Cool mouse, I recommend one of the Logitech mice for gaming. The MX Revolution isn't bad, but may not deliver the gaming performance you need. It does work nicely with OS X.
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A REALLY Nice Mouse (Compatibility Concerns for the Razer Mamba )
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Hakaslak_
Does this means that i cannot charge my mouse if my USB ports dont provide power when pc is OFF?
So on MAC u just can use it in wired mode?
i managed to power my usb ports now even when pc is off but i was just successful to got an 2,5 external hard disk to be powered.
but when connecting a device like mp3 players or nokia mobile phone or even psp to usb while pc is off this devices shows connected symbols in display but will NOT CHARGE...
when turning on pc they will start immdietely charging....
so i have a bad feeling that my RAZER MAMBA when arriving here will charge when pc is off !?
thats bad because i want use the mouse wireless mode and not wired one and i need ot charge it sometimes while pc is off
!?
Does this means that i cannot charge my mouse if my USB ports dont provide power when pc is OFF?
So on MAC u just can use it in wired mode?
i managed to power my usb ports now even when pc is off but i was just successful to got an 2,5 external hard disk to be powered.
but when connecting a device like mp3 players or nokia mobile phone or even psp to usb while pc is off this devices shows connected symbols in display but will NOT CHARGE...
when turning on pc they will start immdietely charging....
so i have a bad feeling that my RAZER MAMBA when arriving here will charge when pc is off !?
thats bad because i want use the mouse wireless mode and not wired one and i need ot charge it sometimes while pc is off
!?My laptop is never off, so I just stick the mouse onto it's dock when Im off to work or school or sleep, and it charges then. The charging dock for the mamba is plugged into the USB port on the side of the macbook pro.
WHen I said the mouse needs to be off, it means the mouse has to have the ltitle switch on the bottom toggled to the off position, is all.
But, I'm not sure about the amperage of the USB ports while the unit is off, the best bet is to try charging the mouse and seeing what happens.
WHen I said the mouse needs to be off, it means the mouse has to have the ltitle switch on the bottom toggled to the off position, is all.
But, I'm not sure about the amperage of the USB ports while the unit is off, the best bet is to try charging the mouse and seeing what happens.
Just saw the Mamba at BestBuy today, couldn't resist especially with their return policy.
Almost didn't get it knowing that Razer said it doesnt work with OSX. Saw this thread on the way out the door and went with it anyway.
Bull crap it doesn't work! I'm using USB Overdrive and all buttons work as advertised. Wish it had more buttons.
Buttons are very very sensitive, was using a G5 and used to their feel.
So far it feels very nice, and tracks very very well. No jumps or anything yet, very very smooth.
Dock is fairly nice, a very nice mouse dock. Never cared for wireless mice, but this dock makes it cool. It DOES charge while the power of the mouse is on. The "sensitivity lights" on the top left corner showing which sensitivity level you are using will show that it is charging indeed, no reason to turn it off first.
So far I'll be keeping it within the 30 days to see if it's really worth it.
Almost didn't get it knowing that Razer said it doesnt work with OSX. Saw this thread on the way out the door and went with it anyway.
Bull crap it doesn't work! I'm using USB Overdrive and all buttons work as advertised. Wish it had more buttons.
Buttons are very very sensitive, was using a G5 and used to their feel.
So far it feels very nice, and tracks very very well. No jumps or anything yet, very very smooth.
Dock is fairly nice, a very nice mouse dock. Never cared for wireless mice, but this dock makes it cool. It DOES charge while the power of the mouse is on. The "sensitivity lights" on the top left corner showing which sensitivity level you are using will show that it is charging indeed, no reason to turn it off first.
So far I'll be keeping it within the 30 days to see if it's really worth it.
Watch it overnight, I came back the next day and they were flashing red, then it was dead. Checked online and found it needs to be off to charge.
Taken from the Razer site:
Q: How long does is take to fully charge the Razer Mamba?
A: Timing required for both Dock and USB is the same. Difference is in switch settings.
· Mamba switch in OFF position 4 hours
· Mamba switch in ON position 5 hours
Assuming they are right, looks like you can charge while it is in the "ON" position, just takes longer . . .
