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Geek Culture / Christine - Razer's modular design

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Phaelax
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Posted: 13th Mar 2014 19:56
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Anyone see this?
http://www.razerzone.com/christine

It looks neat, design-wise, but considering what Razer usually charges for their products I don't think this will really do well.

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Quik
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Posted: 13th Mar 2014 22:07
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Razer usually charges a lot? mouse wise it's... well mouse industry standard they're charging, headphones arent too expensive either for that matter, nor is keyboards, not quite sure what you're pointing finger at there?



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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 13th Mar 2014 23:57 Edited at: 13th Mar 2014 23:58
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They make things other than mice, headphones, and keyboards... Have a look at those other things, and you will find high prices.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 03:56
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Well, the cheapest Razer mouse I could find was $50 and it goes up to $150. That's just ridiculous for a mouse. $10-$20 tops. And their keyboards are from $60 to over $200. Their prices certainly are not industry standard, I don't know where you've been shopping.

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 05:56
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60 dollar mouse mat...

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Quik
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 06:36
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Quote: "Well, the cheapest Razer mouse I could find was $50 and it goes up to $150."


Have you seen logitech mouses? They go for those prices aswell, at the very least their "quality mice" - which is the ONLY thing Razer makes as far as mice go.

they don't make "mouses" - they make quality mouses, most of which is directed towards quality gaming - pro gaming even. At the very least serious gaming. Not the kind of mice you get to surf around the net.
I'd never get a 20$ mouse tbh.

keyboards the same.



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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 06:53
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Quote: "I'd never get a 20$ mouse tbh.

keyboards the same."
Well aren't you just so awesome.

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nonZero
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 07:18 Edited at: 14th Mar 2014 07:23
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My wireless mouse and kbd combo cost me 69 ZAR which is about $6.45 USD (based on exchange rates). That was quite some time back. They're now around 150 ZAR which is prolly like $13 USD. I'm happy with my el Cheapo mouse and kbd made lovingly by Genius who make lovely cheap things that don't break. I have a gamepad that's nearly 6 years old (edit: actually, I got it in 2007 so it's approaching 7yo) by Genius and it works great. I don't use it often now because I have a wireless one though. I'll admit, there's a big gap between my current gamepad and my PlayStation one and it took some getting used to the unresponsive nature but the Genius one was great. I guess I'm saying price isn't everything. It boils down to quality. Not everything expensive is good, nor is everything cheap bad. It's about finding a good brand or at least a trustworthy one. I mean, I got a Wacom drawing tablet some years back because they had a good reputation, not because they were pricey. So, yeah, some stuff of mine is cheap, others not. Price is not a sane criteria, though I admit I don't use my mouse and keyboard for much gaming (why I have the gamepad).

ver 7.5 /// int 145 /// str 45 /// dex 85 /// end 200 /// mat 3
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Quik
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 07:25
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Quote: "Well aren't you just so awesome."


No, but I'm explaining what kind of people Razer are aiming their products at.
My keyboard is a Razer one, not too happy abotu that, I prefer logitech, however my keyboard and mouse cost about 150$ in total, only mice I have that kosts less than 50$ is reserve mice that goes for about <20$
but then again, some people prefer cheap mice - but then, Razer is not for you. Razer has amazing quality mice, for "good" prices, same with Logitechs more expensive ones.
It all depends on what you aim your products at, and Razer is not aiming their products at people with a tight budget.



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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 14th Mar 2014 07:31
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Gotcha; I didn't see the 'tbh' you typed at first, which changed the tone a bit, so I thought you were being rather condescending; but never mind.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 15th Mar 2014 03:31
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Quote: "No, but I'm explaining what kind of people Razer are aiming their products at."

Gamers who think a high dollar mouse makes an actual difference. My $12 logitech works without any issues in fast-paced FPS games. So what makes theirs better than a cheap mouse? How is theirs any higher quality? Higher DPI? Reads faster? All useless nonsense if the standard el cheapo mouse can detect motion fast enough for games already. It's like paying for a 300mph car and never going above 70!


Can we get one comment about the computer in the original post?

