Re-enforce? Really? Reinforce, I think, was the word you were looking for. Anyways, pretty good keyboard, friend has it. I have a logitech with full travel and prefer that. Try it before you buy it.

Why on Earth do all the gaming keyboards assume that everyone uses WASD? It never felt right to me, especially as a touch typist whose first finger gravitates to the F key. I prefer ESDF for this reason, and it also opens up more keys for my fourth finger. This issue alone is keeping me from buying this keyboard.

sefchickaj wrote:When it worked it was a great keyboard, but mine would frequently have a random key stop working, requiring a USB unplug/re-plug.

Someimes I didn' cach i for a while, which was frusraing.

Switched to a Logitech G-19, couldn't be happier.

Same thing happened to me. I used a Lycosa for about 2 months, and dealt with that issue the whole time. Reloading drivers, firmware, and I even tried a fix that involves placing a penny inside of the touch panel to stabalize the connection (google it, it's very common). None worked, and along with my keys going out over time, un-plug and re-plug didn't fix it, I had to completely restart the machine, at which point it would BSOD, and then carry on like nothing happened. Swapped it for a black Widow. Same thing. After a bit more research into the components of their manufacturing, it turns out that the problem lies in the keyboard controller module. Razor uses the same module in all of their keyboards, and it is not 100% compatible with windows 7 and certain hardware configurations for whatever reason. Razor knows this, but has continued to use the same controller. I guess it's only a handfull of parts it doesn't work with, and that doesn't warrant them to put the money into designing a new controller. Whatever, switched out my black widow for a Logitech g510, and my death adder for a g700. Couldnt be happier.

At the very least it will make it easier to surf adult sites in the dark. Woot has a little word conversion installed for the more colloquial term for adult sites.

All these comments about the overall function of this keyboard but no one has mentioned yet about the technical detail I am most interested in (unless I am just blind): How many concurrent key inputs will this recognize at one time?

Given the high quantity of disparaging comments on its reliability I am not likely to purchase this, but it would be nice to know about the input number.

Xeryon wrote:All these comments about the overall function of this keyboard but no one has mentioned yet about the technical detail I am most interested in (unless I am just blind): How many concurrent key inputs will this recognize at one time?

Given the high quantity of disparaging comments on its reliability I am not likely to purchase this, but it would be nice to know about the input number.

4. Any more and it yells at you

Razer keyboards tend to have one fundamental flaw - they connect via USB port. This one is no exception.

Think about how many keys you might be hitting at a time - although they mention an "anti-ghosting" feature for this, which means that certain common combinations of keys won't get lost, there is still going to be a hard cap on how many keys can be processed at one time, because of the USB connection (6, by the way).

This may be enough if your primary game of choice is a FPS type of game. It may not be if your poison of choice is an MMO.

Ultimately, this is a good price, but Razer has more flash than substance (backlit keyboards won't make you any better at games, but it's probably the biggest thing that distinguishes most of their 'gaming' keyboards from the non-gaming counterparts). If you have a cheapie and need to do something about it, this could be a good upgrade. But if you want a keyboard that's going to be your best option for gaming, and don't mind spending the bank, there are a lot of better keyboards out there.

I have been using one from Woot! for about 3 years now. Works great, really nice key feel. It does have low profile keys. Almost as nice as my Lenovo laptop keyboard.

The keys are not glossy/shiny and have a little 'stick' to them. I like the feel. The blue backlighting isn't all that bright or obnoxious, and I don't like Blue LED light in general. Doesn't bother me. I don't really use any of 'features' of the keyboard, and didn't install any software (other than the Driver Win7 picked up).

It has nice feel and sticks to the desk wonderfully, now crawling keyboard.

My mom really liked my keyboard and bought one, new from Razer, and it was really flaky. Mine has been rock solid. So it seems there is a little quality issue. But if you get a good one they are great.

I bought one of these REFURB. Lycosa's and had nothing with problems from day 2 of ownership.

I owned a non-refurb. unit and I STILL use it at work without any problems whatsoever. HOWEVER, the refurb. unit would have random keys stop functioning, so I would have to disconnect/reconnect it (Several times a day 10+) I got it exchanged through Razer and the new one just shuts off or cycles through the LED modes, WASD, All On, and Off.

I fixed this by disconnecting the touchpad. The keys on the refurb unit are much more difficult to press on the left hand side of the keyboard than the right.

I'm sorry to say, I would DEFINATELY AVOID buying a refurbished Lycosa. I deal with it because I love my original, but I'd rather have spent the $80 for another new one than my refurbished unit.

I bought this keyboard from my SO for gaming. We constantly have to unplug the keyboard because it will freak out and not respond. We've had it replaced by Razor twice but it doesn't solve the problem. It happens on the 2 other machines we have. I'd avoid this and go with logitech.

Regretting the impulse buy. I've been wanting a backlit keyboard for a while because I like to play my pc games in the dark, but sometimes need to find a key that I don't use often. Anyway, I jumped on this deal when I saw it because I've seen other Razer items sell out quickly. Now I'm reading all the bad reviews and I find myself with buyers remorse before it's even shipped. I did a little legwork in case it's as bad as all the reviews and I want/need to return it. FYI ->

Quote from Woot FAQ

"Unless we specifically tell you not to, call the manufacturer of the product you bought. You will likely get a replacement of a new model or better item from them. If we still haven't dissuaded you, report your issue through our Support page. It'll go a lot easier if you have the order number, the name of the product you are returning, and a detailed explanation of the problem. We will respond with return authorization by the next business day. Because we aren't likely to have a replacement in stock, you should be prepared for a refund-only option if that's all we can do. Know that return freight will be at your expense. Again, you will probably get a better deal from the manufacturer, or whoever else handling member service for that product."

Quote from Razer Website

"Our Returns & Refund Policy is limited to products purchased directly from our Razer Online Store and the procedure for returns must be initiated within 30 days on all peripherals and 14 days on computer and gaming systems from the date the item was purchased. Please note that for items purchased from other retailers, we can only assist in warranty support."

mrgeology79 wrote:Regretting the impulse buy. I've been wanting a backlit keyboard for a while because I like to play my pc games in the dark, but sometimes need to find a key that I don't use often. Anyway, I jumped on this deal when I saw it because I've seen other Razer items sell out quickly. Now I'm reading all the bad reviews and I find myself with buyers remorse before it's even shipped. I did a little legwork in case it's as bad as all the reviews and I want/need to return it. FYI ->

Quote from Woot FAQ

"Unless we specifically tell you not to, call the manufacturer of the product you bought. You will likely get a replacement of a new model or better item from them. If we still haven't dissuaded you, report your issue through our Support page. It'll go a lot easier if you have the order number, the name of the product you are returning, and a detailed explanation of the problem. We will respond with return authorization by the next business day. Because we aren't likely to have a replacement in stock, you should be prepared for a refund-only option if that's all we can do. Know that return freight will be at your expense. Again, you will probably get a better deal from the manufacturer, or whoever else handling member service for that product."

Quote from Razer Website

"Our Returns & Refund Policy is limited to products purchased directly from our Razer Online Store and the procedure for returns must be initiated within 30 days on all peripherals and 14 days on computer and gaming systems from the date the item was purchased. Please note that for items purchased from other retailers, we can only assist in warranty support."

This is not true, I was able to have mine exchanged through Razer even though I bought it on Woot last time the sale came through. I just got another hit-or-miss refurb. and they (Razer) had me agree that when they did the exchange the new one wouldn't come with a warranty.

I've had a few of the same problems:
I've worn through the rubber coating on the WASD keys and part of the SPACEBAR, and sometimes the USB port works, other times it doesn't. I never actually installed or accessed any of the "special" features of the device, just used plug and play function.
Other than those two draw-backs, it has served me excellently!
Owned: 1.5 years

I actually got this keyboard from woot. It's pretty good for the price that woot is selling it for. But like others, It's construction feels a bit shoddy. The WSAD and spacebar coating is stripped and the backlight is very dim. When I power down or reboot the computer the LED lights do not show up unless I cycle through the lights. If you need an extra keyboard, this is a good one to have as a backup. But as an everyday gaming keyboard that can take the abuse. Your better off with something else...

The keyboard isn't bad but it's not good either.

I wonder how many times this keyboard has been offered by Woot? Also, I'm not sure if this is a refurb or not, but based on my experience, plenty would be sent back for refurbing.

I bought one from Woot several years ago and it was the worst keyboard I ever used. I spent a lot of time with tech support to no avail. They finally sent me another which had the exact same problems, no matter which computer I used it with.

I had the same problems as mentioned here. Keys would just randomly quit working. Sometimes an unplug/plug/restart would work, sometimes not. The lighting was inconsistent. Just a mess.

I ended up selling it at a yardsale for $5.00 with a caveat to the purchaser and went with a Logitech which has been so much better. I have used several Razer mice with success, but would never buy one of their keyboards based on my experience with this Lycosa.

I might get it just because Razer Lycosa sounds like a Megaman X Boss name.


DUHNAH DUNAHNAH DUHNAH NUHNAHNAH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wYloDDlMjA

Bought this a few years ago from Woot, it works OK. I bought it cause I really like the Razer Salmosa mouse, but the keyboard is a bit of a disappointment. I don't like typing on it, it seems like the soft touch doesn't let me type as fast as I want to, or maybe the key travel is too much, I hit keys at the same time... it ain't no Lenovo keyboard fo sho. It can be quirky too, requiring a restart to make it work occasionally. The back lite keys are pretty cool, but mine doesn't start lit up upon boot up, so if I am working in the dark I have to turn the desk light on to find the little touch button to turn them on, just wish they would start lit up. It is not on my primary machine so it is alright for what it is. It is kind of big too if you have a small space. I'm not a gamer, so maybe it is awesome for gaming, hell if I know.

I have never owned a more unreliable keyboard. I use my computer for gaming and this keyboard has an issue with keys sticking. Its not an actual frozen key, but something in the circuitry. To unstick the key you have to unplug the keyboard from your computer, wait a minute for the reset, and then plug it back in. This happens on a DAILY BASIS. Other than this issue, they keyboard is very nice. The keys have a nice feel, the back lighting looks cool and is not overly bright. Would not recommend to any serious gamers.

I was on the fence if I should buy this or not because of negative reviews. I'm not sure if I should go by this, but this made me purchase it. I read this over at Toms Hardware:

"We had one such keyboard that had the more serious symptoms so we headed over to the Razer site and filled out the form, and sure enough, less than twelve hours later we got a response saying that Razer has arrange to ship a replacement keyboard out to us. We must note here that our original keyboard has long since been outside of its standard warranty.

If you have one of the defective boards under the listed serial numbers (see below) head over to this link now. Here is an image of where your serial number is located on the bottom of your Lycosa gaming keyboard. For the record, our keyboard serial number started with MT07 as you can see in the image below.

Lycosa gaming keyboard serial ranges that Razer acknowledges as defective start with the following codes :

MT0803
MT0802
MT0801
MT07

UPDATE: We spoke to Glen Frick, Director of Customer Satisfaction at Razer and we were told that the issues with Razer's Lycosa keyboards were limited to a small batch of customers.

"Only a few hundred were affected, and they have mainly all been taken care of already," said Frick. Apparently, the keyboards in question were manufactured sometime during 2007, and while Frick did mention that some may even be left on store shelves, Razer has a program up that immediately takes care of customers with affected serial numbers."

I like everything about this keyboard, except for the fact that it stops working every 20 minutes or so.

Some had mentioned there was a problem with how the touchpad was seated on the keyboard contacts, causing some problems. Took the keyboard apart and there was certainly a connectivity issue. Fixed that issue and now the touchpad works all the time.

But the issue with the keys still persists. I will be typing away and all of a sudden keys stop working or one key will stick. I have to unplug the USB and plug it back in and it starts working again for about 20 minutes, then repeats the same behavior.

This is a known issue with this keyboard, and I advise against purchasing it. You could get lucky, but you could also spend a few buck more and get one that you know will work.

EDIT:

My keyboard is not one of the ones listed as affected based on its serial number, but it most certainly has problems.

If you've never tried this keyboard, I would be cautious. Bought one of these and while it performed overall like a gaming keyboard, the action of the keys is a little weird, and holding down keys sometimes was a little weird. It wasn't for me and I tried to return it to discover they have only a 15 day returns policy...be warned.

yuppicide wrote:Lycosa gaming keyboard serial ranges that Razer acknowledges as defective start with the following codes :

MT0803
MT0802
MT0801
MT07

"Only a few hundred were affected, and they have mainly all been taken care of already," said Frick. Apparently, the keyboards in question were manufactured sometime during 2007, and while Frick did mention that some may even be left on store shelves, Razer has a program up that immediately takes care of customers with affected serial numbers."

Just so you know, I walked around that bush with them, and my serial did not fall in that range, but I experienced the same issues. When speaking with Razor customer care about it, they told me that it is possible that the manufacturing defect carried over to the newer serial series as well, but "probably only a few". That's just food for the masses, sorry to say it.

I've experienced similar situations from the touch panel (where it seems to change the lighting setting or turn volume up or down randomly), but I found that it was happening because my mouse cord or some other piece of clutter on my desk was actually touching the pad enough to make it respond (which doesn't take much).

The only actual problems I've encountered are..
* Software's interface and functionality are mediocre
* I never got "Gaming" mode to work (which I believe has to do with the previous point)
* Ghosting (again.. possibly because of the driver)

Otherwise what I love about it is..
* How pretty it is
* The rubber finish (though it's wearing through on the Ctrl and Shift keys from too much BF ^_^)
* The optional USB, headphone, and microphone ports on the top
* The feel of the keys and keypresses in general. I love laptop keyboards and I find this to be a very good halfway (or one-quarter-way) point between those and standard keyboards.

I have had Razer Gaming Keyboards before, two actually. Never again. Within a month the most often used keys will lose the letters that seems to be painted on? Decal? doesn't matter, still shows poor quality. Spend a couple of bucks more, get a real keyboard. Price is right if you want a board to last a couple of months. If that's the case, get a couple of them!

After looking into this keyboard I have found that it is an unreliable piece of equipment. I have found a much better board for a comparable price in the Logitech G110 board. I would highly recommend this board over any other at this price point.

well i've had mine for a few months now, after my brother gave it to me, so this is after he used it for a year or so. haven't had any problems with it, the touch screen is not 'wonky' as some have put it, and the lights are rather useful, i also like the volume controls on the touch pad.

that said i didn't pick this out or anything, and my cheap self probably would have went with the 5 dollar bargain bin keyboard, but this one has been working fine for me.

if you're interested, i'd say grab it for 40 bucks.

Not the greatest keyboard. If you actually do use this in the dark, the backlighting is constantly turning it off, which means you have to manually turn it back on (doesn't come on automatically with a key strike.) However, the button to turn on the backlighting is a 'touch' button that is not illuminated and very difficult to find without hitting all the other touch buttons. Just poor design.

I purchased a refurb a year or so ago from Woot. I have had the same problems as others with keys randomly stop working. A reboot usually does the trick but waht a pain. Then there are times when the problem stays persistant andI have to go with a backup keyboard. Razer needs to fix the drivers but refuses. SHame, it is very nice when working.

I've had similar wonkiness with the light-up touch pad. Also, the coating on the the WASD keys will eventually wear off. That being said, I've had mine for a year and a half and it still works great.

Razer is garbage. Don't trust it. I bought one of their keyboards and one of their mice previously and the build quality as well as the driver itself are crap. You're better off buying something more expensive or buying multiple cheaper products. This is crap at a high price.

