Who are you calling old?
A few weeks ago I was asked to review two
products from Razer, the Spectre Starcraft II Gaming Mouse and the Marauder
Starcraft II Gaming Keyboard.
I wasn’t too sure if this was a joke,
because I specifically remember that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty was
released in July 2010 and these two devices came out a few months later in
December 2010.
Starcraft
II Gaming Mouse
According to a recent study, one year in
the life of a computer should equal approximately 16 human years. This
calculation is based on the average lifespan of a human being, which according
to this study puts that at 80 years.
The study then estimates that computers and
their peripherals start fading after 3 years and are toast after 5 years. Hence
the calculation: 5 into 80 = 16 years.
Which would make these two review units 48
years old in human terms. Not too old to be reviewed I guess, but let’s have a
closer look at these two middle aged men.
To begin, it would be prudent to note here
that these two devices can be bought and used individually, but they do
complement each other better together than separately. They are, after all,
specifically Starcraft programmed.
The
Spectre Mouse is 5-button mouse, which is wonderfully light and, with
Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet, glides effortlessly over any mouse surface
The Spectre Mouse is 5-button mouse, which
is wonderfully light and, with Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet, glides effortlessly
over any mouse surface. It is sensitive to 5600 DPI and features ultra-polling
at 1000Hz / 1ms for increased accuracy and response time.
Additionally the Always-On precision sensor
never powers down, thus eliminating any lag on reactivation. The underside also
has a three setting switch for button force adjustment.
Customization is extensive via Razer’s
Starcraft II Trifecta Software Control Suite, which allows varied lighting
effects with the APM Lighting System, creating macros, assigning buttons or
functions and cycling the DPI up and down, all easily managed and accessed
through the profile-editor with automatic profile switching.
Complementing the Spectre is the Marauder
Starcraft II Gaming Keyboard.
The keyboard is compact, at 43.5cm across,
with illuminated rubberized keys which feel firm and crisp. Like the Spectre,
its lighting is customized using the APM reactive lighting system.
A slight downside is that the Marauder is
power hungry in that it requires an additional USB connector for its lighting
system.
Every key on the board is fully
programmable and can be assigned to various recorded macro commands, which can
also be recorded on the fly by pressing ALT+FN, type your keystrokes, press
ATL+FN again and then press the key you want the macro to be assigned.
Marauder
Starcarft II Gaming Keyboard
Together, this pair are jam-packed with
programmable Starcraft II specific features and best used in unison for maximum
functionality and enjoyment.
Middle aged they might be, but both still
out perform many of the new comers on the block and ultimately it’s the
Starcraft game that will determine their longevity… and according to some very
old and wise gamers, games do not age.
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At a glance
·
Summary: Solid complementary mouse and
keyboard performance.
·
Manufacturer: Razer
·
Distributer: TBC
·
Price: Approx $198
Tech specs
·
Mouse: 5600 dpi
·
Mouse: 50g acceleration.
·
Mouse: 5 buttons
·
Keyboard: Optimized key
·
Travel & spacing
·
Keyboard: Ultra-polling
·
Keyboard: Braided 2m Cable
Pros
·
Mouse: Lightweight & Force adjustment
·
Keyboard: Rubberized keys & APM lighting
Cons
·
Mouse: Not ambidextrous
·
Keyboard: Combined keys & No pass through
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