19 out of 19 people found this review helpful.
About as close to perfect as you can get
Date of Review: Feb 2, 2006
The Bottom Line: A superb mouse for gamers or those that need high sensitivity in a wireless configuration. Highly recommended
I am into PC gaming and have progressed from corded manual mouse, to corded optical mouse, to cordless optical mouse, and had only now decided to go for a laser mouse. I know, if I am a gamer why did it take me so long? Part of it was the cost of getting a mouse that was going to cost well over $50.
I looked at quite a few high end "gaming" laser mouse options, and ultimately settled on the G7. Read on.
BASICS
The G7 is made for use with a right handed person.
It has a laser sensitivity of 2000 DPI, which is very high. It is adjustable in three increments, high, medium, and low sensitivity. You can also use included software to program different settings if you want.
It has a scroll wheel, two buttons under the scroll wheel for "on the fly" sensitivity adjustments, and a "back" button on the left for scrolling in a browser.
Left and right mouse click buttons are integrated into the mouse surface on either side of the scroll wheel. There is a battery life meter on the top of the mouse, with 4 levels. The same meter switches over to a sensitivity indicator when you place your hand on the mouse. It's very slick how the battery meter changes to different colors and a different look for the sensitivity function.
The mouse goes to "sleep" after a few seconds of not using it, to conserve battery. The "wake up" is instant when you put your hand back on the mouse and start using it again. Nice.
There is a laser sensor on the bottom, and a reset button on the bottom as well, and a quick release battery compartment. There are 3 teflon pads on the bottom surface of the mouse for smooth gliding.
The mouse is powered by a small lithium-ion battery. Its about the size of a matchbook. The mouse comes with two batteries. Connectivity is via USB, where a charging station (holds one battery charged while you use the other one in the mouse) and USB transmitter is connected via a wire to the USB port of your PC. It takes about an hour to charge up one of the batteries. The charging station is powered by the USB, so no separate power cord is necessary. Very nice.
Software comes with the mouse so that you can make all kinds of adjustments. Or, the mouse will run without loading any software, right out of the box.
WHAT I LIKE
- The mouse has a nice heft to it. Not real heavy, but it feels somewhat substantial. I know mouse weight can be a matter of strong personal preference. I like a little heft to mine, I don't like them feather-light. Also I don't like them like a brick either. For me, the G7 is just right.
- The 2 battery scheme is a real plus. I have found that I can play a good 6-8 hour session of gaming without having to switch (no, I don't do that all day every day but on some Saturdays when no one else is a around....). The battery meter lets you see when you are running out of juice. When you are, it takes about 5 seconds to pop the battery out of the bottom and swap the other one in. It is designed for quick unload and reload. I find it to be better than having to plug the entire mouse into a charging station, or swap disposable batteries. I have never been without power, the backup is always ready to go and the drained one goes right back in to the charger to be ready for next time.
- The charging station is compact (about the size of a beeper) and has a slot on it to plug in the USB transmitter, which is smaller than a pack of gum. What is nice is that you can unplug the transmitter from the charging station if you want, and plug it into a USB port on its own. Good for use with portable situations where you don't want to bother with the charger.
- The operation of the mouse is very smooth. It glides on most surfaces with ease, and the laser seems to do well on a variety of surfaces.
- There is no lag at all, it is as if the mouse were corded.
- "on the fly" sensitivity while gaming is great. Placement of the sensitivity buttons is very good, very easy to use.
- Ergonomics of the mouse is excellent. I have a medium sized hand. Not sure how it would feel for those with very large or very small hands. I think its designed for average hands. Again, its not for lefties. Not usable left handed, in my opinion.
- Range on the transmitter is great. It works from the other side of the room, at least 10 feet I have tried. It may work even farther. Considering most cases you will only be a foot or two away between mouse and transmitter, you are in good shape with this wireless device. No interference from phones or other wireless devices, and I have a ton of stuff!
- Some have said this mouse does not feel sturdy enough. I don't agree. It feels solid. Unless you plan on throwing your mouse across the room or using it to hammer nails (why would you do that?).
WHAT I DON'T LIKE
The mouse wheel feels a bit clunky. Too clicky, and scrolling is not the smoothest. Its okay, not enough to steer me away from this mouse, but it could be better. Its the one thing that they really should improve.
The surface of the mouse is very smooth, I would prefer a slightly textured surface for best grip. But its a minor issue.
It only comes in one color scheme. And the sort of tacky bluish-green color does not do it for me. Again not enough of an issue to steer me away but I am not in love with the color scheme.
FINAL WORD
This mouse is very sensitive, has great software, can be adjusted on the fly during a game, and is highly accurate with no lag. I have used it for all kinds of games, the latest shooters, etc. It is fantastic in fast action games and in cases where precision is key. It really shines in real performance in games, I am totally hooked on it. I highly recommend it.