Q: How long does is take to fully charge the Razer Mamba?
A: Timing required for both Dock and USB is the same. Difference is in switch settings.
· Mamba switch in OFF position 4 hours
· Mamba switch in ON position 5 hours
Assuming they are right, looks like you can charge while it is in the "ON" position, just takes longer . . .
got it here in germany
no problem chargin the mouse when pc is OFF when you enable some low power voltage to be sent over usb while off
wow this mouse is sooo cool
its definitely a big upgrad from the mx revolution to this one
- very comfortable in the hand
- the rubber feel is cool
- the blue light on mouse sucks you in
oh and about this very expensive package i have to add following comment:
many reviews said that the package is expensive and not really needed and is the reason why the mous is so expensive. ok i think this too,
BUT...
when you unbox it youreself
i am really not the cool package guy but when you hold this big box in youre hand and saw YOUR mouse 360 degree in this THICK BOX....
the feeling is unbelievable....
i must laugh because it was so crazy...i just dont wanted to unbox it but now i done it hehe
i wonder when the firmware upgraded is online:
razer_
New Firmware for the Mamba is due to be released on or before April 3, 2009.
This new FW will improve the battery charging behavior of the Mamba. Until then you may experience some problems with the ability of the Mamba battery to reach its full charge. This may also result in a flashing red LED on the side of the Mamba. Other functions of the mouse are in no way affected by this.
no problem chargin the mouse when pc is OFF when you enable some low power voltage to be sent over usb while off
wow this mouse is sooo cool
its definitely a big upgrad from the mx revolution to this one
- very comfortable in the hand
- the rubber feel is cool
- the blue light on mouse sucks you in
oh and about this very expensive package i have to add following comment:
many reviews said that the package is expensive and not really needed and is the reason why the mous is so expensive. ok i think this too,
BUT...
when you unbox it youreself
i am really not the cool package guy but when you hold this big box in youre hand and saw YOUR mouse 360 degree in this THICK BOX....
the feeling is unbelievable....
i must laugh because it was so crazy...i just dont wanted to unbox it but now i done it hehe
i wonder when the firmware upgraded is online:
razer_
New Firmware for the Mamba is due to be released on or before April 3, 2009.
This new FW will improve the battery charging behavior of the Mamba. Until then you may experience some problems with the ability of the Mamba battery to reach its full charge. This may also result in a flashing red LED on the side of the Mamba. Other functions of the mouse are in no way affected by this.
Mamba - one week on
OK. I've had this mouse for about a week now, and...
Well, it's a nice mouse. Flawless operation when corded. Wireless however, it's got a ways to go IMO.
For starters, there's quite a bit of delay when waking up from sleep or just being idle several seconds on average. Not a major problem, but can get annoying on occasion when you're in a bit of a hurry to get on with things.
Secondly, every now and then I noticed a bit of skipping. I thought this may have been an issue with the receiver perhaps picking up some radio interference, so I've moved the charging dock (also the receiver) a bit closer to the mouse and the problems seems to have gone. Still, when you're paying top dollar for a wireless mouse, you expect a decent wireless range.
Finally, battery life is ****. The best I've managed to get with 'normal' use is just shy of a couple of days. I'd imagine with heavy use, I'll need to dock it onto the charger every night. I believe the culprit is the advanced 3G laser so I guess it goes with the territory.
I've played Quake a couple of times wirelessly, and I must say, I didn't notice any jumping or lag. I guess for the gaming market that this mouse is targeted to, it will fit the bill.
So, would I recommend this mouse? Well, yes and no.
It looks great, feels comfortable and when wired, very, very accurate.
However, I'm struggling with the wired/wireless capabilities that Razer has built as the USP and I just don't see the point. If you're a serious gamer, you will probably end up using this mouse wired much more than wirelessly due to its poor battery up-time. And it takes about 4-5 hours to fully charge (thankfully, this can be done while you use it as a wired mouse).
I think that if I were to make any recommendations, based on the mice I've used, now that I've use the 'latest and greatest' I would stick with my original choice MX Revolution for wireless and MX 518 for wired.
iMac (fully loaded) running OS 10.5.6
OK. I've had this mouse for about a week now, and...
