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HABU vs. Copperhead

August 25th, 2006

The word is out and yesterday I received a record, inbox choking 1223 emails from gamers around the world asking for more information about the joint-product introduction of the HABU mouse.

I wanted to use my blog as a fast method to clarify some early misconceptions.

First, the HABU mouse was designed from the ground up for low sensitivity, fast hand movement players. The ID is based on the original IE 3.0 with several design tweaks and (we think) improvements.

If you liked the original IE 3.0, you’ll like the Habu even better with pretty much the same shape with better tracking. The recent re-release of the IE 3.0 has caused some confusion out there so here it is – the re-released IE 3.0 is essentially the same mouse as it was in 1999 with the same sensor while the Habu has pretty much the same shape (with some Razer ergo tweaks and improvements) and our kick-ass updated laser sensor.

The HABU does NOT replace the Copperhead. While the laser sensor is basically the same, there have been several engineering tweaks designed to aid the performance for low sensitivity or glide play style settings. If you’re a flicker, you’re better off with the Copperhead.

You can’t be all mice to all people and we’re building different mice with different shapes to fit different play styles for all you gamers out there. The Habu and Copperhead are the cutting edge gaming mice out there – if you love the Copperhead and the playstyle associated with it, don’t get the Habu and vice versa.

Neither Microsoft or Razer planned to make this mouse … it was mandated by gamers who specifically wrote both companies and begged us to make it. This product is for you!

The design structure, along with the advanced technical specifications of the HABU is developed to gain the maximum movement, comfort, precision, speed and control possible.

If you are trying to decide which mouse is right for your game you might want to use the following as a guide

Features
Habu
Copperhead
Palm grip
X
Fingertip grip
X
Flick Play Style
X
Glide Play Style
X
Right handed
X
X
Left handed
X
Light weight mouse
X
Heavier weight mouse
X
32kb Onboard Memory
X
X

For herpetologists everywhere the HABU is a pit viper snake is a poisonous snake found in Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, southeast China. For the past 8 years Razer has named all of their mouse products after predatory snakes, beginning with the Boomslang.

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198 Responses to “HABU vs. Copperhead”

  1. Joseph Beck Says:

    “If you liked the original IE 3.0, you’ll like the Habu even better with pretty much the same shape with better tracking.”
    I’ve owned a MS 1.1 / Diamondback / Copperhead, and all I can say is if it tracks anything like the Copperhead you’re in for trouble. The Copperhead tracked like total crap on all my mousepads, including the Razer eXactMat.

    “Neither Microsoft or Razer planned to make this mouse … it was mandated by gamers who specifically wrote both companies and begged us to make it. This product is for you!”
    I’m pretty sure no one would specifically ask for the MS 3.0 great shape, but not it’s great tracking. The thing about the MS 3.0 was the reliability, and the precise, never skipping, tracking.

    So are the problems from the Copperheads technology fixed? Also I don’t know why you wouldn’t include onboard memory with the new Habu, as it’s one of the only features that’s useful.

    PS: DPI is useless, find other ways to improve your mouses.

  2. roger smith Says:

    i dont know about everyone else, but i wasnt asking for this, i was asking for the boomslang 2, not some microcrap or logicrap.

  3. Logic Says:

    Just because it was made with Microsoft that doesn’t automatically make it crap. Did you even think about the potential quality of this mouse before you made your post?

    Personally, I’m very excited about this. It could well rival the IE 3.0 that Microsoft are resurrecting. I’m not saying that the IE 3.0 might fail, seeing as I’ll be buying 10 of them (not because I need them, but out of principle), but they might have finally come up with something that’s actually better :O

    OK, maybe 10 is exaggerating, but you get the idea.

  4. awan Says:

    well its good to see that IE is making a come back, gamers all over the world will be rejoice with the prospect of new HABU. its about time where they ressurect one of the most wanted mouse cheers

  5. roger smith Says:

    ya, actually ive thought alot about this issue. the market is saturated with mice of the exact same shape, i want a boomslang type shape, thats big enough to support my hand. (not just the fingertips)

  6. Logic Says:

    I didn’t ask if you had thought about the issue of mice in general, I asked if you had given this particular mouse serious consideration before calling it crap just because it was made with Microsoft.

    Anyway, when it comes to the issue of mice in general, you obviously haven’t done the necessary research of actually going to the store and seeing what’s there. If you had you’d know that there are mice of all shapes and sizes. This isn’t necessarily a good thing and I’ll tell you why.

    The shape of the human hand hasn’t changed much in the past zillion years, so constantly changing the shape of mice to be different from something that is known to be comfortable isn’t exactly improving things. The way forward is to take what is already liked and to tweak it to perfection, which seems to be EXACTLY what Razer and Microsoft are trying to do here. Besides, from what I can tell this mouse is designed to support your whole hand, so maybe you’ll even prefer it over the Boomslang or what a Boomslang 2 might be after you try it.

    Razer and Microsoft can’t go around making a different mouse for every single person out there, the best they can do is try to make mice that satisfy the desires of the majority of people, and right now that means making the Habu, and putting things like the Boomslang 2 on hold until a sufficient number of people would want to buy it.

    Bottom line, just because they’re releasing a mouse that might not be perfect for you, try to realise that they’re trying to satisfy the desires of a huge number of people. Maybe they’ll eventually get round to the Boomslang 2 for people like you, or maybe they’re already making it behind the scenes, who knows?

  7. David Says:

    Robert,

    Both mouses in the table above show 32kB of onboard memory. However, I believe the Habu doesn’t support profiles? Does it have upgradeable firmware?

    Thanks.

  8. Razerguy Says:
    Yes it does David.
  9. scim Says:

    Only thing i’m wondering now, will there be Mac OS drivers available for the Habu. The new resurrected IE 3.0 has OSX drivers, the old one worked fine under OSX and I would love a razer mouse with this new technology to work under OSX.

    For the rest, I loved the IE 3.0, unfortunately I had a cable fracture in mine which i couldn’t fix (seems a common problem from what i’ve read). But knowing what I did and do to my diamondback (i take it almost everywhere i go with my laptop) it should be fine.

  10. Mass Says:

    What will the price range be as you can get a copperhead for $54-$59 I hate spending that much on a mouse but in Animation and graphics I need a good tracking mouse and I have not found one yet which is why I was about to buy copperhead then found out about the habu…

    The habu has the style or shape I prefer and its heavier I don’t like a light mouse! the copperhead also has a long bottom instead of teardrop or bubbled where your palm grips. Originally It was between copperhead and the G7 though I like the wireless feature of the G7 and MX1k the Copperhead has a better shape IMO and more possibilities for control on screen… So now it seems to be between Copperhead and Habu which brings me back to How much lol. Also for future why not make a G7 style RF wireless Habu and Copperhead for those who want the wireless feature and freedom and I say G7 because of the fast swap battery packs which is a high point.

    IMO - Copperhead &/or Habu
    Pros:
    1- Shape, feel and look Habu then CH
    2- Firmware/advance control
    3- High dpi with multi settings and mem for advance movment and tracking which as a designer when going for a point or pixel to move or manip you want that accuacy which I have been looking for!
    4- For Habu I like how it is a slider not a flicker !! this is very important with Designers as its not a game so you are sliding not flicking at precise points!

