Logitech® MX™700 Cordless Optical Mouse - Logitech® MX™700 Cordless Optical Mouse
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Installation
Installation was a breeze with the included software however you'll want to watch out for some of the "extras" that Logitech would have you load on your system. Music Match, Ebay shortcuts, Wild Tangent, etc. I've been seeing more and more of this and quite honestly, it's starting to annoy me quite a bit. At least they give you options to uncheck the installation of the programs, but also makes it that more tedious to make sure you have not installed anything you don't want. Here's a few shots below of installation.
Logitech does provide a clean interface for the installation and everything went smoothly. After the install, you are sent to the device setup wizard where you can get your mousing action set up just the way you like it. Pointers, motion, what buttons perform what action, etc. Lets take a look.
The quick setup screen shows you which buttons are doing what. Fairly straight forward. The Buttons tab will let you change what the button will do for you depending on your desired preference. Also notice the Cordless tab that has an extremely handy function that tells you your current battery power levels. Certainly a welcome feature.
Speaking of batteries. Take a look above and you'll see where to put the NiMH batteries for the MX700. Once you install them, you'll want to set it on the charger to charge up for awhile before serious use. The cool thing is you can have another mouse connected to the PC while this one is also connected and charging. Nice and handy for certain situations.
General Use
The MX700 feels really good to the touch. The 2 NiMH batteries make it quite a bit heavier than any other mouse out there with the exception of the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer. One of the major drawbacks of the Intellimouse Explorer was it's very heavy weight. If your like me, literally on your PC 8 to 10 hours at work, then come home for another 3 to 5 hours, the added weight really puts a strain on your wrist and palm area. Trust me, even the small added weight of 2 AA batteries is not something to take lightly. Fortunately where the MX700 excels is not only does it feel lighter, it also moves so smoothly that the added weight is much less noticeable than with the Intellimouse Explorer. While still not quite as easy to move around quickly and accurately like a normal lightweight corded mouse, you won't be too far behind with the MX700, especially after you get used to it.
Gaming
Not necessarily aimed at the hardcore gamers out there, the MX700 does certainly hold it's own, especially for a cordless product. First Person Shooters felt nearly as responsive as a good corded optical mouse and only the most difficult of maneuvers were noticeable with the heavier Logitech MX700. Programming the mouse was simple and with all the added buttons, you have a great recipe for gaming. I did have some trouble with BF1942 recognizing the first thumb button, but UT2K3 and Quake3 had no problems recognizing and utilizing all of the MX700 buttons, not including the quick switch application selector. So while I may not recommend the MX700 as your absolute best choice for gaming, it will certainly do a great job for all but the hardcore gamers out there, and will easily suffice for the casual and/or RPG and RTS gamers alike. Another feature that I will cover a bit more in depth later in the review is the extensive battery life of the Logitech MX700 utilizing 1700mAh Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. Die hard gamers such as EQ, Asheron's Call 2 and DAoC players need not worry. The battery life of this mouse will out last even the most extended raid parties and battle quests. And as long as you can remember to place the mouse back on the rapid charging base station, you'll have no worries.
Annoyances
There were only a few things that somewhat bothered me about the Logitech MX700. The first thing was the programs that were set to run in the background after installation of the mouse. I can understand the MX700 software running in order to have functionality of all the buttons and features, but it also stuck music match running as well. I really didn't like this and immediately ditched it from my startup as seen below.
Music match? Come on guys. Enough with the force fed software crap. I don't like it, not one bit. Even though I was almost sure I unchecked the box during install, still, there it was. It was easily removed however.
The second thing I really did not like was the included Logitech Resource Center. Basically a big advertisement for Logitech and a few of their partners. I know advertisements are a necessary evil in this day and age but to have them on my desktop? Nope, I don't like that much either.
Conclusion
Overall, I'd have to say my experience with the Logitech MX700 was a pleasant one. This mouse is truly a step above any other cordless optical mouse currently on the market and Logitech is to be commended for a great product. Not only for the casual PC user, but something us hardcore enthusiasts will enjoy and working with as well. Would I recommend this product to our readers? You betcha. In fact, that is why we gave it "Peripheral of the Year" for Dev Hardware's Best and Worst of 2k2. I think the retail store price of $79.95 is a bit on the high side. But if you can catch one on sale for around the $50.00 price mark I think you'll have a great product for a great price. Here are some highs and lows before we wind down the review.
Highs
Cordless optical technology
Great ergonomic feel
Plenty of functionality and setup options
New features such as Cruise Control and Quick Switch
Great performance and compatibility
2 included NiMH 1700mAH batteries
Lows
AC Plug, I would have liked to see this unit charge solely from the USB Port (although everyone may not have their PC's running 24x7 so this is certainly a minor gripe)
A bit on the heavy side, if Logitech can do this with 2 AAA's this would be perfect
Annoying advertisements and unwanted background programs
This wraps it up for the Logitech® MX700™ Optical Cordless Mouse review. Overall a great product that should get quite a bit of use here at OCAddiction and one that easily deserves our Dev Hardware Recommended Award. Thanks for joining us today for the review. Want to discuss this in the forums?
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