There’s a mouse in my house! And it’s red!
Written: Sep 18 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Nice design, lots of buttons, easy to program, great for gaming
Cons: $50 is a bit much for a mouse, but it's well worth it.
The Bottom Line: The bottom line says you won't be disappointed with this mouse in your house.
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| eternityawaits's Full Review: Logitech MXâ„¢ 510 (931162-0403) Mouse |
Ok, let me start out by saying that I am not resistant to change, but I firmly believe in the saying, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” My computer came with an optical mouse, albeit a cheap one, but I had been using it for two years and it worked just fine for me. Everything was fine. And then there’s my husband. After killing off his third Intellimouse Explorer, he decided it was time for a change. I simply said, “yes, dear” knowing that the quest for a new mouse would be a long and bumpy road. The exact opposite of me, nothing makes my husband happy. I should add that there was nothing truly wrong with his old mouse except that the scroll wheel was getting a little loose because he spends too much time on the computer - overall, the mouse was far from extinction.
Anyway, I wound up with the Logitech MX-510 Mouse due entirely to my husband’s indecision on selecting a mouse. This one happened to be the third he had ordered online and tried only to decide he didn’t like it. As it turns out, the store we bought it from didn’t carry the next mouse he wanted to try, and after taking into consideration the cost of mailing this one back and the restocking fee, it didn’t pay to return it. So, I tried it out. And it was love at first click.
Upon first impression, this mouse is kind of large for my hand, and I almost decided not to use it again because of that. After a day or two, I reconsidered. The size isn’t that much larger than a typical mouse, but I have small hands which can make many mice awkward for me to use. This is a righties-only mouse, and it curves inward on the left side to cradle the thumb. This indented area is a slightly rubbery plastic allowing the thumb to have a better grip. There is also a less-defined indentation on the right side for the pinky finger to settle into. The mouse is designed for USB, but included is a USB to PS/2 adapter. It is compatible with all Windows and Mac operating systems. The software, which includes drivers and some small program to help adjust the settings for the buttons and sensitivity, is incredibly easy to install.
If you like buttons, this is definitely the mouse for you, because it has eight, and they are all programmable. There are two above the thumb indentation, designed to be used as back and forward buttons for web browsing. There are two standard top buttons as well, the same as any other mouse. Next, you have the scroll wheel between the two main buttons, which is also clickable and can be used as a third top button. One button sits both above and below the scroll wheel, which allow for, well, wheelless scrolling. Below the button that is below the scroll wheel is a second button, which is preprogrammed to let you switch between your open programs. A nice feature, especially if you multitask or surf several web sites at the same time. You can program these buttons to your liking using the included software, although I found the presets to be the best settings and are incredibly useful. To be honest, I rarely use the page scroll buttons, but that is because I prefer the feel of the wheel instead. Many games recognize all of the mouse buttons, so if you are an intensive gamer, you can really maximize your experience by adjusting your game settings to complement this mouse. The scroll wheel sensitivity can also be adjusted using the included software. The buttons are positioned well, so it is incredibly difficult to hit the wrong button by accident. In fact, I’ve only done that once, and that was only after about six hours straight of gaming and being very overtired.
This mouse also adds a little flair to your desktop - it is available in a marble red or marble blue color, with black accents - a very striking design. On the place where your palm rests is the Logitech logo in silver. There are five grippy feet on the bottom which allow for just enough resistance to be comfortable - it doesn’t fly across the desk but it does not get caught up either. This is an optical mouse, so there is no trackball to snag on the desktop and a mousepad is not required. Every so often, you will need to clean off the underside of the mouse to prevent dust from building up over the laser. Another item of note is that the plastic on the mouse is 100% opaque, so the light of the laser is not visible unless you lift up the mouse. I kind of wish I could see it though, because often that was what reminded me to turn off the computer before bed! Oh, well, no big deal.
The mouse is incredibly sensitive and responsive, again, great for gamers. It has an 800-dpi sensor and captures almost 6 megapixels per second, making it more mouse than the average person truly needs. Gamers will notice a difference, and the extra power isn’t hurting anyone either.
Included is a three-year warranty. Now, this really means one of two things. If you’re like me, who only wears out a mouse every ten years or so because even though I use it for hours a day, I’m not rough on it, then a three year warranty is great but you probably won’t use it. If you’re a gadget freak, then something “bigger and better” will most likely come out before you have need to use the warranty anyway. But it’s nice that it’s there. You never know, right?
The price is a little steep - about $50, which is more than I would cough up for a mouse if I was the one paying for it. But, since it literally fell into my lap, price is no object. For the quality and precision, this mouse is well worth the price tag. If you check around you may even be able to find one on eBay from someone else just like my husband who can’t make up their mind and got stuck with one.
Overall, this is really a spectacular mouse, especially for a corded mouse. Granted, when you use it as frequently as I do, wireless just isn’t cost effective anyway. I may as well buy stock in Energizer then. I don’t think you’ll find better “bang for your buck” from any other mouse currently on the market, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. My only complaint? My husband bought the red instead of the blue!
Other computer reviews....
HP 734n Desktop Computer
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 49.99
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Epinions.com ID:
eternityawaits
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Member: Tina
Location: New York!
Reviews written: 112
Trusted by: 29 members
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