    Cons:/aditions: (maybe possible additions/ versions?)
    1- RF wifi to help with more freedom but keeping the accuracy
    2- Dual bat packs for fast swap during work.
    3- Weight adjustments for those who pref. heavier or lighter
    4- Maybe a slide vs flick adjustment switch for those who need both such as Designers who would like to game too! or Designers who want to test their games =P
    (and yes I suppose you could just have both Copperhead and Habu to fix that)

    my 2 cents take what you want and leave my change ! - Mass-Pixelated ?belix?

  11. Cerba Dan Says:

    can you actualy answer Joseph Beck’s question?
    can you tell us that by any speed that a hand can take, the mouse won’t skip on a Steelpad S&S or on a Steelpad 5L?
    copperhead skips even on 5L, not to mention S&S or any other plastic pads.

  12. Cerba Dan Says:

    don’t get me wrong.
    there are 3 things about copperhead that i didn’t like:
    1. the bottom of the mouse was too thin so that i accidently turned it over the pad.
    2. the buttons are a little too big so that i accidently press the while trying to put my hand on it on a preferable way.
    3. it skips (actualy stops) on a verry large variety of surfaces.

    if is true that you consider copperhead a high sensitivity user mouse, that makes it perfect, except for the big buttons - if i don’t move it to fast, it won’t skip, i won’t turn it over because the buttom is thinner.

    i just want to make sure that habu is better, and that it really is a mouse fo small sensitivity users.

    if laser technology is not to be used on mice, just give up and get back to optics, so you can really get 25g without skipping (or stopping).

    the good part:
    - copperheads shape makes possible the use for a large variety of hand sizes, because the shape accepts to hold the mouse on different places. (smaller hands keep it more from behind, larger hands keep it more in hand). this is a great thing.
    - usb polling rate, thin cable, teflon feet, shape, lights, tracking precision, drivers, are all good parts of it…
    but i’m a low sensitivity user, wich likes the shape of the intelli explorer 3.0 and the precision of mx518(also razer diamondback). now my dream is about to come true:
    intelli explorer 3.0 shape, all good things from copperhead, and i’m sure that this is going to track at speeds like copperhead… my dream will be blown away.

  13. Cerba Dan Says:

    can you answer my question without my post?
    or answer Joseph Beck ’s question please.

  14. Philip Says:

    Well, have you guys tested if skipping will be an issue with Habu, since this issue continues to plague the copperhead and every other lazer mouse out there (including these—>logitech G5, G7, MX 1000…etc) at low sensitivity.

  15. Katharsis Says:

    Hi,

    What about jittering? This is something which is driving me crazy on my copperhead.

    When I first read about the HABU, I thought: oh my god, why are they doing again the same mistake and using the Copperhead laser sensor.
    Then I read about the HABU in that interview of razerblueprints, where Razerguy said that the sensor is improved and works quite well.

    I hope that it really tracks better, as I am using my Copperhead but don’t really liking it (as I already said jittering is driving me crazy). On plastic pads the mouse is skipping but not jittering. On cloth pads the mouse is not skipping anymore but therefore it is jittering.

    Anyway I think that the best mouse sensor ever was in the diamondback/mx518. There was nothing to complain about. I still love the tracking of the diamondback but everything else is better on the copperhead thats why I use it mainly.
    Also my copperhead is modded (with parts from the diamondback) thats why I am basically using it. You know… the scroll wheel of the copperhead is better, the sidebuttons are better, the body of the mouse is better (basically the lower part of the body as the upper part is identically to the one of the diamondback). Not to mention the internal memory of the copperhead which is really great. But why on earth does the copperhead not have the diamondback sensor?
    The best mouse in my opinion would be a copperhead with diamondback sensor. Maybe one day I will move the internals of the diamondback into this shape of the copperhead. I already tried it, but it requires some tweaking as the pcb’s are not exactly the same. Basically I can put the diamondback-pcb into the copperhead, and it works but I can not use the side-buttons now, as it requires the pcb of the sidebuttons to be modified. This looks like a lot of work. Also I need a way to get the glowpipe and the razer-logo to glow again. Anyway I think that there will be no possibility to get the razer-logo to blink. OK, it would be possible but it would be a hard work.
    If anyone wants to see my modded coppehead… here it is:
    http://razerblueprints.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=96&topic=5231.0

    A HABU with Diamondback sensor would be great. But maybe… just maybe, the tracking of the HABU will be better (I hope it).

  16. Logic Says:

    One thing I’m concerned about is that the sensor on the copperhead detected motion even though the mouse was well above the pad. This meant that when I picked it up and moved it from the corner of my mousepad back to the middle, my crosshair made unintentional movements. I consider myself to be a low sensitivity user, so I have to pick my mouse up alot to put it in the middle of the pad, which is part of the reason why I went back to my IE 3.0, which stops detecting motion at a much lower height, thus making the movement to the middle of the pad much better. I was wondering if the Habu will stop detecting motion as soon as (or almost as soon as) it’s lifted of the pad.

  17. Logic Says:

    Haha everything I’ve just said is from memory, I’ve just tested out my copperhead and I’m not so sure :p. But I could have sworn…

    Anyway it’s probably not worth looking into right now, seeing as we can just wait and see and hope that I’m being paranoid, and that this isn’t a problem :D

  18. Philip Says:

    Only time ive had problems with jittery and over tracking when i pick up the copperhead is when i needed to dust lint or misc. stuff the mouse pick up on the mouse pad. Regular cleaning eliminated that for me. My only concern is the skipping at low sensitivity. My settings are as follows dpi-400(that is what iam used to and the reality is dpi does nothing for aiming or smoothness), polling rate-500, mouse sensitivity in razer software to the max 10, window sensitivity 6/11 bars and in game sens.(q4)-3. Now i must realy jerk the mouse to get it to skip and sometimes when i am nervous and get over exited in a game my eratic movement will cause the mouse to skip. Other then that its a great mouse. I just want no skipping like the ms 3.0, so even if i am startled or eratic with my movement i am not facing straight up or looking at the floor.

  19. Ben Says:

    I got a logitech mx518 and I really liked it but now that there are two razers that have 200dpi i cant decide wich to get.
    I am a gamer and i use extremely high sensitivity. Can anyone recommend which to buy copperhead or habu.( oh and what is glide playstile.)

  20. Cerba Dan Says:

    a low sensitivity gamer, after 1 hour of gaming is warmed up, and his movements are really fast. i get to skip the copperhead in notime.
    that’s the only real problem. - also the shape of the copperhead is certanly not for low sensitivity users. (it is not stable on the pad, i get it turned over its top)

  21. Ondra R. Says:

    I was big Razer fan since first release of Diamondback, when i switched from MX300. I found perfect mouse for me. But then ..broken cable. Next time, same problem. I wanted to buy Copperhead, some mates played on them, but after 3 months ..again. Now i have dilemma which mouse to buy, because i am afraid of broken cable. Pls do something with the cable structure in Habu. This is black spot on otherwise good mice.

