A Consensual Mouse
The ambidextrous mouse will please both left- and right-handers, especially those who are not crazy about specially designed mouse shapes. The horizontal division provides a comfortable position for the palm and the fingers that operate the buttons, and at the same time gives an excellent grip for the thumb and little finger for moving the mouse. This mouse is not tiring to use, and encourages an active grip that's ideal for quick movement in action games, for example. The weight including batteries (130 grams, about 4 ounces) is also acceptable and doesn't take a toll on precision. Still, the mouse is a bit too heavy, and this does impact mouse control.
No Bells And Whistles
There's nothing too fancy here where the buttons are concerned - there are two more, in addition to the wheel. The fourth one, set behind the main buttons, is not very usable in practice; it simply requires too much finger movement.
The wheel is the multidirectional "tilt" type. Vertical scrolling is very comfortable and the very slight detents provide excellent preciseness, especially for changing weapons in a game or reading a Web page. The wheel also scrolls horizontally by tilting it left or right with your finger. With a little practice, handling it becomes very intuitive. It is a shame, though, that horizontal scrolling can't be assigned to keys so that it could be used in games. That means that you'll be able to use it mainly on the Web and in Photoshop and Excel.
Good Optical Precision
The mouse uses the second-generation optical sensor developed jointly by Agilent Technologies and Logitech. It analyzes 2,000 images per second; this is quite precise, but obviously not up to the precision of the MX510 sensor or the new MX Laser. You feel the difference during difficult photo editing jobs, or in very fast action games that require precision. On direct comparison using Doom 3 or FarCry, turning and then aiming is easier. However, in solo mode, the average experienced player won't notice a difference that really affects performance in the game.
For strategy or role games, or any other use under Windows, this mouse is reactive and precise. The 800 CPI resolution will be sufficient to provide excellent reactivity in all situations, and you can adapt the speed of the mouse to the user's preferences, as well as the needs of a particular game or other application. For more details about what CPI means, see our earlier article Logitech New Mouse Range Goes Back to the Future? .
