- Razer USA
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- This article is about the computer peripherals manufacturer named Razer. For other meanings see Razer (disambiguation).
Razer USA Ltd 
Type Private Industry Computer • Computer hardware • Consumer electronics Founded 1998 Founder(s) Min-Liang Tan(陳民亮/陈民亮)
Robert KrakoffHeadquarters San Diego, United States Key people Min-Liang Tan(陳民亮/陈民亮)
(CEO and Creative Director)
Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff (President)Products Mice, keyboards, headsets, sound cards, mousepads, Xbox 360 Controller Website www.razerzone.com, eu.razerzone.com 
Razer USA Ltd snake logo
Razer is a privately held computer peripherals manufacturer specializing in products specifically marketed to gamers. Razer's main slogan is 'FOR GAMERS, BY GAMERS'. Originally started in the 1990s, it suffered a period of dormancy during the millennial change and has then seen a resurgence, with new products released during 2004 and 2005, and has been constantly growing throughout ever since, despite the financial crisis end 2008.[citation needed] The Razer brand is currently being marketed under Razer USA Ltd.
Contents
History
Razer was founded in 1998 by a team of engineers and marketers to develop and market a high end computer gaming mouse, called the Boomslang, targeted specifically to computer gamers. It was positioned as the world's first 2000 dpi mouse and purported to give greater control and accuracy to gamers who used it.
Razer was one of the first companies to sponsor gamers, which directly contributed to the emerging pro-gaming phenomenon. Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel was among one of twelve of the first wave of Razer sponsored gamers and is still currently active in pro-gaming. Razer was also the first company to sponsor teams and donate prize money for team events Counterstrike in 2001. Razer continues to support major global tournaments and esport gaming teams and individual professional gamers. Razer co-develops their line of products with teams and gamers.
2004-2008
The Diamondback PlasmaIn 2004, Razer released an optical mouse called the Viper. This was followed by a 1600 dpi optical mouse named the Diamondback.
In the following 4 years Razer extended its mice portfolio and adding a range of Keyboards, Audio Peripherals and Mousing Surfaces.
2009-2010
Razer announced that its next step was to move into the console peripheral market by revealing a Controller and a Headset for the Xbox 360. They've also showcased their upcoming motion control technology for the PC, the Sixense TrueMotion.
2011
At Consumer Electronics Show 2011, Razer unveiled the Razer Switchblade, a handheld gaming device prototype,[1] which won the Best of CES 2011 People's Voice award.[2] Razer's CEO Min-Liang Tan together with co-founder Robert Krakoff and a representative from Intel were featured in the launch video.[3] The prototype featured a multi-touch screen and 45 buttons, each of which is a LCD screen that adapt dynamically to whatever game the user selects. The device is comparable in size to the Nintendo DS system, having dimensions of 172mm x 115mm x 25 mm, though the switchblade is noticeably larger. The prototype had both 3G and Wi-Fi support to allow for online access in a wider range of locations. The device was also shown to have USB 3.0, mini-HDMI, and standard headphone and microphone jacks. The Switchblade used an Intel Atom processor and ran a version of Windows 7 in the demonstrations. No price or release date was given for the device, it being only a prototype, however, they stated that they are working with "select partners" to produce products based on the Switchblade.[4]
In August 2011, Razer created a teaser site claiming that PC gaming was not dead. The site contained a countdown to August 26, 2011, and was coupled with a full page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. On August 26, 2011 the site forwarded to the homepage for the new Razer Blade, Razer's first laptop, claiming to be the "first true gaming laptop". The design featured a touchpad on the right side in order to make laptop usage more comfortable for games, and ten customizable touchscreen buttons with customizable icons. The Blade was met with mostly positive initial reviews. Gaming news site Kotaku.com claimed that the Blade may "save Windows laptops forever" and was going to be the "future of PCs". However, the starting price of $2,800 was met with criticism. The CEO of Razer responded to these criticisms, saying that the price could have been brought down had the product been thicker, heavier, and without the switchblade interface.[5]
Products
With its current product range that includes gaming mice, gaming keyboards, gaming audio and gaming surfaces.
