Logitech MX 610 Laser Cordless Mouse - mouse

The Logitech MX 610 is perhaps the best mouse there is before you plough into the world of gaming mouses - but unless you're a gamer there is no need to cross this border, and the MX 610 is the last stop before the crossing. As a gaming mouse it is consummate - it has good tracking accuracy, a 4-directional scroll wheel and Email/IM buttons that flash when you're receiving a message outside of your game; but these are features that are really designed ...
...the MX 610 feels great. Logitech have somehow realised what the perfect shape for a mouse is. The side edge is grafted out so that the ball of your palm fits snugly into it, letting your fingers rest naturally across the two main mouse-buttons. This also naturally places your thumb against the Back/Forward navigation buttons. So unlike other mice, the shape automatically locates your digits on the buttons which means there is no stretching or discomfort ... more

The Logitech MX 610 is perhaps the best mouse there is before you plough into the world of gaming mouses - but unless you're a gamer there is no need to cross this border, and the MX 610 is the last stop before the crossing. As a gaming mouse it is consummate - it has good tracking accuracy, a 4-directional scroll wheel and Email/IM buttons that flash when you're receiving a message outside of your game; but these are features that are really designed to sit inside a larger feature-set that appeals to a desktop mouse.

First and foremost, the MX 610 feels great. Logitech have somehow realised what the perfect shape for a mouse is. The side edge is grafted out so that the ball of your palm fits snugly into it, letting your fingers rest naturally across the two main mouse-buttons. This also naturally places your thumb against the Back/Forward navigation buttons. So unlike other mice, the shape automatically locates your digits on the buttons which means there is no stretching or discomfort - it all just ergonomically falls into place. The 610 also comes with a Left-Handed alternative.

Secondly the mouse looks great too. The main shell is a nice metallic silver, and it must be stressed that the metallic finish is very slick. Next to this is a sliver of glossy, semi-translucent black which houses the side-buttons. Then the edges of the mouse are coated in a slightly tactile, slightly rubbery matte black plastic, which is where you would place your thumb and perhaps little finger (on the other side) - these matte surfaces have a slightly higher grip, which stops the mouse from ever slipping from your hand. The scroll-wheel is likewise slightly more grippy. All of the buttons are smoothly integrated into the design, none of them sticking out too much in an unsightly way. And indeed the main two buttons flow inconspicuously straight into the main shell.

As mentioned, the mouse comes with several extra buttons. These include 2 Backwards and Forwards navigation buttons that you can control with your thumb. These can navigate the web, Undo/Redo in Word, go up and down folder trees in Windows Explorer, etc. Directly next to the tip of your index finger are volume control buttons - Up, Down and Mute. These have proved indispensable. There is no more clicking on a fiddly little icon in your system tray - control of the volume doesn't even need to involve moving your mouse. I have begun to use these buttons a lot - you don't realise till you have them quite how useful they are! Just below these two buttons are the Email and IM buttons - these flash when you receive messages, and you can filter exactly which contacts you want to create flashes, and for how long. Pressing the buttons open the relevant Email or IM programs. On this point, I have noticed that whilst you are able to change the Email and IM clients associated with the buttons, you have to choose from the ones that the Logitech software automatically detects, and it does not always detect all your IM clients (such as Google Talk). All of the buttons on the MX 610 are customisable via the software that comes with the mouse - so you can have the scroll-wheel perform zoom effects if you want. As a last note, all the buttons click in responsive ways: the main two buttons make satisfying audible clicks when used, in just the right way, whilst the extra feature buttons are all cushioned so they are silent - in just the right way.

The scroll-wheel is a good one. It is not clunky, which many other mice fail on, but rolls smoothly whilst still having clear 'notches' between each movement. The wheel is completely smooth but slightly rubbery so your finger can roll it easily. It can also be tilted left and right to scroll left and right as well as the normal up and down. Lastly it can be pushed in directly to act as a "third" mouse-button. On this point I have found that it is very easy to accidentally scroll left or right when you mean to click the third button, and it takes a bit of practice to get used to the right way to push it.

The mouse uses a laser to track movements, which is a feature frequently underestimated. This is two stages up from a roller-ball mouse. Such mice will only work on good mouse-mats. Next up is the optical mouse which works on most surfaces. With a laser mouse it is hard to find a surface upon which it does not work perfectly. I have frequently used the mouse against shiny smooth surfaces, against mats, against paper, against cloth, and even against non-flat surfaces such as my leg. The bottom face of the mouse has 4 smooth pads that raise it ever so slightly off the surface it is on and allows it to glide smoothly.

The mouse is also cordless, which is again a huge convenience. There are no longer any stray wires. You will never have movement impeded due to short wires. The receiver can still pick up the mouse from as far away as a few metres, even with some things in the way. As the mouse is cordless, it needs batteries - 2 AAs. These however last a good long time. The accompanying software tells you how much battery life is left, and a little LED beneath the scroll-wheel also begins to light up when new batteries are required. It gives you a well-timed warning so you needn't worry about getting new batteries before you need to. Furthermore, the mouse is particularly clever about knowing when it needs to turn itself off or on, maximising its battery life. The only tiny downside to this is that when returning to the computer after some idle time, it will take 2-3 seconds for the mouse to realise you're back and come back to life - this is usually the same time that it takes for the computer itself to come out of sleep-mode, so this is quite fine.

Overall the Logitech MX 610 has it all: it is cordless, it uses laser-tracking, has several utility buttons, a 4-directional scroll wheel, responsive buttons and a great ergonomic design. With only a few minor flaws this is the mouse you should own! 

...less