Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 20
 Cool, but not what i expected May 13, 2007
Christopher Wilson (Santa Clars, California)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a pretty cool keyboard. I love the programmable keys and the program provided is pretty easy to use for making macro's or remapping the keyboard. It types really well and the keys have great response. Problems I have is that it takes two usb ports to plug in and for some reason the added usb ports on the keyboard itself wont work for me (says something about insufficient power). Also one of the keys stopped working, but that was easily fixed by removing the key with the tool provided and resetting it in place. Also, get a cable splitter for your audio cable if you want to use the headphone jack on the keyboard without having to unplug your existing speakers all the time.
 Of questionable quality October 6, 2007
Richard D. Walkden (Guilford, CT)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I like the keyboard's idea - programmable keys. However, there is a fleeting problem of USB occasionally reporting that the keyboard cannot be detected. This comes and goes, sometimes rapidly and can be very annoying while "gaming' because it changes the window focus. Sometimes it goes for days with no problem and then fails. It has 2 USB connections provided by a separate USB cable, however the voltage drop on the cable renders the two ports unusable. The programmable keys do work well but the keyboard in its totality is a flawed product.
 Not as good as it looks April 1, 2008
Roland J. Provost (Dover, NH United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Big keyboard, with wide key spacings. Nice for gaming but not so good for typing, repeated letters are a real problem and it takes some time to adjust to spacing.
Big downsides are software and customer support. I have had repeted incompatability problems between Razer software and iTunes and Microsoft Outlook. I have only had the keyboard for a week but have had to reload software sevral times (seems to be the same problem I had with short lived Razer Death Adder Mouse).
Razer also has awful customer support, they don't seem to acecpt returns of failed products. So if you buy from Amazon, hope that yours fails before Amazon's 30 days are up.
 Tarantula: The Ultimate Keyboard November 21, 2007
C. Long (Buffalo, New York)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am very impressed with the razer tarantula. It is a superior keyboard for gamers, as the keys are ultra responsive and well structured. I have owned both the Logitech G15 and the Creative Labs Fatality gaming keyboard, both ruined due to spilling beer. Each board impressed me greatly over a standard keyboard, and I was very upset to lose them both. Only now do I realize my great fortune in losing those inferior keyboards, because now I have a superior one. Now, I won't even think about placing an open glass of beer on my PC desk. I have found the Tarantula and I intend for her to have a long life.
A professional gamer's keyboard. September 20, 2008
Freth (Delaware, OH United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The first thing you should do when you buy this keyboard:
*Download and update the drivers (for Vista, especially).
*Download and update the firmware after updating the drivers.
If you don't do this you'll run into compatibility issues with Vista and the keyboard won't work until Windows loads (i.e. can't press keys for BIOS or Windows boot menu). The firmware fixes this issue and the drivers that come with the unit are not Vista compatible, so they fail to install properly. A serious gamer is going to download the latest updates anyway, but I wanted to make it clear that the keyboard was originally released for Windows XP and not Vista, so drivers had to be written for Vista.
The functionality of the keyboard consists of 10 customizable keys (5 left, 5 right) that you can set macros on. The keys are backlit and can be changed out for a set of included keys that have various pictures on them (for gaming). On the right are play options for Windows Media Player (and others), shuffle and volume. On the left there is a home key that brings up your default browser. Rotate, zoom and 100% keys can be set to work with the Windows picture viewer, Photoshop and a few others.
The Home, End, Delete, Page Up and Page Down keys take some getting used to as the Delete key is huge and the End key is higher than it normally is. Another thing I noticed is the offset at which I had to place the keyboard in order to type with the home keys. As with any keyboard, it takes time to get used to a key layout and this isn't an issue in my opinion.
The keyboard takes a minimalist approach to gaming, but caters to the professional gamer with nice programmable features. Some gamers like fancy key layouts and loads of oddball looking gadgets. The Tarantula bypasses the fluff and goes right to the source--giving you what you need as a gamer and not stuffing the keyboard with items that you won't use anyway.
I changed from a Zboard (which still functions just fine) to this keyboard for a change in pace. If you're a serious gamer looking for a sleek approach to a gaming keyboard then this is probably going to satisfy your needs.
Razer makes quality products. This is no exception.
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