Razer Arctosa Keyboard

Examination:

The Razer Arctosa does not look too unique, but is at least sleek and maintains a low profile. Compared to the keys found on the Logitech G15 and other standard desktop keyboards, the Arctosa keys are much shorter. The keys themselves are nicely sized and should not cause any problems. Like most modern keyboards there is a detachable wrist rest, which does require the removal of a few screws to detach.

This keyboard has all of the standard PC keys one would expect in a standard layout, while in the upper right hand corner are the multimedia keys. These Razer multimedia keys include play/pause, stop, forward, reverse, and volume controls. In the center of these multimedia keys is the Razer logo, which actually doubles as a button. When using Razer's software this button is used for switching between keyboard profiles. Above these buttons are the three blue LED locks. Unlike the OCZ Alchemy Elixir and other gaming keyboards, there is not a plethora of programmable keys on the Arctosa, but those keys generally do not work under Linux so it is not much of a loss.

On the bottom side of the Razer Arctosa are two fold-down feet to provide a slight lift for the keyboard, but the rise is minimal. With the Arctosa there are also no USB or audio pass-through connectors. Overall the Razer keyboard is lightweight but still feels relatively durable.