In Search of a Better Mouse

I've used my trusty Logitech MX Performance and Anywhere mouse for a while now, and while they're still great, they're getting kind of old (and boring).

So now I'm in the market for something better and more interesting!

Candidate #1: Razer Mamba
Verdict: Returned within 2 hours of unpacking. Flimsy parts (that didn't even fit together properly)... Lack of full support for OSX despite being advertised as such. Looks absolutely beautiful though. Maybe I might try another one and hope that one I got was just a dud. I kept the mouse mat I bought with it though!

Candidate #2: Logitech G700.
Verdict: Still in the mail. Doesn't look much different than my current mouse though, so I might get bored of it pretty easily.

Any other suggestions? Not limited to gaming mice. Something comfortable--I prefer palm grip, but I'm flexible if the mouse is truly good. Has to have good build quality, but doesn't need to last very long--just long enough for the next update to the Performance MX line to come out (or the next Razer line or whatever if it's a decent upgrade). Has to work with OSX. I don't have any particular surface requirements since I'll be using it either on the mouse mat or a wood surface (not glass or a couch), but it must be actually used on a flat surface--none of this waving in the air nonsense .. I have no brand preferences, but the mouse has to be at least as good or better than the Performance MX though. Wireless is a must--but I don't care what type...even bluetooth will be acceptable.

 

Out of curiosity, what exactly didn't fit together with your Mamba? There shouldn't be anything to assemble

 

Well, the g700 does look similar to the mx performance, but it has a lot more buttons, that makes it fun!

 

The detachable cable, once attached to the mouse, proved to be not quite so detachable as advertised. The ejector button did absolutely nothing, and the cable refused to come out no matter how hard I tugged, gnawed, sawed, banged, headbutted, kicked, punched, screamed, yelled, rubbed, caressed, pounded...well you get the picture....

Otherwise it's a beautiful mouse. If it wasn't for the incompatibility with OSX, I probably would have just gotten a replacement instead of returning it outright. Worked great in Windows (for the 2 hours that I tried it anyway)

If the G700 doesn't work out and I don't find any others, I might end up just getting another Mamba...I can probably find workarounds to certain buttons not working in OSX if absolutely necessary (like mouse gestures or something).

 

Sounds like a poorly assembled button...mine has no trouble connecting or disconnecting.

Either way, good luck.

 

try MadCatz Cyborg R.A.T 9

or try something new like trackball Logitech M570

 

Cyborg RAT 7. You can design it the way YOU need to and have it fit like it was made for you.

 

Sorry, but that visual monstrosity called the RAT is going nowhere near my desk. I'm afraid it might bite my hand off

That said, I opted for just getting a new Mamba and the G700 to switch between. The old Mamba I got was apparently just a one-off--the new Mamba has no problems with the cable or with the battery door compartment.
Form is excellent; functionality slightly less so.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

 

Glad to see the new one's working. How's the G700?

 

I've enjoyed my Logitech MX5500 set...

 

I'm using the G700 currently and it's a dream to use (compared to my last one: Razer Copperhead). The build quality of all Logitech mice seem to be miles ahead of Razer's. Razer uses a sort of "soft-touch rubber" that starts to peel after extended use. Razer mice also feel overly light and flimsy. And don't even start me on the Razer software/driver support. The Razer software that I had on the Copperhead often crashed on me, and wouldn't respond/save settings even with the latest update.

All in all, I'm glad I switched over to the Logitech G700. A great mouse, with 13 (yes, THIRTEEN) hotkeys. Ergonomic, responsive, solid build quality, seamless wireless/wired functionality, and a pleasure to use whether browsing or gaming. This might sound like I'm blatantly advertising, but I think the G700 is really that good of a mouse.

PS: I also tried the Razer Mamba before. I returned it the same day due to build quality/software issues.

 

Do your hands sweat sulfuric acid or what? Seriously though, my original 2007 DeathAdder still looks and feels like the day I got it, and it's on its third owner now.

As for "light and flimsy", I personally like my mice as light as possible. Less mass = less momentum, which provides greater control of motion.

To each their own, but I've never had any trouble with any of my 4 Razer mice over the years...the only thing I've ever had to replace was a Carcharias headset, whose mic stopped working. They replaced it for free under warranty and I've had no issues since.

 

I do consider my palms more sweaty than average, yes but they definitely don't sweat acid, that's for sure haha.

My friend's Copperhead started peeling too, so maybe it's just coincidence that our palms are extra sweaty or that Copperheads were designed with bad material to begin with.

Anyways, I just feel like for the same money, Logitech gaming mice offer a bit more quality than similarly priced Razer mice. But to each his own. Mice really comes down to preference in the end. Some like mice for the pretty lights, some for the feel, and others for the utility or simplicity. As long as you think it's awesome, any mouse is a good choice. Mine just happens to be Logitech

 

Right on.

I used to own a Logitech G9 a couple years ago...it was definitely a top-notch mouse, but I found that none of the grips were really perfect for my hand. The DeathAdder fits perfectly, and so does my current Mamba which has the same shape.

And I don't mind the pretty lights, either

 

I returned the G700 because I finally figured out how to get the Back and Forward buttons working on the Mamba in OSX (despite Razer support asking irrelevant questions for 3 days before saying it can't be done...they seriously need better support over there). Apparently my problem was that when I set a macro on the Windows side to use on the OSX side, the config tool wouldn't recognize my left Windows/Apple button releasing, but it would for the right one. Go figure.

So with that, the Mamba has full functionality. And yes, the shiny blue light does matter!

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

Glad to see you got that figured out.

 

G700 battery life is abysmal.im lucky if it lasts a day without charging it, and its only a few months old. could be dodgy batterys mind you but im certainly not buying more of them as well.

 

I have a feeling the battery indicator isn't entirely indicate, or at least it is more conservative than it needs to be. Mine sometimes gets down to 1 green battery indicator LED after only 4-5 hours of usage with the polling rate at 200Hz and the power mode on battery saver (I am not gaming, jut doing general web browsing usually). I may end up getting some extra eneloops anyway though.

 

In my humble opinion, this mouse is and always will be the best general purpose mouse on the planet. And I don't even use Microsoft Windows.

I like to keep it simple. Your mileage may vary, and my opinion is of course subjective by any means. But that's my two cents.

 

not for me, corded and low dpi. see how easy it is to show that best mouse is pretty much personal preferences.

 

You can set multiple battery modes from the SetPoint software. The default "gaming" mode is very heavy on the battery.

 

Sigh..so, within 2 weeks of purchase, my Razer Ironclad mouse mat is wearing--the top layer just essentially fell off. Apparently this is a fairly known problem.

So instead of getting a replacement, I'm now looking for a better mouse mat! Any suggestions?

 

If you can find an eXactMat, check out one of those. It's an aluminum double-sided mouse pad with Speed and Control sides. I've had mine since 2008 and it's still in great shape.

If not, have a look at the Vespula, which is what Razer replaced the eXactMat with. It's pretty much the same, just plastic instead of aluminum. Still pretty sturdy.