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Hello!
Today I got Razer's latest, and first mechanical keyboard. Razer's packaging is usually something to note, and sure enough the Blackwidow's packaging was impeccable. It came nicely packaged inside a 3 layer cardboard sleeve With a plastic covering the keys. Its good to know it has more than sufficient protection for shipping. Onto the actual keyboard-- If your unfamiliar with mechanical keyboards I put some information at the bottom of this post.
Notice the 9 key...lol
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/niVEd.jpg)
Visuals: The Blackwidow is very sexy, and pretty compact for having the extra macro keys on the left side.Surprisingly finger prints and palm marks seem to disappear a few seconds after removing your hand from the glossy frame, however the thing attracts a lot of dust. So be sure to keep a swifter dust magnet cloth around, for me, its something i already use on my Samsung PX2370's outer frame and base.
Edit: It's harder to keep clean that I originally thought. Although to keep it spotless all you'll need is a bottle of cleaner, its still something to note if your on the lazy side.
Build: The quality seems very high, although I've never owned a Filco, (which seems to be the staple for high end keyboards) it's much heavier than my previous keyboard (Logitech G110), and you can tell its much more durable. It feels like quality when you pick it up.
It's about 4 inches shorter in length than my 23in PX2370
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/a1mN3.jpg)
Performance: The keys are very light, and loud. Stay away from this one if your annoyed by the clicking sounds resulting from the Cherry MX blue mechanical key switches. It's a dream to type on, and the keys are easy and fast to spam. There's also a nice texture on the keys which completely keeps your fingers from slipping off. The function key works beautifully and keeps the keyboard visually clean. The keys are also ergonomically sloped and not flat, there's some pictures below.
On the back of the keyboard there are some legs to increase the angle (note there's no drain holes for liquids in the case that something is spilled into the frame). However with the legs out the keyboard sits at an extreme angle. I found it already has a comfortable natural slope built into the frame. Also there is no additional wrist support with this keyboard. The design of the frame offers some wrist support but if you have large hands its almost nothing, fortunately enough, the Blackwidow is still one of the most comfortable keyboards I've used.
Overview This is definitely the best keyboard Ive ever had, and so far the performance is extremely high. The quality of the build, the look, and the feel of the keys all leave good impressions. My only gripes with the thing is that it came with a F9 key on the 9 lol? And the F9 key sits just a tiny bit higher than the other F keys. On a rating of 1-10 the Blackwidow gets a solid F9 from me lol
Edit: It takes some getting used to the Blackwidow since the keys are extremely easy to press you can easily catch a corner of another key. This at first was a concern for me, however after a day with the keyboard I'm beginning to get used to typing on it, and damn its nice. Just like everyone else I'm going to have to say it; ill never use a "normal" keyboard ever again!
Cost: $79.99
Rating: 9/10
Recommend for SC2: Yes
Recommend in general: Yes
Link to Buy: http://store.razerzone.com
Information on Mechanical Keyboards
+ Show Spoiler +A mechanical keyboard is a specific type of keyboard know for its responsive feel and comfort. Unlike your normal keyboard, a mechanical keyboard uses individual key switches to register each key stroke. These key switches can vary in a couple different ways: the amount of force required to actuate the key, the loudness, and the physical feel while pressing the key (tactile or linear). Here's a very informative video about the different brands and types of mechanical switches: Key SwitchesHeres what the Razer Blackwidow sounds like (although its a different keyboard it uses the same switches): Cherry MX Blue Key Switches
Pictures:
+ Show Spoiler +Comparison between G110 and Blackwidow ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/NVpCk.jpg) Heres the ergonomic slope on the keys ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/m4kKd.jpg) You can kinda see the texture of the keys here ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/1N8Hl.jpg) ![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/RhPLg.jpg)
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Pretty now shitty looking with grime all over it's gloss 2 months later.
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On October 08 2010 06:27 semantics wrote:
Pretty now shitty looking with grime all over it's gloss 2 months later.
Not if you take 30 seconds a day to clean it off.
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:D yeah but most people don't take the time to wipe it off daily which will prevent the build up that becomes a pain to remove.
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On October 08 2010 06:31 semantics wrote:
:D yeah but most people don't take the time to wipe it off daily which will prevent the build up that becomes a pain to remove.
Yeah hah, for me I cant stand having a dirty desk so i always wipe everything down before i shut my computer off.
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Just out of curiousity, where'd you order it from? The site says that it goes on sale on the 13th.
