Razer RZ07-00740100-R3U1 Orbweaver Elite Mechanical Gaming Keypad

Pros: really love this. I upgraded from the nostromo which i never used a couple of the inputs on to this which i am now using everything. i didnt think i would like how clicky the buttons are but after the first couple of days it really grew on me.

Cons: the space bar has a strange sensation when you use it. it is more like a paddle than a space bar. this isn't really a con but i i personally don't much care for it. i find myself using the base of the "bar" to activate it because the part that is furthest away from the device feels flimsy.

Other Thoughts: i would say overall i would recommend this to anyone who is interested. if you can get past the price point I'd say it is worth it.

Pros: comfortable palm rest, smooth responsive keys, nice backlight, adjustable, mechanical keys

Cons: no braided cord, thumb controls a complete miss, software can be flakey

Other Thoughts: the palm rest, wrist support and finger accessible keys are perfect. it adjusts nicely and stays in place. the lack of a braided cord is boggling at this price point. the thumb controls are a complete miss. lower thumb button easily triggers at the slightest move. it also catches on the side of my keyboard as it sticks way out there. if this game pad had the thumb controls of the nostromo (originally created by belkin) it would be perfect. definitely an upgrade for me but i'm still fighting to get used to the thumb controls. I docked Razer 1 point for the lack of a braided cord and 1 point for the entire thumb control section of the pad. if you can get used to that and aren't to hard on your cords it's a no brainer.

Pros: Physical hand size/position customization is alright, could be better

Cons: 1) first and foremost - my primary gripe: it claims instant switching between keymaps(not profiles) but it's more like 3 seconds to switch
2) top row is hard to reach, and should be angled - could also reduce key's vertical length
3) keys need more marks/indents/angling for feeling one's way across the pad
4) key actuation distance should be reduced
5) dunno why they switched away from the braided cable to the still low grade cable.
6) imo the keys are just too f-in loud

I've heard people complain about the thumb space-key and joystick but both were great and responsive - best parts of the keypad imo.

Other issues (Not Hardware Issues)
It doesn't come with a software cd - which wouldn't be a problem except the download for the software(synapse 2.0) takes 30 mins for a 10mb file (which corrupted twice before first successful dl so 1.5 hrs) which then takes another hour to update ( I have a 50+Mbps connection). Considering the price tag I should not have had to undergo nearly 3 hours of installation woes of this nature.

Was so excited for this pad and could deal with it's other flaws, but without speedy keymap switching it's worthless... the whole point is mapping more than one hand's worth of keys to the same region... I'll patiently hope and wait for a product revision....

Manufacturer Response:

Hi,

Sorry to hear that you're unhappy with the Orbweaver. We also offer the Orbweaver in a Stealth edition, which comes with Cherry MX Brown switches, so it's significantly quieter.

If you need assistance with using the device and Synapse 2.0, please don't hesitate to contact us at http://razersupport.com/contact-us or by calling 1-888-697-2037.

Thank you for understanding.

Razer Customer Satisfaction

Pros: Been using a Logitech G13. Good product just not very quick updates on the software side and have been using several years and was ready for a change. The feel is more condensed (better) even having bigger hands the g13 was a reach sometimes. Excellent profiles and nice looking design.

Cons: None so far

Other Thoughts: People need to think before they review, I wrote this after looking at some very poor reviews. For example, mine broke. Everything breaks, that's why there are warranties and with your attitude being "nothing should ever break" I doubt you did get very far. Then I stopped with the next one that said "no braided cord", are you kidding??? Does it advertise a braided cord? There should be something in place to prevent people from giving products bad reviews because of their ridiculous expectations. I've had "bad" experiences with just about every different component at one time or another, I don't say oh, company "x" is garbage because my video card went bad. If we lived in a perfect world products wouldn't have warranties because they would all work first time, every time, and forever. Lower your expectations, be glad when things do work, be courteous as you would expect someone would be to you when you have an issue. And if you choose to review, like "Mr. Braided cord" guy. Does it say, anywhere, (newegg, razers site) that there is a braided cord. And even if it did (which it doesn't) that's really a reason to knock a product down??? And then the other guy who got the poor service it sounds like you were willing to put all of 5 minutes work to resolve the problem. What a spoiled ungrateful people we've become. And I am NOT trying to initiate discussion, just hopefully this is read by Newegg and although people should be free to post bad experiences they should not be able to post negative comments about features/etc that a product never claimed to have. It makes it difficult to make a choice and everywhere else the reviews on this product are pretty good.