Remember when that Razer mouse came out, Best Buy sold it and pulled it off their shelves or something? Back then I'm surprised the company didn't go out of business.. they did disappear for a bit if I remember.

Something against my better judgement is telling me not to buy this keyboard, but what the heck I already did. I need a lighted keyboard bad. I mean, I type without looking at the keys 99.9% of the time anyway (and I type over 80 words per minute), but there are times at night during war games I can't find the M key to bring up a map.

I've had mine (bought from Woot) for about 3yrs and I've never experienced a problem with it. Touch pad works fine, no broken keys, no connection issues. I use it mainly for gaming and I've found it easier to use, even in the dark, than a standard gaming board.

seanfmeagher wrote:I've gone through 3 of these in RMAs. After a while they keyboard starts to fail. Keys will, at random, stop working. You then have to disconnect and reconnect the keyboard and it fixes itself. The multimedia panel at the top right is also a cause for concern. My second keyboard would often stop and start my music as if I were pressing the play/pause button over and over.

Mechanically, the keyboard has a great feel. However, is it worth all the frustration?

In my 4 years of having these keyboards, I'd say no.

I was going to add my thoughts about the Lycosta keyboard to this post, but seanfmeagher pretty much described my experience exactly.

The sweet blue glowy-ness of the keyboard is not worth these problems.

FrankTownend wrote:I'm concerned about their always connected to the internet, always got an eye on you way of operation.

Razer is bad and they should feel bad: http://boingboing.net/2012/11/07/razer-naga-gaming-mouse-requir.html

I have had this keyboard for a year +, no problems other then the most used keys are worn out.

One person's review on Amazon stood out in particular...

"So you're probably wondering "If there are so many positive reviews, why is this guy rating it so low?"

The answer is simple. Go to Razer's site, If you submit a positive review of their products to various sites, like Amazon, they send you free stuff. I was unaware of this until it was too late. Frankly, I'd be surprised if any of the 5-star reviews on here actually own a Lycosa. Don't believe me, hit razerzone(dot)com >> Community >> Share Your Razer Experience... I hope they send me swag for this review!

I have the SAME problem with my Lycosa Keyboard, I got in touch with tech support and they are terrible! You know what fixed it for me..... put a nickle on the touch pad, for whatever reason it will ground it out and it will work fine as long as you keep a nickle on it.... weird i know but its the only way to stay sane with this keyboard.

Cannot recommend this keyboard. Had to RMA it THREE times to finally get one that works properly. Biggest issue is with random keys deciding to not work until you unplug the keyboard and plug it back in (or the touchpad will randomly open whatever media player you have set as default). Otherwise, it's a fine keyboard. Don't expect it to work 100% as it should, though.

carverd wrote:Just so you know, I walked around that bush with them, and my serial did not fall in that range, but I experienced the same issues. When speaking with Razor customer care about it, they told me that it is possible that the manufacturing defect carried over to the newer serial series as well, but "probably only a few". That's just food for the masses, sorry to say it.

Maybe this will work for some. As I mentioned in an earlier post I sent my first dud Lycosa and was sent one that had the exact same problem. After contacting tech srvcs to see what to do with the SECOND bad one....Nothing. No response and I sold the keyboard in a yardsale for $5.00.

I don't know what the serial number of the first keyboard was, but I wrote down the second one:
MT090..... So the problem was more widespread that those serial numbers they gave you.

The shame of all this is that in another month or so, more Lycosa keyboards will appear on Woot - likely ones returned to Razer. And, so the cycle continues.

tikael wrote:I have had this keyboard for some time now, and I have a friend who has one as well. It looks great but has occasional problems with becoming non-responsive and needing to be unplugged before it will work as well as keys becoming stuck which can be frustrating during games (my friend has the same intermittent issues). For the price it is a good backlit keyboard but I would skip it.

He is very much correct about this. I picked up an Arctosa about a year ago as a refurb and it suffered the same fate.