Today we're reviewing the Razer Taipan, a mouse that was presented at E3 2012 last June. This mouse is suitable for left- and right-handed users, and has thumb buttons on both sides... a feature that lefties should appreciate! Has Razer succeeded in making the ideal mouse for all users? Answers and more in today's mouse review...
Design
The Taipan provides smooth movements across surfaces, but it isn't always quiet. This is a minor annoyance that's mostly noticeable when you rest your whole hand on the mouse.
Unlike many mice designed for left- and right-handers, the Taipan boasts more than just two clicks and a scroll wheel. On the top are two buttons for adjusting the sensitivity on the fly and there's a pair of extra buttons on either side of the body.
Righties and lefties alike will find two buttons under their thumb. In the driver you can assign a shortcut or macro (a succession of commands) to each button. The pair of buttons on the other side, where your pinkie lands, is better for changing profiles or other actions you use less often or that you don't need to access in a split-second, as they're less intuitive to use than with the thumb.
The driver is relatively easy to understand. It allows you to configure multiple profiles that you can then either select at will or assign to specific programmes. This mouse is equally useful to righties and lefties, as both have their own identifiable profiles that are easily recognisable by the LED colour.
Precision
With a maximum polling rate of 1000 Hz, the Taipan easily meets the needs of both the average person who uses productivity suites, goes online, watches movies, etc. and people who require more precision, such as gamers and graphic designers.
The Razer Taipan relates its position to the computer every millisecond. That means you need a computer that's capable of handling the extra workload imposed on the processor—25% to 35% more mouse-to-computer data transfers, depending on the type of movement. If you're using a computer with limited processing power, such as a netbook or anything with a low-consumption CPU, you'll be better off going into the driver and lowering the polling rate to 500 Hz for smoother running.
Design
The Razer Taipan has a sober, elegant design. The matte plastic is high quality, but not as nice to the touch as what Roccat uses on the Kone XTD. Once plugged into a computer, the edges of the scroll wheel and the Razer logo on the back light up.
The Taipan provides smooth movements across surfaces, but it isn't always quiet. This is a minor annoyance that's mostly noticeable when you rest your whole hand on the mouse.
Unlike many mice designed for left- and right-handers, the Taipan boasts more than just two clicks and a scroll wheel. On the top are two buttons for adjusting the sensitivity on the fly and there's a pair of extra buttons on either side of the body.
Righties and lefties alike will find two buttons under their thumb. In the driver you can assign a shortcut or macro (a succession of commands) to each button. The pair of buttons on the other side, where your pinkie lands, is better for changing profiles or other actions you use less often or that you don't need to access in a split-second, as they're less intuitive to use than with the thumb.
The driver is relatively easy to understand. It allows you to configure multiple profiles that you can then either select at will or assign to specific programmes. This mouse is equally useful to righties and lefties, as both have their own identifiable profiles that are easily recognisable by the LED colour.
Precision
With a maximum polling rate of 1000 Hz, the Taipan easily meets the needs of both the average person who uses productivity suites, goes online, watches movies, etc. and people who require more precision, such as gamers and graphic designers.
Gamers need a mouse with a sensor that can handle speeds of 3 metres per second. The Taipan's got that covered!
The Razer Taipan relates its position to the computer every millisecond. That means you need a computer that's capable of handling the extra workload imposed on the processor—25% to 35% more mouse-to-computer data transfers, depending on the type of movement. If you're using a computer with limited processing power, such as a netbook or anything with a low-consumption CPU, you'll be better off going into the driver and lowering the polling rate to 500 Hz for smoother running.
Pros
- Extensive software
- Precise sensor
- Buttons for adjusting sensor resolution on the fly
- Unlimited settings profiles
- Handles speeds of up to 4.2 m/s
- Two thumb buttons on either side
Cons
- Requires a lot of CPU power in 1000 Hz mode
- Glides noisy when you rest your whole hand on the mouse
- Scrolls in steps only
Conclusion
While the Razer Naga Epic was really made for right-handed gamers, the Razer Taipan is a great choice for any righty/lefty gamers who share the same computer!
OUR SCORE
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