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New Products Coming |
| October 10th, 2005 |
Those of you who follow this blog by now have learned that I prefer not to hype Razer products. God knows that there are enough places for that.
I like to openly discuss the virtues of gaming as entertainment, sport and leisure. I like to take you on my travels to fun places and events. I enjoy hearing back from you as friends and critics.
I do moderate replies but have rarely edited or dumped any, even if they have been critical of Razer. I have dumped a few for obscenities and there is no need to subject everyone to a few select vulgarities.
I did want to inform you of a couple of new products coming soon. I wanted you to be aware of the facts behind them and in particular our strategy regarding Pro-Tools.
First I’d like to tell you about our Mantis product coming later this month. While the main story is about the oversized cloth mousing pad, it’s actually two products and most of you will be tested to choose the absolute right surface for your specific needs.
What we have done is to take the best of the award-winning eXactMat surface and make it into a 14”x17”x1/8” oversized cloth surface. Unlike its hard mat brother the Mantis cannot be done two-sided. Hence the needs for the decision … SPEED or CONTROL?
Trust me the two surfaces are very different from each other. The SPEED Mantis is lightening smooth and made for high sensitivity play. Game genres like FPS, action-adventure types were what we had in mind when we began development.
Alternatively, the CONTROL Mantis offers grainy “denim” feel to it and has been designed for low sens users. This would include the majority of Counter Strike, RTS and MMORPG players. This is an ultra-precise surface that professional precision users will like for apps like PhotoShop, Illustrator and parametric design programs.
Buy Both? They will retail at $24.99 for either SPEED or CONTROL models and as a special offer to Razer supporters we will offer the pair for the first 30-days only for $39.99 a $10 savings. More details on the Razerzone store in the days to come.
Next is the new eXactMat Laser. We have been testing advanced hard surfaces that are better “tuned” to the laser sensor of the Copperhead mouse … or any other laser mouse (you know who I mean). Just like its big brother the eXactMat Optical it will be constructed from near bullet-proof anodized aluminum.
In a few short weeks we will be introducing this new Razer eXactMat Laser edition. If you are in the market for the ultimate hard mat for your laser mouse I suggest you wait a few weeks before you purchase. In our pad tests we noted that many of the well-known and best optical performing mats didn’t track well when using any laser sensor … including our own. Since then we have been hard at work developing the ultimate surface. Stay tuned for more info.
Razer Pro-Tools is coming in November. You may have read about this product and there is some controversy over it so allow me to clear the air and explain why we did what we did.
a) We had explored the possibility of customizable weights from the outset - in fact we had announced this before the competition did so it’s not an issue of sour grapes. However, the problem with adjustable weights via a separate tool would result in what we called "structural jitter". Try picking up a mouse with adjustable weights from one of our competitors and shake it, you’ll feel (hear even) the weights shifting around inside. Not conducive for fast action gaming and definitely not for low sensors who swipe the mouse.
b) Any true changes to the buttons and internals would require the mouse to be opened and this should only be for very advanced users. All of this will increase cost of the mouse dramatically and we had taken the decision not to pass on the cost of this to the gamers as MOST would not want to customize their mouse. It’s like not everyone wants to soup up their machine.
c) The nature of the pro-tools is for high end, advanced modders who want to tweak and change their mouse. As there are advanced tweaks involved, this would mean that any changes would void the warranty of the mouse - it’s not for everyone, only the most discerning of gamers who want to change specific items that most gamers don’t need to.
Here’s what Razer Pro-Tools kit will consist of:
1x Custom case
1x set blank buttons
1x set weights (5g/10g/15g)
2x set replacement feet
1x screwdriver
Plus a free LANpak
If purchased separately you would have to spend over $30 for all of this …
The retail price will be $14.99. More to come on this later.
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October 10th, 2005 at 5:32 pm
Sounds good. Although I have an itch to go back to cloth (control specifically), I may wait to see what the eXactMat Laser turns out to be. Just one quick question : the “Custom case” that you mentioned that will be in the pro-tools kit, will it still be the “…..additional case f.e. a black carbon fibre.” you mentioned a while back?
