first the general specs:
- up to 8200 dpi dual-laser
- 8 programmable buttons (oook, they say 11, but left/mid/right button does not really count imo)
- 1000MHz polling with 1ms response time
- built-in 32bit ARM processor
- ~ $ 150
the look
the mouse comes with 2 sets of side-pieces with and without finger rests:
of course you can mix the side pieces so you have a rest only on one side. what I really like about them is the nifty attachment technology by magnets, no fiddling around with tools or having to be scared tiny plastic pieces might break off after a while...and if you feel the urge to change during gaming (for what reason ever) it's done in 2 seconds:
the Ouroboros has some illumination features, but luckily they are pretty subtle and limited to the mouse wheel and 2 stripes on the sides, the illumination intensity can be regulated (or turned off completely) through the Razer software:
the features
when you look around in the shelf of your friendly neighborhood electronics market the Razer Ouroboros will definitely jump right into your eye because the package is quite over the top...still pretty cool though: a huge acrylic glass box where the mouse is presented sitting on some pedestal, like an art object, all the extras are hidden in the bottom of the box. speaking of the extras coming with the mouse...there aren't many:
- 2 sets of side pieces
- the (high quality) wire
- the charging station
- the receiver
- 2 stickers
that's it. no driver CD, Windows will of course recognize the mouse but to make full use of it you will have to download software from Razer...which brings me to one, maybe the only, point I don't like: in order to use the mouse properly, which means adjusting the settings, assigning buttons, etc., you will have to create an account at Razer and the settings are stored in the Razer cloud server...they can not be saved locally!
the mouse can be used with and without the wire btw! so if you really need the last nanosecond of response time you can simply clip out the wire from the charging dock and attach it to the mouse. the wire should be long enough for every halfway normal system setup, even when the computer is not right under the desk (like on my setup).
user experience
I have been using a Logitech Revolution MX mouse for long years now, and I actually liked it a lot, the only reason why I decided to try something new after my trusty Logitech mouse showed signs of decay was the fact that the new Revolution MX model has pretty bad reviews in context with the switch quality of the mouse buttons, and they (Logitech) also have removed the "half wheel" for the thumb which I liked a lot and replaced it with some silly buttons. the old MX model can still be found in a few shops, but they take total advantage of the fact that it's not built anymore...no way I am paying 250 bucks for a mouse.
compared to the Revolution MX the Ouroboros is very different, starting from the shape already, but now, after a few weeks, I am pretty much used to it, and I have to admit I like it, especially after I found out that using finger rests on both sides work best for me.
what I also like about the Razer is the fact that you can replace the battery if needed, it's using a standard AA cell. finding out where to put that battery after you got the new mouse is a bit of an Indiana Jones job though...even the manual is not really helping.
see the silver wheel thingy on the right? that's not it. you adjust the palm rest height with it. it's the thing around it which is also a button. you have to keep it pressed and move the whole back at the same time...then:
still don't see it? ok, there you go:
the back part, which acts as palm rest, can be adjusted in the length and in the height btw.
now, after I got used to the mouse, I can not say anything bad about it, neither for gaming- nor for everyday work-use. it works precisely, especially the buttons have a very defined and precise click-point. there are also buttons behind the side-pieces, but I found them not really useful at all and additionally I clicked them a couple of times by accident so I disabled them.
my final verdict for the Razer Ouroboros:
8/10
technical masterpiece, but the forced Razer cloud use for basic mouse functions is a no-go imo, which was a -1.5 points for me.