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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 15th Mar 2014 04:01 Edited at: 15th Mar 2014 04:07
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They talk about how only the most technologically advanced folks have had access to PC customization until now, but I think that's a load of crap. Frankly it doesn't take much intelligence to know how to assemble a computer from discrete parts.

So I think this has really no benefit for customers, other than making their wallets a decent bit lighter and making customization a minuscule bit more intuitive.

To quote it right from the website:
Quote: "For more than 30 years, only the most hardcore enthusiasts were able to take advantage of PC customizability. Convoluted hardware made it insane for the average person: knowing what does what, what works with what, and how to connect the pieces."
Yeah, again, that's a load of crap. Some of those words there are really exaggerated. If you have trouble putting RAM in a DIMM slot, get psychological help. If you have trouble putting a graphics card in a PCI-e slot, get psychological help. If you have trouble dropping a CPU into a ZIF slot and locking it in, get psychological help. If you have trouble plugging power supply plugs into clearly corresponding sockets, get psychological help. Etc. Now I am exaggerating too, but I think my point is clear.

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nonZero
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Posted: 15th Mar 2014 07:55 Edited at: 15th Mar 2014 07:59
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I agree with DJD. I never did a single course or read a single book on "how to" and I was building machines as a kid (and that was when some boards needed a special card for an hdd -- well my 286's did). Point is that for over 10 years boards have been shipping preconfigured (no messing with jumpers) and with pretty straightforward slots. Hell, last CPU I bought had some weird-ass sticky square on it and apparently it "didn't need paste". Reluctantly, I pushed on the heatsink & fan. Slowly, very, I pushed my CPU hotter (and I was wary because it was AMD which tends to burn the board too). Well it passed my testing and ended up becoming my cousin's PC. It's a ripe old age and still running (ironically the cheap video card died though). But I digress.

This project is cool in that it claims full compatibility of any hardware with any hardware (which could have saved me getting a new video card the moment I got a board with no more AGP) but I'm assuming this feature comes at some performance cost since we're talking architectural differences too (Unless I read wrong) which means abstraction/virtualization at lower level. If I was hardcore as a modern gamer, that'd be a deal-breaker.
It looks really cool. Very 90s sci-fi which is awesome. However I'm not that into paying the difference (which I expect to be steep) for something that just looks appealing. Last tower I built, I asked the shop for the cheapest case they had. I ended up with some mainly plastic (why are even expensive cases so plasticy today? I liked metal) and it looked misaligned. It had flashy lights (don't get today's cases with lights either). But yeah, case is the last thing I'd spend on so eye-candy is for the rich.

This product targets wannabe hardcore dudes with big wallets, it seems. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe it revolutionises the industry and creates conformity within (that'd be great) but I doubt it.

Still, the idea itself is cool and it looks pretty. The only downside would be if this became a standard and we could no longer "tinker". Other than that, if rich folk want to blow extra cash on it, I say more power to the sellers. I mean these guys may be the next Apple.



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Dark Java Dude 64
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Posted: 15th Mar 2014 10:00
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Quote: "This product targets wannabe hardcore dudes with big wallets"
I laughed at how true this is -- very.

Quote: "I mean these guys may be the next Apple."
They're on the right course!

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Quik
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Posted: 15th Mar 2014 11:26
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Quote: "This product targets wannabe hardcore dudes with big wallets"


Well it is true - as with all other products they have.

and, for those praising logitech for being aweome with their cheap mice... Any of their "gaming" mice goes for the same price range, atleast if you want mice macros - which, I atleast enjoy.
I'm more of a logitech person myself, but I enjoy Razer too - I'd however only choose razer over Logitech when it comes to FPS gaming



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Airslide
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Posted: 16th Mar 2014 22:13 Edited at: 16th Mar 2014 22:14
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All I know is that I had a pretty interesting time getting a new SSD and new networking card into my old computer with the accessories provided with the case and the layout of the motherboard (when combined with an oversized GFX card). It wasn't hard per se, but it is a little messier than I would like (the SSD is basically jerry-rigged in there and the networking card is lightly pushing against the plastic fan guard of the GFX card).

I definitely see the appeal of Project Christine, especially if the whole chassis doesn't have to be swapped out for features that would otherwise require a new motherboard. I like the aesthetics of it too.

Looks like it addresses a bit of what Garry Newman (of Garry's Mod) complains about here:
http://garry.tv/2012/12/28/pc-hardware-design-sucks/
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Phaelax
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Posted: 17th Mar 2014 03:23
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I can't really agree with with Garry's article. Yes the apple design looks cleaner, but it limits possibilities. Every motherboard would have to be laid out the same way to be compatible and relies on additional boards in place of cables.

I like Razer's design but I too fear the cost will be more than it's worth.

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Airslide
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Posted: 18th Mar 2014 06:31 Edited at: 18th Mar 2014 06:40
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He's only really arguing that maybe we should see more cases with the motherboard built in, so that you can get the design features present on the (old) Mac Pro. I don't really see how it limits possibilities, since your motherboard's feature set and layout are already the limiting factors (and occasionally the case itself is a limiting factor). He's not arguing every motherboard be designed with one universal case layout in mind - just that cases have custom motherboards with ideal layouts for the case design that avoid wires and hassle.

Of course, he also is commenting on the lousy aesthetic design of most PC cases, which is a problem I ran into when I briefly considered swapping my desktop's case (before ultimately deciding against it).

If you want true, long-term modularity, it looks like Razer's concept would get you there. But as you say, it will probably come with a pretty hefty price tag. Even excluding the brand name, with each component featuring noise cancelation, liquid cooling and so forth... that's not going to be cheap. Although I'm not sure from that page - are they setting it up so that you can say, buy a module to put your own GFX card in, or do you buy the module with a GFX card inside it already? I'm guessing the second.
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MrValentine
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Posted: 26th Mar 2014 23:37
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Turbulence in Project Christine...

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Phaelax
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Posted: 27th Mar 2014 04:11
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Honestly, I'm not surprised.

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Yodaman Jer
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Posted: 27th Mar 2014 04:40
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Damn. Oh well. Perhaps it will exist someday!

Quick, somebody make it happen!


Come check out my new website!
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Rudolpho
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Posted: 27th Mar 2014 12:26 Edited at: 27th Mar 2014 12:28
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Quote: "Gamers who think a high dollar mouse makes an actual difference."

I've got a Razer Naga, it fits very well in the hand (took some getting used to I'll admit though, since its smaller than other mice I've hade), offers 14 assignable buttons (in addition to the standard 3) that for once are placed in an intuitive enough way to be easily accessable and has a cool green glow. Would I get by with a cheaper, three-button, clumsy mouse? Of course. Do I think this (which I think cost ~$50) is worth the difference in price? Yes. It's all a matter of perspective I guess; if you don't need additional features then there's no need to pay extra for them, but if they actually do make a difference in your daily life it might very well be worth a few extra bucks

Edit: as for higher DPI, I haven't really noticed any difference so I'll give you that that probably matters very little if at all. But then I'm not a big FPS gamer either.


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Quik
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Posted: 27th Mar 2014 14:54
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pretty much what Rudolhpo said



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Phaelax
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Posted: 28th Mar 2014 00:15
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Quote: "offers 14 assignable buttons "

I wouldn't know what to do with 14 buttons on a mouse! My big paws would probably just mash 5 of them at a time and frustrate me!

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Quik
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Posted: 28th Mar 2014 15:31
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Quote: "I wouldn't know what to do with 14 buttons on a mouse!"


MMO gaming ^^ Or any game in where you need to access many shortcuts ^^ I usually prefer to have 2-3 on the side at the very least, otherwise i'm not much of a mouse button person meself



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Phaelax
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Posted: 28th Mar 2014 19:29
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People don't use the keyboard to game anymore? That's got over 100 shortcuts!

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Quik
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Posted: 28th Mar 2014 20:14
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Quote: "People don't use the keyboard to game anymore? That's got over 100 shortcuts!
"

over a hundre shortcuts with about 10-15 viable ones



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