Well, it's a nice mouse. Flawless operation when corded. Wireless however, it's got a ways to go IMO.
For starters, there's quite a bit of delay when waking up from sleep or just being idle several seconds on average. Not a major problem, but can get annoying on occasion when you're in a bit of a hurry to get on with things.
Secondly, every now and then I noticed a bit of skipping. I thought this may have been an issue with the receiver perhaps picking up some radio interference, so I've moved the charging dock (also the receiver) a bit closer to the mouse and the problems seems to have gone. Still, when you're paying top dollar for a wireless mouse, you expect a decent wireless range.
Finally, battery life is ****. The best I've managed to get with 'normal' use is just shy of a couple of days. I'd imagine with heavy use, I'll need to dock it onto the charger every night. I believe the culprit is the advanced 3G laser so I guess it goes with the territory.
I've played Quake a couple of times wirelessly, and I must say, I didn't notice any jumping or lag. I guess for the gaming market that this mouse is targeted to, it will fit the bill.
So, would I recommend this mouse? Well, yes and no.
It looks great, feels comfortable and when wired, very, very accurate.
However, I'm struggling with the wired/wireless capabilities that Razer has built as the USP and I just don't see the point. If you're a serious gamer, you will probably end up using this mouse wired much more than wirelessly due to its poor battery up-time. And it takes about 4-5 hours to fully charge (thankfully, this can be done while you use it as a wired mouse).
I think that if I were to make any recommendations, based on the mice I've used, now that I've use the 'latest and greatest' I would stick with my original choice MX Revolution for wireless and MX 518 for wired.
iMac (fully loaded) running OS 10.5.6
Well, it's overpriced, but I ordered one anyway (I just couldn't stand the thought of getting a wired-only mouse like the Deathadder). Coming tomorrow so I'll post impressions once I've had a chance to use it.
Have you have time to notice if it takes longer than that to charge if you're using it while plugged in? One would presume so. The crappy battery at least seems mitigated by the ability to use it as a wired mouse.
Love mine! Got it for the feel of it, high DPI response for accurate movement, not to mention I game (WoW) and make 3D animations and needed the beautiful blue glowing scroll wheel that acts as a third mouse button for Maya/etc.
I use it only in wired mode because it just feels more responsive than the wireless mode. I like being able to click to adjust for sensitivity. No Mac Support from the company (boo!) and I already sent them an email begging for it.
My only complaint is the inability to sideways scroll, the same way you could with a Mighty Mouse or Kensington trackball mouse. Who cares about the sexy packaging it comes with but pls. remember to recycle all that plastic if you do take the plunge!
Whoops, I also forgot to mention that if you press hard on the mouse while gaming (front side), you might accidentally knock out the wire! (stupid design flaw on such a sexy/sensitive mouse, too bad.) But I still love it, I just am more aware not to hold too much pressure on the mouse in the front area.
I use it only in wired mode because it just feels more responsive than the wireless mode. I like being able to click to adjust for sensitivity. No Mac Support from the company (boo!) and I already sent them an email begging for it.
My only complaint is the inability to sideways scroll, the same way you could with a Mighty Mouse or Kensington trackball mouse. Who cares about the sexy packaging it comes with but pls. remember to recycle all that plastic if you do take the plunge!
Whoops, I also forgot to mention that if you press hard on the mouse while gaming (front side), you might accidentally knock out the wire! (stupid design flaw on such a sexy/sensitive mouse, too bad.) But I still love it, I just am more aware not to hold too much pressure on the mouse in the front area.
Disappearing act
The last couple of days my cursor has been disappearing numerous times a day.
I'm hoping it's the OS and not the Mamba.
Another thing that happened to me today, I unplugged the Mamba to test another mouse to see if it would also result in a vanishing cursor and when I plugged the Mamba back in, the wireless simply refused to work. It worked fine if I plugged in direct to the mouse (wired) but not wireless. I tried re-pairing but to no avail. A restart fixed it.
