Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard Reviews

• Innovative; beats the Eclipse

  
  By A2OCEWSNGZNSUH on 2007-02-01
  I was real excited when Saitek came out with the black Eclipse. It matches my blue copperhead pretty well, but the Tarantula is perfect. and it is built for gaming. it is like they looked at the standard keyboard and said, let's make it look cool - so they made it black, gave it a nice design, and added the backlight. OK, that is where Saitek ended. Razer goes on to make removable keys, 10 extra gaming keys to swap out (fps), macro functionality built in, hypersensitive buttons to give faster response time, and far better multimedia button set than Saitek. Additionally, having completely backlit keys like Saitek contributed to the glowable keys stripping their paint. The Razer is longer lasting in that regard. Tarantula Cons, the price. buy it if it's a must have to fit your beautiful computer. it's tough, innovative, and well designed. gj razer.
  
  

• Great Keyboard - With Caveats

  
  By A1LHVNLEJ6CIAM on 2008-01-07
  I've used this keyboard for about 6 months now, and this review is based on my experience over this span of time. I am an avid gamer, and play mostly FPS (First-Person Shooter), RPG (Role-Playing Games) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy) games.
  
  Build Quality: 9/10
  The keyboard is very well constructed, with a solid feel, and plenty of space. This is not a keyboard for people with limited desktop real estate. The lighting on the keyboard is very pleasing, and the Razor logo on the palm rest fades in and out. The keys are all removable via the tool provided inside. Feet are properly rubberized, with the usual height stands to prop it up. The cables coming out of the keyboard are thick and well-constructed, and the connectors are gold-plated. Impressive! Overall, excellent. Makes you feel like you paid for proper quality.
  
  Feel (9/10) & Function (5/10)
  The keys are very responsive, and are on the firm side. There was no learning curve involved when I switched from my $10 cheap Logitech keyboard.
  
  Ergonomics are acceptable, but aren't revolutionary in any way. This leads to my main comment about function. The customizable gaming keys run down both ends of the normal keyboard, and look great in theory. In practice however, I found using them a pain. Stretching my little fingers (probably the least dexterous of all fingers!) to hit one of the several gaming keys is a real hassle, especially when you're in the middle of an intense FPS battle. For example, trying to hit one of the left hotkeys is completely impractical if you're using the typical WSAD (forward, back, strafe left and right) and in the middle of combat, as it requires you to stretch your litle finger, which messes with the rest of your hand placement (unless you're a piano player, or especially dexterous, or possess large hands). Also, your right hand will be on the mouse, rendering the right keys nigh impossible to use as well.
  
  On to the USB Ports. I haven't had problems with the ports, except that they're low power ports, and unable to support devices such as hard disks. Also, they're not USB 2.0, making them inefficient for large transfers of data to/from a media player. Otherwise, they've worked fine for me when I use them, which is almost never.
  
  The ports for audio are unusable for me, because improper grounding of the LED lights on my keyboard means that there is a rising and fading buzz that corresponds with the Razor logo illumination. This is the biggest "Con" for me with regards to the keyboard. I tried to use them, but the buzz drove me crazy, and I haven't used the audio ports since. I'm not sure if it's a problem with my particular keyboard, but if not, it's an unacceptable flaw as it renders the audio ports unusable. Nobody wants to listen to electronic buzzing, especially not after paying this much for a keyboard.
  
  Conclusions:
  This keyboard is good value overall, and if appearance, build quality, and BASIC functions are your top priorities, then it's an excellent choice. If you're looking for a keyboard that will expand your gaming horizons, and change your gaming habits, this isn't it.
  
  
  
  
  

• Warning about tags

  
  By AJ586IESBZF28 on 2007-05-26
  This product is incorrectly tagged as wireless/cordless/bluetooth. It is, in fact, a wired keyboard. You can find that out by clicking the "see more technical details" link, but both the screenshots and tags would have you believe otherwise.
  
  

• bueno pero si funcionara bien

  
  By AXAGXD6J09FZA on 2007-03-12
  pros
  nice look
  great setup on keys
  multiple keypress works
  comfortable
  slim
  con
  Very Long keyboard
  it misses typed characters about 25% of the time, backspace is slow,
  I have about 70% accuracy with this keyboard
  
  

• Razor Keyboard

  
  By A1A22V2COMQQT2 on 2007-05-12
  Bought it for my son. He's in raptures. I guess that means it's pretty good. Stan.
  
