Razer Lycosa Mirror Gaming Keyboard - Special Edition

After doing a lot of research I finally decided on this keyboard (instead of the G15 or a game pa). I'm used to just using 13 dollar microsoft keyboards, so it was a lot of money for 'just' a keyboard, but so worth it!Just the keyboard alone, minus the programmable aspects, have been great. I love how it looks when lit up (which I've had no trouble with it seeming too dim), and when my computer is off it looks good too with it's dull black look instead of a shiny plastic like most keyboards.I also love that it's a very economic design, and especially small for a programmable keyboard. One of my concerns was that some of the other programmable keybards simply seemed huge, and I felt like they were investing too much desk space both for normal computer use and especially for gaming where I have the bad habit of shoving the keyboard to the far left to use mostly the right side.On that note, because I'm a 'goofy footed' gamer that doesn't use the standard wsad with my left hand for movement, this keyboard was exactly what I needed. Most of the programmable keyboards I saw had the 'special' keys on the far left side, which I can't easily reach when I play games. With this keyboard you can turn ANY key into a programmable macro and it has quick and easy profile switching (and even auto-switching when a program starts up). For me this was great because I was able to turn the insert-pgdwn block of six keys into programmabed macros for my online gaming. It even let me bind macros/programs to the print screen and pause/break keys, which most games don't let you bind actions to in game so they're wasted. As well, you can disable any (any) key on the keyboard that you want (again controllable via profile options), meaning you can disable the pesky windows start/control button that will crash a lot of games to desktop!Typing on the keyboard is very comfortable too. I write a lot, so I was worried I'd have to effectively have two keyboards, one for gaming and one for writing, but I've found this keyboard to be very comfortable with standard typing (as opposed to my work computer that I'm on right now that the keyboard feels like a game of whack-a-mole to get words out). Sucks though, no going back to the cheapo MS keyboards now even for writing, this one is just too comfortable.Also being able to plug my usb drive into the back of the keyboard is nice, and keeps me from forgetting it. Having a headphone/speaker jack right in the keyboard is sweet too istead of having to fumble around the base of my tower for the right hole (feeling like a virgin drunk on prom night!). I've never had any problems with the keyboard slipping either, which has been a problem in gaming with the cheaper keyboards I'd use previously.Oh yeah, I was concerned about how hard it would be to 'program' keys being my first programmable keyboard. I can't compare it to any other keyboard, but it was very easy (no need to read instructions, yay!). It will take a few hours to fine tune 'programs' between the keyboard and game, but once you get the hang of it you won't know how you ever managed without a programmable keyboard for gaming!UPDATE: As of July 2012 I still use this keyboard daily and thankfully still haven't ever had the issues others have experienced.I don't use the media keys, and the biggest issue I've had is that a few times (maybe 3 in 4 years?) the LED state will change and my keyboard backlighting will go off or switch to wsad mode. A quick press of the LED button (okay, sometimes have to mash it) and the whole keyboard lights up again). A few times keys have gotten mechanically sluggish and I just blew gunk out from the keyboard and good as new.I've used my keyboard daily for years, including writing hundreds of pages of essays, reports, stories for college, work and personally, and never had anything but an amazing experience with my keyboard including the fact that even beyond being programmable this is one of the most comfortable standard keyboards I've ever used, and durable. So, take reviews with a grain of salt and read the good and the bad, but I thought I'd update with the fact I've still never had any problems (knock on wood) and this thing is still going strong and I may actually weep the day it dies.

Frankly this keyboard is absolutely amazing (I'm typing my review with it actually). It does have a couple of down-sides that need to be considered before you buy the product, but other than a couple of issues I would recommend this board to anyone looking to own something that's high quality, and at a cheaper price compared to some of the other gaming keyboards I've seen on the market.The keyboard: The board itself is high gloss, and I could see my face in the board as I was hooking it up. Razer also offers the standard version of this which I didn't go for. I read too many reviews complaining about the rubber headed keys coming off after wear and tear. The high gloss finish of this board is sturdy, however, and should last much longer. The board is relatively standard as far as layout with the exception being the media touch panel at the top right. The only other thing different is the low profile keys. The keys are almost even with the board casing, but they are slightly raised so you know whether you're touching key or case. I've heard that the low-profile keys have confused some users as far as missing keys, but I find it an improvement over raised keys. Low-profile keys combined with the high gloss finish literally mean you're fingers fly over the keyboard. Granted I'm a touch typist so I'm a little bit less concerned with feeling where I am on the keyboard. If you're not a touch typist then it may come as a challenge to master. The media touch panel is a nice addition although it really only covers four major media players (a feature I found lacking, but it plays winamp so I have less complaints).The backlight: The backlighting is great. The wasd cluster option is worthless to me. Without the backlighting on the high gloss finish of the board makes it really hard to tell what keys are what if you're using sight as your guide. It looks cooler with the backlighting on to begin with, so I really wouldn't be worried about that option. I've read some reviews that said the backlighting was weak and they couldn't tell what the keys were if they were leaning back. I haven't found that that's a problem with my board. The backlighting isn't in your face, but the glow spreads evenly over the characters and is bright enough to see in the dark without distracting you from the real action on your monitor.The software: This keyboard is reputed to make any key a macro, and it is true. You can set multiple keystrokes on one key, and not have a problem doing multiple action with the one key. There is a small catch however. Games like wow and some of the other major mmo's don't allow any script outside the game to run in the game. This basically means that until you find the option to allow external script into the game or the mmo releases it and says it's ok, the macros that the lycosa's software can create are blocked by the game. That being said if you can make it work then please look forward to the gaming board of your dreams. The interesting thing about the software is the key bindings aren't just restricted to running multiple key-strokes. You can also program a key to open a certain program (a very simple task I assure you). While the software has it's limits in the mmo world...it is robust enough to be used in other settings as well, so it's not a total loss.The conclusion: The board and the software is solid. There will probably be some complaints from the mmo crown if they buy this board (I know the main reason I bought it was for wow), but the fact is that the software has so much more expandability than just programming macros for a game. The software can be used in ANY program to make things easier for you. Razer did right by the software and I'm very pleased with the versatility of it. Now if we could just get blizzard to stand by external script lol. The physical aspects of the board leave nothing to want. I love everything about it. The bottom line?? If you're a gamer and looking for a board that's cool and can make opening programs easier for you (no more having to open your music player...just one click and it opens straight from the board), then this is the board for you. If you're a regular consumer and just feel like you want a board that will last, have a nice look, and be a show piece for your friends then this is your board. Personally I think this board has something to offer for everyone and not just the gamers.