October 10th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
wonderful article razerguy! and yay i’m the first guy posting! :D:D:D but i have a question for you: when will the razer copperhead go out in retail stores? and if it has what stores is it in? i’ve checked major suppliers like best buy, micro center, circuit center, etc. and i’ve only come up with the Salamander or other diamondback products. if you could answer this question it’ll be greatly apperciated
October 10th, 2005 at 6:43 pm
alot of products, hard to choose which is the ‘best’ mantis, exactmat and exactmat laser
October 10th, 2005 at 7:19 pm
hey razerguy…I bought my copperhead 2 weeks ago..and I dont know anything about that…does your items have tracking numbers?
October 10th, 2005 at 7:32 pm
Damn, I thought the Pro-Tools would be upwards of $25, myself. I’ll definitely be getting it should I grab a Copperhead and feel the need to mod it.
Also, if you don’t mind discussing this, how do you feel about the recent registration opening of Quake 4 CPL Winter being completely filled in less than 48 hours?
October 11th, 2005 at 3:27 am
Hi Robert, David here (from Blueprints). Hope you are well.
A few questions:
Is the speed side of the Mantis as friction free as the speed side of the eXactMat? After several months of constant use my eXactMat has developed a flat spot where mouse travel isn’t as good as the rest of the pad, so I’m thinking of changing.
Alternatively, I could, of course, hang on for the eXactMat Laser in preparation for when I upgrade to the Coppherhead. Will it be a lighter colour, as I seem to recall some suggesting that lighter surfaces are better for laser tracking?
Also, there’s been talk of the Mantis being the same as the Everglide Titan (also using Fibertek). Is this the case?
October 11th, 2005 at 3:45 am
Thanks for the clear-up Razerguy! I’m sure my new Copperheads will track brilliantly on the eXactMat Laser. Also cant wait for the pro tools kit. I shall try to customise my copperhead as best as i can without breaking it :p… seriously though i’m sure we will all have to be careful. I am really excited about the new products and should certainly add these to me Razer collection. One question, Will the pro tools kit be available at razer store only or also at other retailers? Thanks again!:)
October 11th, 2005 at 11:01 am
Which one is most similar to the Everglide Titan?
October 11th, 2005 at 1:05 pm
If I’m not mistaken you were referring directly to me…indirectly, in that article…if not wutb. Sounds fascinating about the laser mice not working on normal optical surfaces; what’s the precise physics behind that? To me a light’s a light, and lasers are supposed to be a lot more accurate…anyway, I hope that mat turns out. As you may(or may not) have noticed, I haven’t placed an order for copperhead. Nothing against razer or copperhead, or you…but this entire ordeal has taught me a very valuable lesson: Don’t buy new technology. Now don’t get me wrong, I have a SSL4. But all new technology has problems. And until nanotechnology becomes widespread, that problem is going to continue. And in fact it is a blessing I didn’t buy a CH when they were first released. I’ve been reading reviews on the CH, as well as G7 and G5 mice. All of them have their own unique problems that must be resolved, because, even though the laser technology isn’t brand new, the quality and the prescision and new features and everything combined in one unit is. Personally, I’m waiting for the price to come down, or the laser mat to be released, or the CH to come bundled with ProTools(nudge nudge) before I make that investment.
I do have a few questions, however.
1. If I were to glue my CH feet onto my mouse with super glue, would that:
a) Void the warranty,
b) affect the performance of the feet, even if I were careful to not get glue on the contact surface of the feet, and
c) would that resolve the problem of the feet constantly coming off?
