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Comment by georgeecollins | Hacker News Reader

The Razer accounts are in no way mandatory. They just have an app that auto-updates drivers (and probably does a lot of data mining) but you don't need to use it to use the device. It is a funny comment though, I laughed when I read it.

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I don't know about Razer recently, but I have a 13 button Logitech mouse (G700s) and it would be essentially useless without the Logitech software to configure it. I assume Razer mice are the same, you could technically use them without Synapse, but if you're doing that you may as well have bought a Microsoft Intellimouse instead.

And Synapse did require a login for several years. Looks like it doesn't anymore, thankfully: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/razer-synapse-3-removes-lo...

Personal mouse experience, I had two Razers that died right outside warranty, while my Logitech is at >6 years. Those were before their driver shenanigans, but the drivers aren't even the main reason I wouldn't switch back.

I'm not sure if this is true for the G700s, but many other Logitech mice store the configuration on the device itself, which lets you configure it once and then get rid of the software or use it on computers or OSes where you've never installed the software. This is true for my G502.

It's true for a single configuration, but not if you want to bind different keys per program with the "Automatic Game Detection" mode.

I mainly use one profile for games and set any keybinds I need in each one, but I've used automatic game detection for other software like repurposing the DPI adjustment buttons for quick shortcuts to blender's popup radial menus.

Ah, gotcha. The G502 stores something like 5 modes and has a mode switcher button on the mouse, but I could see the convenience of wanting automatic switching per program.

+1 to this

I plugged my G700s into a Windows machine with the Logitech bloatware suite installed, programmed it, and I've been using it on a Mac for years since then without any trouble

I have a razer deathadder chroma with a kvm switch on mac/windows/linux systems. I do not have razer app installed on any of the three systems and the mouse works fine (including the forward/back side buttons and pressable scroll (so 5 buttons total)).

OSes do well up to that point, but 5 buttons is the limit of what tends to work well without some sort of special drivers

I recommend anyone with Synapse use your firewall to block all of their services from interacting with the Internet. I noticed Synapse was consuming a lot of CPU/network. I'm definitely never going to buy a Razer mouse again, I'll probably get a Zowie.

My Razer mouse is basically broken (it's not that the sensitivity is too high, it's just...completely off) until you install and log in with their app. Only after you log in is the mouse movement fixed.

I would never buy another Razer product, specifically because of this.

Are they still storing your mouse settings online?

I got rid of my Razer mouse as my custom key settings wouldn't kick in for about 5 minutes after each reboot

I have Razer Synapse installed right now, I am not logged into the service but I am still able to make configurations. Don't know what issue you're having. I would feel the same way if this was an issue though

> I would feel the same way if this was an issue though

It was: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/razer-synapse-3-removes-lo...

Oh wow, this was only a few months before I bought my hardware. I've been using a Naga since the first model and had it replaced in 2014. I guess I just got a bit lucky on my timing. The old hardware was really bad at trying to force Synapse on you too, used to even appear during Window 10 upgrades.

It would be great if they used the additional on board macro profiles as an 'out of the box' way of adjusting the mouse without software. You nerd the software to change mouse button 4/5 to native actions, otherwise it's just dpi control.

They absolutely are necessary if you want to disable or configure lighting, change DPI, acceleration, etc.

I will never buy a Razer product again.

No shit. I can't configure the lights on my former razer mouse without logging in.

Must be why I'm using a Steelseries now.

Edit: Apparently they gave up on that idiotic requirement. Sorry Razer, too late. Not touching your products ever again.

Edit 2: And since we're actually talking about Oculus, for me it died when they sold to Facebook. You needed to be pretty naive to think it won't come down to this in the long run.

> (and probably does a lot of data mining)

Not just data, either. A year ago or so, Razer was pushing a cryptocurrency miner along with their driver package:

https://www.razer.com/eu-en/softminer

And the Facebook account was in no way mandatory for Oculus until today's announcement we're commenting on. What's your point?

> They just have an app that auto-updates drivers (and probably does a lot of data mining) but you don't need to use it to use the device

Uh, yeah, updating drivers for mice. Just WTF? I get that it makes sense to have a capability of correcting bugs, but that should not require an app.

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