My first optical ever, and still in service!
Written: Feb 18 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: For left and right handers, looks cool, precise, durable, versatile
Cons: Useless extra button, scroll wheel a bit noisy, doesn't work on any surface
The Bottom Line: Cheap, durable, looks good, doesn't require maintenance, what more could you possibly demand from a computer mouse.
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| shenanigan87's Full Review: Logitech MX 300 (930762-0403) Mouse |
Well, this was the mouse that convinced me that Logitech was the only way to go in matters of mice. I bought it almost five years ago, after being fed up with cleaning my wheel mouse all the time. Keeping in mid that I bought it at bargain price, as it was already considered as outdated and the store wanted it out of the warehouse.
The package contains all essentials one could want from a mouse: The device itself, a manual, software CD and a USB to PS2 adapter. The device is plug and play compatible, with the software having the function of customizing it further, as it has an extra button to switch between programs quickly.
OK, let's take a look at the device now: It looks really cool for a simple mouse! The top of the casing is a mixture of grey plastic and a black rubbery surface, with the Logitech logo sitting on the highest point of the mouse's surface, encased in a rubbery translucent blister of plastic. The bottom is held in a translucent grey tome, and lets the mouse have the typical glow in the dark look of an optical. It has four buttons in total: Left and right click, a pressable scroll wheel, and the program changer button, which sits in the middle just above the regular buttons. The USB cable fairly long (almost two metres) and thick, so you won't run into any problems routing the wires to the back of your case. The underside of the mouse bears the optical sensor, and four small gliding feet. The shape of the device is a fairly standard, slightly oval mouse shape, which makes it usable for both lefties and righties.
Using this mouse after my wheel mouse was a real pleasure! It's fast and responsive, works on most surfaces and doesn't require any maintenance. The two regular buttons have a very precise point at which they click which they have kept over all these years of continuous service. The device is perfect for office environments or everyday tasks, such as surfing the web and organizing files. It can also be used for gaming, as the resolution of 800 dpi matches even some of today's mice standards. If you've installed the software, you can customize the extra button, but I've left it on the standard setting as program switcher. If you press it, a little window will immediately appear on the spot the cursor is currently at, displaying all applications that are currently open. You just have to click on the desired application to switch to, either with the switch button itself of the left mouse button, and the task will be brought to the foreground, even if minimized. There are other options you can assign to the button, such as back and forward for websurfig or explorer, but they are rather useless as I soon found out.
Like any product, the mouse isn't perfect, having some minor drawbacks. First of all, the program switcher button is utterly useless to me, as you have to pull your index finger back at an awkward angle. And seriously, who would want to do it if the same task could be carried out with a click on a program tab? Other problems include the scroll wheel, which is quite noisy when scrolling down, and even noisier when scrolling upwards. Keep in mind that this only refers to the sound of it, as the scroll wheel is very precise! Also, there are general problems associated with optical mice, such as the fact that they don't work on any given surface. For a perfectionist like me, another dilemma was the dirt that got caught in the grooves of the mouse over the years. Especially visible around the Logitech logo, it takes away some of the good looks. There's also something I can't make a judgement about, namely the optical sensor itself. On new optical mice, the LED would shine really bright when you move the mouse around, and then dim itself or switch to a pulse mode. This mouse shines continuously. I don't know whether that's really good or bad. It could be good, as there wouldn't be the slightest delay if you suddenly move the mouse from standstill, but it could be bad, as the brighter LED may be more precise on certain surfaces, without sacrificing as much of its lifetime as it would on continuous full blast. You can decide on this issue. I personally prefer the continuous beam, as it can be annoying to make quick movements in games with the mouse lagging just that little bit that may have saved your life.
But as a whole, this product is awesome! I got it for about five € and it has never failed me! There are almost no signs of use other than the worn feet and the dust, which I can't really say for my previous mice. I mainly use it on my laptop, as those small mobile mice are too small for my hands. I've squeezed and hammered this thing into my already full laptop bag, had it on the desk with the sun beating on it each day, dropped it numerous times, have used it for heavy gaming until I got my MX1000 (see my review on it), and it never missed a beat! A year ago, I took it apart completely to get out all the dust, and now it looks as good as new!
All in all, a very decent and durable device that I'll keep until it breaks, which will probably take so long, that mice will be outdated by then ;-).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 5
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Epinions.com ID:
shenanigan87
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Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
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