Installation and Testing

You’ll need two available USB ports available on the back of your PC, and the appropriate jacks available on either your sound card or motherboard audio for headphones and a microphone, to connect the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard. Rather than install the drivers and the Razer Control Panel from the CD, as always I recommend you head out to Razer’s website and grab the latest drivers—Version 2.10 as of this writing. Weighing in at 11.05 MB, the Tarantula_v2.10_070509.zip file contains drivers for Windows 2000/XP/Vista/XP64/Vista64, and the control panel. All that’s necessary is plugging in the keyboard, installing the drivers and rebooting when prompted. However, the USB ports that you plugged the Tarantula into, should be reserved exclusively for that purpose. Otherwise, if you unplug the keyboard’s USB cables and plug them back into different ports than the ones used when you installed the drivers, then the drivers and control panel will not recognize the keyboard.

On reboot, the Razer icon will appear in the system tray. Right-clicking on the icon brings up a menu with options to either close or disable it, or launch the Customizer (the driver control panel). Disabling the system tray icon removes it from memory—and most of the Tarantula’s functionality for creating and using profiles along with it. So unless you’re trying to troubleshoot a conflict issue you think you might be having between Razer’s software and another system tray applet, you shoulld avoid disabling the Razer applet. Closing the applet removes it from the system tray, but not from memory. This is a better choice if you want to utilize all of the Tarantula’s features, but rather not have another icon hanging out in the system tray. You’ll also find a Razer Tarantula keyboard icon in the Windows Control Panel that launches the driver control panel, as well as a Razer Program Group under the Start Menu.

Razer’s signature grey and green 2D interface for the Tarantula’s control panel is similar to other Razer products. Creating macros is as simple as clicking the key you want to use. A window will pop up with a field for you to record keystrokes, select profiles or programs to launch with options to apply and save your changes. If you’re creating a SYNAPSE profile, the macro will be stored in the SYNAPSE slot you select, where it will remain until you either reset it (clear it out), or overwrite it with a new macro profile configuration. If you save to one of the Auto Switching Profile slots, you’ll be prompted for a name to save the configuration file to (the default location will be in your documents folder). When you switch between profiles and Keymaps, the Razer logo on the Tarantula’s wrist support flashes accordingly, and if enabled, the name and number of the profile briefly appears on your screen. There are four ways to switch between profiles:

Pressing the Profile button toggles between Keymaps, or you can switch between them manually on the Tarantula Driver Control Panel. Keymaps apply to profiles 6 through 99. If you manually select a SYNAPSE profile, Keymap switching is disabled.

I tested the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard on two separate systems—one running Windows XP SP-2 and one with Windows Vista Ultimate (32-bit). The games I used was the F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate Demo which requires multiple keystrokes to pull off the game’s more advanced melee attacks in slow motion; Crysis and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare—two fast-paced and intense first-person shooters—to see if there was any noticeable difference in response times. Both systems have all the latest Windows and driver updates. The latest Tarantula firmware update not only includes some location-specific and key programmability fixes, but allows you to increment macro assignment delays up to 6350ms when the latest drivers are installed—a feature I was anxious to test out. Since the Tarantula I tested had the v2.00 firmware out of the box, I updated the firmware to the latest v2.02 revision after installing the v2.10 drivers. As with any hardware device, when performing a firmware upgrade under Windows:

I did the firmware upgrade on the XP machine.

The Razer Tarantula worked as I expected on both systems. Creating macros and profiles was relatively quick and painless. The only problem I encountered was on the Vista rig (surprise, surprise). Clicking on the “?” in the upper right-hand corner of the Tarantula's Driver Control Panel to bring up the online help placed it into a hung state and brought up the following error dialog box:

Click to Enlarge

To access the online help under Vista, I had to run the Razercfg.chm help file directly from the \Program Files\Razer\Tarantula folder. As for the F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate Demo, the results were mixed and revolved around using the macro delays. If you recall from my previous review of the Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard, one of the issues I had when playing F.E.A.R., was:

“The reason I couldn’t get F.E.A.R.’s side kick melee attack to work consistently with the Reclusa, is another gripe I have about Razer’s software—the fixed length delays. I used a 150ms pause between the three keystroke commands, as 50 and 100ms wasn’t long enough and 250ms was too long. The macro for the side kick worked 65% of the time. The other 35% I ended up dropping into a crouch and taking a swipe at an enemy’s knee caps with the butt of my rifle—which  usually ended with my own head getting kicked in. Looking back on the F.E.A.R. macros I created for the same function on a Logitech G15, I used a 126ms delay between the keys which worked flawlessly, every time. Unfortunately, Razer’s software doesn’t have the same level of flexibility as Logitech’s when it comes to selecting the delay time of your choice. If your game will work with the set 50, 100,150 and 250ms pauses, fine. If not, be advised that a “compromise” setting may not give you completely reliable results.”

