Today, Carolyn Koh takes a look at The Microsoft Reclusa, the keyboard child of Razer and Microsoft.

The Microsoft Reclusa is the offspring of a Razer / Microsoft collaboration. A follow-up to their successful first collaboration on a gaming mouse, the Habu. At first glance, the keyboard doesn't look any different from a typical media keyboard, and has the jog dials that Microsoft seems to like.

Features

Like any keyboard aspiring towards the gaming arena, it has to have additional keys for macros. The Reclusa is no different, measuring in at 21" at its widest; about the same size as the Logitech gaming keyboards.

Design & Layout - The design is a little different, to stand it out from the crowd perhaps. The keyboard has rounded edges, a detachable wrist rest with a padded leatherette covering which does not snap on very securely, nor fit seamlessly - it folded then slipped off when I moved it from my desk to the keyboard drawer, and it wobbles. That being said, it does add a large degree of comfort.

Read the rest of the review here.

From the review:

" blue-lit number 1 in a box can be seen through it on the right, and there are two others that never did light up for me. "

A keyboard reviewer that doesn't understand the num-lock identifier? I'd bet the other two would be a letter A in a box for caps lock, and a down arror for scroll lock. That doesn't instill confidence in the rest of the review.

"Head phone / Microphone jacks in place of one of the USB ports - come on... Gaming?"

I thought most people used USB headphones these days?  I don't know of a single friend that uses the old plug style.

Alot of people use the normal headphone jack type headsets. The USB ones still have problems with some games and programs.

I really wish that the review covered more of the 'feel' of the keyboard. There's one paragraph on it, and the rest of the article is a rundown of the features which can be found by poking through the listing at Amazon.com (or any other major site).

Anyone reading this actually have used the keyboard and can give a useful recommendation beyond 'I don't know what the dial is for?' and 'what's this glowing 1 next to the unlit A and arrow?'

Originally posted by Kostika

Alot of people use the normal headphone jack type headsets. The USB ones still have problems with some games and programs.

There was a survey  done recently that 95% of gamers use USB headsets reason why is because the headphone jack ones cause alot of static. Another note is I just love it on how PC accessories makers are still trying to beat logitech, theres only one keyboard thats still out ranks all keyboards and thats the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard.

I'll stick to the G15...

Originally posted by Dremvek

From the review:

" blue-lit number 1 in a box can be seen through it on the right, and there are two others that never did light up for me. "

A keyboard reviewer that doesn't understand the num-lock identifier? I'd bet the other two would be a letter A in a box for caps lock, and a down arror for scroll lock. That doesn't instill confidence in the rest of the review.

D-uh... how counter-intuitive for the keys to be lit and duplicate tiny lights to be under a decorative piece so far away from the rest of the action - IMHO - but you're right, I totally spaced on those.  Like most reviewers here, I'm a gamer first, a reviewer 2nd.  No excuses I have to improve.

*looks surreptitiously around... note to self*

Next time, don't mention a thing.  People will think ur smrat. 

*nods*

i have one and i love it. i actually replaced a completely functional saitek eclipse 2 with it.

a few things tho..

no backlight control and the top bezel on the face of the board is abnormally large, it seems to make the keyboard larger than it really needs to be just to have a place for microsoft to put their logo. the jog dials feel a little weak, but i like their placement and functionality  the keys feel great and have very nice.. uhh.. action.

the eclipse 2 is my all time favorite keyboard and i'd rank this one, in terms of feel just one step below that.

Bought the G15 on a whim and apparently it's the best keyboard around! 

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Originally posted by kthullchu
I thought most people used USB headphones these days? I don't know of a single friend that uses the old plug style.

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I still use the old jack headsets, but not by choice. It just happened to come that way, and it was the best set they had. It did at least come with an adapter to make it usable with USB.

Originally posted by Samillence

Originally posted by Kostika

Alot of people use the normal headphone jack type headsets. The USB ones still have problems with some games and programs.

There was a survey  done recently that 95% of gamers use USB headsets reason why is because the headphone jack ones cause alot of static. Another note is I just love it on how PC accessories makers are still trying to beat logitech, theres only one keyboard thats still out ranks all keyboards and thats the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard.

95% ----ummm yeah where is this survey? I neve rtrust surveys they are basically designed to say what you want them to say.

Originally posted by Samillence

Originally posted by Kostika

Alot of people use the normal headphone jack type headsets. The USB ones still have problems with some games and programs.

