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Anyone use a Razer?

M

motoxpress

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2006
326
0
I need a new mouse and I am thinking about getting a DeathAdder. I want it for doing graphics work on the Mac side and games in Bootcamp. Anyone done this?

I know they announced a mac version but, I am wondering if I can just buy the normal one now and use the mac drivers later?

-mx
 
corywoolf

corywoolf

macrumors 65816
Jun 28, 2004
1,352
4
motoxpress said:
I need a new mouse and I am thinking about getting a DeathAdder. I want it for doing graphics work on the Mac side and games in Bootcamp. Anyone done this?

I know they announced a mac version but, I am wondering if I can just buy the normal one now and use the mac drivers later?

-mx
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would just get it now and use USB Overdrive (shareware) as the driver.
 
M

motoxpress

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2006
326
0
Yeah, I have read that review. It seems pretty favorable towards it. I need to find a decent mousepad to go along with it as well. This is on a MBP so, I'll need to find something I can stick in my bag.

-mx
 
iMpathetic

iMpathetic

macrumors 68030
Oct 7, 2007
2,547
4
IMBY
I have a Razer Copperhead. I don't really use it all that much, but it's a terrific mouse and well worth the money.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
I liked USB Overdrive just fine, but FWIW, I recently bought the ControllerMate software, and it's the ultimate driver/customizer for USB devices. It's a bit daunting from it's sheer power, but quite elegant when you get the hang of it: setting up the buttons and axes of a device is done by creating a flowchart via drag and drop.

So it has lots of uses for gamers, aside from just programming the extra buttons on mice. (You can even do custom acceleration curves of your own design.)
 
0098386

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
I'm using a Razer Habu, set me back £50 (I like to think of mice as shoes or beds, you spend so long in them that you might as well splash out on the higher end market). It was great but the left mouse button used to double click when I only did a single click, and it would also "reset" the selection tool whenever I would try selecting files in Finder. It was really messed up so I contacted both Razer and Microsoft (since they made it too) and they both wanted nothing to do with me.

I fixed it now by raising the innards by inserting folder pieces of paper under the circuit board.

After all that I'd much rather get a high end Logitech mouse and removed MS and Razer from my xmas card list.
 
7031

7031

macrumors 6502
Apr 6, 2007
479
0
England
I use a Razer mouse, and seriously, it is brilliant. Not only does it up your l33tness, if you do gaming, it's a must.

I even got a razer mousemat to go with it :D.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
If I buy a mouse for gaming, it needs:

* Tons o' buttons (at least six including left/right/middle).

* Left-right tilt scrollwheel.

* A scroll wheel with tactile clicks--not a free spinner.

* Good laser tracking of course.

* Bluetooth would be ideal, but corded would be OK. No USB RF dongles to lose though--I hate those things.

* Small enough for fingertip control would be nice. I'm not into the giant "shoe mice" everyone uses these days.

I'm thinking Logitech or Microsoft are my best bet. Razer, Belkin and Kensington don't seem to have all the functions I'd like.
 
0098386

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
nagromme said:
* Bluetooth would be ideal, but corded would be OK. No USB RF dongles to lose though--I hate those things.
Click to expand...

How is bluetooth now? When I got my iMac I went with the bluetooth mouse and keyboard option, and there was terrible lag with the Mighty Mouse. Just before that I had a Logitech V500 (IIRC) which uses an RF dongle and there was minor lag. I ended up getting a wired Razer since it's got some 100hz polling or something.

Is wireless really lag free now? Once my current mouse dies I might have to look into a BT one if so.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
So I've heard--and although newer Macs have BT 2.1 (which has more reliable initial connections, supposedly--who knows about lag) my main gaming Mac only has 2.0. And I've never noticed a lag problem with my Mighty Mouse.

Which isn't to say the problem isn't there--I just can't notice it. Or maybe I set my mouse speed differently in a way that helps?

I do want to avoid lag, noticed or not, and if the mouse is chosen JUST for gaming I might prefer wired for that reason.

Looking at the Logitech MX Revolution, I really like the features--Plenty of buttons and six scroll axes! Enough for me to play Quake Wars keyboard-free. And it's supported by ControllerMate (and officially supported on Mac by Logitech too). I have a few questions to ask in the ControllerMate forums about it (without drivers, are the wheels clicky the way I like?) but it's my top choice now--despite being RF. (Batteries to worry about AND a USB port wasted!) I wish I could find a good name-brand WIRED mouse with a similar number of programmable functions.

I hadn't heard anything about lag with RF mice--that's a good question to look into.
 
M

motoxpress

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2006
326
0
Well, I get VERY frustrated using the BT Mighty Mouse (so-called) in games. I play CS:S and Teamfortress 2 and the lag and lack of effective right-clicking causes me to die often. I tried it once more at a LAN party and vowed to never use the thing again.

