Logitech Gives A Mouse A Laser

Kaveh writes "Looks like Logitech has introduced a successor to its popular MX line of cordless mice. In addition to a more ergonomic design, lithium ion battery, tilt wheel (read horizontal scrolling), and battery indicating LEDs, this mouse introduces laser technology. According to the Logitech this allows the MX1000 to be 20x more precise than optical mice, not to mention work on any surface, including a mirror! Check out the 3DGPU forums for pics and more info."

Comments

I like my original title better...

[kaveh]

"World's 1st Laser Mouse! (Optical is obsolete)"

Either way I'm hoping I can just swap this mouse in for my current MX700 in my logitech cordless keyboard/mouse set. That way I can use the same reciever that also connects the mouse. It is important to note that this mouse uses Fast RF technology like the MX700 and not Bluetooth like the MX900. Some gamers weren't happy with the performance of the Bluetooth model.

Class of Laser?

[Soldrinero]

I actually read the article (I am new here) but didn't see anything mentioning what class of laser it uses. It does say that the manufacturer recommends not using it on mirrored surfaces. It's possible, though unlikely, for a class II laser (such as is found in a laser pointer) to cause eye damage. I've been in classrooms with optical mice invoerted and shining their light out at students. Is this something that we're going to have to worry about with a laser mouse? Of course, if it's a class I (such as is found in CD players) there's no concern at all. Does anybody have any information on this?

Call me crazy but I like mouse pads..

[cbreaker]

They make some nice mouse pads- I hate but bulky ones with the big gel-packs and crap, but I like the ones with a really nice surface like a velvet-like material I have on my main workstation.

They help the mouse move smoother; if you have a hard surface they get "sticky" and make it difficult to make precise movements. The pads get dirty really fast without a mouse pad. AND, you can really screw up the surface of your desk if you use the mouse without a pad.

Who wants a sticky mouse that grinds over dirt and wears out your desk? I'll take my nice comfortable mouse pad any day.

Re:Call me crazy but I like mouse pads..

[Awptimus Prime]

Yeah, me too. I do not use a mouse pad at work, but I could care less about scratching that desk.

At home, I use some giant mousepad I found at CompUSA. Unfortunately, they do not list the product on their website. It is about 4x the size of a normal pad and is the old school fabric over foam type. It does great for FPS gaming, as I never run out of room.

The ones with fabric/velvet do suck for ball mousing due to the amount of crud they tend to transfer to the ball over time, but seem to be the best thing for an optical.

Another thing I have learned from using a mouse on a desktop surface for years is that the little feet on the bottom of the mouse wear out quicker, causing the mouse's action to not feel very smooth.

NewEgg is shipping them. That's great and all, but

[Guspaz]

does anyone know of some place in Canada that will ship them? NewEgg, in their infinite wisdom, doesn't ship to Canada.

BTW, all you Americans, NewEgg is sold out, looks like we slashdotted their stock ;)

Re:This is nice

[ThogScully]

My first optical mouse was an MS Intellimouse Explorer (the original, freaking huge one). I use that on my laptop, but got a wireless Logitech MX700 for my desktop.

Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed in the Logitech because of exactly what you're talking about. My Intellimouse Explorer has no problem tracking on any surface or any fine control. The Logitech is a pain to use with graphics apps.

I've always been a fan of MS's mic, but decided to try out Logitech because MS hadn't released a wireless optical yet. I wish I hadn't in retrospect. And this comes from a very anti-MS attitude regarding software.
-N

Re:Some background on water and U.S. law

[davidgay]

Nothing like Slashdot for gross misinformation. From Logitech's web site:

Founded
1981 -- Apples, Switzerland

(I found it pretty amusing when, years ago, I was using a mouse from "Apples" with an Apple IIe. It was a rather sucky mouse back then, mind you...)

Of course, these days its a large multinational company, so claiming it for any particular country is just pointless nationalism.

Re:Some background on water and U.S. law

[Erik Hollensbe]

Your comment got me thinking....

My first IBM PC in the home was a 286/16, somewhere between '86 and '88 - I can't remember. It came with a Logitech 3 button mouse.

That mouse was with all my machines until around '96 or '97. A roommate's cat gave it a bath by knocking it in a soda cup. Sadly enough, I remember how angry I got over that. :)

Naturally, given the quality of the mouse I had, I figured I'd buy another logitech. That thing didn't last 2 weeks. At least I got my money back for that one.

2-3 years down the road, I was in the market for yet another mouse, so I figured I'd get another Logitech - that thing lasted about 3 months.

After going through tons of mice since around '96, I finally settled on something that I like: a shitty Microsoft Optical that cost me $20. Combine it with a nice $25 mouse pad and it plays better than or equal to your MX<insert number of the week here>. I have recieved several unsolicited comments about how smooth it works and how well it tracks.

MX1000 sounds very neat but I'll be sure to wait for the corded version - I've done my tour with wireless mice and now the only thing that bothers me about them is that my wife complains because I pawned the $120 mouse off to her to take the $20 mouse I have now. :)

What I don't get - when microsoft first started selling mice, you could look on the bottom of the mouse and it would say something to the effect of "manufacturered by logitech". If they can manage to make MS mice better than their own....sigh.