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Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse Review

Buttons and Ballyhoo

October 10, 2002
By Eric Grevstad

Buttons and Ballyhoo

But just because the main buttons are invisible doesn't mean the Logitech lacks buttons -- indeed, while we've seen plenty of three-button (two plus clickable scroll wheel) mice, and quite a few five-button units that add "back" and "forward" tabs for Web browsing, the MX700 is the first eight-button mouse we've tried.

Numbers one through three are the usual left and right buttons and clickable scroll wheel (the last activating an auto-scroll function for paging up or down through long documents). Four and five are small "forward" and slightly larger "back" buttons mounted on the side, just above the dent for your thumb; the former takes a little learning but the latter feels nicely intuitive, and both make Internet Explorer or Windows Explorer navigation noticeably quicker.

Buttons six and seven are tiny ones mounted above and below the scroll wheel, in what Logitech calls the Cruise Control system: You press and hold a button to scroll the current document up or down for as long as you like, without having to repeatedly spin the scroll wheel, which Logitech suggests you save for line-by-line precise movement (indeed, the wheel's default driver moves just one line at a time, though you can choose the usual three lines or six or a whole screen at a time).

Finally, button eight -- and the only one that doesn't work without Logitech's MouseWare driver installed -- is a "Quick Switch Program Selector," top and center on the mouse's back; pressing it pops up an on-screen menu which you can click to switch among active applications (like a mouse equivalent of Windows' keyboard Alt-Tab shortcut).

We give this slightly crowded mousetop a mixed review: The up and down "elevator" buttons are easy to like, more convenient than flicking or spinning the scroll wheel, but the motion is jerky instead of smooth, and the scroll wheel was actually our test unit's worst feature, occasionally ignoring or skipping single turns or ratchets (after installing MouseWare, we'd turn it once with no effect, then again and get two jumps).

We found the program-switch button a bit uncomfortable -- too far back, so you must basically take your hand off the mouse and tap its top, and the program menu, as mentioned, is nothing you can't get from Alt-Tab (except for an added, useless "No Title" entry, presumably the mouse software itself).

But it's easy to reprogram the button (any or all of the eight) for another function such as Undo, Cut, Paste, Maximize, Minimize, Close Application, or the Start menu using the MouseWare driver. The latter works well enough, but we continue to point out two things we've pointed out for a year or so: First, Microsoft's mouse driver has the nifty ability to assign a button different functions in different applications, which Logitech still hasn't matched. Second, though it's not shy about charging $80 for a mouse, Logitech continues to sign up tacky advertising partners, so its software setup utility offers to install not only the driver but eBay, MusicMatch, the WildTangent online game network, and a "resource center" chock-full of ad links.

Overall, we think the important things about the MX700 Cordless Optical -- its fast response, cordless convenience, and comfortable shape -- are spot on, so it's well worth a look. But a couple of minor gripes keep it from being the unchallenged new king of mice.

Pros:

Smooth, fast performance, with comfort and customizable buttons to spare
No cord to tangle nor batteries to replace -- if you remember to park it in the recharging base/receiver

Cons: