[typing]
Greetings. LGR here to talk about
something that is very near and dear to my heart,
and that is computer keyboards!
Before we get to that, though,
this is a little bit different than what I normally do
because I was actually approached by YouTube to do this video.
Something they're doing called "Awesome Stuff Week,"
and this happens to be the part of their week that they're calling "Hundred Dollar Wednesday."
So basically, they're like,
"Hey, we like your videos, so about you go and find something that costs $100
and you buy it and we'll pay you to cover it in the way that you normally would."
So... *pfft* Why not, man?
So I went out and got me this thingy right here
This is the Razer Deathstalker.
So, Razer didn't approach me or anything.
I just was curious about these things and felt like covering it, so let's go ahead and do that.
Now, I'll always be a die-hard fan of buckling springs and mechanical keyboards for PCs
but I was curious how a chiclet keyboard would work for my main gaming and editing rig.
It used to be that the term "chiclet keyboard" was a kiss of death, especially if you were a gamer,
I mean, no one in their right mind would game on a piece of hardware named after a piece of candy, right?
Well, that changed around the time Apple started including a chiclet-style keyboard with their computers.
All of a sudden, other computer manufacturers were like,
"Whoa! I guess we can start making chiclet keyboards again!"
And so, here we are.
Chances are if you bought a computer recently, you have a chiclet keyboard
like my MSI laptop does, for instance.
The standout features of the styles of keyboards are their near-flat key tops,
clear separation between keys,
and the keys being low-profile with minimal travel.
Being a mechanical keyboard guy, I wasn't sold on these at first,
but, man, this Steelseries keyboard on my MSI turned out to be fantastic for typing and gaming alike,
once I got used to it.
That led me to the Razer Deathstalker,
a chiclet-style desktop keyboard that goes for $79.99.
I'd never used a Razer device before this,
so I saw it at the store and decided to bring it on home and see what it's about.
This is actually the "Expert" model of the Stalker of Death,
which means it features glowing green keys,
the leading choice of experts worldwide, I guess?
Oh, well, it's those chiclet keys that I was mostly interested in and I have to say,
they're not too shabby.
They feel comfortable on the fingertips,
push in with an acceptable amount of force,
aren't spaced too far apart,
and allow for ten simultaneous key presses, which helps for all kinds of games.
The layout is also exactly how I like it,
with keys like Enter, Backspace and Backslash being just the right shape
and the arrow keys laid out how I prefer.
It's amazing how many keyboards get this stuff wrong.
The LEDs are also pretty tasteful, compared to other keyboards I've used
that make the whole thing glow like a pile of unicorn vomit.
The Deathstalker also features a function key like you'd find on a laptop,
allowing for some extra features like a gaming mode, which disables the Windows key among other things,
an on-the-fly macro recording mode,
LED brightness settings and some multimedia keys that I'll never use.
It also makes use of some software by Razer
which allows for all sorts of stuff, like macro editing,
key reassignment, profiles for different games,
and keystroke stats in the form of heat maps.
Now, sure you can do this with most any keyboard with third-party software,
but it's nice to see it included from the word go.
And, now for the bad,
which largely has to do with the components used to make it.
The rubber-domed membrane underneath the keys has *just* a bit too much resistance for my taste.
making each key press feel a tad squishy.
Also, the overall build quality of the keyboard is suspect,
with the plastic of the unit feeling very light and cheap.
I also wish it included a USB port or two,
and maybe even a secondary PS/2 plug on the end for using it on legacy hardware,
but sadly it does not.
As such, I'm not sure 80 bucks is worth it for me, but thankfully there is another option.
If you don't care about those uberleet LEDs, there's a model without them for 30 bucks less,
putting it in what I find to be a more acceptable price range for the quality you get.
And of course, you could shop for it online through this video by clicking the cards to the right,
or things in the video description, and
maybe find an even better deal that way.
So that's the Deathstalker keyboard by Razer.
It's okay. [laughs]
And maybe not exactly all that I was hoping for,
but perhaps you will find it better suited to your needs.
Anyway, that's all for this.
Thank you very much for watching.