I’ve been trying for the last year to get my girlfriend into gaming. No dice. She’s just not that kind of person, I guess. She likes playing Daxter on her PSP, but that’s about all I can get her to do. No WoW, no L4D, but I did hook up a gamepad to her computer and get her going with Mario classic. Sometimes I wonder what I did wrong, but then I’m thankful that she games at all. Even if it is an old school 2D game with horrible graphics. The thing is, we all have ways of playing when/if we play. Some of us want only the best. The biggest screen. The fastest CPU. The most memory and the most expensive mouse and keyboard we can find. But there are also the gamers who love to game, just not enough to spend $100 on a mouse that doesn’t seem to have an more reaction time than your typical optical mouse.
It’s gamers like these that inspired the Razer Salmosa. Never mind that it’s name is closer to Salmon than any of us care to acknowledge, because for the low price, anyone can have quality gaming gear that won’t put you in debt with the bank that is probably getting foreclosed by our government. And
Xoxide was kind enough to hook us up with one to see how it stacks up against other noob-level gaming gear on the market today. While we contact our lawyers and see how long our own bank will be open before Obama takes it, check out the details on this mouse:
The Razer Salmosa is the quickest entry level gaming-grade mouse armed with the fastest tracking optical sensor in the world. Designed to be one of the lightest and most compact mice of its class, it is the ideal mouse of choice for finger-tip grip gamers who seek both speed and control.
1800dpi 3G
Infrared Sensor
The Razer 3G Infrared sensor is rated as the fastest tracking optical mouse sensor in the world, enabling movement speeds of up to 2.25 times faster than other regular gaming mice.
Ultra-Light Form Factor
The Razer Salmosa features one of the lightest and most compact form factors in its class, delivering optimum freedom of movement for finger-tip grip gamers.
Hardware Toggles for DPI and Polling Rate
The Razer Salmosa comes with additional toggle switches on the bottom of the mouse that enable gamers to make 800/1800dpi and 125/500/1000Hz polling rate adjustments – without the need for any software drivers.
Features
- 1800dpi Razer Precision™ 3G infrared sensor
- 1000Hz Ultrapolling / 1ms response time
- Mechanical dpi/polling rate switches
- On-The-Fly Sensitivity™ adjustment
- Always-On™ mode
- Ultra-large non-slip buttons
- 16-bit ultra-wide data path
- 60-120 inches per second
- Three independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons
- Ambidextrous design
- Scroll wheel with 24 individual click positions
- Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon feet
- Seven-foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
- Approximate size: 115mm (length) x 63mm (width) x 37mm (height)
And when they say it’s light, they mean it. When I got the box I started to pitch a fit because it felt like there was nothing inside it. And then I opened it to find a mouse not much bigger than those compact mice that come in laptop survival kits. Aside from the mouse, there was also Razer’s usual package of stuff; a booklet on the mouse itself, a little catalog of their gear, some stickers, as well as the driver disc. It says there is no need for drivers as the controls are built into the bottom of the mouse, but just for safety’s sake, I’m gonna install those babies anyway. Just a thought real quick, RazerGuy. Why do you put your driver disc in the back of a booklet with no real protection? It could easily be broken or scratched back there. I’m sure you have your reasons… I just don’t know them.
On the next page we install the tiny mouse…
Anyway, back to the mouse install. The disc is really nothing more than a download window that is in executable format. It downloads your drivers from the Razer website so that you don’t have to go looking for them. It would have be just as handy to put them all on the disc that was already sent with the mouse, but to each his own hard way of doing things. Now that the drivers are downloaded and installed, I decided to check out the different hardware-configurable settings and see how they responded in and out of a gaming scenario. The two choices for DPI: 800 and 1800, are easily changed to and fro at the flip of a switch. I found that while using the mouse for everyday browsing and surfing, the 800dpi setting was optimal. 1800 moved a little too fast for my taste without some kind of software settings change. But once I got into a game, I found that the added response time of an 1800dpi was favorable.
In fact, when used in comparison to my usual gamer, a Wolf King MVP (check prices here), I found that the response time was at least 25% better using the Salmosa. This was using the MVP at 2200dpi; its highest DPI rating with no option to change the hertz rating. After playing around with the other switch on the bottom of the mouse, I was able to configure the mouse for optimally for my play style by setting the DPI to 1800 and the Hertz rating to 500. I also found after doing this that even though it was still a little fast, it was still okay for use outside of the gaming environment. After testing out the response times using only hardware configuration, I decided to see what I could do with the software and drivers in the mix. Much more than I thought, actually. You can manually adjust your sensitivities, clicks options, and speeds as easily as clicking on a slider. Setting your mouse to your own specifications is easier with this software than most others I’ve seen. Which makes since, as this mouse is directed at new and fresh gamers.
You can control the buttons, sensitivity, and DPI
Compared to the Wolf King MVP (reviewed here), I found this mouse was favorable in most aspects, especially in gaming performance and ease of adjustment. The Wolf King did have the Salmosa beat in the number of buttons, however, having a total of five configurable buttons, one for DPI, and one for Rapid Fire, a total of seven buttons in all. The Salmosa has three, including the scroll wheel. However, when it came to maneuverability, the Salmosa won hands down with its Teflon mouse skates, allowing it to almost float above the mouse pad. This is an integral part of FPS gaming, the ability to get your cross hair where you need it when you need it. This is definitely a gamer’s mouse without all the bells and whistles that many people think they must have to play a game. No lights, no built in fan, just hardcore gaming at its finest for those who want to get in on the action without a flashy entrance.
On the next page we render our verdict…
This mouse beats the crap out of your standard use mouse in every way as well. While most mice have an 8-bit data path, this one uses a monstrous 16-bit wide data path. Faster response and input means you have the upper hand when bagging monsters, zombies, or a soldier on the battlefield. Couple that with Razer’s Hyperesponse buttons and their Razer Precision 3G infrared sensor, and this mouse decimates all but the best.
I think for those who are interested in getting into gaming, this would be a great starter mouse. It’s small and sleek, but still aggressive. The flat on piano black finish gives it a dominating look, while still catering to the needs of the serious gamer who wants to kick the crap out of some noobs… even if he/she’s a noob as well. And for the price, it would be easy to get started without having to settle for a common user mouse when the situation calls for something more. I don’t know how many times I’ve been to LAN parties and seen these pitiful kids getting wiped out endlessly while trying to use a typical three-button HP or Gateway mouse that came with their grandmother’s computer in head-to-head combat. If you want to game for the first time and not look like a complete tool, then I say the Salmosa is the tool for the job.
Our review sample was provided by Xoxide, and you can pick one up directly from them.
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2 Comment
Remember the two words: "finger(tip) grip". This mouse addresses the 3rd and hardest to master gripping style, the Kung-Fu of all grips. Well done, Razer!
I know its been ages since u put this up. Jus bought a salmosa today. My Vista laptop is not detecting the mouse even after downloading and installing the drivers from the Razer website. Tried the whole thing about 4 times. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Thought i'd ask before returning the mouse to the retailer.