All Razer products are named after predatory or poisonous animals, ranging from snakes (mice), insects (mouse mats), arachnids (keyboards) over marine creatures (audio) to felines (console peripherals). The Razer Blade laptop is the only exception.
Reception
Most Razer products are generally met with positive reviews.[citation needed] However, Razer products have also been the target of heavy criticism. The Viper, Copperhead, Microsoft Habu, and to a lesser extent, the Krait, lose their tracking relatively easily when being moved at high speeds.[citation needed] In the case of the Copperhead, Razer promoted the use of added weights but voided the warranties of mice that were customized this way, even though the weights were sold and manufactured by Razer itself. Almost all Razer mice except for the 3G/3.5G Laser mice have high lift-off distance. The first generation of Razer's 3G/3.5G Laser mice suffered from Z-axis tracking issues, which were easily fixed via firmware update, but the updated firmware was not released until months after the issue was first reported.
Ergonomics on many of Razer's ambidextrous mice are also criticized. While the thumb buttons on the Copperhead, Diamondback and Lachesis are easy to reach, the side buttons on the opposite side are extremely difficult to reach, as the user has to temporarily give up control of the mouse to press them. Razer's Starcraft 2-branded mouse, the Spectre, is marketed as an ambidextrous mouse, however the mouse has no thumb buttons on the right side of the mouse available for left-handed users. Razer products also have been known for having "low build quality" as their cords sometimes develop shorts, their buttons ghost-click, their mouse wheels make a loud squeaking noise, and glossy plastic comes off as very cheap. To combat this reputation, most of Razer's recent products have a notably higher build quality, such as the addition of braided USB cables, and the release of updated drivers and firmware.[citation needed]
Razer's partnership with Microsoft has also been criticized.[citation needed] Razer does not include the Microsoft Habu on their mouse comparison page, and it is even rumored that Razer gave the Microsoft Habu a laser sensor to tone down the product, knowing its tracking faults, while saving their much superior 3G infrared sensor for their DeathAdder mouse, a mouse with the same shape released only a couple months after the Microsoft Habu.[citation needed]
In August 2010, Razer's newly announced Onza XBox 360 controller was banned from competitive play in Major League Gaming's games and tournaments.[6] The ban was met with mixed reactions from both supporters and opponents to Razer's new controller. Supporters of the Onza claimed the MLG administrators banned the controller because the Razer-rival Mad Catz was developing a MLG-branded controller at the time. However, the official reason for the ban was due to the Onza's two multi-function programmable buttons. MLG administrators also stated they had spoken to Razer engineers about the ban before the official announcement, hoping Razer would create a version of the controller without the extra programmable buttons.[citation needed]
In early March 2011, Major League Gaming released new rules for the game Halo: Reach that removed the ban on the Razer Onza controller on the MLG Pro Circuit, allowing gamers to use the Razer Onza legally in competitive play. However, the MLG ban still remains for the game Call of Duty: Black Ops.[7]
Comparison of Razer mouse devices
Date of release Technology Sensor Optical resolution
(DPI)Interface Polling rate
(Hz)Mass
(g)Dimensions
(l × w × h, mm)Buttons[8]
(top/side)Onboard memory
(KB)Firmware upgradeable Form factor Illuminated Boomslang 1000/2000 1999 Mechanical
(ball)Kärna proprietary 1000/2000 PS/2 10-200 150 140 × 60-82 × 32 3/2 No No Ambidextrous No Mystify/Razer Boomslang 2100/2500 BFG Sniper Boomslang 2100 2003 Mechanical
