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| | Manufacturer: Logitech | | Min OS X: Any Version  Requires: USB Port |
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Some things in life are made better by combining them with other things. Peanut butter benefits from the addition of jelly. Hot chocolate and marshmallows warm the soul. For evil sharks, frickin' laser beams.Actually, scratch that last one. Logitech would actually like to pair their newest mouse, the MX1000 with laser beams. They do so for a good reason—an unparalleled level of accuracy that not even the highest grade optical mice can match. But what would Logitech choose to wrap around this mouse? Why, hopefully a reliable, comfortable, and intuitive mouse design that satisfies everyone. A good wireless function and long-lasting battery system paired with a very comfortable mouse design and integral software make for an appealing mouse. Something well-designed this way comes... I have to hand it to Logitech, their box design is quite cool. Covered in pseudo-hologram embossing and covered in information outlining the features of the "world's first laser-mouse," the MX1000 had me in anticipation as soon as I got the box in my hands.I was also impressed with the well-organized instructions, and they guided me through every step of the setup process. The mouse comes with a base station, which is plugged in via a USB cable (which is kind of short). An additional power adapter cable (which is pretty long) must be plugged into a standard electrical outlet. Having used many wireless optical mice before, I was familiar with the procedure of pressing a button on the mouse's base station, and then pressing a small connection button on the bottom of the mouse to initiate a wireless connection. This critical step was not explicitly mentioned in the instructions, but rather listed as a "reset" feature, and might confuse those unfamiliar to the setup process. Once I had everything properly plugged, I was eager to start scrolling. The mouse's lithium ion battery was already half-charged, encouraging me to try pushing the MX1000 around. When the battery was half full or less, I noticed a slight amount of latency between pushing the mouse and the mouse's response. The mouse charges when placed upright in its base station, and three battery icons indicate the MX1000's current battery level. A quick ten minute charge keeps the mouse going for a full twenty one days, and an on/off button on the bottom of the mouse can preserve battery power when you are away from your desk. I never really encountered the latency problem again, unless the mouse was reawakened after a significant period of rest. Since this mouse is wireless, the reception distance of the base unit is important. I tested the mouse's wireless function on a number of different desk setups, but never encountered a range where reception seemed limited, whether it was across the desk or practically next to the mouse. The manual said to avoid metallic surfaces, so those with metal desks may have to place the base-unit above their desk. While made of flimsy-feeling plastic, the receiver did look pretty cool embossed with a Logitech logo. With the ability to just slip the mouse into its cradle after every use, I willingly granted it some of my prized desk-space. Test Run The originally posted review claimed that there was no Macintosh software for the MX1000. As the reader reviews have noted, there is support for the MX1000 through Logitech's Control Center software, which can be downloaded from Logitech's website. The product review and score have been changed to more accurately reflect the product. I apologize for the error, and thank the IMG community for calling out the glaring ommision. -Scott TurnerWhile not present on the software CD that was included with my MX1000, the Logitech Control Center can be downloaded from Logitech's website. The software is installed directly into your system preferences, allowing you to access it easily from anywhere in the Mac OS. Featuring a device selector and a battery indicator, the Control Center also features easy configuration of every button and scrolling option on the mouse. Most features can be mapped to keystrokes and modifiers such as command or control, and scroll-rates can be set for most most buttons. The only process which requires setup is overall mouse sensitivity, which is still configured via the Mac OS's regular system preferences. A number of interesting features are added with the Control Center, such as the ability to use buttons on the side of the mouse to switch applications, or scroll forwards and backwards through pages. Horizontal or "tilt" scrolling is supported, and a cruise-control button for hands-free scrolling can also be enabled. Overall, the mouse is quite comfortable. There is a very deep groove for right handers to rest their thumb in, and smooth, un-textured plastic makes up the entire unit. The mouse's base is kept slick by four strategically placed rubber pads, giving a glide to the mouse. A slice out of the bottom of the mouse's back seems to increase mobility, as the unit is relatively hefty but easy to move quickly on a desk or mousepad. The buttons are a good compromise between resistance and ease-of-click, succumbing to very subtle pressure but also hesitant to mis-click. The scroll wheel has very small "notches" when you scroll it, giving it an almost resistance-free scroll that can be as precise as you desire. The grip is excellent, and served me well even in intense, sweat-inducing games. I did encounter a couple of minor annoyances. Due to the mouse's extreme sensitivity even raised a couple of inches, picking up and re-placing the mouse became slightly difficult. Whereas moving an optical mouse from one corner of your desk to another would give you an entire extra "push" of the mouse, the MX1000 would partially track as I picked it up. This eliminated some of the room gained by the pickup, and required a second pickup. Also, upon returning to the mouse at my desk, the MX1000 would seem to "wake up" from sleep, taking a number of seconds to speed up to its normal tracking speed.
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