  22. Razerguy Says:
    Our rate of cable failure is less than 1 out of every 500 mice sold. While we aren’t happy about this and are always trying to eliminate this issue, the problem is handled by replacement and is relatively rare. I wouldn’t allow a minor potential flaw in one product to condemn any other product. For example we do not have this same issue with Diamondback or Krait and was never an issue with the Boomslang.
  23. Cerba Dan Says:

    but what about skipping? negative acceleration will be eliminated by the use of 16 bit data path? is the laser senzor working correctly?

  24. Cerba Dan Says:

    1. please don’t make the buttons on habu as big as on copperhead, because i won’t be able to put my fingers on it in a comfortable way.
    2. please don’t make the button1-button2 angl that big as on intelli 3, it seems like must be lifted a little bit higher. the only annoying thing about intelli 3 (by shape i mean) is that it’s not a little bit taller on the righ side.
    3. a little bit larger (from left to right)would be perfect.
    4. make it easy to lift. intelli 3 is easy to lift on the left side, but th shape of the right side doesn’t allow this. on copperhead is easy to lift, but this makes the use of the thumb buttons verry tilty. (side rails could have been enaugh to make easy lifting, but with the curved bottom, CH becomes unstable and hard to use thumb buttons).
    5. the sensor on CH is almost a little to high. (you have to lift alot to make it don’t track)

    it might be a little too late for this, but i;m sure a part of what i said is already done.
    are there any other pictures with MS Habu?
    what about interchangeable buttons? (can you tell us a little bit more?)

  25. Razerguy Says:
    Thanks for your design suggestions. Many of these have already been made and the form is pretty much set by now. These will be many more pictures of the Habu to come. There will be two choices or positions for the interchangeable buttons, one on the mouse and another in the package. One position is forward for longer hands and the other is set farther back for small or average size hands. There is a small release button on the bottom of the Habu and the button mechanism snaps easily out and back in. We have tested this completely and there is no need to worry about accedently setting off the button and having the assembly disengage while playing.
  26. Cerba Dan Says:

    thak you for answering.. but what about the senzor. …

  27. Philip Says:

    Great!!! i would like more picture of the habu especialy the underside of it. However, i have not heard anything about skipping with fast movement is this something that will be fixed the up coming Habu? Can you please comment on that issue or at lease compare it with the copperhead–> will it skip less then the copperhead?

    Thank you
    Philip

  28. Philip Says:

    So MS Habu is coming out in October has the exact release date been published yet? Will it be early October or Late October?

    Thank you
    Philip

  29. Razerguy Says:
    Microsoft is handling distribution so my best guess would be mid to late October.
  30. Philip Says:

    Thanks for the response.

    Philip

  31. Philip Says:

    Hello again

    Just wondering is Razer or Microsoft going to have a booth at the Digital Life tournament in NY city? if yes will they display the MS Habu there?

    Thank you
    Philip

  32. Razerguy Says:
    Razer is the developer of the Habu, however Microsoft will handle sales and marketing. That means that Microsoft will decide which events to display. Razer will not be at Digital Life. You would have to ask Microsoft about their plans for that event and if they include the Habu or not.
  33. Philip Says:

    Hi Razerguy

    Thanks for the info.

    Philip

  34. Gherkin Says:

    Will the Habu have different color options like the Copperheads, or just the blue shown in the picture?

  35. malum Says:

    The Copperhead has a bad tracking (skips), so will the Habu. I’ll bet you!
    Thanks god there’ll the new Explorer 3.0.

    Still I hope I’m wrong!

  36. Razerguy Says:
    I’ll take that bet … how much WoW gold do you have?
  37. Cerba Dan Says:

    finallyyyyyyy an answer !!
    i knew it will be tracking well :D

  38. Magnus Says:

    I sincerely hope you are testing the mouse rigorously on ALL surfaces, such as icemat, steelpad, etc. The copperhead had large problem in the tracking area, would be very disapointed to find that yet another $80 purcase was completely useless.

    Regardless, on paper this looks awesome. Microsoft quality and high dpi. I have but one other request, try to keep the drivers slimmed down ;)

  39. Philip Says:

    Well, nice to hear. I will wait for a reputable gaming site to review the habu before i get it. I loved the copperhead except for the poor tracking and skipping at low sensitivity. If there is no reports of tracking problems I will be getting a microsoft habu’s and if my personel testing shows no skipping at windowxp sensitivity of 5(5 bars) and q4 sensitivity of 3.5, mouse dpi of 2000, and mouse sensitivity(from razer software) of 2.5 then ladies and gent i will walk/drive/take the subway to the same store i got it and purchase another one. Razer…dont make me walk/drive/take the subway to the same store and walking out with no mice. Ok no more drama. :)

  40. HawkInOz Says:

    There isn’t much of October left. When will these start appearing on shelves and from online retailers? I’m also surprised more reviewers haven’t gotten their hands on these prior to the release date, whatever that turns out to be.

  41. Maxime Says:

    I could not find the info anywhere : what are the size and weight of the Habu?

  42. Magnetic Says:

    I’ve pre-ordered mine (yay!) but there isn’t any news of a release date, can’t wait for it though, my IE 3.0 is 4 years old now, i need the updated tech especially as i just upgraded my PC from 7 years (gasp)

    any sign of a proper date?

  43. Olavi Says:

    At the moment i’m using the MIE 2.0a, also have a MIE 3.0, mx1000 and
    G7. Also got the MX revolution for a week ….. :-) exchange with my friend for g7. Anyways everybody has their own preferences for mice
    and many are also fans of a certain company, but i’ll tell my opinion.
    I’m a low sens gamer and played since 1993(in 1993-1996 the mouse wasn’t a big issue) and used all sorts of mouses. I prefer a heavier mouse, with a descent control on the right side of mouse….. revolution and mx1000 lack the right side stoppage control because u but your big finger too deep and that weakens your control over your little fingers….
    also on G7 i don’t like left side…. MIE 2.0a has great ergonomics, also MIE 3.0 with minor glitches ….( IE 3.0 ergo with razer lazer should be great). MX1000 and MX revolutions are certainly the best casual user mice out there…..g7 ergo has a little bit of improvement to make.

    Conclusion:
    For a low sensitivity gamer , it’s the best choice so far , long hail for microsoft razer habu.For high sens players out there copperhead and diamondback should do the trick.

  44. Razerguy Says:
    The official launch date is October 28 in Europe and November 2 in the rest of the world. The weight is 135 grams and i’ll need to get back to you on the dimensions.
  45. Lurch Says:

    hi

    my only question is how much weight the new habu mouse?

  46. Remco Says:

    Hello,
    The Habu seems to be a better version of the Intelli 3.0.
    But I only have one question: Why does the Intelli 3.0 have an optical sensor capable of 9000 fps, and a Habu “only” has a sensor capable of 7080 fps?

    The specs of the Habu are overall better, so I dont understand this.

    Sorry for my bad english, I hope you can help me Razerguy :D

  47. h4xor Says:

    Someone please define the:
    “was designed from the ground up for low sensitivity, fast hand movement players”

    I don’t have a clue how low is this low… and how fast is the fast?

