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It's Razer, but the reDhaT employee that logged the ticket didn't even have the decency to spell their name correctly.

There's no less than two companies (and maybe more, I just haven't been looking that hard) that make better MacBook Pros than Apple, with the single feature they can't do better is that you can't (legally) run macOS on them.

https://www.razerzone.com/gami...
http://www.dell.com/en-us/shop...

Both have better displays, better GPUs, better RAM capacity, better CPU options, and are maybe slightly heavier, but not when you figure on all the dongles you'll have to pack around with you on the Mac to plug in shit you already own, or may run across.

Oh, they are also massively cheaper, even before the overpriced dongles. Apple is just behind, and it's by their own doing. And I say this as someone who has used an Apple laptop since the PowerBook 5300.

There's ONE supposedly-upcoming laptop that genuinely excites me -- the Razer Valerie ( https://www.razerzone.com/proj... )

* 3 screens

* mechanical clicky keyboard (as-yet unknown how satisfying it'll be, but still likely to be a huge improvement over everything besides *maybe* a Thinkpad)

Everything else available now or in the pipeline is uninspiring, glued/sealed Apple-like crap that's a step down from what I have now (Precision m4800), or at best, an uninspiring step sideways.

People will start buying new laptops every 2-3 years again when manufacturers start making real leaps forward and break the stagnation that's gripped the industry for at least 6-8 years. And Microsoft chucks Metro in the trash & gives us "Aero Diamond" (with realtime-raytraced translucency & refraction).

Windows 8 made a bad situation worse, but the downward spiral of crap netbooks, tablets, and $299 walmart laptops have done even more damage.

External GPU is something that laptops and even mobile devices might benefit from in the future. Thunderbolt 2 can do that but not many eGPU products have not been created yet. Razer Core is one of the few that have. Unfortunately it only works with Razer laptops and not a generic solution.

Umm that is in no way the cheapest model. You lionked to the most expensive laptop they sell, a 17 inch Razer Blade Pro. not the more common Razer Blade which starts at 1699. https://www.razerzone.com/stor....

So I have to ask, why be so dishonest?

Sorry, but if you go to their website, (1), it's out of stock (as if it ever was in stock) and (2) they want $4k for the cheapest model. At that price, this is vaporware that will never condense into our reality.

You're out of luck. This "announcement", or more accurately, slashvertisement, is bullshit. Here's what they're offering on their website.

With the Razer Blade Pro and Windows 10, you can start from the desktop you’ve always known. Windows 10 is the best combination of Windows – with lots of similarities to Windows 7 including the Start menu. Enjoy access to stunning DirectX 12 visuals while getting the most performance out of your Razer Blade. Also stream games from your Xbox One console right to your Blade Pro.1

They are not a "linux business".

And they are SO F*CKING OVERPRICED that there is no way they'll succeed. And of course, they're "out of stock". And plenty of complaints on their facebook page. Well, at least it's not yet another gofundme scam.

NVidia showed off a 4K triple screen laptop prototype at CES this year. https://www.razerzone.com/proj...

I don't think it's vaporware. http://www.razerzone.com/proje... Razer is a big, reasonably dependable company. I'd bet on something like this eventually hitting the market.

You want a nerdy watch, that's also huge and ugly? You want a Razer Nabu. This is going to be my next watch, when I'm a bit less broke. It's semi-smart, with an extra display for messages etc. Also I like big ugly digital watches!

Then you aren't looking for it.

Hello, I'm an Apple customer. I am typing this on a 2014 MacBook Pro. I carry an iPhone.

My next laptop will not be an Apple, because they are going out of their way to make products that are incompatible with my previous purchases (LED Cinema Display, countless USB products). Why can't I get a 12" or 13" notebook with discrete graphics? I don't even want the discrete graphics necessarily inside the notebook - isn't that kind of the point of Thunderbolt? Yet, Apple goes out of their way to disable external graphics adapters in their OS.

Why can't they put even one regular USB port on their notebooks? They helped to standardize USB 15 years ago, and now they have just decided that the literally hundreds of millions of devices already out there don't count any more. Why does buying a new notebook require me to buy another couple pounds of bullshit I have to carry everywhere just to use shit I already have; or spend hundreds more to replace perfectly working devices just to not have dongles on *everything*?

Razer figured this one out, and there's no way they have more R&D and product design budget than Apple. For $400 less, you can get a better processor, a 4K screen, the same Thunderbolt 3.0 connectivity without the arbitrary restrictions - in fact they will happily sell you a thunderbolt GPU enclosure. And, it's thinner and lighter if that's the goal. Sure, you don't get the touch strip thingy, but instead the whole god damn screen is touch.

Apple used to make products that people wanted - now Apple seems to be making products that Apple wants, regardless of customer sentiment. This transition started with the Mac Mini that was worse than what came before, and the useless trash can Mac Pro, and it's only gotten worse.

I was considering replacing my MacBook Pro 2013 with a new MBP. Unfortunately to get a machine of roughly the same specs as I had (formerly top-of-the line for 2013, 1 TB SSD, discrete SSD, etc) it now costs 33% more. To get the top of the range 2016 MBP it now costs 66% more. I wouldn't mind paying for this but I do a lot of OpenGL coding and the GPU on the MBPs is quite weak. So I've been looking for alternatives.

In addition to the Dell XPS i considered the Microsoft Surface Books, but their GPU is so-so.

Three manufacturers of great 15" laptops with decent GPUs are:
1) Origin PC, http://www.originpc.com/ - which has a thin laptop with moderate GPU power, and a heavier laptop with more power.
2) System76 has just released a laptop with a 4k display and a GTX 1070 GPU https://system76.com/laptops/o... - my friend has one with a 1080p display and it looks very good,
3) Razer also has an option of a small and light laptop with external GPU. The laptop is a bit small for me, but the external GPU is intriguing. http://www.razerzone.com/store...

I haven't made up my mind which to get. But I hope this may be of some interest to anyone else who'd like a bit more GPU power than the Apple MBP can give, without having to haul a brick.

Putting the GPU in a separate box sitting between the computer and monitor and connected via a high-bandwidth cable like Thunderbolt, has already been done. This is just that idea, but combining the box and monitor. The only advantages I can think of over a separate GPU box are: You don't need a separate power cable because you can mooch off the monitor's power supply. And you could conceivably bypass any cable speed limits by running a direct channel from the GPU to the monitor (thinking ahead to when resolutions are higher than even Thunderbolt can support).

I can think of a lot of disadvantages though. Can't be repaired/upgraded separately. Destroys the thin profile of modern monitors. Overly complicated purchase choices (thinking ahead to a future when x different monitors and y different GPUs are available, you have to pick from x*y monitor/GPU combos, instead of just picking them separately for x+y choices). Hotspot created by GPU could damage the portion of the monitor it's adjacent to. Fan to cool the GPU is stuck in the monitor, so you can't shove it and the computer into a closet with only KVM cables leading to your desk, for some peace and quiet,

Or get a Razer Blade.

Is it too much to ask to just buy some damn hardware? I expect there to be a driver, but that's it. I don't need some stupid always-on crap for the GPU, or a network connection, or online services. I'll buy my own games and apps thanks, just make the damn thing work and take your "value added" crap home.

You could possibly looking to purchasing a Razer OSVR, I have not looked into their terms of service. But it seems more likely to serve your needs.

Razer did something similar, it is called Project Christine.

I wound up replacing it with a "gamer" keyboard with Cherry switches. It's decent (even has glowing key bling

I've been temped to get one of those. My daughter has a Razer Black Widow Chroma Clicky.

It's not a bad keyboard. But for that kind of money I prefer a Kenesis Advantage these days. I don't really have time to play games much anyhow.

the problem with a PC on a TV is that the PC game user interface is designed for an individual with a high-rez screen and sitting 24" away.

Are they? It's a very rare game that I cannot easily see a PC game UI sitting on my couch.

Not to mention the weirdness of having the keyboard/mouse set up when sitting on the couch.

A have a coffee table in my den for my gaming keypad and mouse. I can also play games using a gamepad or a flightstick. Or I could use one of these.

I'm often an early adopter of technology, but I'm not interested in this type of product until it's far more unobtrusive and obvious.

Do you see yourself adopting the Nabu and if not, why?

Also, Razer has a free (well, "charityware") program called Razer Surround that uses HRTFs and works on any hardware. The effect is maybe a little worse than Dolby Headphone's, but it's still pretty good. Anyone can get the effect, and the quality (and cost effectiveness) of a good pair of classic 1-driver-per-cup headphones is going to be miles above these silly surround headphones.

Hmm, I think you misunderstood what he meant by a mechianical keyboard. And yes they are better than the rubber dome crap most people call a keyboard these days.

Yes, that's the point everyone seems to be missing. With the keyboard dock it's essentially a very compact and yet very powerful 10 inch laptop: http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-edge-keyboard-dock. I might actually buy this tablet simply because it's the only 10 inch tablet I know of that you can order with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, an Intel Core i7 processor and a fast video card. I don't care about those gaming handles that you can attach to it or even that docking station for your tv, because I would use it solely for doing some work when traveling. Sure, it's a bit pricy, but not too pricy given those specs. When everyone is focused on making the cheapest possible hardware with crap specs, it's refreshing to see someone coming out with a product not aimed for an average Joe. The complete specs are here: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-edge-pro

Yes, that's the point everyone seems to be missing. With the keyboard dock it's essentially a very compact and yet very powerful 10 inch laptop: http://www.razerzone.com/store/razer-edge-keyboard-dock. I might actually buy this tablet simply because it's the only 10 inch tablet I know of that you can order with 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, an Intel Core i7 processor and a fast video card. I don't care about those gaming handles that you can attach to it or even that docking station for your tv, because I would use it solely for doing some work when traveling. Sure, it's a bit pricy, but not too pricy given those specs. When everyone is focused on making the cheapest possible hardware with crap specs, it's refreshing to see someone coming out with a product not aimed for an average Joe. The complete specs are here: http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-systems/razer-edge-pro

We're not ignoring the Retina, we're just making comparisons that are as apples to apples as possible.

So PCs can't match the Retina display, and Macs can't match the myriad of other hardware options like a bluray drives, top of the line GPUs, swivel displays, touch screens, ruggedized hardware, dock connectors, wireless displays, or track pads that double as a secondary information display. Seriously, if you want to get into a battle of "we have hardware you don't have" you're going to lose. I mean, can you even configure a Macbook with integrated WWAN?

Given PC gaming, pure keyboard play is difficult as is switching, unless you're playing something like Civ V. A lot of people who play MMOs have these supermice with 10 keys on them and that's probably going to be your best bet.

For example, http://www.razerzone.com/gaming-mice/mmog-mice

I prefer ambidextrous mice. It probably has something to do with my mouse style--an extreme version of the fingertip grip--and I find that *-handed mice tend to want to rotate while I'm using them. I think that *-handed mice are really only good for people with the palm-grip style.

There is one, here.

They've so far only made one mouse in a left-handed version, and that most likely as an experiment(Their founder being left handed might also have something to do with it...)
You can buy it here: http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.182251700 or on Amazon etc.

While there is a trend towards touch-screen keyboards on portable devices, I can also see an opposite trend towards more higher-quality mechanical keyboards on stationary PCs.

While there will always be old-timers who love their retro equipment, I think that the largest and fastest growing market segment for tactile keyboards with mechanical key switches is gamers.
Every day on gamer-oriented forums, you can see someone wanting to buy a used IBM Model M. The prices on eBay and other auction sites are soaring.
Gaming peripheral maker Razer's latest and greatest keyboard has mechanical switches that click, similar to the old Model M. The Das Keyboard is also popular among gamers. More mechanical keyboards are coming: Zowie Celeritas, Leopold, Ducky ...
(just beware of misleading marketing when visiting gamer brand sites!)
Although there is somewhat of a herd mentality among gamers, the gaming community has influenced the rest of the PC world quite much before -- just look at graphics cards.

The second largest group that I see, are the computer professionals who have become older, have more money and demand quality peripherials, plain and simple.

The third group that I see are people who demand something that is more ergonomic. More distinct tactile feedback and lower, more gradual activation force is often perceived as kinder to the fingers.

Myself, I switched from Dell and Keytronic rubber dome keyboards to soft mechanicals this summer, and I don't look back. I have been working as a computer programmer for a lot of my adult life and belong to the second and third groups above. My fingers don't ache a lot at the end of the day, as they could do before. I have also been suck(er)ed in into the keyboard community at Geekhack that I can heartily recommend if you are interested./

Certainly as a leftie I've never once had a problem or felt disadvantaged when using any kind of computing device, ever...

Apparently you've never tried to use one of these...
http://www.ink2print.com/gbu0-prodshow/ergo_500.html
or these...
http://www.expansys.com/zoompic.aspx?i=160630
or these...
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=224053
or these...
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/mice/devices/5845
or these...
http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169418900/categoryId.35208800

Try using any of those left-handed ranges from impossible to an exercise in discomfort and frustration. The two keypads are completely unusable. The joystick is uncomfortable, and most of the buttons are awkward to reach. The mice are also uncomfortable and all the 'thumb' buttons are effectively impossible to use well.

There are some ok left-handed friendly options available...
I use a Fang keypad, which is ambidextrous
http://www.amazon.ca/ZGP-1000-Fang-USB-Gamepad-Keypad/dp/B000FRW8KS

Cheap ambi-mice are plentiful, but getting a good gaming/laser mouse is hard. Ambidextrous options are pretty limited and have fewer features, and ergo-left are non-existent. I enjoyed my ambidextrous razer copperhead, but after it died I haven't found a good replacement yet. I see razer has a left-handed ergo deathadder...that must be fairly new... I'll definitely be looking into it.

As for joysticks... Saitek used to make a pretty decent ambi/convertible flightstick... but I'm currently looking for a new stick, and can't find anything that looks decent right now. Flightsims are out of fashion for the last decade and there isn't much available that isn't either super cheap and basic or super ergo-right-only.

You're welcome.

My Razer Mamba would beg to differ. Although you can *also* plug it in and use it on a wire if you like (which is some pretty good design IMO).

You can have my trusty Naga when you pry it from my cold dead hand. http://store.razerzone.com/store/razerusa/en_US/pd/productID.169418900

The site is /.ed, so for comparison see the StarCraft 2 mouse: http://www2.razerzone.com/sc2/spectre.php Fewer buttons and is glowy.

Hi, I'm a mac. And my mouse has 18 buttons.

There are two general classes of mouse posture: finger-based and palm-based. There's also the "claw" one, which people contend the standard finger based posture is a subset of just less optimal for clicking response time. There's a heated contention between them among gamers who take things like this too seriously. Razer designs mice to fit the various styles, which they describe in their ergonomics guide: http://www2.razerzone.com/MouseGuide/html/palmgrip.php

Some people prefer to use the fingers for fine motor control, as you mention. Others prefer to just use a lower sensitivity and arm motion for positioning, freeing up finger control for more buttons. These inventions aren't aiming at a specific ergonomic target, they're adding functionality. If anything, a prevalence of multi-touch support in the future will dictate the common mouse holding posture, and I suspect you may be in for some grumbling about it for the forseeable future as it does not fit your natural tendency.

Your kids will wonder how the hell you can hold a mouse like that and still use it though.

MS optical mouse

I prefer the Razer Lachesis or Diamondback for gaming and work. The Lachesis is is 3G 4000dpi and high precision, minimal movement type and the Diamondback is a 2000dpi which basically translates to a really fast mouse with more traditional travel ranges. They both work with Linux, although the actual drivers/profiles needed to be setup on a windows system first. In the case of the Lach, it stores 5 profiles on the mouse itself.

I know I may get blasted by the MS haters that lurk here, but I have to say the MS / Razer Habu I picked up at the local Fry's on sale (1/2 price!) has served me well. It's "technically" a gaming mouse (or that's how they market it, anyway), but I've found it works really well at high resolutions on my dual displays in both Windows XP & Ubuntu. I had to do a little bit of configuration in Ubuntu to map all of my keys, but it has 6 programmable keys, great resolution (1600 DPI) and the programmable keys are in positions (IMHO) that really are useful to me whether I'm fraggin zombies in Left 4 Dead or banging out code in Eclipse / VS.

The one thing that DID bum me out was that the firmware update utility only runs on Windows (or at least it did when I bought it a year or so ago), but I mean, this is a MS product, so I kind of figured that. Once I updated the FW, though, Ubuntu detected it fine, so I'm not complaining too loudly.

It's a wired mouse (I'd hate to think how heavy it would be with enough batteries to get that high of a laser DPI), but it does have a really nice long cord and is pretty ergonomic. YMMV, but that's my 2 cents.

...mit apo-logies to Gary Larson

My Razer Lachesis(the one in the article) is leaps and bounds ahead of the Logitech 3-buttoned PS2 ball mouse it replaced, though obviously any optical/laser mouse would be better.
It's comfortable to use for long periods, has just enough buttons without being ridiculous about it. It's twitchy as all get-out when I want it to be, and I can use the buttons just behind the wheel to decrease sensitivity on the fly for tricky headshots (or even just for link-clicking:)

I won't sit here and expound on how it's increased my Frag to Death ratio and it certainly isn't the limiting factor for this Fragger but I just wanted to say,for all those people likening "gaming" mice to quadruple gold-plated audio interconnects, that I bought it, for 30 GBP (900 USD??;), with my eyes wide open, and haven't been disappointed with it yet. Incidentally,

Alternatives exists:

• M-Audio
• ASUS XONAR
• Razer Barracuda

Keyboard + mouse

(or this + this)

Well then, apparently I am hallucinating my Razer Barracuda sound card then? (Even if it is based on a C-Media chipset. Maybe that explains the great deal I got on it.

They're only the "leader" because they have no significant competition in the after-market add-on card market. Just try and name two other sound card manufacturers.

Others have pointed out diamond I can not say in all honesty I have bought one of their sound cards. Circa 5 years ago the cost of a SB128 was roughly equal to a base end Diamond solution, and there was reasonable assurance that the SB128 would work.

Razer I'm not directly familar with, and at $200 for a base model, I'm not likely to invest in it, well, unless that extra shielding actually does an effective job at eliminating the EM noise generated by the system.

Voyetra Turtle Beach much to my surprise is still around, as spoken of by others, and offer a base $30 solution and a $60 solution.

Asus either has or plans to release the Xonar D2 and D2K, but as it doesn't exist in any form other than a press release, I know jack about it.

Cmedia it would seem not only makes onboard audio but pci audio as well. I "might" have met one released by MadDog, but i'm going by memory and relative look of the card.

the Razer eXactmat. It cost me 50 SGD($34.99 USD), comes with 2 surfaces(rough/smooth) for different mouse sensitivities and it's quite big compared to a func to boot. I am using the rough, aka "control" side, with my Logitect G1+ mouse. Good enough for FPS gaming, precise enough for Photoshop too.

Check out the go faster stripes down the side

Check out the go faster stripes down the side

This is kind of retarded. It's a cool-looking mouse, there's no doubt about that, but just because it looks cool is no reason to buy it. This looks like just another way to take money from geeks with too much time to play WoW and other such things. It's overpriced, and it's sales pitch doesn't make sense at all. However, it will probably appeal to people who will pay for epic mounts and ships and weapons for MMORPG's.

"Razer makes good mice, but there are a lot of companies who make good mice, i was just trying to clear up your confusion about this product :) it is a 7 button mouse."

It is NOT a 7-button mouse. If it was, I doubt Razer would be advertising it as a 3-button mouse. I think I'm going to trust the guys who made the mouse...

http://www.razerzone.com/store/index.php?main_page =product_info&cPath=2_1&products_id=30

I wonder how it feels about mice with onboard storage (eg, razer copperhead)

The Razor Copperhead is also a laser based mouse.