Pros: The hardware seems great.

Cons: This new synapse software/driver is junk and has pretty much made me abandon all razer products. Please razer go back to the right way of writing drivers and software.

Pros: Good key response
Nice adjustments for palm and thumb
Green led is ok.
Rubber feet/grips actually hold on some push
Dpad/stick is super sensitive
No scroll
20 keys (22 + Dpad)

Cons: feels breakable
Dpad sensitivity (read thoughts)
lower thumb button is really close to the Dpad
"Razer sized" (read thoughts)
Cord not braided
USB not gold plated
"Razer priced" (read thoughts)
Price, not enough to justify 130usd retail for 1/3 a board.

Other Thoughts: Overall great upgrade from nostromo. More keys the better, no scroll, meeh for me as I learned to use it, not a big deal though to not have it with more keys. Dpad after firmware update was outstanding, really sensitive though. I have larger hands and found just the weight of my thumb resting would move forward (tension adjustment would be a nice feature). The lower thumb button is so close to the Dpad I found myself actuating it as I moved, annoying. Razer tends to make their products for smaller hands and I have trouble with their mouse sizes as well. I'm a hardcore gamer and I'm over 6'2, the adjustments for the palm and thumb extension are great improvements. Getting used to four rows of five keys was not that hard, a few hours and it becomes familiar. Price for this product is not reasonable lacking certain things that should be standard on high quality electronics. I’d gladly pay 90-100usd for this and 150usd for a more sturdy, more detailed product. As this unit feels flimsy, and breakable, defiantly not portable for a traveler. I feel short changed in all as I expect to get a lot from half a board and still pay the same price. Keep your nostromo or don't this is still decent and worth an upgrade if you have had yours a while like I did. No real deal breakers so I will keep it.
PS. Software is glitchy and I needed to close and open the program once or twice in a week to as macro and keys didn’t work. Not sure how many profiles are allowed but 8 key maps on a single profile is nice. Wish I could switch key maps on the fly.

Pros: -Mechanical keys. No, seriously, it's a nice upgrade from the nostromo, whose 4 key got dull after a month of use.
-6 buttons for your thumb. Ten if you want to bother with diagonals. This is a massive step up from any keyboard you could ever buy. the thumbstick is good for 4 separate buttons, then theres the button below, and above. All quite easy to reach.
-Customization. I utilize two different physical settings for this, one for RPGs, where having quick access to the full board is more useful than having quick access to the thumb area (both are accessible, but it's big, so unless you have some massive hands..) and one for just about everything else, where I move the wrist part back a bit. Keeping the palm rest on swivel is also a nice way to maintain free access to the entire thing. You never actually have to lift your hand to press any key, a far cry from any keyboard.
-Design. It just looks cool sitting there.
-Positioning of keys. It's strict rows and columns so you always know what button you're hitting. Maybe in the next generation they can curve it so that the side keys are just as easy and recognizable, but really, it does its job quite well.

Cons: -The synapse software is really a little derp. Razer will fix the issues, hopefully, and since you don't pay for the fixes, I can't really take off an egg. It gets the job done fairly well, and in the time I've owned it (pre ordered, had on first day) it has only glitched up once, and that was last night.
-The non-braided cable. It's really not a con, but this is where you'd expect to see it. You really will never notice it. This one is lengthy, and very flexible in comparison to other rubber cords, yet still pretty sturdy. You don't move this thing around, it's not a mouse, so fraying should never really be an issue.
-There's only one color. Again, not a big deal. Green is fine, but I use this alongside a Logitech G600, which i have a variety of colors for. BTW, this is probably the best gaming setup in terms of peripherals that you could ever buy. I very much recommend it.

Other Thoughts: This is my second review of this. I feel that some people unjustly criticize many aspects that well, frankly, don't need to be criticized. Everyone can see the cost. If you're willing to put down the money for it, it's quite a solid piece of hardware, and if you want a keyboard made explicitly for gaming, this is your best option, period. I say keyboard, not keypad. Explicitly, because you aren't going to go type an essay on this thing. Keyboard because this is as many buttons as you would ever use on a keyboard, and right in reach of your single hand. No flying all the way across from wasd to press enter or any other obscure key.