2. ProTools:
a) What is the ‘custom case’ EXACTLY?
b) how do your weights differ from the ones offered by the G5? i.e. how are they Not gonig to have the same shifting problem, and will there be any cutting or advanced modding going on to the mouse itself, or is there already a place to secure the weights, and is this going to make it a huge inconvenience to switch between weights, and if that is true, then how is this better than what the G5 offers?
c) blank buttons: are those the dummy buttons for the mouse, or are they buttons you can actually do something with?
and 3. How is modding the weights or the buttons on the mouse voiding the warranty better in ANY way to the competition, which requires no modding to change weights and does not void the warranty? Ok, so modding the buttons is pretty cool, and that’s something the competition should DEFINITELY have available on their mice, but still…
I am much wiser for having been a razer fan, and I will from now on gather MUCH more facts on new technology before commiting My hard-earned money.
October 11th, 2005 at 7:59 pm
Sounds cool. I’m one of those who love the RaZeR products… you got be hooked years ago with the Boomslang, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to use something different.
I’m hoping that one day RaZeR comes out with some kickin’ keyboards to compliment the mice…. right now, IMO the match is a RaZeR mouse and a Saitek keyboard.
Personally, I’d like to see just a slick looking keyboard with no extra crap, and no windows key!
Ya know… K.I.S.S. 
Though, I know many people who love having media keys, quick launch, and anything else they can get.
October 11th, 2005 at 8:25 pm
H3y RaZeR guY,
I waS WonDering whY yOu Did noT saY ThaT a nEw mat wAs cOMing At th3 same time oF th3 r3l3ase of th3 coPP3r H3ad. So that People did not have to buy the old mat onlY to be ripped off when you say there is a new mat…
October 11th, 2005 at 10:10 pm
my exactmat got used out in only 3 months, now i play on my desk… local seller wont replace it, any ideas?
October 12th, 2005 at 2:43 am
Why no comment on the “1000hz ultra-polling” issue? 99% of the copperhead customers on forums that are discussing the razer copperhead are saying that they are only getting 500-750hz at best, not the 1000hz, which is a key selling point for me at least. Secondly, when will we be seeing the “Chaos Green” variation of the CH?
October 14th, 2005 at 3:34 am
Hey Razerguy, do you know when the eXactmat Laser will be arriving in Singapore? I might wait awhile to get that one instead of the current one.
Thanks,
Jin
October 16th, 2005 at 8:19 pm
I applaud the decision not to sacrifice the integrity of the main unit for ease in modding. Still, I’m interested in Pro-Tools. I wonder how modding will be, exactly, since I don’t even see any screws on the Copperhead.
October 17th, 2005 at 6:28 pm
Sorry to be so late on posting your replies to my last blog. I’ve been on the beach in Puerta Vallarta Mexico for a little R&R and just returned today. If I miss a reply in the following answers please forgive my jet-lagged, sun burned, Tequilla-soaked brain:
I believe that the extra case will be the black carbon-fiber I mentioned a while back.
The Copperhead should be hitting the retail stores this week … Best Buy first and then Fry’s, Microcenter and others later. The red and green versions are on their way to Razerzone shortly.
All I can say is that Quake 4 will be the BOMB. Gaming REALLY needs a great 1v1 competition if it is to ever become a legitimate commerically televised sport. The CPL is on the bleeding edge of what the gaming community wants and needs. I wasn’t at all surprised by the CPL response.
Fibertek is the best cloth surface we could find and we contrated with Everglide to use it. This was good for us both as there is almost no distribution of the Everglide Titan in the US and very limited in the UK.
There’s some confusion regarding modding and warrantees. Razer will always stand behind our products and we will always make high quality products. Gamers will always tweak products and we are aware of that fact. There are very few potential problems that a laser mouse can contract as they are solid state components. If there is a problem it is usually in a moving part such as the buttons or scrollers. If an owner suffers this kind of problem we will replace it regardless of the mouse has been modified. What we won’t replace is a PCB problem caused by opening the mouse.
There is one screw placed under the rear pad. Those pads can be replaced numerous times and there is no need to super glue them.
The weights are designed to fit as tightly as possible. We do not recommend the use of weights due to the jiggling feeling. They are easily removed and you can use 2 weights at a time.
Less than 5% of gamers polled actually use the weights. It was our feeling that this should be an advanced feature for advanced users. There just seemed to be too many disadvantages to building the weights into the stand alone Copperhead.