(ball)Kärna proprietary 2100/2500 USB 125 115 140 × 60-82 × 32 3/2 No No Ambidextrous No Viper April 2004 Optical Agilent A2051[9] 1000 USB 125 78 118 × 55 × 36 3 No No Ambidextrous Red Diamondback Late 2004 Optical Agilent A3070/A3080[10] 1600 USB 125 90 129 × 63 × 38.5 3/4 No No Ambidextrous Red, Green, or Blue Diamondback Plasma Mid 2005 Optical
(infrared)Agilent A3088 1600 USB 125 90 129 × 63 × 38.5 3/4 No No Ambidextrous Blue Copperhead Late 2005 Optical
(laser)Agilent 6018 2000 USB 1000 124 130 × 66 × 41 3/4 32 Yes Ambidextrous Red, Green, or Blue Krait Mid 2006 Optical
(infrared)Agilent A3088 1600 USB 125 78 120 × 60.5 × 37 3 No No Ambidextrous Orange or Red Microsoft Habu Late 2006 Optical
(laser)Avago 6030 2000 USB 1000 135 129 × 68 × 43.5 5/2 32 Yes Right-handed Blue DeathAdder Late 2006 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed Blue DeathAdder Razer Blueprints Edition Early 2007 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed Blue DeathAdder Guild Wars Edition Late 2007 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed Amber Boomslang Collectors Edition
(10,000 Units)Late 2007 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 1000 150 139 × 82 × 35 3/2 32 Yes Ambidextrous Green Diamondback 3G Late 2007 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 125 100 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/4 No Yes Ambidextrous Red, Green, or Blue Lachesis Late 2007 Optical
(3G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2031 4000 USB 1000 128 129 × 71 × 40 5/4 32 Yes Ambidextrous White, Red or Blue Salmosa Mid 2008 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB 1000 40 115 × 63 × 37 3 No No Ambidextrous No Salmosa Pro Gaming Edition Mid 2008 Optical
(3G Infrared)Avago 3668 1800 USB ? 40 95.9 × 54.4 × 33.3 3 No No Ambidextrous No Mamba Feb. 2009 Optical
(3.5G Laser)(NEW 4G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600/6400(NEW) USB/Wireless 1000 108 - 129 128 × 70 × 42.5 5/2 64 Yes Right-handed Blue or Multi-color Naga Aug. 2009 Optical
(3.5G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600 USB 1000 ? 116 × 69 × 41.6 5/12 64 Yes Right-handed Blue Orochi Mid 2009 Optical
(3G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2031 2000 (Wireless)
4000 (Wired)USB or
Bluetooth125 (Wireless)
1000 (Wired)95 - 141 99 × 67.8 × 35 3/4 60 Yes Ambidextrous Blue DeathAdder 3500 Late 2009 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed White or blue Imperator Late 2009 Optical
(3.5G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600 USB 1000 138 123 × 71 × 42 5/2 32 Yes Right-handed Blue Abyssus Late 2009 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 71 115 × 63 × 40 3 No No Ambidextrous Blue DeathAdder Left-Hand Edition 2010 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Left-handed Blue Abyssus Mirror 2010 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 71 115 × 63 × 40 3 No No Ambidextrous Blue Spectre 2010 Optical
(Laser)? 5600 USB 1000 ? 100 × 66 × 37 3/2 No Unknown Ambidextrous[a] Blue Lachesis (ver. 2) 2010 Optical
(3.5G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600 USB 1000 128 129 × 71 × 40 5/4 60 Yes Ambidextrous Multi-color Naga Molten Special Edition 2010 Optical
(3.5G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600 USB 1000 ? 116 × 69 × 41 5/12 64 Yes Right-handed Red Naga Epic 2010 Optical
(3.5G Laser)Philips Twin Eye PLN 2032 5600 USB/Wireless 1000 ? 116 × 69 × 41 5/12 64 Yes Right-handed Multi-color TRON 2010 Optical
(3.5G Laser)? 5600 USB 1000 ? 110 × 61.3 × 33.5 3/4 No Unknown Ambidextrous Blue DeathAdder Black Edition Early 2011 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed No DeathAdder Dragon Age II Edition Early 2011 Optical
(3.5G Infrared)Avago S3888 3500 USB 1000 133 128 × 70 × 42.5 3/2 No Yes Right-handed Red - ^ The Specre's two side buttons, typically pressed by the user's thumb, are located on the left side of the mouse, making it difficult for a left-handed user to employ the use of these buttons.