There was a survey  done recently that 95% of gamers use USB headsets reason why is because the headphone jack ones cause alot of static. Another note is I just love it on how PC accessories makers are still trying to beat logitech, theres only one keyboard thats still out ranks all keyboards and thats the Logitech G15 gaming keyboard.

http://www.icemat.com/products/icematsiberia/icemat_siberia_headset

a) Not USB 

b) Used by the majority of gamers at WCG

And in regards to the traditional jacks having static; I'm currently using the plantronics gamecom headset (with a jack) and I have had no static issues whatsoever.

I'll be sticking to my G15 as well.

Well... I'll stick with it until another G-board comes out and provides 20 or more G-keys. (The 18 on the G15 leaves me with 2 power slots that I can't access in City of Heroes/Villains.)

I got a G15 keyboard and G7 laser cordless mouse both by Logitech and I'll stick with them. I haven't seen much better out there.

This keyboard looks decidedly lackluster compared to the G15.

nothing will beat the tactile of a saitek keyboard.

you can drop them from a 2nd story window and they still work.

I dislike any keyboard that runs software also, stealing precious cpu cycles.

Nope. This ones not gonna replace my G15. Between a G15 and an mx1000 I have so many buttons 

Nothing can ever beat my old Compaq Presario keyboard I got back in 2000.  It's so great and I know the keys by memory because I've been using it so long.  It even has macro keys on it, something unheard of or slightly rare back in 2000.  Especially on a normal keyboard.   By chance one day I found a guy selling 5 of these on Ebay so I bought them all.  I replaced the original with one of the new ones, but now I have 4 others just waiting to be used when this one gets too dirty or if I spill something on it.

Most the time when I try out these new gaming keyboards at Best Buy or Circuit City, they just don't feel right.  Feel is very important for me, because I play FPS games just as much as I play MMOs.  Pressing a wrong key, or pressing it too slow or uncertainly can cost you a round in a FPS, so I'm very hesitant to switch.

I love my The Deck 105 key Legend from http://www.deckkeyboards.com/index.php

The keys are not flat, are too high. This makes your fingers struck to other keys and the keyboard is very noisy. When you use them too much these no-flat keys have little blocks when you don't press them exactly from the top.

I could never play without keyboard with no flat keys. The Logitech G15 is bad as well.

Watch for Razer Tarantula, this is really pro.

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Originally posted by SeeMeFearMe
Nothing can ever beat my old Compaq Presario keyboard I got back in 2000. It's so great and I know the keys by memory because I've been using it so long. It even has macro keys on it, something unheard of or slightly rare back in 2000. Especially on a normal keyboard. By chance one day I found a guy selling 5 of these on Ebay so I bought them all. I replaced the original with one of the new ones, but now I have 4 others just waiting to be used when this one gets too dirty or if I spill something on it.
Most the time when I try out these new gaming keyboards at Best Buy or Circuit City, they just don't feel right. Feel is very important for me, because I play FPS games just as much as I play MMOs. Pressing a wrong key, or pressing it too slow or uncertainly can cost you a round in a FPS, so I'm very hesitant to switch.

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haha you must be talking about one of the old school 10 pound ones that you can knock someone out with right? When you press the keys they feel really soft and hardly make any noise what so ever. I have two sitting next to me as I type this. Kick ass keyboards.

Never really went for the whole gaming keyboard thing.

Just that a basic media keyboard has been suiting me well for a while.

Looking to replace it with an LED backlit keyboard and the Eclipse is looking mighty damn fine.

This keyboard sucks as the G15 Logitech. They have keys high as the 60's keyboards (commodore 64 keyboard, noob keyboards). Are old, all these keyboard will be replaced with the flats one. 2 years ago only 1 keyboard was flat, now are the most, and in the future all the keyboards will be flat.
For childs there will be keyboards with many buttons, colourful, with gadgets everywhere, but a bad keyboard with 10000 gadjets will remain a bad keyboard.

For gaming try the flat keyboards, or you will always struck with other buttons key.

You say that this keyboard is soft at pressing them and don't make noise, at the begin they ALL looks soft :D , you didn't try many keyboards in your life...  after 6 months they will have little blocks. All the keyboards are so made, but with the flats this won't be noticed because the pressing depth is small.

Try the Razer Tarantula, or even any other flat keyboard is better than tons of useless buttons, or display, or jack.