  48. Razerguy Says:
    FPS is only one factor or metric in defining the potential for tracking, speed and sesntitivity. The Habu has a 16-bit date-rate vs. 8-bit, 2000 DPI vs. 450 and a laser vs. an optical sensor in the IE 3.0.

    When we talk about low sensitivity we’re referring to somewhere between .05 to 3.0 on a scale of 10.

    The weight is as I mentioned before 135 grams.

  49. Q Wales Says:

    This mouse looks just perfect, just what I am after. My only problem is that I can not find one clear picture which shows the positioning of the buttons on the side. I have a Razer Copperhead and a MS Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 atm. The problem with the Razer is that if you freak out in the heat of battle you end up pressing buttons 4 & 5 because there is no space for your thumb to lay underneath. The problem with the MS 3.0 is that after using the Razer it becomes obvious that it is slower and less accurate. Please can we have a decent picture of the side?

  50. Remco Says:

    maybe a stupid question, but i heard 2000 dpi, is to much for just a 19 inch tft or just for gaming :x

  51. Akira411 Says:

    On that note, what dpi is required for optimal performance at a resolution of 1024×768 vs 1152×864 vs 1280×1024?

    And I am dying to read a review on the Habu! 2 November, hurry up and come already!

  52. h4xor Says:

    Razerguy yes, but what do you mean by low sens?
    For example a huge mousepad (like 50cm x 50cm) for one 360 turn in an fps game? Or faster than that?

  53. h4xor Says:

    And if the laser sensor has been tweaked, why is that it’s not good for faster sensitivity? I mean, tweaking means adding things to the original, doesn’t it?

    I’m not sure if I am a low sens or high sens player. Probably somewhere in the middle.

    I personally don’t like the shape of the Copperhead; on the other hand I really like the look / shape of the Habu, I think it would fit me. This is why I’ thinking about getting a Habu, but I would feel busted if it would make errors at some faster moves… :(

  54. Razerguy Says:
    Habu reviews as well as distribution are being handled by Microsoft.

    When we talk about low sensitivity its related to in-game sensitivity at settings below 3.0. h4xor’s example of of an in-game move certainly qualifies as a low sensitivity example.

    When we say that the sensor was tweaked to provide better tracking at low sensitivity we are not saying that the Habu will not perform for mid or high sens users. Razer has never made a mouse that didn’t support all types and style of play. Where we have fallen short is with players who swipe very fast hand movement at very low sens settings. The Habu is a set in the direction of satisfying those players needs.

    Shape is separate issue … we talk a lot in our offices about “the right mouse for the right hand”. This is not just and empty slogan. We are committed to providing shapes and technology for all types of grips, size of hands, playing styles and game genres.

    More on this in some of my future blogs.

  55. Eddie Says:

    Nov 2, and no Habu in any of the stores .. I give up i think im just going to get the razer one.

  56. Razerguy Says:
    Go to Microsoft’s page http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=092&active_tab=comparePrices and check for retailers near you. Note that Razer does not handle product distribution for the Habu.
  57. Eddie Says:

    wow thats bad how hard is to give us a date .. when this thing is going to come out.

  58. h4xor Says:

    ok thx razerguy. ;]

  59. Eddie Says:

    Ah I could not wait any longer so I went down to Bestbuy I got my self a Copperhead .. Love it.

  60. Razerguy Says:
    Just received this update from Microsoft: The launch date for the US and Canada has slipped to 11/9 due to delays at the factory.
  61. Thomas Says:

    Copperhead is awesome. :)

  62. freakanomalos Says:

    oh no :( I’ve been waiting for this mouse so long and now every day looks like a year… So any news about the launch date for europe? :/

  63. Cerba Dan Says:

    as I searched about testing around the internet there is only one way you can get us to forgive you. put diamondback sensor in habu…
    one more dream destroyed….

  64. z0uLess Says:

    I’m a low sens gamer myself (cs sens: 2.6, windows sens: 6/11 (180 degrees = 19cm)), and I’m using a qpad. I’ve been using mx510 and 518 for two years and the optical sensor on those mice +the diamondback are the best a gamer can get imo. Theese laser mice really have not impressed me. It may work on high sens players (high dpi), but low sens players require much more speed. And I’ve heard these laser mice skip at speeds like that (I move my mx518 up to 25-30cm a sekond with very presice movement). I love the shape (optical position and buttons) of ms 3.0, but the optical sensor has got alot of negative accel, so I cant move around as fast as I want to. The shape of logitechs mx series are really not that great.

  65. Cerba Dan Says:

    with that sensitivity believe me that it won’t skip not even copperhead, only in about 1 time per day when you have to do a verry fast movement.
    i am making it skip about every time i make a too fast movement, when someone appears somewhere i wasn’t expecting, and that’s more then 45 degrees to the left or to the right.
    and i’m having a sensitivity about 39 cm for 180 degrees.
    a little more then the length of a steelpad 5L. go and buy yourself habu or copperhead.
    i’m sad …

  66. Magnetic Says:

    Got my Habu (UK) and have a major problem

    The razer config problem won’t pickup the mouse even after using loads of ports, not putting it in before setup and dozens of restarts.

    XP installs it’s own HCI drivers to make it work, is this a problem?

    I cant even install te firmware from your site and razer thinks the habu isn’t connected…

  67. freakanomalos Says:

    ehm… so noone knows any release dates for europe? :-\

  68. z0uLess Says:

    okay. if anyone reads here. I went where I should have gone right away, tho the real hardcore pcgamer community site esr: http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1243679&page=1

  69. Anthony 'billy' Cachia Says:

    bought habu, sadly it only has 125hz as polling rate and it doesnt run any higher, not even if selected from its software

    microsoft and razer referred me to eacother ;o I should have got the g3 as i was suggested :(

  70. HawkInOz Says:

    Still no sign of these being available anywhere on the “official US launch date”.

  71. pojo134 Says:

    i’ve been putting off buying a new mouse till this thing came out but today is the 9th and i went to best buy…didn’t see anything are these ever going to come out ? …btw i checked ms website like you said razerguy and it says you can buy them at pcmall….but when you go there they don’t have them out yet….lots of questions pz

  72. Logic Says:

    I remember getting a bad impression of laser technology when I first tried the Copperhead which was bundled with issues at the time. But when I got the new firmware I found these issues disappeared and the tracking was brilliant, but eventually I decided to go back to the IE 3.0 for comfort :)

    So when these issues with the Habu have been sorted with a firmware upgrade, hopefully we’ll see the negative comments about the Habu and doubts about laser technology for mice in general turning into praise.

  73. Wynterbourne Says:

    Apparently there are issues at the factory again. The ship date has been pushed back to 11/13.

  74. Kevin Says:

    Well the 9th has come and gone and still no Habu :( I’m still gonna wait for one, but it does seems pretty bad from a customer stand point that we can’t get a solid release date anywhere… especially when early press releases said October. Oh well.

  75. h4xor Says:

    Razerguy give us an answer please. We would like you to respond to these problems mentioned here: http://www.esreality.com/?a=post&id=1243679

    Thanks.