  
• Cool, but not what i expected
  By A2XAGTBKUVSJXG on 2007-05-13
  This is a pretty cool keyboard. I love the programmable keys and the program provided is pretty easy to use for making macro's or remapping the keyboard. It types really well and the keys have great response. Problems I have is that it takes two usb ports to plug in and for some reason the added usb ports on the keyboard itself wont work for me (says something about insufficient power). Also one of the keys stopped working, but that was easily fixed by removing the key with the tool provided and resetting it in place. Also, get a cable splitter for your audio cable if you want to use the headphone jack on the keyboard without having to unplug your existing speakers all the time.
  
  
• Of questionable quality
  By AODLR53E1L8DA on 2007-10-06
  I like the keyboard's idea - programmable keys. However, there is a fleeting problem of USB occasionally reporting that the keyboard cannot be detected. This comes and goes, sometimes rapidly and can be very annoying while "gaming' because it changes the window focus. Sometimes it goes for days with no problem and then fails. It has 2 USB connections provided by a separate USB cable, however the voltage drop on the cable renders the two ports unusable. The programmable keys do work well but the keyboard in its totality is a flawed product.
  
  
• Not as good as it looks
  By AA98XEPL62IKC on 2008-04-01
  Big keyboard, with wide key spacings. Nice for gaming but not so good for typing, repeated letters are a real problem and it takes some time to adjust to spacing.
  
  Big downsides are software and customer support. I have had repeted incompatability problems between Razer software and iTunes and Microsoft Outlook. I have only had the keyboard for a week but have had to reload software sevral times (seems to be the same problem I had with short lived Razer Death Adder Mouse).
  
  Razer also has awful customer support, they don't seem to acecpt returns of failed products. So if you buy from Amazon, hope that yours fails before Amazon's 30 days are up.
  
  
• Tarantula: The Ultimate Keyboard
  By A34T6MOKWU70F9 on 2007-11-21
  I am very impressed with the razer tarantula. It is a superior keyboard for gamers, as the keys are ultra responsive and well structured. I have owned both the Logitech G15 and the Creative Labs Fatality gaming keyboard, both ruined due to spilling beer. Each board impressed me greatly over a standard keyboard, and I was very upset to lose them both. Only now do I realize my great fortune in losing those inferior keyboards, because now I have a superior one. Now, I won't even think about placing an open glass of beer on my PC desk. I have found the Tarantula and I intend for her to have a long life.
  
  
• A professional gamer's keyboard.
  By A3REUILBAGPS06 on 2008-09-20
  The first thing you should do when you buy this keyboard:
  *Download and update the drivers (for Vista, especially).
  *Download and update the firmware after updating the drivers.
  
  If you don't do this you'll run into compatibility issues with Vista and the keyboard won't work until Windows loads (i.e. can't press keys for BIOS or Windows boot menu). The firmware fixes this issue and the drivers that come with the unit are not Vista compatible, so they fail to install properly. A serious gamer is going to download the latest updates anyway, but I wanted to make it clear that the keyboard was originally released for Windows XP and not Vista, so drivers had to be written for Vista.
  
  The functionality of the keyboard consists of 10 customizable keys (5 left, 5 right) that you can set macros on. The keys are backlit and can be changed out for a set of included keys that have various pictures on them (for gaming). On the right are play options for Windows Media Player (and others), shuffle and volume. On the left there is a home key that brings up your default browser. Rotate, zoom and 100% keys can be set to work with the Windows picture viewer, Photoshop and a few others.
  
  The Home, End, Delete, Page Up and Page Down keys take some getting used to as the Delete key is huge and the End key is higher than it normally is. Another thing I noticed is the offset at which I had to place the keyboard in order to type with the home keys. As with any keyboard, it takes time to get used to a key layout and this isn't an issue in my opinion.
  
  The keyboard takes a minimalist approach to gaming, but caters to the professional gamer with nice programmable features. Some gamers like fancy key layouts and loads of oddball looking gadgets. The Tarantula bypasses the fluff and goes right to the source--giving you what you need as a gamer and not stuffing the keyboard with items that you won't use anyway.
  
  I changed from a Zboard (which still functions just fine) to this keyboard for a change in pace. If you're a serious gamer looking for a sleek approach to a gaming keyboard then this is probably going to satisfy your needs.
  
  Razer makes quality products. This is no exception.
  
  
• Great Board
  By AMVYARIDSJUSK on 2007-12-11
  I have to give this board 5 stars, quick response time and easy to use...not to mention the razer symbol in the bottom center glows on and off, useless but very cool. Sleek design and does just about anything a gamer could ever want with 10 programmable keys, volume adjustment, play and stop features, and accessory add-ons. The tarantula is one of the best I've played on.
  
  
• Expert gaming keyboard
  By A38RCWF2Y6NBDC on 2007-12-28
  I purchased one of these keyboards for my son, an avid gamer, after reading a number of high reviews. After trying it myself I bought another one for my computer. The keyboard has all the features gamers like and many programming options, including macros. The companion Razer Lachesis gaming mouse complements the keyboard.
  
