Today we'll be looking at the Razer Boomslang 2000, the higher end model of the two available mice based on kärna's new technology. The main feature of the Boomslang is it's extremely high resolution, which translates into smoother motion and higher accuracy. In order to better understand the premise on which the Boomslang is based, we borrow the analogy kärna uses to describe their method for precision.
"An analogy would be the pinpoint precision of a laser versus the dispersion of a flood light. By focusing the light beam, the Razer can track the slightest movement of the encoder wheel with speed and precision far beyond that of a conventional mouse."
Although this description is a bit fluffy, the main idea is this: by using enhanced focusing, the Boomslang offers more precision than was previously possible with a conventional mouse. How does this stack up to the competition? Lets take a look.
Before getting into what is included with this new mouse, we'd like to take a little trip down biology lane. If you wondered how kärna came up with the bizarre name for their first offering, you wouldn't be alone. The Boomslang is a highly venomous South African snake, which reaches lengths of five feet or more. Not to be outdone, kärna has designed their rendition of the Boomslang with a seven-foot cord. Although the South African snake eats mostly birds and eggs, kärna hopes the Boomslang 2000 will dine on other mice.
In order to dominate the market, kärna has to do more then attach a gargantuan cable though. Since the Boomslang is being marketed as a gaming mouse, lets look at some of the features that make gaming more attractive.
First to be mentioned is the resolution technology that is incorporated into the mouse. Sampling at 2000 instances per inch of movement, the Boomslang 2000 eclipses standard mice (which operate at around 450dpi) by over four times the resolution. While numbers may not mean much to some, the real-world benefit is essentially increased sensitivity to movement. Indeed if you are one of the "flickers" who has had problems with accuracy using the Intellimouse Explorer, kärna's solution solves the problem.
Due to the high resolution of the mouse, the Boomslang 2000 also sports a processor capable of processing 6 MIPS. While most mice operate at around 1.5 MIPS (Microsoft's Intellimouse Explorer can actually process 18 MIPS), the Boomslang requires the extra processing power to maintain sensitivity.