Closer Examination

It's clear that Razer has tried to give the Pro|Type the same aesthetic qualities as Apple's own keyboard lineup both in terms of color and the look of the dock system. I think that Razer has succeeded with this design. Not only does it look great it also incorporates a lot of decent functions besides the docking functionality.



One of the most interesting aspects of the Pro|Type keyboard is by far the iPod dock which is conveniently located top center on the keyboard.



As you can see it looks just like one of Apples own iPod docks. The iPod connector is tilted a bit so that you can look into the display of the iPod you have mounted while using the dock.



The dock can be used even without the proper adapters although it's not recommend and will probably void warranty since the iPod connector at the bottom of the dock bay is pretty weak.



The adapters for the dock ensure that the size of the hole fits your iPod. They are easy to install and remove, all you do is insert a nail or screwdriver into the recess and it pops right out. The two adapters that come bundled with the keyboard are for 4th generation iPods, but they can probably be used with 5th generation too although I haven't tested it.



I have tested this keyboard with an iPod Nano and it worked perfectly. All I did was install the smallest of the adapters even though it was too big it looked alright, of course the optimal solution would be to buy the proper inserts to ensure a snug fit. The iPod is a bit off center this is due to the fact that the port underneath the Nano is placed on the left side of the iPod instead of in the center.



One of the things I like about the new Razer keyboards is that they connect to the PC via two USB connectors instead of just one. This means that you can plug in two power consuming USB devices to the keyboard without the USB-hub power supply being overloaded.



The Pro|Type looks much like its Razer gaming sibling the Tarantula gaming keyboard. The major difference between the two is that the Pro|Type has an iPod dock where the Tarantula has a battledock where you can install Razer's own web cam or a lighting system called "Battlelight". Another thing worth noting is that the Pro|Type doesn't come with any special character keys, or a key remover for that matter, so if you are looking for a customizable keyboard the Pro|Type isn't going to meet your needs.



One of the things that surprised me a bit is that the line-out on the back of the keyboard actually is the line-out for the iPod you have mounted. This means that you can connect the keyboard to your room's sound system, effectively bypassing the PC's audio system. Besides the line-out this keyboard has two USB connectors.



Besides the L and R macro keys the Pro|Type sports some media controls and "Windows picture viewer" controls. The keyboard also has a "Home" button and a Sleep/Standby button on the left side. After using the keyboard for a while I began to appreciate both the handy media player controls and the "Windows picture viewer" buttons, both sets of keys are extremely neat to have and facilitate the use of media and picture processing programs. Below the media player controls the keyboard features a volume control button and a shuffle and mute button. Especially the volume control is quite nice to have at hand when you, like me, use a pair of headphones without a cord controller.



The design of the media and picture viewer controls is identical, giving the keyboard a symmetric look.



Another key feature of the Pro|Type is the R and L keys. They are essentially back lighted buttons that you can assign macros to. The only problem with the macro function is that you can only assign up to 8 keystrokes to it.



Since the keyboard is held in a pearly white color the blue back lighting behind the L and R keys are reflected up from the key bay. It looks like blue light gently flowing out from beneath the buttons. The effect of the back lighting can be seen both in daylight and at night.

One of the small Razer details is the pulsing Razer logo in the wrist rest.