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Software
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As
far as the install goes, it is as easy as just any other peripheral and
Razer's latest driver and software suite does fully support Windows Vista.
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As
with most of their products, the GUI is very high-tech but the interface is
designed to be as easy to use as possible. No exception with the
Lycosa software. The main screen is where you'll have access to many
of its configurable options. You can even control the backlight from
here and also choose your preferred media player that the Razer Lycosa will
control.
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From here, you can also expand the Profile Selection Menu that will allow
you create and select one with ease. What's nice though is that you
have the option of enabling "Auto Switching", which will automatically load
the created profile when you launch the game or application it was created
for. A total of ten profiles can be created and each can individually
be configured with or without Auto Switching.
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You
can click on any of the keys pictured in the layout image and assign a macro to it.
This will open up the Macro Key Functions menu that will reveal a number of
options that will allow you to create a custom macro. All keys are
fully-programmable and you can assign any key to launch a particular command
or application.
Performance
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In
terms of performance and usability, there's a few important things to
say considering many have commented negatively on some. Starting with
the keys, the rubber-like layer does feel nice but I don't know if I will go
as far as saying they are "non-slip". In fact, I find they feel more
"slippery" than a keyboard with standard keys. I don't know, perhaps
I've used the Saitek keyboard a bit too long! They do look and feel
quite nice though.
As
far as tactile feedback goes, they are the best I've had the pleasure of
typing on, only when strictly referring to laptop-style keys. However, the
only minor negative comment I will make is that they are far from quiet and
I'm sure most will immediately notice this upon first use.
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One
other important thing I like to cover is the key backlighting. I have
read some comments from users stating that the backlight is weak and not
really "bright enough". I strongly beg to differ. The key
backlighting is just the right intensity, regardless of the lighting
environment. I did my very best to depict this in the pictures above,
which were shots that were actually taken with a high power florescent lamp
in the background. Anyways, for those skeptical, don't be!
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Now, the Razer Lycosa has three simple
backlight options. You have on/off control or, for gamers, control the
backlight to only the WASD keys. What's interesting to note though is
that when you enable this option, these four highly-used gaming keys are
significantly brighter. Compare the pictures above and you'll clearly
see the difference.
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Here's a final shot at a distance showing all keys in absolute darkness.
All keys are evenly lit and completely legible in total darkness.
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Last but not least is that excellent media touch panel. I'm personally
a fan of touch-sensitive controls and the ones found on the new Lycosa are
extremely responsive and a pleasure to use. While the backlighting is
not as intense as the keys, it is definitely still bright enough under any
lighting environment. They look and work great! On a final note,
the lock status LED's are not excessively
bright at all and unlike other keyboards I've used, will certainly not annoy
most.
USB Performance
Unlike their previous model which has two built-in USB ports, the new Lycosa has only one. Now, while completely unnecessary in this
particular review, I did conduct some USB transfer tests only to challenge a
number of end-user reviews who have gone as far as saying that the USB port
on the Lycosa is not 2.0 and extremely slow in terms of performance.
This is completely absurd and I come back to saying that you should take
almost all consumer reviews like a grain of salt.
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Above are the benchmark results of the excellent
PQI i810 flash drive
plugged into the USB port of the Razer Lycosa. These test were
conducted on the same high-end system and if you refer back to the actual
review of this particular flash drive, you'll see that the results are
practically the same, if not slightly better. Folks, don't solely rely on consumer reviews
before you make any purchase decision. I can't stress this enough.
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