I finally replaced my keyboard with a Razer BLACKWIDOW Tournament Mechanical Keyboard. After my HP Elite Keyboard finally stopped working, well actually a few of the keys kept sticking or not working depending on how you look at it. (Yes! I did clean it several times.)
When you have to over hit a key in order for it to work, it can get rather annoying. Time for a new keyboard...
In the interim I picked up a used Microsft Ergonomic Keyboard 4000. At first I thought what a great idea but it was difficult to make the adjustment. After playing the piano since the age of 5, my hands need to stay above the keys and not rest against the keyboard.
That brings me to to the use of an actual Mechanial Keyboard. After testing several boards. I physically liked the Corsair Mechanicals but they were out, bummer because there was a good sale at FRYS.
I looked at the Razers and they felt quite comparable. I went with the Tournament edition without the keypad which is kind of a bummer. I thought I would really miss it but truthfully since I have been using a laptop for so long. I don't really miss it.
Additionally I bought into the marketing of their own redesigned mechanical switched with a 60 million keystroke life span.
So far I dig it, typing feels incredibly precise. I am enjoying the click of the keys and I am not frustrated by trying to type the simple things. I am just back to being frustrated over my one typical typing and spelling errors.
Even though this is a gaming keyboard I probably will not play an actual game on it for quite a while.
The product which is packaged and presented very well. This board was ment for travel gaming so it comes with a sexy velvet travel case.
However, I have one fear so far of this board, the mini-usb connection. When I took it out the first thing that I thought of was that this mini-USB seems a little weak.
Apparently after reading a few reviews it is problematic. Probably not so much for me since I do not plan on really traveling with the board.
TANGENT ABOUT WEAK CONNECTORS
In the Prosumer tech world we see this again and again. A $2500 camera brought to its knees from a .50 connector that is unsupported.
My M-Audio pro-sumer 88 keycontroller USB port is also bad from simple use. One of our LED light panels has a very iffy weak power supply that needs to be wiggled sometimes. My laptop needs a new power supply. I am sure that you can come up with a few examples yourselves.
What do I take away from this...
- Reviews are good.
- Physically testing out the keyboards multiple times helped me come to a decision.
- SUPPORT THE WEAKEST LINK
Look for the weakest link and be cautious and supportive of it. We tape extra play into the cable lines so that the stress point is not the connector.
In the media world we use Gaffers tape. I have these mini gaff roles of tape that I use everywhere for labeling of FLASH CARDS fir DIT. Marking the mixers, hard drives and of course taping cords so that there is slack and the stresspoint is not on the connector.
So far So Good...
I like the Razer BlackWidow Tourmanent keyboard. Great price for a mechanical keyboard with 60 million keystroke life space and 10 roll-over anti ghosting.
Only problems are.. No Keypad and the suspect weak mini USB.
I like typing on this board and I specifically spent some time to type this out to test it out and get back in the groove.
- Razer™ Mechanical Switches with 50g actuation force
- 60 million keystroke life span
- Compact layout
- 10 key roll-over anti-ghosting
- Fully programmable keys with on-the-fly macro recording
- Detachable braided fiber USB cable with cable strap
- Carrying sleeve for protection
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling
- Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled
- Approximate size: 366mm/14.40” (Width) x 154mm/6.06” (Height) x 30mm/1.18” (Depth)
- Approximate weight: 950g/2.09lbs