Razer keyboards are coming. The Tarantula is due for release in December and it will be a great addition to our mice. I will write a blog about it when there are some good images. Same for the Piranha headsets.
We didn’t announce the new mat because we were still testing various surfaces up to last week. We announced it as soon as we knew we had a winner. We did not know if this material existed when we completed the Copperhead testing. We did not want to slow the delivery of the Copperhead by waiting for a new mouse surface. We had no intention to mislead (ripoff) our customers.
Moede, if you’ve stopped using any product try to sell it on eBay.
Danman, the testing methods used to determine the 1000Hz are not completely consistent. At 500hz setting, you get a “constant” rate. At a 1khz setting, you will get 1khz peaks, and button response time is also improved (average at 1khz is around 600hz+, with 1khz peaks). If we do find a better way to implement 500hz and 1khz, rest assured we’ll update our firmware to provide these new implementations to users immediately.
I’ve been told that the new eXactMat laser will be available in Singapore and the rest of the world by early November. Please watch the Razerzone store for updates.
Again, the screw is under the rear Teflon pad and there is no need to re-glue the pad once it has been removed.
Lastly, ProTools will probably be sold online vs. traditional retailers. Look for them on Razerzone soon.
October 17th, 2005 at 9:29 pm
I’m sorry for posting this here. But since someone screens these maybe I’ll get a response. I ordered a copperhead on 9/30. Order #6875, was billed on 10/03 and have no mouse. No response to emails, order still shows processing. Where is the communication ? I assumed the product was in stock, there was no mention of back order or pre-order. The least I’m looking for is a little communication, if the mouse is unavailable let me know please. And when can I expect to get it ?
Thanks
October 19th, 2005 at 2:52 pm
It looks to me that the Mantis Speed has the closest surface to the Everglide Titan, am I right?
October 19th, 2005 at 2:57 pm
same here…I also ordered it on the 3rd
I have sent emails to the order center and have no replies to any of them. I actually just sent one before I started reading here.
October 19th, 2005 at 4:48 pm
Matt, you are correct, the Mantis SPEED is the exact same material as the Everglide Titan.
October 19th, 2005 at 4:49 pm
According to the RazerStore, the Copperhead is out of stock. I’d guess that is the delay.
October 20th, 2005 at 3:00 am
To Michael and Bill’s post, i also ordered mine on the 5th, still processing. Im only here to complain about the email support. I have emailed Razer Tech Support, Razer Asia-Pacific Sales, and once to Razerguy. Sales never replied, Tech support only replied when i complained to razerguy that they werent answering. What is with the email crew you guys have? They take too long to answer or dont even answer at all! Maybe you should tell them to be nice to the customers and reply to their emails.
p.s. I just emailed orders@razerzone, thanks for the link Razerguy:)
October 21st, 2005 at 10:37 am
Just one question, when is the green copperhead reaching the UK? I preordered one from the razor store and would like to know when to expect it.
October 21st, 2005 at 10:44 am
Ok razerguy, I have a MAJOR apology for you. I retract EVERYTHING I said about voiding the warranty by using protools. At my work, I just had to inform the first customer ever that he voided his warranty by modifying his video card. And he did not react violently like everyone else does when I tell them they’re out of warranty. I apologize. I did not know that policy was an industry-wide standard…well, I Did, but…I didn’t KNOW…anyway…I feel like a total fool now…why’s evrybody lookin’ at me funnee?…
October 21st, 2005 at 6:08 pm
This week must buyed a coipperhead. but not get one more ARM to accelerate to copperhead. I must learn again PLAY with MOST games, because the mouse is too sensitive. ))-: OMG !! my arm is too slow ? i am not a noob, only a new COPPERHEAD fan ((((-:
October 21st, 2005 at 6:13 pm
still uses a windowes 98 se, because my favorite older games requies it. Win XP does NOT run for example GTA2. (or other good games) . the copperhead is a ULTIMATE MOUSE judge, oir something KILLER machine. “remember, this is not your mother’s mouse” ????? my mother STEAL MY MOUSE, and goes to JOB WITH IT !! and shes friend have a nice question : Where to get it ?we must get more one , or more more pc of copperhead (-: (-: DAMN !! the store is sell ONLY BLUE COLOR copperhead ?!?!?!? DAMN !! we need colorful palette of copperhgewad (-: (hungarian 3dfx gaming club)
October 24th, 2005 at 10:54 pm
October 25th, 2005 at 5:36 am
Any idea at all when the green copperhead will be reaching the UK?
