Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had a Nostromo for years when it was still being manufactured by Belkin. They sold it to Razer a while back and stopped driver support for the N52 which became a issue for me under Win7, so I figured since I liked the Tarantula keyboard so much, surely their take on the Nostromo would be golden. First, the software that comes bundled with the Razer Nostromo is flat out excellent, very solid and stable, and IMO better than what Belkin had going with their profiler. The Belkin profiler was good and easy to use, very intuitive on most levels with programming macros and keystrokes, and allowed you to set up 3 keys for page flipping fairly easily. The Razer version has the same ease of use, but is smoother and cleaner with its layout, it enables *MUCH* smoother profile changes even within a game to other game set ups, something the Belkin version couldn't, and has 8 keymap page options compared to Belkin's 3. However, when I first got it, I was very annoyed with the thumb directional pad, it had this knob sticking up from the center that significantly interfered with my use of it as a directional movement button. I guess the designers thought it made the directional key more accessible, but I found it very hindering. Fortunately, a closer examination revealed that the knob was removable and the thumb button's slightly dipped design was much more natural. I did find the thumb and space keys to be a bit too tall and slightly stiff compared to my old Belkin model, but after a couple of weeks of steady use they loosened up and I got used to their height, a combination of unlearning what the Belkin model had taught my hand to expect and Razer's keys becoming more responsive with use. The keys on the keypad are *excellent*, downright sexy. The texture of the buttons, the lighting, and the amount of distance that your finger has to depress them is all spot on and natural in the amount of effort and response. One's hand size is only a minor concern thanks to the palm rest's shape. I have large hands, so the heel of my palm naturally sits on the bottom of the rest, and my fingers find their placement naturally as a result with no feelings of being crowded. I have a small friend who is all of 4'10", she borrowed my unit for a couple of days and promptly ordered one herself, saying that her small hand size was equally supported by the Nostromo's palm rest, allowing her to easily reach all the keys simply by resting the heel of her palm higher on the rest, she also found the knob on the directional pad worth keeping in place (though she too complained about the stiffness of the two buttons just like I did until use loosened them up). Update 9-22-2013 I still possess the unit I purchased in Feb of 2011. Ever since I've gotten this, I play every game using it and should any mishap befall it I would replace it with zero hesitation. Every friend I've recommended it to has bought one refuses to game without it (currently numbering at 8 converts). The durability of this unit is simply outstanding, the keys still have their sexy responsiveness, the back lighting is still the same level of color, and only an occasional air-blasting dusting was ever needed. I hope Razer keeps this product on the market for a long time to come still.