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On October 08 2010 06:37 Skuller wrote:
Just out of curiousity, where'd you order it from? The site says that it goes on sale on the 13th.
Off their official site, the non-ultimate one came on sale last friday and sold out within 24 hours i was one of the lucky people to get my order in. I guess they wanted to sell the normal ones out so more ultimate versions sell.
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Are these available in stores yet?
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I have the steelseries 6g, and I like it, I would buy it, but I don't really like razer keyboards
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I got mine yesterday. Was surprised when it said it was shipping. Agreeing on all points on your review, I can't ever go type on a normal keyboard again. These just feel so crisp and easy to type on/game on, compared to the squishyness of dome keyboards. You can feel the tactile bump really well, and I personally love the clickyness of the blue switches.
Also, getting a f key instead of a 9 key is odd. I have the actual 9 key, no weird F key in the place of it. Guess just a mix up in the building of it.
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On October 08 2010 07:03 jimminy_kriket wrote:
Are these available in stores yet?
Not sure, but you can try giving your local retailer a call :O
On October 08 2010 07:36 Combine wrote:
I got mine yesterday. Was surprised when it said it was shipping. Agreeing on all points on your review, I can't ever go type on a normal keyboard again. These just feel so crisp and easy to type on/game on, compared to the squishyness of dome keyboards. You can feel the tactile bump really well, and I personally love the clickyness of the blue switches.
Also, getting a f key instead of a 9 key is odd. I have the actual 9 key, no weird F key in the place of it. Guess just a mix up in the building of it.
Yeah yo i guess you had yours preordered? This one happened to ship from Canada (kinda odd i guess they really ran outa supply fast) so took a while to get to me, i like that word crisp haha, it definitely feels crisp, and is so much easier to press than dome keys. I enjoy the clickyness also, but spamming can get loud lol
And definitely a mix up with the 9 key, its pretty funny i didn't even notice it until i started taking pictures 
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On October 08 2010 07:54 Itazy wrote:Show nested quote +On October 08 2010 07:03 jimminy_kriket wrote:
Are these available in stores yet? Not sure, but you can try giving your local retailer a call :O Show nested quote +On October 08 2010 07:36 Combine wrote:
I got mine yesterday. Was surprised when it said it was shipping. Agreeing on all points on your review, I can't ever go type on a normal keyboard again. These just feel so crisp and easy to type on/game on, compared to the squishyness of dome keyboards. You can feel the tactile bump really well, and I personally love the clickyness of the blue switches.
Also, getting a f key instead of a 9 key is odd. I have the actual 9 key, no weird F key in the place of it. Guess just a mix up in the building of it. Yeah yo i guess you had yours preordered? This one happened to ship from Canada (kinda odd i guess they really ran outa supply fast) so took a while to get to me, i like that word crisp haha, it definitely feels crisp, and is so much easier to press than dome keys. I enjoy the clickyness also, but spamming can get loud lol And definitely a mix up with the 9 key, its pretty funny i didn't even notice it until i started taking pictures
Yeah, I pre-ordered like a day before they sold out. I was like ah, what the hell the price is good and I've been wanting a mechanical keyboard. Buy it, go to bed. Wake up and see them sold out. I wasn't expecting it to get shipped yet, was waiting for the 13th, but a pleasant surprise to get it this fast. Mine also got shipped from Canada.
I was kind of worried about the printing on the keys, but they are such great quality, and I love the texture on the keys. Glad I didn't drop 50$ more just for some back lit keys and extra ports.
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Looks really nice! Congrats.
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I just got mine today. Was on the razer store oct. 1st noticed they were in stock and shipping (while the ultimate was still marked pre-order) so I ordered it and it arrived today.
Mine arrived the F7 key was pulled off, but just sitting loosely in its position. I put it back on, but it doesn't seem to fully re-attach because it pulls off easy with no tension, while the rest of the keys have tension to them when attached.
I called razer support and they were shocked I had a BW and said it hadn't even officially launched yet.
They want to RMA the whole keyboard over the F7 key which is pretty amazing I gotta say. I hate to send this board back but I think a replacement will be better in the long run.
As my first mechanical keyboard (not counting the one my father had that I can't remember using as a 1 year old lol) I am hooked for life. I'll never use a membrane keyboard again. The tactile response is a spectacular aid.
Definitely not worth the extra cost just for the back lighting, but the standard edition represents a great value among mechanical keyboards alone while adding gaming features.