October 25th, 2005 at 12:09 pm
Mori, Green Copperheads just hit the US this week. You will need to contact our European store customer service for a UK update.
October 26th, 2005 at 10:30 am
Ah great. Thanks Razerguy. I think I’ll wait a couple of weeks before i get the new eXactmat.
Could you also please tell us more about the Piranha and Tarantula?
October 27th, 2005 at 7:21 am
Would just like to know , when is the mantis suppose to be released?
or is there no exact date yet?
Thank You,
~Jp
October 29th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
Any word on when the copperheads gonna be realeased at Best Buy? Ive been checking just about everyday because I have a nice little gift certificate there and am plannign to buy it whenever it comes out.
October 31st, 2005 at 5:12 pm
Does sombody allready knows a release date or indication for the “eXactmat laser”?
Thanx
November 2nd, 2005 at 2:57 pm
I already purchased my copperhead at Best Buy on the 25th of October.
November 2nd, 2005 at 6:00 pm
Dear Razerguy,
Which is better for Copperhead while playing CS:Source eXactMat or Mantis(Speed&Control) or eXactMat Laser
November 2nd, 2005 at 10:36 pm
Hey to all!
I Just got my copperhead yesterday, and im still getting used to it. I have however noticed a huge difference in my game play AND IM STILL NOT EVEN USED TO THE THING YET!
anyway I as many others would like to know when the Headphones(Piranha), the Keyboard(Tarantula) and the eXactmat Laser, are gonna be availible and some pics of them.
Also in the area of mistakes, i downloaded the latest drivers/firmware for my CH and the Driver worked fine but the Firmware didnt appear in the zip file that it says it is in. so i had to look all over and found a Beta for it(version 6.17) and that worked fine. If you want the link if your having this problem AIM me @ DABAZZ1
Thanks For Makin Teh Mous3 Taht Pwns RaZeRGuY
One Of Your Fans,
DABAZZ
November 3rd, 2005 at 8:57 pm
Well bestbuy had maintence update on their website a couple of days ago, and when they put it back up the copperhead magically appeared. Well, within 15 minutes I had ordered it online and I drove to the store that night to do the in-store pickup.
Well, the copperhead was worth the wait. Sure beats my old logitech.
November 4th, 2005 at 8:22 am
Nak3d.Gam3| DABAZZ, the firmware is not in the .zip you should install it first then go C:\Program Files\Razer\Copperhead\Firmware and choose Version 0616G.s19
November 5th, 2005 at 10:24 am
Well, I finally got my Copperhead and Exactmat. The Exactmat came a few days ago then I noticed the delay on the copperhead to mid/end november. I emailed razer and asked if I could get the blue copperhead instead because it would ship sooner, and they emailed me back saying they had a couple of the green one I had ordered left. Well, that was about 2 days ago and I got my copperhead today. Its brilliant and the green looks so good and it matches with the colours of the mat perfectly. The laser works well on my normal exactmat on either side.
My copperhead is an awesome little guy, with a beating heart light on its back, its my best gaming friend. Job well done Razer.
November 7th, 2005 at 8:12 am
Was just wondering what exactly is the screwdriver used for in this package?
November 7th, 2005 at 4:32 pm
When will Best Buy get the Green mice?
November 7th, 2005 at 6:37 pm
What happened to the $39.99 special on the Mantis pair? Also any updated news on the eXactMat Laser release schedule and is there a price set yet?
