however, fast action is no match for the Lobera’s speed and top-notch response rate.
