Logitech MX1000 Wireless Laser Mouse

When optical first came into view, it really was quite a cut above the rest. With it's more accurate sensor power, mousing technology in general couldn't seem to get any better. It seems, however, that this is all about to change once again. What do I mean? --'Optical is obsolete' is Logitechs new slogan for it's MX1000 series Mouse. But what makes this mouse so special? Let's take a look.

I previously owned a Logitech MX700 cordless optical mouse, which proved no trouble and was, for the most part, reliable. I then got to give the MX1000 cordless Laser mouse a whirl, and although the difference between this mouse and it's optical predecessor is not strikingly noticable, this mouse has alot going for it. There isn't really much noticable difference between laser and optical, although Logitech claim that laser is twenty times more accurate as it makes up a clearer "picture" by rebounding light off surfaces. I tried this out by using the new mouse on a semi-transparent surface--a surface that the MX700 refused work on-- and sure enough the MX1000 worked A-OK. But let's start from the top shall we?

Once unpacked out of it's nicely presented box, I first noticed that the look of the MX1000 laser mouse had changed in comparison with the MX700. It was flatter, if only slightly, but it also had that little extra "belly" to it. This was, without a doubt, an improvement because gripping the mouse was now alot easier, meaning that Logitech had definately designed this mouse with ergonomics in mind. The only problem is, left handed people and the MX1000 are going to disagree. This mouse was made for the right handed person only, meaning that all you lefties are on a miss out. This is quite sad, although right handed people are in for a treat.

In line with the ergonomics the button positioning is done very nicely, with 3 buttons placed just above the dip in the left hand side of the mouse; designed for ones thumb to sit in. Two of these buttons are, typically, used for forward and backwards navigation when using the internet, but don't feel like your limited. The button functions can be changed, although that will be discussed later. The third button is a "window switcher" that logitech included to allow you to switch between programmes easily. There are also another two buttons: one above and one below the mouses scroll wheel, which, in turn, can be used as a button. So far so good. Everything fits nicely.

What else? Well, One of the most impressive new features about this mouse, compared to the older Logitech cordless mice, is the battery indicator. As Logitech intergrated a lithium ion battery into this mouse, it lasts alot longer thus meaning that you can forget to charge it. Therefore, the light indicator on the side of the mouse tells you how much power is left. Basically, if your in the red your mouse is dead. If your in the green, your squeeky clean! The only flaw about the new battery system, is that the battery itself can't be replaced. This means that once it's gone, it's gone and you need to think about a new mouse. Don't let this doubt you though, as, although I tested this mouse for little more than two weeks, I have all but faith in Logitech to deliver despite of this slight downer.

It wasn't just the mouse I found in the box though. There was, of course, the MX1000's docking station. For those who don't know, this is the stand that Logitech provide you with to charge your mouse should it need power. Not only that, but it also doubles up as the reciever. Compared to the docking station included with the MX700 this one seemed slightly flimsy, although the mouse felt alot more secure once in place. Lets just hope that this new reciever doesn't have the problems I had with the MX700 reciever: towards the end of it's two year run, the mouse eventually refused to charge. Having said that, with the MX1000, a new mains plug setup is also provided. The setup for this is much better than that of the MX700 as this connects directly to the docking station, as appose to the USB connector, thus avoiding any confusion. Oh, and as a quick note. For those who want a mouse they can just pull out the box and use, think again before buying this mouse, because despite its nice features there is a 6-8 hour charging time before the mouse can be used properly.

The software provided with this package is, quite blatantley, nothing special. It does what it's meant to, and also allows you to change the functions of the mouses several buttons--apart from right and left click. Other than that, in a sense, installing the software is kind of pointless, especially if your running Windows XP on your system as everything is handled automatically. I'd recommend only installing the software should you want a more customised experience, as, other than that, it's really just a waste of hard drive space.

All in all, this mouse is wonderful. It's smooth on all surfaces--unlike previous Logitech mouses which seemed to have somewhat gritty mouse skates-- and is definately a winner for those who require high gaming standards, when it comes to accuracy and precision. With this in mind, and if your willing to look past a few of the minor flaws, as well as it's slightly high price tag of around £70, the Logitech MX1000 Laser Mouse is the beginning of something that could be even more brilliant