November 7th, 2005 at 7:25 pm
Wonderful Mouse, and my best gaming friend
Just hope the Tarantula keyboard will be available very soon
Excelent work razer !!!
November 9th, 2005 at 10:02 pm
I just got my Mantis (it’s the speed version). It’s so fast! I love it! My Copperhead is also more percise than one my steelpad QcK or or X-ray Aqua 3.
November 10th, 2005 at 5:26 pm
Hi Razerguy any news about the keyboard and the headphones? Thanks!
November 11th, 2005 at 6:08 am
It was tough choice between Speed and Control, since I mostly do fast pased fps and also Photoshop - two extremes.
But I chose Control. Should I find it insufficient I’ll get the ExactMat Laser when the Mantis is worn.
Quake Wars will be my main game next year, and I wonder if it’s not possible to be efficient in a “controlled” kind of way though
November 15th, 2005 at 5:06 pm
It’s been a few weeks and we’re all excited about the Laser ExactMat… You guys still have it in the pipe?
- LS
November 21st, 2005 at 12:58 pm
I’m a recent Copperhead purchaser. I too have noticed a radical change in game play.
I have found the 1000 Mhz polling rate to be far too sensitive for any prolonged use. Any tips here would be greatly appreciated.
When the Pro Tools do become available could you post some images of there insertion. I would find this invaluable prior to purchase. I think the CH is a little on the light side (for me) and the wieghts would be a very interesting proposition.
Do you have any images for the tarantula? I need a new KB (lucky for you) and almost bought a Saitek, with backlight (I’m always in the dark), but would consider changing my mind if I could see some images.
Thanks for taking the time.
December 14th, 2005 at 12:09 am
Question for you experts:
I am looking to buy a mouse pad. I got a razer diamondback. Which mouse pad should I get?
Is it true that the exactmat wears out in 3 months???
Also, is there a difference between the exactmat and the mantis?
January 1st, 2006 at 1:44 pm
Hi all,
pro-tools in november ? And eXacMat when ? Happy new year !
January 10th, 2006 at 11:29 pm
yea i know they said that the pro tools kit would be out in november but I have heard nothing more about it…
i just gotta say the copperhead is the most amazing mouse ever !!
i upgraded from a logitech cordless desktop mouse that isnt even sold any more… WOW i am astounded at the amazing power and control of the copperhead.
THANKS RAZER I LOVE U GUYS
February 19th, 2006 at 3:45 am
I have Copperhaed she is amazing it’s very good mouse i think this mous is the best ONLY RAZER by BG-FR
April 11th, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Hi razerguy.
I am currently using a ratpadz GS plastic gaming mat. I have been very happy with the preformance but after a year, the tread on the mat has become worn out in the centre region where i move the mouse.
I am considering buying a razer mouse mat to replace my GS. I would have thought that due to the mat being made out of aliminium, it would be less likely to wear out over time, is this true? Also since there are two surfaces if one side does get worn out I will be able to just flip it over.
Another mat i am considering is the razer pro pad. Is this the same as the exact mat but in white and will it work effectively with lazer mice?
With regards too the new exactmat lazer, will this mat also be made from annodised alumminium or someother similar metal or will it be some sort of plastic material? Also will this mous mat have any improvements with respect to its durability so it doesn’t wear out after prolonged use?
Thank you, its great that you have a blog about upcomming products.
April 11th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
The Pro Pad is made of the same mateial as the eXactMat but the white surface is harder to keep clean. I’d suggest the eXactMat for gaming and the Pro Pad for office use.
Since my original post we have been able to adjust the laser performance on the Copperhead to track perfectly on the eXactMat and the eXactMat laser has been dropped from the development list.
If you purchased a Copperhead today the tracking on the eXactMat will not be a problem. If you have an older version of the Copperhead and have any mousing surface tracking issues update the firmware found on our site. Warning, follow the directions carefully as updating firmware is for advanced users (at least for your initial attempt).
April 24th, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Will Razer ever offer a different color scheme for the exact mat logos? Black and green is not very common in most custom PCs and I like to coordinate my whole system.
