I bought the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard because I wanted a quality mechanical keyboard, and I though I wanted Cherry Blue switches, but was attracted to the slightly shorter throw distance of these switches. Note that while I play some games, that's not the primary reason I purchased this keyboard, and I don't care much for the bells and whistles, software, etc. I did not install the software that came with it. Just the keyboard.
The short: I really like this keyboard, and I would recommend it, though it's probably a little on the pricy side.
The keyboard is solid and heavy. There's a very nice braided cable that carries 2 USB and the audio lines to the back of the computer. I only plug in the USB cable to the keyboard, though it offers another USB port and audio jacks. It's a full-sized keyboard with the number pad, arrow keys, etc. (the tournament edition is not a full-sized keyboard).
I love the feedback of the switches. I regret not investing in a quality keyboard sooner. They feel just like the Cherry Blue switches. There's just something that feels good about typing on a good mechanical keyboard that makes every membrane keyboard just feel like mush. I can't tell any difference unless I have them side-by-side, so I consider this like any Cherry Blue keyboard, so I wouldn't put a premium on the shorter throw if I were to buy again.
Some of the secondary benefits of this keyboard: I really like the positioning of the escape key. On my old keyboard, the row of macro keys was right next to the escape key, so when my fingers would hunt for Esc, I would often hit a macro key instead. On this keyboard, the escape key is in the upper left, on an island, exactly where it should be, so I can hit it correctly every time! Though not important, I also like the adjustable backlighting. It's a nice touch. If I'm working (or playing) at night, I can adjust the brightness until it feels right, and it's easy to do.
There are a couple of things I'm only 90% happy with. The font on the keyboard is this modern gamey-looking font. Fine for teenagers, but I'm not a fan of it. I wouldn't buy this for an office environment; it just looks too gamey. Second, I really wish the media control keys were separate, as opposed to two-key combination. And last, the function keys are in a different position relative to where they are on other keyboards. If you're accustomed to hitting function keys often, this will require some re-learning. I only rarely use them, so it's not a major annoyance. I like that they're close to the number keys so the finger distance is manageable, and I also like the separation from the Esc key (a major plus for me), but it would take a lot of practice to hit F2 without looking down at the keyboard.
There are a lot of other keyboards in this price range, and I think it comes down to what you like. I love this keyboard, but if I were to buy again I would look at other Cherry Blue keyboards in this price range and see if maybe I could get something that looks a little less like it's designed for teenagers and still have key layout that I like, but I have no regrets about buying this keyboard.
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
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