  
• So pretty....funtions great also!
  By ABBA5RERGQHVC on 2008-01-02
  Definetely a recommendation for those of you looking to beef up your gaming equipment. This goes great with....
  
  Razer Mantis Gaming Surface
  Razer Deathadder Mouse
  Razer Barracuda Headphones
  
  Razer FTW!
  
  
• Gaming only!
  By A155IX5XBEH2Z4 on 2008-04-01
  First of, I love the Razor products. I'v used their mice before I purchased their keyboard. With the experience with their mice, which are one of the most confortable mice I'v used, I decided to try their keyboard. I purchased this keyboard when it first came out so I'v had a good at least 6hrs a day on it since then.
  I'm a gamer(fps, mmorpg) and when it comes to it this is a good keyboard. Not too big and cluttered like some I have used. Very responsive to the gaming controls and comfortable. I'v used both USB ports with the headphone/mic jack all at once without a problem. My Razor Deathadder is always connected to one of the USB ports at all time. That's the good part.
  
  Now the bad. Not all the keys are has backlighting and I play in the dark. You have to get purchase the Battlelighting and it gets annoying when using it in the dark. Too bright I think. When it comes to typing, well, that's why I titled it "Gaming Only" because for some reason the keys have a hard time responding during game chats or just typing in general. Either you have to press the bottons at least twice to get a character out or you tap once and 3 characters comes out. Kind of like the problem I'm having now while typing up this review. I guess it's trying to prevent me from doing it. LOL :)
  
  
• BUY THIS KEYBOARD!
  By A1NH820E5UDAZ0 on 2008-05-05
  I have somewhat of a keyboard Obsession, I own the Logitech diNovo & The diNovo Edge (both very expensive) and I'm always looking for a new keyboard to fit my fetish. I've actually owned the Tarantula for awhile, just never got around to writing a review for it. Razer markets themselves as a "gamers" company. And while this is an outstanding gaming keyboard, it's so much more. I use the zoom/rotate/100% keys in Photoshop all the time. And the macro abilities, while great for games, are very useful in applications like Photoshop. I press one button and BOOM my image size box pops up. Normally it's just C+A+I to do this, but with my L1 macro'ed to it, it's a second faster. I've set up a lot of macros in Photoshop to do common tasks, and it saves time definitely.
  
  The keystrokes here are superb, I was very use to the keys on my diNovo Edge, not sure which of the 2 I like better. But the Trantuala is one of the best I've used as far as how the keys feel. They're soft, but still firm, and only require a slight press to register. Each key has it's own membrane so the quality is top notch.
  
  The sucker is big, but I love the buttons, the media controls are pretty standard on keyboards nows, I kind of wish the buttons here were closer to the bottom, but that's just because I'm use to Logitech diNovo's placement. I open Winamp with 1 button, press shuffle + play and I got random music to last me all day.
  
  The "sleep mode" button puts the PC into sleep mode, I don't use sleep mode but for those who do it will be useful. The "Home" button I guess is supposed to open your web browser and open your default page. I said I guess because mine does nothing.
  
  with the latest drivers + firmware you can customize anything. I spoke on the macro feature, well it has a profile feature. You can configure 100 different profiles, with 10 macro keys and various driver settings you can pretty much have it do everything under the sun. Oh yeah, and you can set macro keys to launch a program too, or have a macro key launch another profile. Really you could get pretty complex with your configuration if you wanted.
  
  The initial prototype board all the keys were back lit, now it's just the 10 macro keys + the profile button. You can buy a light that hooks up to the "Battle Dock" never used it so I can't comment, but I know the light wouldn't fit due to my keyboard tray not being deep enough.
  
  It comes with 10 replaceable keys, the L1-L5/R1-R5 were boring, so I popped on the included new ones. Now I have a knife, pistol, rifle, grenade & others. Very cool to look at. And since I game they actually fit. This definitely gives the board a violent touch which I like :)
  
  I like the drivers a lot, they are simple and give you plenty of configuration options. Also included are 2 USB ports and a headphone/mic jack. Now the USB ports are only 1.1 so it's slow, but would be more than good for anything that doesn't use 2.0, very convenient. My Motorola Q for example is only USB 1.1 so I can plug it right into my keyboard, very useful as the cable that came with it is only about 3 feet long.
  
  This along with my diNovo Edge are the 2 best keyboards I've ever owned. The responsiveness of the keys on this bad boy is almost unreal. If you can spare the size (almost 20 inches wide) this is the board to get bar none! I had to give up my soda cup space on my keyboard tray to make this fit, but it was well worth it :)
  
  
  
  

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