Could you also provide some pictures of what a pro-tools modified Copperhead looks like? If I am going to void my warranty I would at least like to see why I am doing it and weight its worth.
Will the tarantula be backlit? In the prvided image I only see a few keys lit not the whole board.
RaZeR RoX…the way you guys are going I will have a full Razer PC
April 25th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
I’ll see what we can do about offering some images of the Pro Tools images on our gallery. Maybe Razer Blueprints can do this for us as their product gallery is pretty complete.
Because of the anti-ghosting multi-button binds (chording) capability the Tarantula backlighting will be limited … you can’t backlight keys that are chordable (if that’s a real word). There will be an accessory sold that will allow you to top light the Tarantula … more info to come on this after market product later.
There are no plans on offering a full Razer PC but we never say never to anything. If we ever do that it will be ultimate.
April 29th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
As of lately I’ve been looking for a better mouse, because my current low-end one is getting more and more annoying, and Razer looks interesting. I’m currently using Mac OS X (grown up with Macs; and yes, I’ve been able to map mouse counts directly to pixels) so my choice is basically the Diamondback or the pro equivalent. Some questions:
Pixel skipping/high jitter threshold: what exactly happened to that?
Polling rate: what would be used in my situation? What is the actual improvement I read about caused by? I can only conclude that the delay difference is relatively small, and that a higher rate would be more synchronized with the screen.
Surface: is there a tracking difference between the ProPad and the eXactMat, although I think it doesn’t really matter? How do they compare to the Mantis/Everglide Titan? ((effective) static/sliding friction, potential tracking problems, wear)
And last but not least, could there be coming anything of interest to me in the near future?
May 1st, 2006 at 11:03 am
May 1st, 2006 at 2:01 pm
Only Diamondback: fine, it looks OK for now anyway.
Pixel skipping:
Well, I came across this:
http://razer.tigga.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3400
which links to these:
http://razer.tigga.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3409
http://razer.tigga.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3354
(yes, they’re old)
Apparently it thinks direction changes are jitter, and when you finally move it enough it can skip over the pixel it’s been ignoring. It’s at a small scale, but I am considering a higher-CPI mouse with a reason: I have much more control than the 400 CPI of my current mouse. I.e. I can make many small movements without moving the pointer. And in games I find that I’m sometimes fighting to get a pixel on a target that’s far away. It’s not that I don’t have pixel-precise control, it’s that at the sensitivity required by my current surface space/tracking speed limitations (not much of a problem with the Diamondback and a large surface, I guess), combined with 400 CPI, a pixel becomes too large. But, umm, the point is that I think I’d be able to use its 1600 CPI, and notice imperfections at that scale.
It was apparently fixed by a driver update. Is that in the sense of trying to detect common problem patterns and doing what seems best, or perhaps updating firmware? I found that the sensor uses a small program that the controller sends to it to detect movement, so the latter might be possible if there’s some interface to update it. I also found that the Diamondback used an early version of that sensor (to be the first). Could that be different in current versions? I’ve taken a look at the driver and found some evidence in one of its files (the one that would end up at /System/Library/Extensions/RazerPRODriver.kext/Contents/Resources/Info.plist): it mentions two different mice (Razer PRO v1/v2), gives some hints that each is a Diamondback, and the difference is in the product ID. Still, even if it’s not fixed perfectly, it’s a big improvement over what I have now, especially considering tracking speed which can make low sensitivity more useful on a larger surface.
Polling rate: I’ve read about people using it at a higher rate, and getting real updates between 500–1000 Hz. It might not be official, but it seems it does support it. But still I can make no guess how much it’d help (or how I could get it working here for that matter…). It’s certainly not preventing saturation of the giant 16-bit deltas, simply because there’s no way to saturate them.
Surface: ah yes, I can imagine the Mantis Control works well at low sensitivity, for which there is enough space. Combined with fine control (if friction doesn’t get in the way) that could make for some interesting precision without significantly compromising the ability to make large turns quickly.
