Update: Still lovin’ this mouse. Leaving the USB receiver in the slot has proven to be quite handy since I take my laptop several different locations per week. Tracking is spot on . . . even took my laptop to work before sleep and it tracked great on my mattress. Battery has been adequate. I’ve charged it maybe once a week just in case via the USB cable (again, a great convenience to work while it charges). I think I could get easily 3 weeks of heavy use though.
OK, so I bit the bullet and bought the Logitech Performance Mouse MX. My old mouse’s “feet” have gone horribly awry, so I used that as an excuse for a new, fancy mouse (there, I said it). I knew I loved Logitech (old one was such), so when the new Performance Mouse MX came out a couple weeks back, I thought I’d give it a whirl. This is an initial 2 day review, so take it with a grain of salt. I’ll just list a few pros and cons here, then post more later if needed. Overall – love it.
Why It’s Great So Far . . .
- Feels really good. My old one did too, but the thumb insert is a great feel. I have big hands too, so smaller handed people, I think, will like it as much.
- More buttons than I thought – my old Logitech had three programmable buttons that I used. I pretty much had copy, paste, then a “minimize all” so I could quickly clear the desktop. The Performance MX has all that (almost) and more. Not only are there 2 buttons for my copy/past (or forward/back, etc.), but there’s a zoom button (handy for photoshop). The scroll will tilts left and right for two more buttons. AAAAnd, my new favorite, a hidden thumb button switches tasks. But, not a simple Alt-Tab function – this brings up a Mac like cascade of all open applications shown on the screen, then you click what you want. I can see this saving much time throughout the day switching between tasks.
- Tracking – bulletproof so far. Haven’t tried glass, but all other reviews say yes, so I don’t see why not. The pads on the bottom glide nicely over various surfaces (have tried Corian, plastic table . . . pants leg – they’re all equally trackable).
- Wireless – I’ve always stood back when it came to wireless mice. Don’t want to take changes in glitchy performance. This one is rock solid. Great after boot up, after sleeping, overnight, etc. I like that there’s a switch for packing and traveling too. Will post back here if I notice some battery issues.
- Pluggable USB – if your batteries do run down, there is a USB cable (micro USB?) that plugs right into the front and charges as needed so you don’t have any downtime -sweet. PLUS, the USB receiver is so small (seriously, it’s crazy small), you can leave it in your computer – no more USB stick style receivers.
What you might not like . . .
- Cha-ching – $100 . . . ouch. You might find it for $96 on Amazon . . . if I didn’t use this piece of equipment so much in my daily routine, I’d most likely go with a lower model.
- Buttons . . . they are very clicky. Some might find them to be a “cheap feel”, but I rather like the feedback
- No Lefty (yet) – this is a right handed only mouse (for now at least)
Overall, with a day or two of light use, this is a worthy mouse. For a heavy Photoshop user and web programming (copy/paste) with the addition of the very nice task switching button, I’m sold. The $100 price tag is a bit steep though . . . for those who read this a year from now, you should be in a much better situation!
