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GF! Archival Version Copyright 1995-2004




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by Kärna LLC

Snapshot
Ups:
Sleek, fast, smooth and sensitive. 

Downs:  Small learning curve, maybe too sensitive for some.

System Reqs: P200, 32 MB RAM, Win 95 or Win 98; USB or PS2 port.

Kärna LLC has produced a revolutionary mouse that will likely change the way you think about mice all together. It's the Razer Boomslang 1000\2000 DPI, and believe me,  this is no ordinary mouse! The Boomslang can upgrade your gaming and deliver options "on the fly." Effective use of the Boomslang takes some getting used to but after about 15 minutes or so I found the device to be comfortable and intuitive.  It is very fast and very smooth and, if you’re not careful, sensitive in the extreme. 

The stylish Razer Boomslang has a total of 5 buttons on it, but only 4 can be used at any time. One left, one right, a scroll middle button, and a new (assigned) button that is controlled by the thumb for either right- or left-handed folks.  The elegant symmetry of the Boomslang is what makes the thumb button work for either hand.  Kärna opted to use a ball over a laser since that would increase DPI; the higher the DPI, the more precise and sensitive the mouse. The improved precision and sensitivity of the Boomslang is produced by using a light beam to count the rotations on the encoder wheel, which results in the increased DPI.  A standard PS/2 mouse has around 300-400 DPI, which is slow and jumpy compared to 1000 DPI for the standard Boomslang and a whopping 2000 DPI for the Boomslang 2000.

Up to an 8 keystroke macro can be assigned to any of the 5 keys of the Boomslang. Though clearly designed for gaming, the Boomslang's excellent performance and accuracy combined with its ability to control smoothness and speed of motion proved useful even in my graphics work in Photoshop.  Yet another advantage is the ball cleaner.  With its patented dust barrier in place, the innards of the mouse will remain clean and assure a long and healthy life.

The customization utility is very easy to use and includes several effective graphical screens. There are 20 different sensitivity settings which are easy to change, and you can turn the on-the-fly sensitivity changes on and off in a snap. There is also an option for a graphical meter to appear to the right of your screen when you use on-the-fly sensitivity changes. In scroll wheel customization you can set the normal scrolling speeds from one line to one page per tick, and turn universal scrolling on or off. The buttons configuration includes customization for the four active buttons and the setting to right-handed mode or left handed mode. The last tab in the customizer program is important only if you’re using the PS/2 Flex options. The default is set to off but you can turn it on and change the poll rate to seven different settings, all the way up to 200 Hz.

Featuring an ergonomic design, innovative features and breakthrough technology, the Razer Boomslang gives many players the competitive edge they seek in today’s games.  Even the cord is an impressive 7 feet long!  The adjustable sensitivity, smoothness, and near perfect movement of the Razer Boomslang makes it the current king of gaming mice.

--Al Wildey