I think it’d be best if I could try all of this. Any idea where that’s a possibility in the Netherlands, near Southern Flevoland? It’s hard to find out.
May 1st, 2006 at 2:20 pm
What’s interesting about the Mantis is that we have pro players swearing about its performance at both high and low sens games.
Sorry but you’ll have to do a search in and around Southern Flevoland for traditional retailers or you can contact our major EU distributor online through our EU store.
May 1st, 2006 at 3:56 pm
The IR sensor performs better? Good to know.
Thanks for the info!
May 8th, 2006 at 5:39 am
I just ordered the white pro pad and a copperhead, I see you mention that the copperhead works perfectly with the exact mat now, does it work perfectly with the white pro pad also? Also, since the white pad gets dirtier does that effect tracking also?
Thanks,
Bostton1
“Razerguy Says:
April 11th, 2006 at 2:13 pm
Yes, anodized aluminum is much longer wearing than plastic … about 3 to 5 times longer wear, plus as you mentioned there is 2-sides that if used can possibly outlive you and your system:)
The Pro Pad is made of the same mateial as the eXactMat but the white surface is harder to keep clean. I’d suggest the eXactMat for gaming and the Pro Pad for office use.
Since my original post we have been able to adjust the laser performance on the Copperhead to track perfectly on the eXactMat and the eXactMat laser has been dropped from the development list.
If you purchased a Copperhead today the tracking on the eXactMat will not be a problem.”
August 24th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Ah, the these pages are working again. I have a Diamondback now, and found that the main drawback is its sensitivity to non-perfect surfaces. After some experimenting (holding above the surface, pointing at a distant light, etc) I have concluded that it seems to travel in straight lines until the deviation passes a threshold, and that threshold depends on the quality of the sensor readings. On a good surface it can track very well at the advertised 1600 CPI, but even then on bad spots the effective resolution is more like 800 CPI (to those with a bad understanding, the ’speed’ doesn’t go down), and it can get a bit over-excited.
The above implies that *I* (not the mouse) had no problems with that resolution, on this low-friction surface.
That said, its long-distance tracking is pretty good, and it didn’t get confused in my maximum tracking speed tests. I’ve moved it at speeds where the individual reports said something in the 700-800s at 125 Hz. Speeds that high (which need only 11 bits at 125 Hz; as mentioned 16 and 12 bits are more than enough for now) are not generally useful for anything, but the good long-term tracking is quite useful in games, and during stalls because the resulting position is more predictable. It also hasn’t forced me to look down for 3 seconds yet, let alone when someone with rockets is approaching.
The shape of the two big buttons was clearly made for the first two fingers next to the thumb. It’s not really bad when you have your middle finger on the scroll wheel and ring finger on the right button (reverse if you use your left hand), but you’ll miss some comfort. After a bit of use I’ve noticed that the spots where my fingers rest on the main buttons have been reflecting less light in the diffuse way but more in specular. I.e. it makes them look darker but shinier.
On Mac OS X buttons 6 and 7 (the right-side buttons) are mapped to the scrolling axis at a low level, so you can’t just have a button 6/7 without changing the system (AFAIK). The Razer driver offers some configuration, but the only potential way to get to get the buttons is pass-through, and as you can guess the system alters that. Regarding the Razer driver, if I set everything to pass-through, it refuses because it wants at least one “click”; it doesn’t see a button 1 pass-through as click.
September 14th, 2006 at 4:12 am
Apparently I can’t stop posting. I’m typing this from a basic Linux system (main system’s HD died, and I don’t have a replacement yet), and the right side buttons also scroll there, in exactly the same way. When holding one down (left?) it first sends three scrolls at perhaps four/sec, and then it increases to about 30/sec. Does anyone who still reads this know what’s up?
Oh, and because it’s easy to configure on Linux I can confirm that it works very well with 2 ms (500 Hz) polling. At least the mouse interface came with new valid-looking data every 2 ms. Unfortunately this system isn’t very suitable for games.