I am still looking at the DeathAdder but, I am also considering the G5.

-mx
 
R

ruinfx

macrumors 6502a
Feb 20, 2008
894
0
i personally would never buy a razer mouse. the logitech mx518 or the microsoft intellimouse 3.0 are my recommendations.
 
M

motoxpress

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2006
326
0
It's funny because there are plenty of people who also strongly oppose buying Logitech.

I am intrigued by the Razers because of some of the things they thought about with the design. I also like a minimalist approach instead of 101 buttons.

I am going to go to the store to try them in hand and see how they feel. thanks for the feedback

-mx
 
R

ruinfx

macrumors 6502a
Feb 20, 2008
894
0
motoxpress said:
It's funny because there are plenty of people who also strongly oppose buying Logitech.

I am intrigued by the Razers because of some of the things they thought about with the design. I also like a minimalist approach instead of 101 buttons.

I am going to go to the store to try them in hand and see how they feel. thanks for the feedback

-mx
Click to expand...

when the deathadder came out i thought it "looked cool" too and then i went to the razer forums (linked below). im not sure if they have fixed the various problems that plagued the mouse when it first came out but it would probably be a good idea to read up and see.

List of current problems
Lift off distance - At the current moment this is fixed for most users, however some mousepads still persist to have a fairly high lift-off distance. This is resolved using firmware 1.10.

Negative/positive acceleration - This is completely resolved with firmware 1.10.

Noisy scroll wheel - Some users complain that the scroll wheel "squeeks" when it's turned, this isn't a common problem however.

Mouse feet too thin - The DeathAdder's physical design causes the bottom of the mouse to scrape a little on the mouse pad (it's has a tiny curve underneath it causing this). This scraping can be resolved using extra mice feet or thick mice feet.

DeathAdder light is broken - Some DeathAdders are malfunctioning with the light, currently this is only a few cases.
Click to expand...

http://razerblueprints.net/index.php/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,99/topic,5948.0/

sure they tell you how to "fix" the mouse (the things that seem to be firmware related have been fixed). the slogan "it just works" doesnt really seem to apply to this mouse though. these things could have been fixed by now but id make sure they are before you buy it.

http://razerblueprints.net/index.php/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,99/board,46.0/
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
motoxpress said:
Well, I get VERY frustrated using the BT Mighty Mouse (so-called) in games. I play CS:S and Teamfortress 2 and the lag and lack of effective right-clicking causes me to die often.
Click to expand...

There are few people I'd recommend a Mighty Mouse too--certainly not gamers. I DO like it for its comfortable size/shape/feel, ability to run on 1 or 2 AAs, looooooong life between charges and BT connectivity. Lag hasn't been a problem I've noticed. But the 4th button is not ergonomic and nearly useless, the right button IS useless in games that need left-right combos (like UT series), and the scrollball may be fine in most apps, but it's useless in FPS games: no notches and too fast, so your weapons scroll out of control. I can set it up to work OK in UT2004, but it's far from ideal. And too few buttons for more complex games.

motoxpress said:
It's funny because there are plenty of people who also strongly oppose buying Logitech.
Click to expand...

I like Logitech hardware--except for all the RF dongles. The drivers (after the APE Leopard fiasco) scare me away though. But then I never like installing mouse drivers anyway--mice don't actually NEED drivers on a Mac--and now that I have ControllerMate, I'll just use that for accessing the extra buttons. I won't be installing manufacturer drivers without a good reason.

I'd gladly try a Razer if they added tilt-scrolling (which is usually better than Apple's ball, I feel) and more buttons. I don't like tons of buttons for daily computing, but for certain games (QW) I do.
 
M

motoxpress

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 8, 2006
326
0
Well, the G5 is looking better and better. It is just sad we have to use third-party drivers to make these $70 mice work properly.

-mx
 
R

ruinfx

macrumors 6502a
Feb 20, 2008
894
0
motoxpress said:
Well, the G5 is looking better and better. It is just sad we have to use third-party drivers to make these $70 mice work properly.

-mx
Click to expand...

why do you need third-party drivers? just plug and play (for logitech and microsoft at least). in vista my mx518 works fine and all the side buttons function and are programmable in game. even the on-the-fly dpi changing buttons work with just the vista mouse drivers.
 
0098386

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
ruinfx said:
why do you need third-party drivers? just plug and play (for logitech and microsoft at least). in vista my mx518 works fine and all the side buttons function and are programmable in game. even the on-the-fly dpi changing buttons work with just the vista mouse drivers.
Click to expand...

But that's standard. A lot of people who go out to buy expensive mice want the best experience from it which means customising what goes on. I'm using USB Overdrive to get my Razer the way I want it in OSX. I don't really bother with customising details on the XP side. Especially since OSX also has very slow mouse speed and odd acceleration when using a very high DPI mouse.
 
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