Ben's Bargains

Product: Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
Manufacturer: Logitech
MSRP: $99.99
Lowest Historical Price: $42 [History]

Introduction
For a while, Logitech was making mice with relatively unchanging design cues. Their MX500, MX510, MX518, and G5 mice all had the same basic design, albeit with incremental improvements in features. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as the design of those mice was clearly well done, but there was never an urgent need to upgrade. Perhaps realizing this, Logitech went back to the drawing board to come up with a radical new design. With the introduction of the Logitech G9, there is a new flavor in the mix. Click through to find out more.

Specs
Model: G9
Connectivity: USB
Movement Detection: Laser
Color: Black
Warranty: 3-year limited
Scroll: Up, Down and Side-to-Side
Sensor: 200-3200dpi
USB report rate: 1000 reports/second



Un-Boxing
The Logitech G9 Mouse package comes with the mouse, two custom grips (Wide Load and Precision), an adjustable weight cartridge, tuning weights and case, and the user guide. I chose to download the software from the Logitech website to ensure I had the latest version. The snap-on covers are easy to change and they don’t wiggle around while fragging. On the mouse itself, there are the standard left click and right click, a clickable scroll wheel, forward and backward thumb buttons, and a button that controls mouse sensitivity.

Review
At first, I didn't really like the look of the mouse. After all, the design of the G9 is a large departure from the smooth look of previous Logitech mice. After I took it out of the box and started using it, I found that it actually fits quite well in my hand. I'm glad that it came with two grips, because the default grip was a bit too large. The Precision grip fit better in my hand, and it features a DryGrip coating that helps wick away sweat (according to the website). I didn't mess with the weights because I prefer a lightweight mouse to reduce wrist strain.

As with the Logitech G5, the G9 comes with buttons to control the dpi setting of the mouse. There is an LED that displays the 5 different settings (which can be set using the software). But the G9 also one-ups the G5 with its profile system. Using the software, you can create multiple profiles with different settings that you can upload to the mouse. You can then choose between them on-the-fly by hitting the profile button and the +/- buttons. You can save button assignments, keyboard macros, dpi settings, LED colors and USB report rates.



The scroll wheel is also much improved with the G9. They've tried multiple things, from click-to-select to auto-switching for choosing between "frictionless" and ratcheted modes, all controlled through a button at the bottom of the mouse. Although I've found the "frictionless" mode to be quite useful, it simply isn't precise enough for me. However, it is much improved from previous versions- with enough use, I could probably get used to it. I still prefer the ratcheted mode in gaming situations, since I do not want to fly through my weapons at lightning speeds. The freewheeling mode is more suitable to surfing web pages to reduce scroll strain.

The Logitech G9 is also very precise, especially in gaming situations. I was able to rack up significantly more kills in Unreal Tournament 2004 when using this mouse compared to the MX Revolution or previous mice that we have reviewed.



As impressed as I was with the Logitech VX Nano's feet, I am even more impressed with the ones on the G9. It is made from polytetrafluoroethylene (Try to say that fast three times! I can, because I took a polymers course in grad school...), aka Teflon, which gives it super-slick motion. They are rated to travel a total of 250 kilometers, and they are replaceable.

Conclusion
If you don't mind using a wired mouse, then the G9 is definitely an option to consider. It's precise, light (configurable weight), nimble, and most of all very comfortable to use. And since it is so easy to customize, you can switch from using it for everyday purposes to gaming with a few button presses (software independent if you upload your settings to the mouse!). That kind of flexibility alone makes this mouse quite appealing.

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Price History [History]