Software

The CIDOO ABM084 has software support in the form of device-specific drivers whose installer can be found on the CIDOO downloads page. They download as an executable file that is just 3.7 MB in size and installation options are sparse in the form of language, install path, and whether or not to have a desktop shortcut. I don't know what ToS/EULA I've agreed to inadvertently here, and CIDOO also decides to add in a start menu shortcut without asking. The final install size is only 9.6 MB.


When you do open the program, it is required to have the keyboard connected, or else all you get is an error message. The so-called Driver Management Software for the ABM084 unfortunately decided to use a dark skin and also the black color version of the keyboard, to where there isn't a lot of color contrast ongoing. I also don't see the point of having a home screen with just a render of the keyboard given these are not unified drivers but it's likely this is simply a re-skinned take on the same base drivers for the USB microcontroller used on this keyboard and others too. Indeed, getting to the keyboard-specific menu by clicking on the image reveals a familiar layout that I have previously seen with other Chinese brand keyboard software programs. There is no maximize or full-screen option, although the program does scale well enough with display resolution and OS scaling level to not be an issue. The menu is also well laid out in a logical manner, and with helpful tips that come up when you hover the mouse cursor over the buttons, to where I am plenty satisfied with the user experience.

The video above goes through the various customization options allowed with the software drivers for the CIDOO ABM084. There is key assignment courtesy a virtual keyboard where you simply click on the key you wish to re-map and then choose from various options below. You only get keyboard functions here unfortunately and I would have liked to see media/OS shortcuts or even mouse controls. There is a dedicated macro recorder and assigner which works well enough and CIDOO also provides for configurations/profiles which allow for software-based layers as needed. This is an RGB keyboard despite the opaque keycaps, and we have good control over the LEDs with various static, dynamic, and reactive lighting effects to choose from. The virtual keyboard may lag slightly here to depict the changes in real time but, to be fair, this is still a feature that many larger brands have yet to adopt! There are options associated with these effects including the ability to choose specific colors out of the 16.8 M on offer, as well as brightness/speed sliders or even the direction of effects. Interestingly, the per-key custom lighting effect gets its own section and requires you to create new configurations which do not seem to stack up—possibly a hardware limitation here. There is also a voice-based lighting visualizer which is a cool gimmick but not much more than that. Some basic functions such as changing the polling rate and delay rate are not present, and there is certainly room for improvement overall.