Comparison of Razer keyboards
Date of release Interface Polling rate
(Hz)Dimensions
(l × w × h, mm)Color Detachable wristpad Onboard memory
(KB)Cable management Special ports Special keys Audio ports USB ports Key type Backlit keys Tarantula 2006 USB 1000 Hz 469 × 221 × 15 Black No 32 No Battledock 10 Macro, media center, profile Headphone, microphone 2 Dome Macro keys only - blue Microsoft Reclusa 2006 USB 1000 Hz 551 × 236 × 61 Black Yes N/A Yes No 6 Macro, 4 bumper buttons, 2 - 360 deg. jog dials No 2 Dome All - blue Lycosa Late 2007 USB 1000 Hz 522 × 220 × 33 Black Yes N/A No No Media center Headphone, microphone 1 Dome All / WASD / off - blue Lycosa Mirror Special Edition Late 2008 USB 1000 Hz 470 × 222 × 20 Black Yes N/A No No Media center Headphone, microphone 1 Dome All / WASD / off - blue Arctosa 2009 USB 1000 Hz 470 × 222 × 20 Black on black or silver on black Yes N/A No No Media center No No Dome No Marauder 2010 USB 1000 Hz 400 × 182 × 32 Grey No N/A No No Media, Gaming Mode No No Dome Customizable BlackWidow Ultimate 2010 USB 1000 Hz 475 × 171 × 30 Black No N/A No No 5 Macro, Media, Gaming Mode Yes 1 Mechanical - Cherry MX Blue Blue BlackWidow Late 2010 USB 1000 Hz 475 × 171 × 30 Black No N/A No No 5 Macro, Media, Gaming Mode No No Mechanical - Cherry MX Blue No Anansi Late 2010 USB 1000 Hz 515 × 190 × 22 Black No N/A No No 7 thumb modifier, 5 Macro, Media, Gaming Mode No No Dome Blue TRON Late 2010 USB 1000 Hz 577.5 × 168.25 × 31 Black No N/A No Detachable Keypad Media, Gaming Mode No No Chiclet[11] Blue BlackWidow Ultimate Dragon Age II Edition Early 2011 USB 1000 Hz 475 × 171 × 30 Black No N/A No No 5 Macro, Media, Gaming Mode Yes 1 Mechanical (Cherry MX Blue) Red See also
- Mouse (computing)
- Keyboard technology
- Agilent Technologies — manufacturer of the sensors used by Razer mouse devices
References
- ^ "Razer Switchblade". Razer USA. http://www.razerzone.com/switchblade. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ "CES People's Voice Award". CNET. January 8, 2011. http://www.cnet.com/ces/peoples-voice/. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ Razer Switchblade - A Revolution in PC Gaming. January 6, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiQ0AnlfBu4. Retrieved 2011-01-20.
- ^ http://www2.razerzone.com/switchblade/about
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/#!/minliangtan
- ^ http://www.tomshardware.com/news/MLG-Xbox-360-controller-Mad-Catz-onza,11143.html
- ^ http://forums.majorleaguegaming.com/topic/225333-can-i-use-this-controller-at-mlg/
- ^ All Razer mouse devices have a scroll wheel acting as one of the top buttons.
- ^ Razer used a lens with a magnification factor greater than that recommended by Agilent to obtain an effective 1000 DPI resolution from the 800 DPI A2051 sensor, giving a lower maximum tracking speed. As a result, users who preferred a lower sensitivity setting (requiring greater/faster physical movement of the mouse) found the Viper unusable.
- ^ Depending on date of manufacture. The A3070 sensor suffered from an issue known as pixel jitter compensation; one units worth (a single pixel in the context of a GUI desktop with a 1:1 mouse input/output ratio) of accurate movement was lost immediately after reversing the physical direction of travel of the Diamondback, resulting in the 'skipping' of the mouse pointer. This issue only occurred at high sensitivity settings, and could be largely negated with the use of a software fix (programmed by a helpful Razer user going by the name of "Atalan"), made available as a patch and in Razers drivers. Later runs of the Diamondback used the A3080 sensor which did not suffer from this issue.
- ^ http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.221640400/parentCategoryID.43736600/categoryId.53428800
External links
- Razer — official website
- Razer Pro|Solutions — official website targeted at creative professionals
- Razer Blueprints — Razer community website
- European Razerzone — official European website
- Optical Mouse technology review — Overview of optical mouse technology by Richard L. Owens
Categories:- Companies established in 1998
- Computing input devices
- Pointing devices
- Computer peripheral companies
- Companies based in San Diego County, California
- Privately held companies based in California
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