The mouse is perhaps one of the most overlooked components when upgrading a system. But when you think about it, it's also one of the most used components, and deserves just as much thought as a processor or video card does. Its evolved significantly since it's invention in 1963. The mechanical innards are now replaced with high-resolution optical sensors or precise lasers that require no cleaning, scroll wheels and multiple buttons are now standard on most mice, LEDs are used to make a mouse stand out, and some have even gone wireless.
While several grades of mice exist, there are a few pointers that apply to all mice. A mouse with a high sensitivity means you don't need to move your hand across the desk as much, and a high accuracy is vital for selecting pixels in Photoshop or getting that headshot in Unreal Tournament. The number of buttons on a mouse can reduce stress and improve reflexes by providing quick access to common functions like browsing back a page or meleeing an opponent in the middle of a reload. Most importantly, a mouse should be comfortable and ergonomic because you use it daily and most likely don't want to be one of the millions of Americans with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
It is about time that Microsoft released a mouse to accompany their keyboards in their Natural line of ergonomic hardware. Sporting a high-precision laser tracking engine, the latest IntelliPoint 6.0 drivers for Windows and the incredibly high and angled positioning designed to reduce pressure on the carpal tunnel, is Microsoft new Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 the next greatest thing to happen to the wrists of people stuck looking at a screen all day? Read on to find out.
The Logitech MX Revolution is a cool looking, cordless laser mouse. The internal battery is a rechargeable Li-Ion unit. The difference between this mouse and other mice from Logitech is in the scroll wheel. The main scroll wheel is designed to spin freely for up to seven seconds, supposedly allowing you to scroll through hundreds of pages in that time. The mouse also detects the application you are using and selects the best scrolling mode for the given application.
Though the Razer Lachesis has makings of a killer gaming mouse, it has enough missing features - not to mention the odd bug or two - to fall below expectations, particularly on the gaming battlefield.
Overall, Microsoft SideWinder Gaming Mouse is a mouse with a lot of great potential, marred by several significant design flaws that may have you looking elsewhere.
The Logitech G9 Laser Gaming Mouse's numerous innovative features far outweigh its few design flaws and make it a pleasure to use on the gaming battlefield. If you're looking for a gaming mouse, you can't go wrong with the G9.
USB rechargeable, Bluetooth mode, battery life indicator
Released in Oct 2007
800 dpi
5 buttons
Free scroll wheel
Released in Jul 2007
Summary not yet available
Logitech has a long history of making some of the best mice on the market for tasks like PC gaming, general computer work and mobile use. Last year I checked out the Logitech VX Revolution and found it to be the best portable mouse I had used. Now Logitech is back with a cousin to the VX Revolution called the Logitech VX Nano Notebook mouse. Often portable mice simply lack the features that make some desktop mice so great, like extra buttons. Logitech is quite adept at cramming lots of features into a small space, and they have done just that with the Logitech VX Nano, so check out the full review for all the details.
The Mighty Mouse is a USB optical mouse without the standard two buttons and scroll wheel. Instead, it uses a small rubber ball that allows for 360° movement - like the rubber balls that mice used to have on the bottom. As a bonus, there are sensors on either side of the mouse that respond to a squeeze for mouse3 and mouse4 - activating Mac OS X Tiger features.
The VAIO mouse design is reminiscent of a pepperoni/salami/bologna section. While this may seem a bit odd, it looks like it would be quite comfortable for both right and left-handed users. However, the 3-button mouse doesn't look very feature-packed, except it boosts 800 dpi resolution; it is the type of mouse you should get if you've a Sony notebook.
Microsoft's corded scroll wheel mouse, conceived by contemporary designer Philippe Starck, sports a metallic body with an orange strip separating the two buttons.
Relying on a tilt wheel for navigational control, the MediaPlay remote mouse has 10 media control buttons such as rewind/fast forward and volume. Don't worry about finding the buttons either – they're backlit! Other notable features include a much smaller keychain-sized Fast RF receiver; a 10 foot range; and compatibility with various applications such as MusicMatch.
