Verdict

The mouse has evolved quite a lot in the past few years, the ball has disappeared, the wires have been cut and the scroll wheel has become a standard feature. But this latest model from Logitech has taken the mouse to the next level by swapping the optical LED for a laser. Yes, you read that correctly, there is a laser mounted in the base of this mouse.

According to Logitech this new laser technology is 20 times more sensitive than even the best LED based mice, which means that you can use it on virtually any surface. Of course I had to try this, so I got a clear CD jewel case out and held it up in the air, and believe it or not, it worked just fine. Now, where did I put that glass mouse mat?

The extra sensitivity is great in games as well and makes for a much smoother motion in most first person shooters. Logitech makes some bold claims about its fast RF technology which is incorporated into the MX1000, stating that the performance is equal to that of any wired USB mouse. Now it’s hard to tell if this is true, but I didn’t have any issues playing games with the MX1000 – of course there has to be some extra lag since there will be a delay, no matter how short, between the receiver and transmitter on any cordless device.

However, the MX1000 has comparably no lag in first person shooter games compared to the Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer that I reviewed back in January. This makes the MX1000 the first wireless mouse that could be considered by gamers as a viable alternative to a wired mouse. Passing this mouse around the office for a few rounds of Counter-Strike:Source, produced the general consensus that it was the best cordless mouse ever when it comes to playing games. Although the more hardcore contingent went straight back to their wired mice and continued fragging.

The MX1000 also features very good ergonomic design with an extra large thumb grip that makes it very comfortable to hold – it should appeal to a wide range of users, as long as they are right handed. I guess this is an issue that left handed people have to live with, since left handed ergonomic mice are few and far between. As always, the minority suffers while the majority benefits. But as long as you are right handed, or at least use your mouse in your right hand, the MX1000 is well designed.

The general look of the MX1000 is very close to the MX900 and MX700, but with subtle changes. Gone are the extra buttons next to the scroll wheel and instead Logitech turned the Cruise Control buttons into a rocker switch that surrounds the scroll wheel. This allows you to scroll up and down much faster than you can with the wheel. You can set how far you want it to move in the mouse drivers. This could also help avoid RSI from excessive spinning of the scroll wheel.

The scroll wheel has also been given an overhaul and you can now move it from side to side, for sideways scrolling. The application switch selector has now been moved down to the thumb position, which makes a lot more sense to me, while also making it much easier to press. The application switch is placed between the forward and back buttons, which are also now in a rocker switch configuration rather than being separate buttons.

Gone is the Logitech logo that was placed on top of the MX900 and MX700, which wasn’t very comfortable in the palm of your hand. The logo is now printed rather than embossed, making for a much more comfortable user experience.

But my favourite feature has to be the new rechargeable lithium-ion battery, so you don’t have to worry about running out of battery power at an inopportune moment. And as if this wasn’t enough, Logitech has added a battery charge level indicator on the mouse itself. This has four levels that are green when fully charged, then change to amber and then finally red as the battery is discharged.

You may think that the battery indicators are a bit of a gimmick, but it is a really simple way to see the charge level of the battery. Of course the mouse driver will still warn you when your battery level is getting low, in case you don’t keep an eye on the indicators.

The MX1000 also has an on/off switch located on the base, next to the sync button (which is labelled reset). This allows you to switch off the mouse if you’re away from your PC for a significant length of time, thus saving battery life. To be honest though, I’m keen to see an on/off switch on non-rechargeable mice, since mice like this Logitech are meant to be placed in their cradle overnight anyway.

Pick the mouse up and the laser switches off. This has been done to prevent anyone shining it in their own (or someone else’s) eye and doing some damage – very thoughtful of Logitech. Apart from the mouse you also get a rapid charging cradle in the box, which doubles as the receiver and PC interface. You can connect the cradle to your PC via USB or PS/2, although the latter requires a supplied converter. There is also a power brick that you have to connect to the mains to be able to charge the mouse, as USB doesn’t provide enough power. But then even if you could charge over USB, it wouldn’t make much sense since your PC will be off when the mouse needs charging, and when your PC is on the mouse won’t be in the cradle anyway.

Overall the MX1000 is an excellent mouse that is very comfortable to use and comes with a built in rechargeable battery. Also, let’s not forget that this is the first mouse to use laser technology. But as with everything we review there is almost always a downside and in the MX1000’s case it is the price tag. At £43.69 this is a fairly expensive mouse, but value should always be balanced with what you’re getting for your money. What you have here is cutting edge technology, and the best performing wireless mouse to date – if you want the best, you’re going to have to pay for it.

”’Verdict”’

The Logitech MX1000 is the first mouse to use a laser instead of an LED to track movements. Add to this great ergonomics, an integrated rechargeable battery and solid build quality and you’ve got a truly excellent pointing device. The only downside is the fairly high asking price, but considering the quality and performance, it’s worth every penny.

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