Razer Boomslang CE 2007 Review

By: Charles P. Jefferies

The History

The original Razer Boomslang was the world’s first gaming mouse, launched in the fall of 1999. It featured the best technology available in mice at the time, including a 2000 dpi sensor, and On-The-Fly Sensitivity changing.It also featured ultra-large buttons, which characterize Razer mice to this day. The original Boomslang won many awards and was a bestseller. Production stopped in 2001.

The new Razer Boomslang 2007 is a reincarnation of the original Boomslang, and boasts upgraded features such as improved ergonomics, build quality, and more advanced technology.

Unboxing

Usually I do not mention anything about the unboxing experience’, however the Razer Boomslang 2007’s packaging was too extraordinary to ignore.

The packaging Razer put the Boomslang in is simply stunning. It came in a black box held closed by a rather thick aluminum clasp, imprinted with the Razer logo on the side.

Inside the box is an insert holding the driver/software CD and owner’s manual. Underneath that is a good quality black tin, inside of which is, finally, the mouse. The mouse is in its own foam insert to keep it safe during transport.

The Design

Razer is all about design. The Boomslang 2007 is strikingly different than other mice, being wider and flatter. The two rubberized mouse buttons are huge– your fingers are guaranteed a spot on this mouse. There are two large side buttons towards the tip of the thumb (one on either side).

The mouse itself is made of titanium and high-strength plastic. The titanium adds a high-class feel to the Boomslang, which should be expected at the $100 price point. The Razer logo is printed at the top of the mouse, right where your palm goes. The scroll wheel is rubberized and notched; it is embedded in a piece of titanium, diamond-cut around the edges.

The Boomslang has Teflon feet for the ultimate ease of movement, and Razer even includes an extra set when these wear out. The Glow Pipe, an oval ring around the sensor, lights up a light green color, as does the sensor and scroll wheel. The Glow Pipe gives the mouse a cool look in the dark, as its base is softly illuminated. This lights are not particularly bright, which is fortunate in my books; the lights on some mice are too bright.

The Boomslang’s USB connector is gold plated, as it is on many Razer mice. The cord for the mouse is tougher than that of a traditional mouse cord, and is extra long.

I am more than impressed with the build quality of the Razer Boomslang 2007. The parts that make up the mouse fit together extremely well, and the materials used make this mouse feel solid and expensive.

The Technology

The original Boomslang had a 2000 dpi sensor, but used a ball. Today’s Boomslang 2007 has an advanced 3G Infrared sensor, found in many other Razer mice. It is formally called the 1800dpi Razer Precision 3G infrared sensor. I used this mouse on a variety of traditional mousing surfaces, and never had any problems tracking. The mouse worked especially well on my fUnc Industries Surface 1030, which is a gaming mousepad with both textured and smooth sides for precision and speed respectively.

The Razer Boomslang inherits the features of other Razer mice, including On-The-Fly sensitivity changes and 32kb of on-board memory. The 32kb of memory means that you can take your profiles with you – they are stored right on the mouse.

The Razer software allows many features of the mouse to be customized, including the separate profiles I mentioned. Macros can be assigned and sensitivity changed. The lights on the mouse can even be turned off.

The Feel

When I first used the Boomslang 2007, I was confused. The mouse did not seem to fit my hand well, and after a while I began to think something was wrong. It turns out that the Boomslang has a learning curve – this mouse is not designed to be held like other mice. The hand is supposed to rest more towards the rear of the mouse, with the palm centered over the back half of the Razer logo. It is a disconnected feel at first, but after about a week of use, becomes natural. This mouse simply needs time to adjust to.

First-time Boomslang users will find themselves accidentally clicking the side button where their thumb is (only one of the side buttons can be practically used at a time). However as I noted, this mouse has a learning curve, and this is part of the deal.

I found that this mouse can be held in different ways: for instance, if I am taking my hand off the mouse frequently (such as when I am programming), I tend not to palm the mouse, but hold it more with four fingers.

The rubberized grips running around the sides of mice help keep the hand in place, and combined with the cool touch of the titanium metal, make the mouse enjoyable to hold.

Scroll Wheel

The scroll wheel makes a distinctive click noise in use, noticeably louder than the ones on other Razer mice I used. It is about half as loud as the mouse button click on a traditional mouse. The scroll wheel is rubberized, which makes it easy to control, and each notch is defined.

Buttons

The primary buttons are extremely large as I noted, large than on any other mouse that I have seen. I find my fingers sit more towards the scroll reel, instead of towards the center of the buttons. That is fine – remember, this mouse breaks tradition, and can be held in many different ways. The buttons sound like Razer buttons do, which is not much different than other mice.

Only one of the side buttons can be practically used at a time. The side buttons are large, and the entire front half of my thumb rests on it. I found the large size gives easy control. Unlike other mice, the thumb will always be resting on the side button, which makes for quicker access (if you change weapons a half second before your enemy does, it can make a difference).

The scroll wheel acts as a fifth button (center click). It is easy to use, and can be clicked without causing the mouse to scroll.

Conclusion

The Razer Boomslang CE 2007 is my third Razer mouse. Although my previous Razers were expensive, $100 for a mouse is definitely a new one in my book. Looking for something different, I was intrigued enough by the new Boomslang that I purchased one for myself, and have not been disappointed. This mouse offers perhaps the most unique ownership experience of any traditional mouse. The feel is unfamiliar and vague at first, like learning to use a mouse all over again. After two weeks of use, I am now sold on the Boomslang and enjoy using it – it has a feel to it no other mouse has. While I cannot say the mouse itself is a good value, I think its unique feel and ownership experience it brings are.