So I picked this baby up today at BestBuy and sold my Razer Tarantula to a friend of mine. I would've taken my own pics, but my camera phone blows and my digital camera is nuked for now.
The packaging was awesome as usual, with a Velcro lid that opens up to reveal the small packaging which contains the installation CD, a master manual, another booklet which contains secrets and tricks about the product, the certification slip, 2 Razer logo stickers, and some advertisement booklet with all current and upcoming razer products.
When you open it up the lid behind that, you will see that your keyboard is wrapped around with a soft material to keep it from being damaged while it is shipped.
The cord on the keyboard has 2 USB connectors. One for the Razer Lycosa, and the other for 3rd party connections. It also has audio connections so you can plug it into your soundcard, and plug in your headphones into some audio jacks that are on the back of the keyboard. There is also a USB 2.0 port located there.
Here's a shot of the entire keyboard with all the keys lit up.
Unlike most razer products, this one doesn't have a pulsing Razer logo. But it does have one on the touch pad, which is an awesome feature.
Just by touching the play button you will automatically launch your media player (WMP, Winamp, Itunes, etc). You have your playback buttons as well as your volume adjust keys. The touch pad acts just like the touch screen of an iPhone, and also has a key that toggles the backlights on and off, and an option to light up only the WASD keys for gaming in the dark.
The razer logo is a toggle "game mode" key. If you enable it, it will disable that pesky Windows key. You can alternatively disable it and any other key you prefer through the Razer menu. Game mode is also known as "Game cluster". Here's a screenshot and brief explanation.
The keys will have the following characteristics :
- CTRL, ALT, SHIFT are dedicated
- Able to press any of the above 2 keys (CTRL, ALT or SHIFT key) + any other key on the keyboard
And as you can see, those are the keys mostly used for playing Counterstrike and other online games.
-->Taken from Razerzone.com<---
Technical Specifications- Keytop with non-slip rubber finish
- Backlight illumination with WASD cluster lighting option
- Fully-programmable keys with macro capability
- Gaming cluster with anti-ghosting capability
- Slim keycap structure with Hyperesponse™ technology
- TouchPanel™ easy access media keys
- Gaming mode option for deactivation of the Windows key
- 10 customizable software profiles with on-the-fly switching
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response time
- Earphone-out and microphone-in jacks
- Detachable wrist rest
- One integrated USB extension port
- Approximate size:
469mm (length) x 168mm (width) x 15mm (height) – without wrist rest
469mm (length) x 221mm (width) x 15mm (height) – with wrist rest
Here's a shot of the Razer menu. Every key that is red has been reprogrammed. My start key has been disabled, and my menu key launches counterstrike source with a touch of a key.
All keys are fully programmable macro keys. Here you can see how I set the menu key to launch counterstrike.
The keys feel great and have a unique feel to them. I normally don't like keys that have a back light, but this might have changed my mind. Plus I can toggle it off when it's day time or my lights on to extend the longevity of the LED.
Also, the keys are ULTRA quiet. I thought my Tarantula was silent but this baby is a ninja!
Well, that concludes my review. I'm enjoying this keyboard like a baby with a brand new toy. It's great and I would recommend it to anyone whether you game or not. You can't beat it.
Pros:
- Unlimited features
- Touch pad playback and toggle keys
- Slim keypad
- Non-slip grip keypad
- Programmable Macro keys
- Game cluster mode
- Ultra quiet
- Small (width) especially when compared to my tarantula. I can actually use my entire mouse pad now, which is HUGE!
- Anti-Ghosting
- On-board memory with profiles
- Too much more to mention
Cons:
- Touch pad seems too sensitive, like if I pass my finger over it will toggle. lol
- Feels totally different from my previous keyboard. So getting accustomed might take a day.
I hope you guys enjoyed my review and consider looking into this piece of hardware. I will review my Audio-Technica ATH-AD700 headphones very soon. I'm still burning these babies in.
Comments welcome
Rating:
9.5 out of 10
And possibly other places lol