  76. z1ross Says:

    I’m just glad to see Microsoft is finally supporting PC gaming again to some degree. Since they came out with the xbox, they discontinued all PC gaming suport and because of that I’ve been boycotting anything to do with the Xbox. I hate the fact that there is still no Sidewinder software for my Sidewinder Force feedback joystick or any MS Pc gaming device. Hell they even droped the “GameVoice” add on and converted it to xboxlive. When it comes to mice, Microsoft had the technology when they released the IE3.0 mouse how many years ago??? and it tracks just as good today as it did back then, and back then it couldn’t even be touched. Only the Boomslang came close (I’ve had both the 1000 & 2000 DPI models). Now with the prospect Of the technology that MS has inside the IE mouse being combined with Razers technology, That going to lead to one VERY NICE Mouse!!

    I too Would also lilke to see Razer release a Retro Boomslang style mouse that is a lasr mouse also. I would buy it in a flash as Thats my all time favorite!!! with the gripable side buttons…..my pinky finger has gotten lazy these days…lol

    Mouse call! (mice you have owned and loved)
    Boomslang 1000
    Boomslang 2000
    IE 3.0
    Razer Diamondback (Plasma & Green versions)
    Razer Coperhead
    Logitech G7
    (and many more note worth mentioning)

  77. Razerguy Says:
    As I mentioned previously Razer does not handle product distribution for the Habu.
    Please go to Microsoft’s page http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=092&active_tab=comparePrices and check for retailers near you. We at Razer do not have any information regarding delivery by county or delays in manufacturing, if any.

    Regarding some reports on tracking on cloth surfaces, we have seen them and read your emails. We are currently reevaluating and replicating these reported issues and running all necessary testing in the hopes that we will have a posted answer/recommendation or firmware fix by the middle of next week. ETA November 16 or before if possible.

  78. Traveller Says:

    Magnetic Says:
    The razer config problem won’t pickup the mouse even after using loads of ports…

    Same here :(
    Any progess on your side?

  79. Traveller Says:

    Ok, somehow I managed to finally get XP to use the proper drivers (which are now v2.0 and the firmware is also 2.0, btw). Unfortunately I can’t say why they didn’t take the first (first half-dozen) time and I can’t even figure out why it worked on the last try except that I ended up udating the mouse’s fw from (1.0 to 2.0) on a 2000-based PC and then updated the drivers on the XP rig to 2.0

    ———————

    Moving on, I love the shape of the Habu - it certainly is quite close to the IM 3.0, only “ever-so-slightly” different. More appareant is the increased weight, may 10% heavier (I have no scientific or kitchen scale, so that’s just my “feeling”).

    More concerning is the fact that the buttons are a bit stiffer than “my” 3.0 (I say “my” 3.0 ’cause it’s from 11/2001 and it’s seen a lot of action since then ;)

    Particularly the middle/wheel button which is even stiffer than the one from my new MS Laser 6000 (which I picked up for €23 otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up at all…). I use the middle button a lot in my non-standard FPS keys&mouse configuration and I don’t know if my index finger will survive more than a few hours of fraggin’ :(

    Time will tell (just picked up the mouse yesterday so that I have no war stories to tell thus far) if the buttons will ease up a bit!

    While I’m thrilled with the DPI range buttons, I’m still very much lost with the other settings (my first Razer…) and I hope I will manage to figure out everything sooner than later :)

    Last but not least, the interchangable side-buttons is not at all a bad idea - I’m sort of on the edge (mid-large hands) and haven’t decided which is best for me, but I can certainly say that the option will be very helpful for many!

  80. Traveller Says:

    P.S. One minor gripe - these so-called “glowpipes” are no where near uniformly lit. I don’t know if this is standard, but I can’t say that I like it all to much (maybe someone can confirm if this is the standard or if I have a “imperfect” unit…).

    A nice feature (thx, Razer!) is that you can turn off the glowpipe as well as the scroll wheel - individually! Of course the mouse goes well with my Thermaltake Armor case which comes stock with 120mm blue-LED fans and matching Harcano-13 fan controller :D

  81. -[x]-Dead Eye Says:

    -skipping-

    I thought it was just me. I guess it happens to everyone witht he co-pperhead. I purchased the mantis speen mat and when i turn i have to move my arm 3 times to turn 90 degrees.
    It skipps like hell. Razer guy admits it by betting his wow gold that the microsoft one wont.
    I want my money back.

  82. freakanomalos Says:

    13th of novemver and still no habu… will it ever reach the stores? at least before christmas?

  83. Jeremiah Johnson Says:

    Razerguy,

    Please understand that I write this as a consumer first, and a gamer second. I love your product ideas as a gamer, but as a consumer am conflicted with the product delays and communication issues at hand.

    While Razer may not feel they have any responsibility to the mfg and distribution arm, the question is, “why do you not know anything about mfg or general release dates?”. I know that when my company enters into a parternship with another company, we contractually guarantee each others certain levels of information access, hard deliverables, and most importantly, recourse paths. These ‘forwhateverreason’ delays cause a great deal of frustration to your loyal and potential consumer base and your hands off approach to these Razer Product issues makes Razer look dissinterested in the customer, or at minimum, totally disconnected from a product that you claim as one of your own. What happens when I purchase my mouse and possibly run in to additional isses? What assurances do I have that your level of support will be anything greater that what we are currently being subjected to?

    This document was not spell checked, sorry for any errors that impact the focus of the document.

    Thanks,
    riboflavin

  84. Cerba Dan Says:

    please understand that the release date is the date for the sites that are on microsoft site. and any delay would require razer guy to give microsoft a headache calling day by day and asking where the mouses are at the moment.
    the most important thing at the moment is to let razerguy do what he promissed, and that is testing mouse for skipping at high speeds. without this, no matter when is the release date. :(

  85. wynterbourne Says:

    The release date has, once again, been pushed back. Latest estimates from MS are 11/20/06.

  86. Akira411 Says:

    As Jeremiah Johnson/riboflavin said:

    It is important and would be appreciated for someone at Razer to try to keep the consumers informed as best as possible. If not Razerguy himself, then someone, anyone!

    It goes without saying that M$ are doing an appalling job of communicating manufacturing difficulties and resultant delays to the consumer, which is shocking in this day and age! By not even letting us know that there are problems, they leave us to sit in the dark and twiddle our thumbs. It’s a total lack of respect… we could be doing better things with our time than checking this blog everyday and checking the M$ link to see if there is any official M$ news…

    M$, you suck! Keep up the great job on your public relations.

  87. Gunnar Says:

    I get “No mouse detected” in the Razer Habu config vindow after innstalling the software, and i cant uppgrade the firmware eigther!
    Have tried too install the software before i connect the mouse also…

  88. Birbone Says:

    You have to deinstall the driver you are using befor installing the Habu one,
    it worked for me…
    After deinstalling the old mouse, you have to use only the keyboard to select and launch the Habu driver executable.

  89. Riz Says:

    Does the Habu support application specific profiles like other Microsoft mice?

  90. Riz Says:

    Ok I have just bought a Habu, I am experiencing the same issue as Gunnar, I get “No mouse detected” when launching the configurator! Using driver version 2.0, firmware says n/a. The Habu mouse is working however, I just cannot update the firmware as the firmware update program reports that it has failed.