Well the good news—sort of—is that with the Razer Tarantula (and the latest drivers and firmware), you can increment the macro delays by clicking the 50, 100, 150 or 200ms Insert Delay settings in the Macro Assignment window multiple times. So if you needed to create a 350ms delay, you could click the 100ms settings three times, then the 50ms setting once—or 200ms, 100ms and 50ms. Of course, this still doesn’t do much for you if you really need a 35ms delay, or a 126ms delay. As a result, I had the same problem with the Perseus Mandate demo that I had with F.E.A.R. on the Reclusa, for that one particular melee attack macro that needed an in-between delay setting to work consistently. And yes, the Razer Tarantula has the same eight keystrokes per macro limit as the Reclusa.

Overall, the F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate Demo, Crysis and Call of Duty 4 absolutely rocked on the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard. Response times were faster and snappier than on the Reclusa, and it was great not getting dumped to the desktop or crashing the game because I accidentally hit the Windows key, or launched Firefox or Outlook—something that usually happens at least once while playing on the Reclusa.

Razer BattleLight

Gaming keyboards are becoming like PCs; with so many of them on the market, it’s getting harder for the manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the competition—which also makes it harder for you to wade through all the marketing-speak and find a keyboard with features that are most important and useful, to you. From a performance and feature point of view, Razer has already established itself as a major player in the gaming peripherals market. To make themselves stand out from the competition, they equipped their flagship gaming keyboard, the Tarantula—with the Razer BattleDock. Two BattleDock accessories were announced for the Razer Tarantula when it was originally launched: the Razer BattleLight for illuminating the keyboard; and the BattleEye web camera for providing real time visual feedback with your opponents in online gaming. Let’s look at the BattleLight and see if it lives up to Razor’s claims of giving you an “unfair advantage over your rivals in low light conditions.”

Packaging

The BattleLight comes in a see-through blister pack typical of computer accessories designed to give you a full view of the product while hanging from a store rack. Resembling a small, black desk lamp against the black Razer-branded insert, the BattleLight would hardly look typical surrounded by keyboards and mice at your local computer superstore. On the front of the insert along with the obvious “Ambient Illumination” and “Plug and Play” selling points, there’s also “Ultra-Long Life Span” which obviously refers to how long the BattleLight’s illumination will last before finally burning out. No exact numbers or estimated time frame on the lifespan of its illumination is stated anywhere on the package. However, check out the BattleLight on the Razer Gaming Accessories page, and look under Technical Specifications. You’ll find that it has an approximate lifespan of ten years.

It’s probably safe to assume that you’ll probably be using Razer’s next greatest gaming keyboard long before your BattleLight burns out. Knowing Razer, ten years from now they’ll probably be the first to market with a Gaming Holodeck and we won’t need keyboards anymore. On the back of the insert are more slick photos of the BattleLight and its features in multiple languages. Unlike most blister packs, the BattleLight blister pack uses easy-open snap enclosures, rather than being sealed and requiring scissors, box cutters or other sharp instruments to hack it open. An almost superfluous Quick Start Guide for installing the BattleLight and a multi-lingual sheet on the proper disposal of electronics, is also included in the package.

The Product

At 3” high from the base to the head that’s a hair over 7” wide, the Razer BattleLight has the same high-gloss black finish as the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard. The same caveats about the Tarantula having an unparalleled talent for showing dust and fingerprints also applies to the BattleLight. Behind the frosted white lenses on each side of the head are two blue LEDs—four in total. The power button is located between the lenses, and has Razer's Tribal Serpents engraved on it. Underneath, you’ll find a single USB Mini 5-pin Male Type F connector for connecting it to the BattleDock.

Installation and Usage

To install the Razer BattleLight on the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard, you’ll need to make sure that you have the keyboard’s primary and secondary USB connectors plugged into your PC. Next, take the Razer Tarantula Tool; insert one of the legs into the hole at the top of the BattleDock’s dust cover at the top of the keyboard, and pop it out. Finally, insert and press the BattleLight in place inside the BattleDock. The BattleDock has a single USB Mini 5-pin Female Type F connector, which is keyed, as is the connector on the BattleLight—so you can only insert it into the BattleDock one way. Turn on the BattleLight, adjust the head as desired, and that’s it.

