Razer Boomslang

The Razer Boomslang is the coolest mouse on the planet. The mouse you are most likely using has 200-400 dots per inch(dpi), making it suitible for most tasks. The Razer Boomslang has 2000 dpi, making it an outstanding tool for PC work.

Primarily marketed as a gaming mouse, for first person shooters, it fulfills that role with flying colors. It is the smoothest, most responsive pointing tool I have ever been fortunate enough to use.

I also use it every day at work. I am a professional geek, so I spen a lot of time mousing. My setup consists of two 19' monitors running at 1600x1200 pixels, giving me a total of 3200x1200 pixels of desktop space. Turned all the way up, my boomslang can go from one end to the other in less than an inch, which translates into phenomenal control.

As cool as it is, it costs $100(USD), which puts it out of reach of all but the most ardent gamers/mouse fanatics. If you are thinking of getting the MS ballless mouse, blow the extra 30 bucks and get the Razer Boomslang instead.

My honest opinion on the Boomslang is that it is overpriced and badly manufactured.

Now, first impressions of the mouse are generally positive. It is very responsive and precise, and the shape of the mouse is indeed very comfortable. In fact, I have never tried a mouse that felt so right in my hand. However, after only eigth months of usage, I had worn the mouse down to the point where it actually hurt my aim in games. Way to often did I find that the mouse couldn't track my movements properbly, and in a game like quake that's a big no-no.

I know a lot of people who have worn their Boomslangs down in less than six months. That's simply unacceptable for a $99 product. I also know people who have been through several of these mice and complained that the feel was entirely different between the Boomslangs that they have tried.

My advice if you're a gamer and looking for something to replace your current desktop rodent? Get a good logitech USB ball-mouse. And don't even think about getting something that's wireless or optical.

Review of the Razer BoomSlang 2000dpi Mouse

|Manufactured by: Karna

The Razer BoomSlang mouse is easily the most precise consumer mouse on the market. Unfortunately however, some can say that it isn’t exactly on the market these days, as it is no longer being shipped to retail stores. Currently, willing buyers can still find brand new Razer BoomSlang 1000dpi and 2000dpi mice from dedicated eBay sellers straight from the company. And, that is where I procured mine.

Bidding on a Dutch auction got me my Razer BoomSlang 2000dpi for $47.02 (plus $10 S&H and $1.50 shipping insurance). This is much cheaper than the MSRP, which hovers around $100.

One week later, I found the box in the mail, which had evidently been shipped via Priority Mail. Now, without going on a complete tangent, I must say that the box it comes in is simply awesome! It is constructed out of very thick cardboard, and yet is smooth to the touch. The box itself has a purposely-grungy look to it, and is designed to look like it has had scotch tape ripped all across it. Very cool indeed! I was impressed already!

After opening the box, I found a round metal tin, the sort that mail-order cookies might happen to come in. The top had an embossed “Razer” logo, and that as well looks ultra-slick. Opening this second layer revealed the large mouse, sitting in cushiony fluffy stuff, with its long 7-foot USB cord wrapped around the inside of the tin. Below the cushiony stuff sat the small and round users manual, consisting of very heavyweight paper.

Installing the mouse was a breeze, as I didn’t even have to turn my computer off in order to plug it in the USB port. It ran immediately, already offering speed that my old 800dpi Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical couldn’t even pretend to contend with! I found that my large hand fit naturally around the large and oddly shaped mouse, and it really didn’t take that much time to get used to moving it around. After installing the drivers and configuration program, I restarted and began playing around.

I was amazed at its peppy response to all commands my hand subjected it to. The game I decided to try it out with was Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, which has recently come out from Electronic Arts (check for a review of that game sometime soon). Once I got used to using the mouse, it increased my sniping power tremendously. The 5-button mouse also allowed me to set the 4th button to adjust the sensitivity of the mouse in-game using a special utility that comes with the Razer’s drivers, and map the 5th button to the “R” key, to allow for easy reloading. With all 5 buttons on the mouse, one would think that it would be hard to find the buttons while playing a fast-paced game, but it is designed so well that that isn’t a problem at all.

With all these good points, there are also three major downsides that I have experienced with my mouse:

• First, it seems as if no two Razers are created equal. My friend has four Razers, and each one works a RCH differently, and has slightly different flaws. This can create a problem when you pay a full MSRP of $100, and think you’re getting the best of the best, when really you’re getting a mouse that isn’t as good as the ones others are being shipped.
• This second problem occurs with all of my friend’s Razer mice except one, and really isn’t so bad with mine (again refer back to my first point). That is, left-right movement is a bit choppy, and isn’t great for serious sniping action. This seems to be due to the mouse ball slipping around against the sensing spindles a bit too much, as if it is just too small.
• The third problem is one that I am having with my Razer, but my friend hasn’t had with any of his four mice. Therefore, you currently have about a 1/4 chance of this being a problem. That is, my scroll wheel doesn’t work properly. It tends to wiggle too much, as if it is simply too loose for its own good. In games, this results in the wheel turning nearly at random, thus allowing your weapons to be changed nearly at random in FPS (first-person shooters). This is a major problem that I’m working out with the person who sold me my mouse. I should be able to get a replacement mouse, and will update this writeup accordingly.

Beyond those points, there are no other flaws with this mouse that I have noticed. One must realize that this mouse is still the most precise mouse on the market, with no competition yet, so you must balance these small flaws with the actual benefit. However, many people with smaller hands might have a problem reaching the scroll wheel. This simply cannot be a problem to me, with my large hands.

All in all, the Razer BoomSlang mouse (even with the broken wheel), has already increased my kill counts in Medal of Honor, and I am still getting used to the speed involved, as I only have it at about 1/2 of its potential at the moment.

GoogaGrade: B+
If all manufacturing flaws were worked out, this mouse would get an easy A rating.

If you wish to buy a Razer mouse, head to www.razerzone.com for information!