    Yes this is with pressing the button below and going into flash mode.

  91. Gunnar Says:

    Had too use the drivers for CopperHead, then i could install a firmware (it seemed like there was no firmware innstalled) Then i could install Habu`s firmware, and everything worked fine ;-)

  92. Elysium Says:

    Hi.
    Everyone keeps saying that the copperhead skips….and yes it did on a PLASTIC PAD! I found the DKT EVERGLIDE pad feels really nice with copperhead…. Still the copperhead is not perfect though it just doesnt glide :P *remembers the gliding of a IE 3.0 on a icemat*

  93. John Says:

    Jeremiah Johnson, you’re on crack. Razerguy has never appeared to be is disinterested (which, you spelled incorrectly). Razer’s partnership appears to be limited and as Cerba Dan pointed out, the major issue at hand is identifying any bugs and possibly having them fixed via software. Microsoft is handling distribution and if it can’t manage to control its release date(s), how is Razerguy supposed to update us?

  94. Gunnar Says:

    Holy shit, whats this! i unplugged the mouse, and when i conected it`s the same problem ;-( “No mouse detected”

  95. Riz Says:

    Ok figured out why it was not being detected…I used the latest drivers from the site (2.0), used the one from the supplied cd (1.0) and it works…..

  96. Reynolds Says:

    Read all the way through first. This is incredibly stupid for a mouse install, but you MUST get all of it working. This takes about 12 reboots.
    Do NOT install the provided CDROM software. Do NOT plug your mouse in.
    Use your current mouse to download the updates from Razer.
    Get the updates all set up (extracted to a folder, etc.)
    Uninstall your current mouse from hardware devices.
    Reboot.
    Install Razer software. During installation, you should be required to accept non-M$ drivers. If you’re lucky, you won’t blue-screen.
    Reboot.
    Choose a USB port that you want the Razer mouse to always be plugged into; according to Razer docs, it will lose the driver if you plug it back and forth from other ports. Then, plug in the Razer mouse. It may *say* Habu found, but it probably isn’t. Open the hardware screen, and find your mouse in the list. If the drivers are there, then skip down below to #14. Otherwise, uninstall it.
    Scan for changes; it will re-install. It still probably won’t have the right driver.
    Choose the “Update Driver”. Don’t allow it to search; select the driver. It will want you to put in the CD; don’t. Instead, go to
    C:\Program Files\Razer\Habu\Driver and choose habu.sys.
    You will know things are correct when you are forced to allow an unsigned driver to install. If you’re lucky, it won’t blue screen.
    Reboot.
    Now install the Firmware update found in the extracted folder. It will install a “Freescale” driver which you can just let it search for itself and find. It should complete OK. You will be prompted at the end to unplug and replug your mouse - make sure you use the same USB Port.
    Reboot.
    Now in the Habu configuration software it should be 2.0 software and 2.0 firmware. If it’s not, then good luck.
    Reminder that changing the Polling Rate requires a reboot; DPI switching does not. I have mine set on 1000 (scans once per millisecond).

  97. Eye in the Sky Says:

    So how long before Razer puts out software for the Habu that detects its own mouse and updates drivers/firmware properly without having to spend as much time and more reboots than it takes to put a system together? I tried the above suggestions but still no good, Configurator still says driver 2.0 firmware n/a and wont recognize the mouse. Of note however is the last time I tried it the hard way (that is, using the keyboard to navigate everything~~pain~~)the standard firmware failure to update error was instead replaced with a long pause prior to getting it, almost as if something was trying to work perhaps.

  98. Traveller Says:

    I agree that the driver install was a difficult process & considering it’s a Microsoft product being installed on a Microsoft OS… .

    Now that I’ve had a chance to play around with the mouse, I’m please to say that it will indeed be a good replacement for my aging IM3.0! Double-clicking (in Win environment) is still a bit “stiff” but I can feel some progress as it continues to go through the initial break-in process.

    I’ve had absolutely no problems in terms of skipping etc. however I’ve only used it on a flexible plastic-vinyl-covered mat which has a fine-grainy texture. Other than the glow-pipe issue, I sometimes end up “sliding up” onto the left-side buttons by accident, something that never happened with the IM3.0 so if you plan on actually assigning actions to those, be aware that their somewhat lower placement may become an issue… . This only applies to gaming because during normal (Windows) usage, there is no unintentional sliding etc (as no one’s shooting at you ;-)

  99. Traveller Says:

    Well, I guess the image in this review answers my glow-pipe question:

    http://www.metku.net/index.html?path=reviews/habu/index_eng5

    You will see that the section at the bottom is not uniformly lit - it’s not a show-stopper, but would have been nicer had they managed to get it to “glow” all the way around :p

  100. Philip Says:

    Hi Razer

    Just wondering if they are any other reviews out there for the MS Habu? The Metku review is nice but does not talk about one specific thing. How the Habu react with very low sensitivity and fast movement. In short, is skipping notice witth these settings. Some guy at the esreality forum (not formal review) said the Habu skips, well i am still waitting for a reputable review. Well, any out there yet?

    Philip

  101. Razerguy Says:
    Anyone experiencing installation issues please see the following link for help, http://www.razerblueprints.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=96&topic=5517.msg50126
  102. Eye in the Sky Says:

    1) Open Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager
    2) Under “Human Interface Devices” if the mouse is not installed properly you will probably see two entries saying “USB Human Interface Device”…
    3) If you right-click on one of these and look at Properties it should say next to location “Location 0 (Habu Mouse)” (the 0 might be a different number)
    4) While still in Properties click on the Driver tab, then “Update Driver”
    5) Check “No, not this time” on first screen asking about using Windows Update, then click “Next”
    6) Check “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”, then Next
    7) Check “Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install”, then Next
    You should see two available compatible devices - “USB Human Interface Device” and “Habu Mouse” (If “Habu Mouse” does not appear click on “Have Disk” and navigate to C:\Program Files\Razer\Habu\Driver and select habu.inf)
    9) Select “Habu Mouse” and the drivers should then update properly
    10) Reboot, and Razer Habu config and the firmware updater should now work

    follow these instructions at your own risk, i did, and during driver instal it crashed my system (twice) and cause the mouse to not work at all, couldnt log into windows until i dug an old mouse out and plugged it in.

    razer had better get on the ball and make the driver/firmware install work like it is supposed to as opposed to having the community try and hack their way around it, and i mean yesterday. i got this habu to replace my copperhead, which had become a pain to double click with, which evidently i have an rma on, but they refuse to cross-ship, so in order to have my copperhead replaced, ill have to do without both of them !?!?!?!?!?!? never has a mouse been such a problem. ever.

  103. Mark Says:

    Microsoft and Razer seem to have really blundered with this product.

    When I read the instructions (with pictures) it said plug in the mouse, then install the software.

    On attempting to follow this - there was a sticky label over the USB plug saying ‘Install the software first’ - ie do it the opposite way described (with pictures) in the manual.

    I sat there for a bit and thought to myself ‘One of these supplied instructions is wrong’.

    I then noticed a piece of paper that had been inserted telling me it was very important to install the latest Habu software and firmware at step 2 in the manual.