Jeez, I sure hope this doesn't turn out to be a high-maintenance mouse
The last couple of days my cursor has been disappearing numerous times a day.
I'm hoping it's the OS and not the Mamba.
Another thing that happened to me today, I unplugged the Mamba to test another mouse to see if it would also result in a vanishing cursor and when I plugged the Mamba back in, the wireless simply refused to work. It worked fine if I plugged in direct to the mouse (wired) but not wireless. I tried re-pairing but to no avail. A restart fixed it.
Jeez, I sure hope this doesn't turn out to be a high-maintenance mouse
Don't think it's the mouse. You could unplug it and the cursor would still remain on screen. Sounds like an OS/software issue.
Got mine up and running. Only used in OS X so far. At first OS X thought I had attached a new keyboard but I dismissed it and then it worked fine as a 3 button scroll mouse (still with LCC installed and my MX Rev attached). Razer's Mac Deathadder drivers do no work (expected). Steermouse works just fine with it. The DPI switching buttons work for switching DPI as they are meant to. If they are changeable with Steermouse, I don't know which buttons they correspond to. I might need to tweak speed and acceleration a bit to find a comfortable setting.
Thoughts on hardware:
- Similar in size to MX Rev. Less "hump" shaped and seems more comfortable.
- Very solid, nice texture. Buttons are very clicky and make a very clicky sound.
- Middle button is extremely easy to press.
- Wheel has nice resistance to it.
- Tracking is smooth on my gray cloth pad. Does not jitter when lifted. The MX Rev is also a laser mouse with a decent DPI and I never had jittering issues with that either. (reviews I saw for the Mamba complained of jittering *shrug*)
- Very sensitive and wakes up with the slightest vibration of the desk. This could contribute to weaker battery life.
- Replaceable battery! They might say this on the website, but I didn't notice. Of course, replacements could be expensive, I dunno.
- I like that the charge dock gets power only from USB. I've connected it to my powered hub and freed up 1 USB port and 1 power outlet from the MX Rev's separate dock and receiver dongle. Also, it's really easy to set the mouse on the dock to charge. Haven't experimented with the USB cable yet but it has a very cool cloth-like woven texture that seems like it would glide across the desk easily. Pretty much brilliant. Do any wired mice have that?
I've only used it wireless so far of course and it's at least no worse than the MX Rev in that regard. I've never had problems with wireless mice though and neither of these were exceptions (my MX Rev has developed issues, but unrelated to the wireless).
And yes, the packaging is AMAZING. Like something Apple would put together, and even fancier than that. Kudos to their designers, although it was unnecessary (probably to make you feel good about spending so much on a mouse).
p.s. this is purely in credit to Steermouse but I can finally use Shift+left/right buttons on the mouse (to form cmd{ and cmd} shortcuts) to switch tabs in Safari. Wasn't possible with LCC and I missed it.
Update: In Windows. Mouse seems a LOT more sensitive. Just the weight on my hand resting on it makes the cursor wiggle around. Will have to tinker with the software for a while, probably turn DPI down a lot. Software config seems to hang and take a while to launch sometimes, but once I get it adjusted I shouldn't need to open it. Mouse had 1.02 firmware and I updated it to 1.03. Worse firmware update experience ever. Took me at least an hour but I finally got it. USB plug is really really really really hard to unplug from mouse and dock. I can manage to get it out of the mouse myself but for the dock I had to grab some pliers (really!!!).
Update 2: Played some F.E.A.R 2. Felt a lot nicer than the MX Rev. Quite precise, but I have had to adjust the DPI down to about 800 so that it's not too jittery. I can't possibly handle more than 1800-2000. I do like that you can adjust increments for the DPI switching buttons. 5600 would just be crazytown.
Update 3: More thoughts:
- Although it works fine on my cloth pad, the slightest pressure on the mouse can cause it to move. Not a problem on a hard surface. Works fine just on my desk but I won't want to wear down the surface. Ordered a Steelseries SX pad which will probably make a big difference and able to handle more DPI.
- Battery went down to 1 green flashing bar as of Fri evening, used since Wed evening with normal use/light gaming. But I didn't let it charge to 100% when I started using it. 2-3 days of normal usage is about what I expected, not great, but neither was the life of the MX Rev.
