Logitech MX Revolution Cordless Laser Mouse

Product: Logitech MX Revolution
Manufacturer: Logitech
MSRP: $99.99
Lowest Historical Price: $7 [History]

Introduction
The first Logitech MX-series wireless mouse was the Logitech MX-700. That eventually evolved into the MX-900, with the same form factor except with Bluetooth. But now, they have the MX Revolution. The name itself implies that it will be completely different from previous versions, but will the MX Revolution truly be revolutionary? Click through to find out.

Specs
Model: MX Revolution
Hardware Platform: PC, Mac
Connectivity: Cordless (RF)
Movement Detection: Laser
Color: Black and Gray
Warranty: 3-year limited
Scroll: Up, Down and Side-to-Side

Setup
This is one of the fancier packages for an input device that I've opened. Instead of being sealed with the extremely difficult to remove hard plastic shell, it merely has a lid that is held on with a magnet. When you open it, you'll see the mouse, along with a few other accessories. It comes with a charging station, USB Receiver, the Logitech software, and the user's guide. Just plug the USB receiver into any free USB port and you're good to go. The mouse is powered with a built-in Lithium Ion battery that you can charge when you place the mouse on the charging station. It also has an on/off switch, if you ever want to turn off your mouse. As usual, the software included allows you to set button assignments, pointer speed, scroll settings, battery life, and other various things you probably won't change from default anyways.

Review
The first thing I noticed about the mouse is its unconventional design. It's got the usual Logitech curve to the main part of the mouse, but there is an additional lip at the bottom where your thumb rests. It took a little getting used to, but I actually find this setup rather comfortable. It features the standard forward and backward buttons by your thumb (thank goodness), a button that pops up a search menu (by default), and the 4-way "frictionless" scroll wheel.

Logitech did something different this time with the scroll wheel. When the Logitech SmartShift mode is enabled, you can switch from click mode to frictionless mode simply by giving the wheel a good spin. When the wheel stops, it automatically switches back to click mode. This can be altered in the software if you prefer the old style. I found this dual mode to be a little tweaky at times, with the wheel refusing to switch to frictionless mode, and vice versa. For example, I've been using the mouse with no problems for the past week. But now, the wheel is stuck on frictionless mode, unwilling to switch back to click mode. However, it is easily remedied by temporarily disabling and re-enabling SmartShift mode in the software.

With this mouse they also added a button/wheel for "application switching." At first, I found this button to be quite useless. I was also disappointed that it couldn't be re-programmed to do anything more useful. But as I used it more, I found that it actually saved me a lot of mouse movement. Basically, when you use the application switcher and choose the appropriate window, it switches focus to that window as if you had just clicked inside it. Nifty, yet something I think I can live without.

The precision of this mouse is excellent, for anything from surfing the web to gaming. It's very responsive and is, at least for me, a pretty good gaming mouse. And since it fits so well in my hand, I can use it comfortably for hours on end.

There is also a battery life indicator on the mouse that lights up when you move the mouse. However, the batteries are built into the device so if you forget to charge the mouse, you can't just switch out the batteries. According to the software, the batteries are supposed to last two weeks on a single charge. For me, it lasted about a week being used about 8+ hours a day before the batteries gave out. Since it is a Lithium Ion battery, I'd recommend just putting it back on the charging station whenever you're done with the mouse if you know you'll forget to charge it.

Conclusion
On my review of the VX Nano, I said that it was the first cordless mouse that I had ever enjoyed using. The MX Revolution is the first desktop cordless mouse that I have ever enjoyed using. It's everything that I'd ever want out of a mouse: ergonomic, precise, and easy to use. Although the application switcher and SmartShift could both use a little tweaking, it is hands-down one of the best desktop cordless mice I've used so far.

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