    So, this piece of paper is now supporting the manual. Insert the mouse first then on step 2 (install the software), instead of installing the software from the CD, you actually install the software from Razer’s website as per the little paper insert.

    So, it is 2 vs 1 to inserting the mouse and then installing the software.

    I download the update from Razer’s site and find it is a folder with 2 sub folders (one called ‘Firmware’, the other called ‘Software’) but no accompanying ‘readme file’. I sit there again think ‘Mmm, what do I do here? - do I install the Firmware or the Software first?’ Both folders have their own exe. files.

    Now, there is a problem here - updating firmware wrongly can damage a product. This is even mentioned on Razer’s site (for a similar product): http://www.razersupport.com/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&amp…article

    I contacted Razer’s support centre and pointed out that their software download has no instructions for use. I pointed out that a user could be confused as to whether to install the software first or the firmware first.

    Razer do not currently know - they have asked me to contact Microsoft. I cannot raise a email enquiry with Microsoft as the product is not in their recognised list - I cannot simply just choose another product as Microsoft’s site spots this when I enter the products ID number. The product is not in Microsofts product list: http://support.microsoft.com/select/default.aspx?target=assistance&ln=en-gb&c1=502&

  104. Mouselover Says:

    Open Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager

    Under “Human Interface Devices” if the mouse is not installed properly you will probably see two entries saying “USB Human Interface Device”…

    If you right-click on one of these and look at Properties it should say next to location “Location 0 (Habu Mouse)” (the 0 might be a different number)

    While still in Properties click on the Driver tab, then “Update Driver”

    Check “No, not this time” on first screen asking about using Windows Update, then click “Next”

    Check “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)”, then Next

    Check “Don’t search, I will choose the driver to install”, then Next

    “”You should see two available compatible devices - “USB Human Interface Device” and “Habu Mouse”
    (If “Habu Mouse” does not appear click on “Have Disk” and navigate to
    C:\Program Files\Razer\Habu\Driver and select habu.inf)”"

    Should work As written!!!
    BUT WHAT THE HELL…. naver had to work so much for driver’s mouse!!!
    KEEP WORKING ABOUT THIS … if you want to sell…
    I THINK :)

    THANK YOU FOR INFO… without them…. = MAD

  105. Ray Norwood Says:

    You reference “Flick” and “Glide,” play styles; what is the difference?

  106. James Says:

    i have the habu and the polling rate doesnt seem to change? even after rebooting the pc it stays 125hz.. (also i had some troubles with the mouse not being detected nothing to hard to fix)

  107. Katharsis Says:

    Hi again!

    Mark you have to install first the Software and then the firmware (at least that way it worked for me).

    Now back to the topic:
    I played with the Habu some days now (TrueCombat) and what I can say, is that it really improves my aiming. I don’t know if it is because of the shape or the higher weight (compared to the Copperhead) but I feel that my Aiming is more precise now.
    What is really annoying is the 125Hz bug. I know that Razer is trying to make the driver/firmware v3.0 a perfect and complete one. But v2.0 was released already a month ago… that’s quite a long time if you take a look every day, every few hours at the razer support page to see v3 of the firmware.
    As I said I think that Razer tries to release a final firmware but people are waiting… and they get no response. I bought the Copperhead at the beginning and of course the bugs were annoying… but somehow it was a pleasure to see nearly every day a new firmware making your Copperhead better step for step. Of course this was an era in history where the first mouse in the world got a firmware update nearly every day ;)… but somehow… you know, it made the users don’t feel so alone. There was a lot of discussion when a new firmware was released and also it gave the users a feedback from Razer, so everybody knew that they were working hard.
    Now the Habu again is buggy but the only thing we know is, that Razer said they are working on a bugfix. That’s ok… but we got no feedback until now. We don’t even know if it takes just hours or days for the release or another month. Maybe the firmware/driver is already ready but Razer is testing it from ground up. But we do not know this… and this is a bit dissapointing, because we have to wait - but we never now how long. Sometimes it makes me happy if I think that Razer will release a firmware soon. Then I take again a look on their support site and see no updated firmware. Then I think: What if it takes another month or even longer? You can think of how this makes me feel…
    My wish would be that Razer releases beta-firmwares again, which maybe still have some issues. I think that Razer already have fixed it so that it works with 1000Hz but maybe some other things are not tested properly and so on. So it would be nice if we could have a firmware fixing some issues (the most important would be the polling rate for me, as the mouse works great besides that, after playing around with installing the driver properly).
    Also Razer would get a feedback from users about the (beta) firmware. But if Razer tests it and releases a “final” firmware there still could be some bugs because there are a lot of users… and this would be _really_ dissapointing. In fact today there are more than 3000 downloads for the German and English driver, so there are quite a lot of people who already bought the driver.

    Best wishes for future products!

    Katharsis

  108. Katharsis Says:

    I meant: bought the mouse not the driver ;)

  109. Bob Says:

    Copperhead FTW i’ve hadnled both at e3

  110. Derek Says:

    I am going to second Katharsis on the polling rate bug :-( Fix soon ? Please?

  111. Philip Says:

    One word ‘DEATHADDER”. Way to go Razer.

  112. Hoe Fatmama Says:

    Hello,

    I’ve recently purchased Habu, and want to mention that the few hours spent upgrading the firmware/driver stuff were extremely frustrating.

    Having finally updated both to version 2.0, I am still having tracking problems. Here’s my set up: I play UT2004, set DPI to 2000, polling rate to 1000, and the xy-sens to 1.5 and 2 respectively (since the y-axis sens was somehow too low by default). My in game mouse sens is about 2.1, allowing for a 360 degree turn in about 7 inches of horizontal slide. It works fairly well most of the time, but often enough, in the middle of game play the mouse simply stalls out, unable to track and leaving me a lame duck out there. I’m using the Everglide Titan pad, and I must also add that I never had any such trouble with my G5 mouse. Is there a solution to this? Should I increase my mouse driver sens? I haven’t tested the polling rate, but I hear it’s really 125 tops. Is that true, and when will that be fixed?

  113. Katharsis Says:

    Yes polling rate only works at 125Hz. You can test it with some different programs (like mouse rate checker).
    I use my Habu on the Razer Mantis Speed (which should be the same as your Everglide Titan I think) and get absolutely no skipping, as you describe it. On this pad I also get no negative accel, so basically it’s tracking really good on the Mantis Speed.

    Maybe you should clean the sensor with a qtip from time to time as the laser sensor is so sensitive that it tracks dust. 2000dpi means 2000 dots per inch. If you want to calculate one of this dots: 1/2000. This results to 0.0005 inch. That means that it is able to detect such small stuff… as dust.

    Anyway if it is still tracking worse after cleaning, bring it back to the shop you bought it at.

  114. Hannibal Says:

    Same here…I purchased and it doesn’t poll 1000hz instead it’s locked at 125. I must note…the mouse did install fine using the installation CD that’s included and DID poll 1000hz for me but… I updated to 2.0 driver/firmware because i was having an ingame issue with the scrollwheel click (FEAR). Aside from this everything seemed fine for me using 1.0

  115. Razerguy Says:
    Guys, we have to work these fixes out with Microsoft approval and things just take longer than normal. We apologize for the wait and for your inconvenience and are working hard to provide better solutions.
  116. Katharsis Says:

    OK thank you Robert.