- Mouse does take a few seconds to wake up from sleep. Not sure how long before it goes to sleep, maybe 10-15 min? Not that annoying, but the the MX Rev would wake up instantly which I was used to.
Thoughts on hardware:
- Similar in size to MX Rev. Less "hump" shaped and seems more comfortable.
- Very solid, nice texture. Buttons are very clicky and make a very clicky sound.
- Middle button is extremely easy to press.
- Wheel has nice resistance to it.
- Tracking is smooth on my gray cloth pad. Does not jitter when lifted. The MX Rev is also a laser mouse with a decent DPI and I never had jittering issues with that either. (reviews I saw for the Mamba complained of jittering *shrug*)
- Very sensitive and wakes up with the slightest vibration of the desk. This could contribute to weaker battery life.
- Replaceable battery! They might say this on the website, but I didn't notice. Of course, replacements could be expensive, I dunno.
- I like that the charge dock gets power only from USB. I've connected it to my powered hub and freed up 1 USB port and 1 power outlet from the MX Rev's separate dock and receiver dongle. Also, it's really easy to set the mouse on the dock to charge. Haven't experimented with the USB cable yet but it has a very cool cloth-like woven texture that seems like it would glide across the desk easily. Pretty much brilliant. Do any wired mice have that?
I've only used it wireless so far of course and it's at least no worse than the MX Rev in that regard. I've never had problems with wireless mice though and neither of these were exceptions (my MX Rev has developed issues, but unrelated to the wireless).
And yes, the packaging is AMAZING. Like something Apple would put together, and even fancier than that. Kudos to their designers, although it was unnecessary (probably to make you feel good about spending so much on a mouse).
p.s. this is purely in credit to Steermouse but I can finally use Shift+left/right buttons on the mouse (to form cmd{ and cmd} shortcuts) to switch tabs in Safari. Wasn't possible with LCC and I missed it.
Update: In Windows. Mouse seems a LOT more sensitive. Just the weight on my hand resting on it makes the cursor wiggle around. Will have to tinker with the software for a while, probably turn DPI down a lot. Software config seems to hang and take a while to launch sometimes, but once I get it adjusted I shouldn't need to open it. Mouse had 1.02 firmware and I updated it to 1.03. Worse firmware update experience ever. Took me at least an hour but I finally got it. USB plug is really really really really hard to unplug from mouse and dock. I can manage to get it out of the mouse myself but for the dock I had to grab some pliers (really!!!).
Update 2: Played some F.E.A.R 2. Felt a lot nicer than the MX Rev. Quite precise, but I have had to adjust the DPI down to about 800 so that it's not too jittery. I can't possibly handle more than 1800-2000. I do like that you can adjust increments for the DPI switching buttons. 5600 would just be crazytown.
Update 3: More thoughts:
- Although it works fine on my cloth pad, the slightest pressure on the mouse can cause it to move. Not a problem on a hard surface. Works fine just on my desk but I won't want to wear down the surface. Ordered a Steelseries SX pad which will probably make a big difference and able to handle more DPI.
- Battery went down to 1 green flashing bar as of Fri evening, used since Wed evening with normal use/light gaming. But I didn't let it charge to 100% when I started using it. 2-3 days of normal usage is about what I expected, not great, but neither was the life of the MX Rev.
- Mouse does take a few seconds to wake up from sleep. Not sure how long before it goes to sleep, maybe 10-15 min? Not that annoying, but the the MX Rev would wake up instantly which I was used to.
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Boy, what a stooge job.
My Mamba likes to surprise me now and then by having the cursor pop-up unexpectedly on the opposite side of the screen.
And what's with the two-day delay when coming back to my computer from a few minutes break???????? (o.k. it's not two days but it is definitely quite a few seconds) - no really, why does it take so long to kick in after a bit of a break from activity? Is this a power saving thing? Well, regardless, it's annoying the crap out of me!
Boy, what a stooge job.
My Mamba likes to surprise me now and then by having the cursor pop-up unexpectedly on the opposite side of the screen.
And what's with the two-day delay when coming back to my computer from a few minutes break???????? (o.k. it's not two days but it is definitely quite a few seconds) - no really, why does it take so long to kick in after a bit of a break from activity? Is this a power saving thing? Well, regardless, it's annoying the crap out of me!
You probably need a better mouse pad. Yeah I know, laser mouse, works on anything, why need a special pad for such a pricey mouse, blah blah blah... let's face it, though. These kind of mice need fancy pads to work best. I thought I could get by with my $5 cloth pad, but no.
I'm with you, although it's only 3 seconds.
It seems to activate quicker if I move it then click one of the buttons, but that could be my imagination — or that 3 seconds have passed by then.
I was a click away from buying the Mamba myself, good to see someone is having a decent experience with it on OS X.
I have the Razer Lachesis and one of the drawbacks to these insanely senstive mice is they can be TOO sensitive, even when you set their DPI to a lower range. I am constantly waking one of my desktops with the slightest vibration. Just setting down a coffee mug or plugging in my phone into its dock on the other side of the desk is enough for the Lachesis to register as motion. I tried some experiments to see if the mouse cursor moved, which it doesn't. This is an ~100kg oak desk. On carpet. With an XTracPads Ripper XXL. It's ridiculous.
My damn dog sets the thing by just wagging his tail too close to the desk and he's a 10 lbs maltese/poodle!
Haha, yes.
It's not enough to move the cursor and thus turn on my sleeping ACD, so it's not an issue when I'm not at the machine, but I do notice whenever I put anything on the desk the mouse lights up. I've taken to turning my mice off when my Mac's asleep because otherwise they will inevitably wake it up. Happened often enough with the MX Rev and it's only 800 DPI.
Haha, yes.
Well, I don't remember if my MX Revolution did that, but my VX Revolution definitely doesn't when it's in a sleep state, at least not like the Lach.
And the thing is, I don't even need that much sensitivity. Back in the day when I was a competitive CAL CS player and needed to do 180 crouch-jump headshots, it might have made sense. I don't game much anymore. Yet here I am about to buy a $130 mouse to replace a $80 mouse.
I've tried several mouse pads
You probably need a better mouse pad. Yeah I know, laser mouse, works on anything, why need a special pad for such a pricey mouse, blah blah blah... let's face it, though. These kind of mice need fancy pads to work best. I thought I could get by with my $5 cloth pad, but no.
I'm currently using the Razer Pro pad (the white one) as I've found this to be best.
I had also bought the Destructor just for the Mamba as they had recommended it in a review I saw (yes, Razer actually recommended the Destructor) - and it sucks completely. I couldn't even select my tabs in Safari and a click and hold would 'slide'.
I tried the Exact mat too which was about the same as the Destructor (yes, I have several mice and pads) and the Goliathus only marginally better than those two.
Pad or no pad, the Mamba has issues.
Is the teflon ring a fix that Razer has come up with? Otherwise how would you know to request such a thing?
Also, there is a setting in OS X that lets you keep your computer from waking up from mouse movement. I have it set this way with my MM. Does this setting also work with the Mamba in OS X?
I have a question about the mice and unfortunately i couldn't find the answer yet. Does the base need to be plugged in to work? I know bluetooth mice can just be synced with the computer but does the base work as the wireless receiver or can you not plug it in at all and still have it work with wifi? I would not be interested in a mouse to plug in a laptop when you need it a large base plugged in all the time.
The base needs power
The base IS the wireless receiver. So no base, no wireless mouse.
The good thing is that it's completely USB powered which means you don't need an AC outlet to charge your mouse.
But I think it kinda misses the mark for its intended use. It would have been much easier to just have a small dongle that you can slip in your bag and take it with you.
The Mamba just doesn't really lend itself to mobile computing.
The base IS the wireless receiver. So no base, no wireless mouse.
The good thing is that it's completely USB powered which means you don't need an AC outlet to charge your mouse.
But I think it kinda misses the mark for its intended use. It would have been much easier to just have a small dongle that you can slip in your bag and take it with you.
The Mamba just doesn't really lend itself to mobile computing.