Pros: There are none

Cons: poorly made directional pad,the adjustment for thumb pad does not secure properly and slides back while in use. Flimsy thumb button...fell off desk and thumb button broke on carpet!!! Mechanical buttons perform oddly and the extra buttons as compared to older Nostromo pads is awkward and not practical.

After 1 month of my directional pad acting up and being frustrated with it . I took a hammer to it to great satisfaction other than losing $130 on garbage . Worst game pad Ive used in 25 years of gaming. Good Riddance Razor and the overpriced junk you sell . Never got a good product from you and am not so glad it continues.

Manufacturer Response:

Hi Joe,

Very sorry to hear about your issues. Please contact us ASAP at http://razersupport.com/email and we'll be able to assist you.

Thank you for understanding.

Razer Customer Satisfaction

Pros: Comfortable, mechanical keys

Cons: Cord is no braided
The only color is green keys.....why?????

Other Thoughts: I'm a neat freak and my naga and my merc stealth keyboard all have the option to change the key colors to match. This is the only item I have that doesn't match my setup and it drives me nuts. Why would you take out the ability to change the key colors on this but you let me change them on a OLDER item such as the Naga? Around Christmas time this Orbweaver will really light up the game room nice. Thanks Razer.....

Pros: ·looks awesome
·mechanical key switches are slick
·great tool to battle wrist strain
·the thumb based directional control provides a definitive click when activated. huge step up from the n52/nostromo

Cons: ·although adjustable, not all hands will ever find a natural position
·no braided cable
·no led color options
·synapse 2.0 takes between .25 and .5 to switch between keymaps
·synapse 2.0 doesnt seem to save my profiles/ keymaps often

Other Thoughts: I used a n52te, then a Nostromo for many years. I believe that a keypad can help your play more than hinder it by means of intuitive key mapping if done properly. I watched many youtube vids, and read many reviews that always begun with "I don't usually use keypads, but..." so I immediately discounted the opinions based on the lack of sustained use, and decided to upgrade to the Orbweaver. Man was I excited. The price hurts, but for the years of use I've gotten out of my Nostromo, I figured it would be worth the cost of an upgrade for mechanical key switches. The idea of having another row of keys, and not some silly secondary scroll wheel was the answer to my gripes about my previous keypads! Was HIGHLY looking forward to this thing being a beast.

Then it showed up. Unboxed, my first thought was that it was going to take some retraining of muscle memory to position my hand in a way that would allow me to use all the keys. That was expected. What was not expected was the contortion that my thumb needed to go through in all slide positions to get to the "spacebar" button. again...fine...I'll retrain myself. (it should be noted that as a 300 pound mammoth, I have some fairly gargantuan hands). It didn't get any better. Hold your hand out and form the letter "C" as large as you can, and hold it for an hour. It's exhausting, and uncomfortable after five minutes. granted the thumb slide positioning helps a little to ease the strain, but for the most part, you're always aware that your hand is being held in an awkward shape.

And The palm rest! two positions! That's it! The slide has 3 for small, medium and large sized hands, but the palm rest has 2, both of which miss the mark. Either you find your hand lacking any rest in the flat configuration, or the pads of your knuckles rest precariously on the mountain that is the upward tilted option, leaving your fingers to search further for keys that are just barely out of reach. A "yaw" swivel would alleviate this issue for me but the Orbweaver lacks the adjustability you expect with a 130 dollar keypad.

No on-board storage is a problem as well. I feel like this is more of a software oriented issue but the synapse 2.0 doesn't always load the profile programming it maintained previous the the computer's restarted state. So here I am typing next to an unlit Orbweaver as the illumination refuses to show up. Again, I assume this is a software issue.

It's a shame really. I was looking forward to the Orbweaver being a viable solution for a.) my need to upgrade to the newest, coolest stuff, and b.) a keypad that would change the opinions of the keypad haters in my life. It just aint gonna happen with this one. I'll still stand by razor though. this was a step in the right direction for sure, but we're just not there yet

Manufacturer Response:

Hi loaks,

Thank you for submitting your feedback about the Orbweaver. We'll be sure to take your points into consideration. If you have issues with setting up the Orbweaver, please don't hesitate to contact us at http://razersupport.com/email.

Regards,

Razer Customer Satisfaction