We wouldn't usually talk about the packaging of a mouse, simply because they don't usually come with anything other than a box, a CD and a manual.  kärna went all out with this one, which really impressed us and shows that they put a lot of work into their products. 

First of all, the mouse is packaged in a very cool looking round tin box which also comes inside of it's own cardboard box.  Inside the tin box, the mouse is protected by a thick foam layer so you don't have to worry about shipping damage.  You'll also find these items inside: 

• USB to PS/2 adapter

• Driver CD

• A very nice manual

To most the packaging may not mean a whole lot, but we think it gives you a glimpse of what kind of product you're going to get inside. 

As far as installation goes, it's pretty simple.  Install the software, shutdown you're computer, plug in the Razer to you're USB or PS/2 port and boot-up.  Done deal.  The software that drives this mouse is a huge step above all other mouse drivers.  The software looks awesome, is easy to use and allows you to customize everything about the mouse.  It lets you change the sensitivity, change double-click speed, customize the scroll wheel, map all of the buttons to different functions and if you're connected using the PS/2 port, then it also allows you to change the polling rate from 40Hz up to 200Hz.  The software even has an internet update function which updates the software at a click of a button.

A quick note about the polling rates of PS/2 and USB.  PS/2 defaults to 40Hz in Windows 9x and 60Hz in NT.  The USB port is fixed at 125Hz.  You may wonder then, if the PS/2 can go up to 200Hz, isn't it better than using the USB port?  Well the simple answer is no.  When you increase the PS/2 polling rate, this eats up more processing power which can slow down your games.  The USB port at 125Hz does not have any impact on performance which is why it is more ideal.  

Here are some screenshots of the software:

Click on any image for a full size view
Allows you to adjust the sensitivity, double-click speed, and toggle on-the-fly sensitivity	Allows you to adjust scroll wheel speed/properties and test your settings
Allows you to customize all of the buttons

The mouse feels awesome after you get used to it.  Because of it's different shape, bigger size and extra buttons, it does take a little while to get accustomed to.  It took me a few  days to get fully used to it, but after you do, it's hard to go back to my old Logitech MouseMan+ (which I considered to be pretty good).  

Precision in windows is great.  Being a web developer, you often have to deal with image editing and if you have a cheap mouse, don't even bother!  For example, when cutting or painting pixels, mouse precision and accuracy really helps makes things less frustrating.  It definitely reduces the amount of times you have to click edit>undo because of a jittery cursor.

Then I loaded up Unreal Tournament.  It's amazing how much more fluent the framerate is with this mouse.  If you use a standard mouse, no matter how fast you're CPU/video card are, you'll have jittery motion as if you're running of a juiced up 486.  This is because of the low resolution/polling rate of standard mice.  With this mouse, moving the view around was very smooth and a friend of mine who comes over to play once in a while told me that he didn't get a headache with this mouse.  Usually he can't play first person shooters for more than 5 minutes without getting a headache.

It's amazing how well you can snipe with the sniper rifle with this mouse :)  The on-the-fly sensitivity really comes in handy when you're sniping; you can increase sensitivity to allow for a greater speed of motion when zoomed in.  It's awesome!

Quake III played wonderfully as well.  Aiming is much more precise and quicker because of the smooth motion of the mouse.  Railing was a pleasure and finding the trigger was was not a problem.  

The fairly rigid wheel provided a quick and reliable way to switch weapons and the fourth button allowed me to use secondary fire in Unreal and zooming in Q3, of course you can use the buttons for whatever you please.

Overall,  I would definitely say that the mouse improved my skill in both games and made it a much more comfortable and enjoyable experience than with my usual mouse.

The Razer Boomslang 2000 DPI mouse is truly an excellent mouse, especially for gamers and graphic artists who need extreme precision.  The scrolling wheel is much better than those found on other mice and makes scrolling on web pages a much easier and smoother task.  The fourth button makes for that extra advantage in games and the USB connection gives you a higher polling rate without slowing you're system down.  The mouse also feels very comfortable, as if it contours your hard, and it works exactly the same for left-handed people!  The only downsides we see to this mouse are getting used to it and the wheel placement which may not be that big of a deal since everyone's hands are different sizes. The price is also a little on the high side.

New Award System:  90-94 = Silver, 95-100 = Gold

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