    Now after a month of use AND the release of firmware v2.01 I can say: The Habu IS awesome. Maybe the sensor of the Deathadder will be better, but the shape, the feeling and everything is great now on the Habu (expect the thicker cable, which is kind of stiff… but of course should be more resistable than the Copperhead one).
    You know: It was a good mouse also with 125Hz. But you could also feel that the mouse is not reacting that fast (when you are used to CH and DB…). After upgrading the driver/firmware to 2.01 games felt a lot smoother and the mouse was not lagging anymore (of course 8ms are noticeable). In this month with just 125Hz polling rate I died a lot in games even if I was able to see the enemy before he shot me. Now after aiming at the enemy I often got shot in a split second AFTER I was clicking left mouse button… but of course: These 8ms made the enemy faster, so my shots were not recognized in time by the game.
    So I don’t want to say now that the polling rate transformed me from a “noob” into a “pg”, you know… but it saved my life in many situations, while I was playing a lot today since the new firmware got out.
    A lot of skill is needed in games, but sometimes you also need a bit of luck. If two opponents see each other at the same time, they need a good aim. If these players have both almost the same aiming skill you can expect that they are pointing at the enemy at the same time. Now they just need to shoot… and of course both will try to shoot as fast as they can. And if again they shoot at the same time it depends on their hardware ;). And 8ms make a big difference here (of course there are a lot more influences here).
    Situations like these happen quite a lot. For mastering them… I think you know whom to tribute ;) !

    Thanks.

  117. Razerguy Says:
    For your information the MS Habu v2.01 driver/firmware has been uploaded onto our site (http://www.razersupport.com/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=viewdownload&downloaditemid=53)
  118. Eye in the Sky Says:

    follwed instructions for the 2.01 driver/firmware and lo and behold………..wait for it………Still failure to update, and config still fails to recognize the mouse. Oh boy, how much longer to wait for 2.02 to do the same thing all over again?

  119. Razerguy Says:
    The polling rate issue has been resolved in the latest firmware update available here: http://www.razersupport.com/index.php?_m=downloads&_a=view&parentcategoryid=7&pcid=0&nav=0
  120. Safari Says:

    When do you release firmware updates which do not need Microsoft operating systems?
    For example, Intel provides (for their motherboards) .iso images which can be booted without any particular OS.

    Will the specs be open at some time in future so I can get 2000 DPI and 1000 Hz without buying Microsoft operating systems (after coding support for Habu for my operating system)?

    Is the Habu sampling rate 125 Hz if you don’t configure anything or install the Microsoft OS drivers shipped on CD?
    From looking at /proc/interrupts, only around 100 (128?) interrupts per seconds are generated when moving the mouse.

  121. Katharsis Says:

    In fact the firmware does not depend on the used OS. It is just a file which gets flashed on the mouse itself. But of course therefore a driver is needed. So you can take a Windows system, install the Habu driver and upgrade the firmware to version 2.01. Then the habu works with 1000Hz (and no driver is needed anymore). This means you can use it on a Linux system with the full functionality with profiles and programmed buttons, but of course without the driver you cannot configure them.
    But therefore you can take the opensource (inofficial) razertool which exists for Linux right now. With the razertool you can configure your mouse but as far as I know you can also flash the firmware.

    http://razertool.sourceforge.net/

    Zinx, the developer of razertool also released the source code of his Copperhead/Habu firmware. Right now it basically works but it lacks some features (like profiles), so I would use the firmware from Razer right now (it works as it should now, at least for me).

    Next (if you use Linux) you have to set the polling rate of the usb-mouse. The default is 8ms which means 125Hz, but it is easy to set it to the value you like. 2ms would be 500Hz and 1ms is 1000Hz.
    Just take a look at a thread I have posted in the razerblueprints forum:
    http://razerblueprints.net/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=96&topic=5554.0

  122. Safari Says:

    I know firmware does not depend on OS.

    B

    After firmware update I was able to use razertool to change DPI and HZ of my Habu.
    Thanks.

  123. Safari Says:

    Accidentally, I pressed tab and comment was submitted.

    I was going to say:
    But believe me, I hadn’t found razertool, and I did search for such a tool.

    Razertool needed some hacking because it did not support Habu out-of-the-box, but that took only a minute.

  124. jc Says:

    what hacks did you have to do to enable habu compatibility?

  125. Safari Says:

    Looks like razertool is not able to change polling rate,
    whatever I do, it’s 500 Hz.
    Should the same code work for Copperhead and Habu?
    I know razertool is not supported by Razer, but if people get 1000 Hz in Windows,
    I can probably blame razertool and/or Linux.

    $ cat /sys/class/input/event1/device/ep_81/interval
    1ms
    $

  126. Katharsis Says:

    If you set the polling rate in the razertool or the original razer driver, then the driver/razertool transmits it to the firmware inside of the mouse. There it is getting saved (in your profile) and then the mouse knows “aha… I have been set to a polling rate of 1000Hz, so I need to send data to the computer every 1 ms”. Now if your Operating System accepts only 125Hz polling rate then it wants data from the mouse only every 8ms. It just refuses the other data or just does not take it.

    But if you use the instructions for Linux which I told you above you can tell the OS what the Polling Rate is, and when it should take data from the mouse.

  127. Safari Says:

    >what hacks did you have to do to enable habu compatibility?

    do “cat /proc/bus/usb/devices ” and find Habu from there.

    I have

    P: Vendor=1532 ProdID=0009 Rev=21.00

    Then edit src/razertool.h and change 0×0101 to 0×0009.
    Type “make” and hacked programs are ready.

    Note that after firmware update ProdID seems to change.

  128. ice Says:

    hi,
    I’ve just purchased habu and managed to update it to v2.01! wasn’t easy though…..

    I wanted to follow the instructions on razersupport but I had some problems in the middle of the process, so I had to improvise.
    I hope this helps everybody to avoid problems. here’s all the steps I’ve taken:

    1. plugged the mouse
    2. installed the box CD software
    3. downloaded the v2.01 update
    4. tried to install the firmware but it didn’t work. I kept getting the message: “the habu synapse firmware update has failed!”
    5. unistalled the box CD software
    6. reboot
    7. installed the v2.01 software
    8. reboot
    9. mouse was dead (no lights) and software didn’t recognized it.
    10. unplugged/replugged (rebooted?) the mouse and then software recognized it, but firmware was still 1.0
    11. tried to update to v2.01 firmware and it worked!
    12. but then software didn’t recognized it again :\
    13. unistalled the software
    14. reboot
    15. installed software
    16. reboot
    17. software still didn’t recognized the mouse :\
    18. unplugged/replugged (rebooted?) the mouse :)
    19. software v2.01 finally recognized it!! :D identified firmware as v2.01, changed polling to 1000Hz and all….

    it was hard… but it feels really nice! fits nicely in the hand, tracking is great…
    love it!

    lesson (re)learned: if you have problems and it says microsoft… reboot it! :)

  129. Safari Says: