At Driver Heaven we spend a lot of time in front of PC’s and because of this our components such as keyboards and mice, even headphones, have to be decent quality. Having peripherals which perform well and feel comfortable is essential if you are an enthusiast. It says a lot about Razer that the systems at the desk I work on daily use Razer mice, a DeathAdder and a Diamondback. In addition to this a Barracuda headset can also be found hanging from my chair arm. These components all far exceeded our expectations when we first used them and turned out to be best in their class.

Recently we were given the opportunity to take a look at the Tarantula keyboard. This model is primarily designed for gamers but has features which should make it ideal in day to day use also. Before we take a detailed look at the board here are Razer's official specifications:

• Anti-ghosting capability for up to 10 keys
• 32KB Razer Synapse™ onboard memory
• On-The-Fly Sensitivity™ profile switching
• 10 programmable gaming hotkeys
• 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response time
• Hyperesponse™ gaming keytop with fully interchangeable keys
• Headphone-out and microphone-in jacks
• Media center keys
• Two USB ports
• Gold-plated USB connector
• Razer Battledock™ for add-on accessories
• Approximate size: 522mm (length) x 220mm (width) x 33mm (height)

Packaging

Razer cannot be accused of underselling their products as the box used for the Tarrantula has massive amounts of information on it. There are also several very clear pictures of the product which is ideal.

The wealth of information continues on the back of the box and almost every aspect of the keyboard is covered in one section or another. Inside the packaging we find the various bundled extras. These range from a short manual and warranty leaflet to a set of extra keys. Using the supplied tools it is possible to replace some of the keys with those shown above.