Product Description

RECLUSA GAMING KEYBOARD BLACK UK

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42997 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: 9VU-00004
• Released on: 2007-05-14
• Platform: Windows XP
• Dimensions: .0" h x .0" w x .0" l, 5.20 pounds

Features

• Reclusa Gaming Keyboard

Manufacturer's Description
With the Microsoft Reclusa Gaming Keyboard, powered by Razer, you get the best of both worlds - the latest in Razer gaming technology with the comfort and reliability you expect from Microsoft. Experience Reclusa, and experience PC gaming on the cutting edge of competition.

Customer Reviews

Great keyboard.
I have tried a number of keyboards over the last few years, and am allway in seach of that one which will make my life easier. I am a software developer, and as such I use the keyboard a lot. not just for typing but also for command shortcuts. As such I need a keyborad that is comfortable, responsive and acurate. This keyboard is all three and it looks very nice to boot.

It is fairly space consuming but that does help ensure comfort. The backlighting can be a bit too bright between the keys, especially if the keyboard is not placed correctly and is two high. The keys are perfectly weighted to esure a clean smooth action whilst not activating when meerly brushed by accident. The second windows key makes some shortcuts easier to execute.

Overall this is a great keyboard, my only gripe is the use of the work Gaming in its name this is realy for anybody who uses a keyboard a lot.

A Painful Waste of Money.
I bought the Microsoft/Razer Reclusa Gaming keyboard to replace my Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000. I dual boot Windows XP and Windows Vista on my PC and I have installed the Reclusa on both without problem. Although this keyboard is plug and play compatible the advanced features require the installation of the supplied drivers. Microsoft is renowned for the ergonomic comfort of their keyboards and mice while Razer is famous for the technology behind their gaming peripherals. The idea behind their collaboration is to pair Microsoft form with Razer function.

Why they didn't use an existing chassis I don't know, because the Reclusa is a mess. I use my keyboard extensively for instant messaging and gaming. The Reclusa is all but useless for both. The keys are too small and are situated too densely. The result is you frequently hit the wrong button and gaming is an uncomfortable and inaccurate affair. The keys and dials themselves feel loose and of a cheap and poor construction.

The additional function keys are completely redundant and their unnecessary inclusion makes the Reclusa one of the widest keyboards ever made. So wide in fact that I now barely have room on my desk for my mouse. The onboard USB ports are found on the rear of the Reclusa. Those whose desks have keyboard shelves will not be able to access them. The most serious fault however is the complete disregard for ergonomics and wrist support. Due to the awkward size and layout of the Reclusa using it for as little as an hour leaves me with excruciating wrist pain.

In conclusion, the Microsoft/Razer Reclusa Gaming Keyboard is the most uncomfortable and worst designed keyboard I have ever used and is one of the most poorly constructed. I cannot recommend it to anyone. I have never regretted a purchase this much. Personally I am going back to my older and far superior Comfort Curve 2000 keyboard.

A more positive review
Having read the other really rather negative reviews, and owning a reclusa myself, I felt the need to defend it a little.

To address some of the main negatives;

Fair point, it is VERY wide (perhaps needlessly aswell), even for a multimedia/gaming keyboard!

The usb ports are of dubious use unless your pc is desperately short on them. Not really needed to my mind.

The lighting is a slightly patchy, SLIGHTLY, the keys are perfectly readable in the dark, it's just not true that the light bleeding from between the keys obscures the letters (at least on mine) and on the whole, the lighting is a welcome and surprisingly useful feature (in terms of the "main" illuminated gaming keyboards, the eclipse series and the G15, the reclusa fairs well in this respect in my opinion)

It's true that the keys are not arranged in one of the many ergonomic arrangements patterns that several dedicated typing keyboards use and to my mind, this IS a shame because I can't see any good reason why it shouldn't.

The keyboard DOES come with a very nice, cushioned wrist guard, so I have no idea why one review was experiencing wrist pains! It's actually one of the best examples I've come across.

And now... more positives!

The keys themselves are near-silent and very responsive! There's some marketing blurb about hyper-response technology but what it seems to equate to in every-day use is simply that the keys are perfectly weighted. You wont find yourself accidently pressing anything, nor will you find a key you wanted to press being unresponsive because you didnt hit it hard enough (a problem I had with the G15)

The macro buttons (whilst few in number compared to the G15) are really nicely placed; somehow they don't interfere with orientating my hands on the main portion of the keyboard but at the same time, they are very accessable. The software for defining what the macro keys do is fairly simple and several profiles can be made as well to bulk out their usefulness.

To sum up, I think this is actually one of the best gaming keyboards out there. It really is for GAMING, not showing off a useless lcd screen or the 1000 and 10 macro buttons you never press. The things it gets right (key feel and response, comfortably placed macro buttons etc) are the things important to playing games, not showing off to your friends.

The only reason I'm only rating it 3 out of 5 stars is the price. The keyboard is lovely but for £50 I would expect better build-quality on the volume knobs (theyre not THAT bad but they're not £50 good either...) certainly more ergonomically layed out keys and maybe a choice of led colour as featured in the eclipse 2 (which is available alot cheaper than the reclusa). Just something to warrant buying this over a 'normal' keyboard really.