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On October 08 2010 07:55 Combine wrote:Show nested quote +On October 08 2010 07:54 Itazy wrote:On October 08 2010 07:03 jimminy_kriket wrote:
Are these available in stores yet? Not sure, but you can try giving your local retailer a call :O On October 08 2010 07:36 Combine wrote:
I got mine yesterday. Was surprised when it said it was shipping. Agreeing on all points on your review, I can't ever go type on a normal keyboard again. These just feel so crisp and easy to type on/game on, compared to the squishyness of dome keyboards. You can feel the tactile bump really well, and I personally love the clickyness of the blue switches.
Also, getting a f key instead of a 9 key is odd. I have the actual 9 key, no weird F key in the place of it. Guess just a mix up in the building of it. Yeah yo i guess you had yours preordered? This one happened to ship from Canada (kinda odd i guess they really ran outa supply fast) so took a while to get to me, i like that word crisp haha, it definitely feels crisp, and is so much easier to press than dome keys. I enjoy the clickyness also, but spamming can get loud lol And definitely a mix up with the 9 key, its pretty funny i didn't even notice it until i started taking pictures Yeah, I pre-ordered like a day before they sold out. I was like ah, what the hell the price is good and I've been wanting a mechanical keyboard. Buy it, go to bed. Wake up and see them sold out. I wasn't expecting it to get shipped yet, was waiting for the 13th, but a pleasant surprise to get it this fast. Mine also got shipped from Canada. I was kind of worried about the printing on the keys, but they are such great quality, and I love the texture on the keys. Glad I didn't drop 50$ more just for some back lit keys and extra ports.
haha nice timing, i also ordered for the same reasons, i just happened to be awake late that night and saw they were on sale, so i got my order in. Guess they were stocking in Canada :O The texture on the keys is awesome ! I honestly cant even slip my finger off if i try. And i agree the $50 extra wasn't worth it. Not for back lighting, and a usb port or two.
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But yeah, compared to the other mechanical keyboards that are around ~$110 (no backlighting either)the 80$ price tag was a no brainer. Guess razer are able to mass produce them easier, and able to make the price go down.
Just looked at the site, apparently the 80$ version is on back order now, and they're not shipping more till 10/29. Ouch.
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On October 08 2010 08:07 PackofHighly wrote:
I just got mine today. Was on the razer store oct. 1st noticed they were in stock and shipping (while the ultimate was still marked pre-order) so I ordered it and it arrived today.
Mine arrived the F7 key was pulled off, but just sitting loosely in its position. I put it back on, but it doesn't seem to fully re-attach because it pulls off easy with no tension, while the rest of the keys have tension to them when attached.
I called razer support and they were shocked I had a BW and said it hadn't even officially launched yet.
They want to RMA the whole keyboard over the F7 key which is pretty amazing I gotta say. I hate to send this board back but I think a replacement will be better in the long run.
As my first mechanical keyboard (not counting the one my father had that I can't remember using as a 1 year old lol) I am hooked for life. I'll never use a membrane keyboard again. The tactile response is a spectacular aid.
Definitely not worth the extra cost just for the back lighting, but the standard edition represents a great value among mechanical keyboards alone while adding gaming features.
Interesting! Thanks for the info, I can also remove my F9 key which was slightly out of place. It still takes a pretty decent amount of force to take the key off but it definitely has a slight problem. I also can't identify if its the keycap or the switch, but i guess its the keycap because the button works fine when pressed. Personally It's not something ill send the keyboard back for, but if it were a key i pressed more often, then i would reconsider.
"Definitely not worth the extra cost just for the back lighting, but the standard edition represents a great value among mechanical keyboards alone while adding gaming features."
Definitely!
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On October 08 2010 08:14 Combine wrote:
But yeah, compared to the other mechanical keyboards that are around ~$110 (no backlighting either)the 80$ price tag was a no brainer. Guess razer are able to mass produce them easier, and able to make the price go down.
Just looked at the site, apparently the 80$ version is on back order now, and they're not shipping more till 10/29. Ouch.
The price is amazing I'm not quite sure how they managed it, maybe the prices were jacked up and razer's just starting the price cutting by bringing mechanical keyboards to the mass audience.
10/29 whew, I'm glad i stayed up playing SC2 last week hehe
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would be nice if anyone who has used filco/daskey review this board i comparison...
been thinking about getting filco keyboard for awhile now...
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I think I'll be picking one of these up soon. Thanks for the review, looks like the exact style keyboard I prefer for a decent price. thx op!
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EPT