The first thing you’ll notice is that while the BattleLight does illuminate the keys on the Tarantula, it only illuminates the keys near the center of the board. Playing in a darkened room, the keys closest to the center of illumination of the BattleLight are almost over-illuminated (though the effect can be minimized somewhat by adjusting the head); while the keys furthest away are barely illuminated. The other problem is the BattleLight’s height. If you have one of those desks where your keyboard sits in a retractable tray, you’re obviously going to have to remove the BattleLight every time you push the keyboard tray back in.

In order to illuminate the entire keyboard, the BattleLight would have to be taller, and the head would have to be width of the Tarantula keyboard. It would also have to use more LEDs. Neither solution is particularly appealing if your goal is to keep the brightness of the LEDs and the size of the BattleLight within reasonable limits (and the cost down).

Final Impressions and Conclusion

The Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard is sleek and fast with some impressive features. Creating macros and profiles were a snap, and the SYNAPSE onboard memory is a handy feature if you shuttle the keyboard between different PCs on a regular basis. After working and playing on the Tarantula for awhile, I find that I prefer it hands-down over the Microsoft Reclusa for the short-travel keys and snappier tactile feedback. There are no benchmarks similar in functionality to 3DMark that can measure and gauge response time between one keyboard and another, so all you really have to go by is “the seat of your pants”—or more accurately, your fingers—and it’s probably for the best anyway. While I could hardly quantify in exact numbers that the Tarantula is faster than the Reclusa, it did feel faster to me; not by an earth-shattering amount, but in a subtle yet noticeable way.

Just as it requires more work to keep a black car looking good, the glossy finish of the Tarantula is going to require a similar effort on your part. If you’re into snacking while gaming or have a routine where you might clean your keyboard once every six months, then you should pass the Tarantula by, as it won’t take long for it to look awful if abused or left neglected. Razer should consider including a little chamois or microfiber cloth with the keyboard as Samsung did with their SyncMaster 226BW LCD Display, whose bezel has the same mirrored black finish. A soft, lint-free cloth dampened with cool water and a can of compressed air will have to become part of your regular regimen in keeping the Tarantula looking as good as it did the day you first took it out of the box.

I think it’s time that Razer made some fresh changes to the functionality of their control panel software for their gaming peripherals, as the current limitations are starting to make their cutting-edge products a bit long in the tooth:

I’d certainly like the ability to pop in a USB 2.0 thumb drive into my keyboard and not have it downgrade to USB 1.1 speeds, whine about power requirements, crash or throw the usual hissy-fit—and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Somehow, I have the feeling it would be a bad idea for me to hold my breath waiting for this feature to surface on anyone’s keyboard, gaming or otherwise, for awhile.

The BattleDock is a great concept with lots of potential, but with the BattleEye either vaporware or discontinued due to a lack of interest, and the BattleLight being the only currently available BattleDock accessory, that potential is underutilized at the cost of an additional USB port on your PC. While the Razer BattleLight does give the Tarantula a little extra Bling and kicks up the coolness factor a notch, that's just about all it does. You'll have to decide whether or not that additional Bling is worth the extra $17 - $24 (street price) on top of the $75 - $100 street price of the Tarantula. Especially since it doesn't do that great a job of illuminating the keyboard—which is supposed to be the primary purpose of buying it. I can understand and respect Razer's descision for not wanting to turn the Tarantula into just another gaming keyboard with illuminated keys like everyone else out here. But the end result of the BattleLight is underwhelming for a company that prides itself on pushing the envelope and doing things that their competitors doesn't. Perhaps Razer can come up with a revised BattleLight—a low profile model with some type of built-in reflector that can diffuse and spread the light evenly over the entire keyboard without it being excessively bright—or at least having an adjustable illumination level.

Although it doesn’t appear that the Tarantula will be disappearing from Razer’s product line-up anytime soon, it faces some stiff competition from other gaming keyboards in the $75 - $100 price range that the Tarantula currently occupies—namely Logitech's new G15 Gaming Keyboard and Razer’s own newly-released Lycosa Programmable Backlit Gaming Keyboard, which should begin showing up at brick-and-mortar and online retailers as you read this, if it hasn't already. It will be interesting to see if the Razer Tarantula Gaming Keyboard can hold its top-dog status among these newcomers. I personally think it can, if Razer steps up to the plate with some new and exciting BattleDock gaming accessories and updated features to keep it competitive and in the game.

Razer BattleLight:

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