Razer Marauder Review Starcraft 2 Keyboard
This model has recently released by the Razer company and it is a specialized keyboard
dedicated to the Wings of Liberty game from the Starcraft 2 game series.
The Marauder is quite small compared to some keyboards, and has probably got a lot to do with the key spacing Razer have used, but it certainly makes it quite compact, amusingly the makers have a referred to this as a reduced desktop footprint, which is basically doublespeak for saying Its small
The most obvious feature of this unit when it is switched on is the illuminated keys, they have done a good job with the lighting system this is due to the inclusion of gaming Razers performance system (APM) which changes the color hue of the lighting in real time depending on the users in game performance levels, it should be noted here that this system will only work for the game for which it was designed, Starcraft 2, otherwise the lights will remain the standard blue.
You can record unlimited macros on-the-fly without the need use a a software interface, you can also change between up to 10 profiles without having to setup complex driver menus.
The Starcraft 2 keyboard allows for any number of macros to be recorded whilst in play and allow permits profile switching, up to a maximum of ten without delving into any complicated driver menus, these two things combined should prove very useful to the ardent gamer.
The companys objective behind this device seems to be all about increasing the performance and speed of the player, with its optimum key spacing and actuation travel coupled with a one millisecond response time, as well as excellent tracking and acceleration times and the APM lighting system it seems they may have succeeded.
It has to be said the Marauder Starcraft 2 keyboard will not suit everyone, its size and closeness of the keys is a big factor here, some gamers will just not get on with it at all, which has been pointed out by several users, however gripes are usually subjective and do not accurately reflect the Marauders capabilities.
For accurate typists and gamers with small hands it shouldnt cause any problems, another item to note is that the navigation arrows are incorporated into the number and toggled on and off with a switch, of course this product is targeted at SC 2, so unless you play this game exclusively you should probably consider an alternative keyboard with a broader range of applications.
If you decide to but one of these units, you will find it works very well, highly responsive with smooth and fluid movement, and backed up by the makers excellent software, (which will need to be downloaded) and it has to be said they look so cool when illuminated. To compliment the Marauder Stracraft 2 keyboard Razer have also added the Spectre Mouse and Banshee Headset to give the gamer a matched set of Starcraft gaming peripherals. Overall the Marauder scores well above average on all points except the price, which is quite high when compared to competitive models.
Main Features Summary:
Full Keyboard Layout with integrated number pad keys
Unlimited OTF Macros
Ergonomic Wrist Rest
APM-Lighting System
Laser-etched Keys
Optimized Key Travel & Spacing
Ultrapolling: 1 kHz Polling 1ms Response
Braided 7 Foot USB Cable
Dimensions: 400 mm x 182 mm x 32 mm
The APM abbreviation here, in case you are unaware is an acronym for actions per minute, basically it measures how many key presses and mouse clicks a player is capable of every minute of real time play.
As the APM measure is an indicator of your commands speed it is also a excellent indication of the players control over the game.
To give the reader some idea a newbie gamer might expect the APM figure to be 39 to 61, gamers with considerably more experience could have a figure of up to 155, and professional gamers may exceed 300
How APM works
The APM system is an offshoot of the Razers StarCraft 2 specialist gaming devices, it uses data gathered from the current game to effectively change the lighting hue according to the users skill and speed, and it does this in real time, it will also issue any sudden alerts to the user that may occur whilst playing.
by: Tim Brook
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