Logitech G7 Gaming Mouse - Setting it up
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Setting up the mouse was extremely easy; insert the USB dongle into the port on the front of the charging station, connect the charging station to the computer, insert one of the Li-ion batteries and enjoy. The mouse worked straight away with built in XP drivers; the software on the CD is used mostly for the configuration of the mouse rather than a prerequisite for it to work. The battery packs actually had charge in them out of the box, which meant that I could start using it instantly, without waiting around for one of the packs to charge.
It is a six button mouse, although two of these buttons are specialized function buttons that are used to alter the DPI setting of the mouse and reconfiguring them would take away that functionality, so I'm not sure these should count. In addition to these two, you get the standard left and right click buttons, a thumb button on the port side, and the scroll wheel (which itself is a multi-directional tilt-wheel) can also act as a button. All of these buttons are programmable within the Logitech software suite, and most of them are enabled by default.
It's extremely light, weighing in at just 134 grams, but feels rigid and robust. As I already stated, the two main buttons and the top of the mouse (the special edition one anyway) are constructed from carbon; lightweight but strong with a durability of eight million clicks. The sides are made from a slightly rough plastic that provides an excellent grip. It is ergonomically molded to fit comfortably in your hand and to further enhance your grip. A molded grip might not sound like much of a feature but RSI isn't much fun, and studies have shown that an ergonomic mouse when combined with good mouse posture can considerably reduce the risk of a repetitive wrist injury.
The bottom of the mouse is home to the three polytetrafluoroethylene "feet" that provide an ultra-smooth glide across almost any surface. This substance is a polymer that you have probably heard of by its brand name of Teflon, the non-stick composite often found on the inside of kitchenware. The reason it's on the bottom of the G7 is because it has the lowest friction coefficient of any known substance. The coefficient of friction is a measurement of the slipperiness of two surfaces and relates to the lateral motion of sliding. The box provides the actual dynamic coefficient of friction of the mouse in the technical information section and gives a figure of 0.09 nut, which may vary depending on the surface the mouse is used on (glass or mirror is not advised).
Also located on the bottom face of the mouse is the standby switch, the battery compartment and eject button (and the laser unit, which I'll come to in a minute). The standby switch is used I assume to turn off the mouse when traveling, although it would be just as easy to take out the battery. The battery compartment is designed to insert and eject batteries as quickly as possible; simply press the eject button and a spent battery is shot out.
Next: Batteries included >>
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