Roccat Arvo and Apuri Review

Roccat Arvo Keyboard

Published: 4th May 2010 | Source: Roccat | Price: £28.99 & £46.99 | Author: Bryan Waters

Roccat Arvo and Apuri

Arvo Keyboard

Keyboards are very much up there with mice and other input devices as items that are likely to be found in your local parts store. Because of this the packaging and box art are of a premium importance in grabbing the attention of the passing shopper. Roccat have continued the great looking packaging we've seen with their other items with the Arvo. A life-size replica of the keyboard on the front, with the important information and features highlighted on the back.

Removing the internal box from the cardboard sleever we find the Arvo well protected by a stiff cardboard box. The keyboard itself is further kept safe with a plastic cover to protect iti from any dust and the like.

Taking it out we get our first look at the Arvo, and it definitely is both eye-catching and follows the design trend of the rest of the SDMS Roccat range.

The underside has four large rubber pads to keep it in place, and two stubby feet should you require the keyboard at a slightly more ergonomic angle. It doesn't raise it much, as you can see, but every little helps when you're typing regularly.

Below the space bar are three extra buttons, the "Thumbster" keys which can be programmed to whatever you like and, thanks to their easy placing, hit regularly. Often extra keys are in strange positions but with the keys right below the spacebar they're easy to hit every time.

On the top right is the mode switch which changes the cursor keys as we'll see below.

The mode switch handily lights up but doesn't, unlike many LEDs, distract at all.

Finally we have the Roccat manual and driver disk. Although as always with Roccat the software is available from their website ensuring you can stay upto date without the bloat that some manufacturers want you to install.

And here you can see how the mode button affects the keyboard. When in gaming mode the cursors are lit by a nice soft blue, and when on you return to the standard keypad.

In gaming mode the 1 and 3 buttons become two extra macro keys, meaning you're in full control at all times.