Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Keyboard

rjkoneill said:
my black widow [non backlit version] is a superb board.
just like my old IBM board, the switches in the keys are brilliant and it is a treat to type on.

i would not consider a non mech board now, at all.
when replying to webnotes at work i find it annoying to type on other boards for long periods of time.

the black widow is very good for gaming too, neat software and no flashing rubbish like my previous two logitech boards.

finally found a board i like and wont be getting rid of my BW for a while.
the gloss finish is not anywhere near as bad as many reviews i read suggested.
wipe it with a cloth once a week and its all good. it doesnt attract fingerprints much either

the reason this is a lot more expensive is because it has the usb hub and mic jacks in addition to the backlight.
i have read that it is difficult to backlight a mech board because each key has to be individually lit, i touch type so i dont need the board to have backlit keys but i can imagine it would be great for people who need it.

hope my insight helps :)
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Still got an old IBM steel cased keyboard, fantastic item, made with real care.
 
So what does this do over a standard PS2 KB?, since my last "Gaming Keyboard" died I've been using my back up PS2 and all this seems to bring is nice back lit keys.

I understand when I buy a "Mechanical" car over a "Non mechanical" car but is a keyboard just not a keyboard?

Will it make me a better typer, give me that "edge" in games?
 
Wanted one of these just around Christmas time, got a Steelseries G7 instead.

Looks good tho, but I have to question Razer's build quality as I have since had a few of their products and they have been a bit iffy (Razer Naga im looking at you).

On another note, loving mechanical keyboards now, and please OcUK stock some Filco's :D
 
fergie128 said:
...Looks good tho, but I have to question Razer's build quality as I have since had a few of their products and they have been a bit iffy (Razer Naga im looking at you)....
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Strange, couldnt have better things to say about my deathadder :(.

I've played around with the Logitech G series before, cant say I was very impressed personally. A razer quality keyboard like this though, if i had the budget, would be pretty sweet :D

Nice review Ace Modder :)
 
The trouble with having awesome peripherals (and other computer/AV bits) is that you get used to them and consider them normal, anything inferior then gets annoying. :D I've had a 24" screen for 2.5 years (bit before they started to become the norm for gaming) and ever since my 19" screen in the office seems tiny. Same thing with my G11 and my LCD TV... I would be slightly worried that although I'd enjoy a mechanical keyboard, I'd end up having to buy another one to use in the office as the one I have there would start to annoy me. :p Also I find my G11 is actually quite nice to type on, can probably type faster on this than any other keyboard I've used before.
 
I've got the standard version of this keyboard, it is real nice to use and type on.

I had to RMA my first one after 5 weeks as it just stopped working. My only other issue with these keyboards is that on both the old one and the current one the printing on the 'S' key is starting the wear and fade already!

For myself, I'd like the backlights but there is no way the extra £ is worth it over the standard version. It is a very nice keyboard though and I doubt if I'll ever go back to a non mechancial keyboard again.
 
Well no answer to my question; but ya gotta think. This over a G19? G19 offers so much more. I think the hype around mechanical keyboards will be short lived.

The only advantage I see here is the key being activated half way down the press. But everyone makes sure they press their keys in properly... thus I don't really see any advantage over this keyboard vs its price range competitor. Even if you did get used to this keyboard, maybe then you'd become a lazy 'typer'?

People saying they'd never go back amuses me, it's not new technology folks. It's the oldest in the books, spanning back nearly 30 years. People also saying the tactile feedback doesn't bother them and they usually use headsets anyway. Tactile feedback is being marketed as a feature by Razer so you can ensure you press the key. Lol

I'd say (and this has been said before) that this keyboard would be good for the data entry clerk and office worker. As they will no doubt use the keyboard without looking at the screen. So the tactile feedback can help improve their performance. As for gaming, I'm not convinced.

As for the glossy black, whos idea was that? Dust magnet much!
 
personally, i dont need it as i dont look at my keys and my monitor lights the board up if needed. but it is a good addition
 
rjkoneill said:
personally, i dont need it as i dont look at my keys and my monitor lights the board up if needed. but it is a good addition
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Very true, my LED is the same. But I still like backlits on any new keyboard i get. As they do help, G19 is just a ray of sunshine and this lacks :(
 
Fernick said:
Well no answer to my question; but ya gotta think. This over a G19? G19 offers so much more. I think the hype around mechanical keyboards will be short lived.
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I doubt the "hype" over mechanical keyboards will be short lived :)
People are still using the original IBM mechanical keyboards (with the large Din plug, let alone the later PS2 versions) after something like 20 years :)

A mechanical keyboard has a very distinct feel to it which some people absolutely love as it gives a much more precise and consistent indication of the key being pressed, and that's before the normally much better overall build quality, and the fact that it's proper switches rather than membrane tech tends to mean the keys themselves last much better.

About the only real reason mechanical keyboards "went out" was because of the cost of producing them - it costs pennies to put in a membrane keyboard layout (and the entire "switch" of that layout probably costs less than two or three mechanical switches), and people didn't want to pay large amounts for the keyboard when they could get a one for a fiver.

If I could justify the cost I'd probably get a good mechanical keyboard, as I used an IBM mechanical keyboard for a while and loved it, I regret not picking a bunch up in the late 90's when it seemed every computer fair had boxes of ex office keyboards cheap (especially as I now know how easy it is to clean the baccy stains off them).

Ultimately "mechanical" keyboards these days are a niche, performance type item, much like not everyone is going to want the latest greatest dual core video card in sli, or water cooling, a good case, or a good monitor, there are people who are willing to pay for the quality and feel of the product.
Oddly enough the keyboard/mouse and monitor are probably the three things I never stint on when building a machine for myself (and i never stint on a case when i build for anyone), as they are the bits you are going to be interacting with every single time you use the PC. thus if you can find one you like, as an enthusiast/heavy PC user it's nuts not get good ones that you like, even if it does mean potentially getting a slightly lower end video card, thus for me £60-100 for a keyboard isn't silly if it's comfortable:)
 
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