When it comes down to it, there is only one way to test the MX700. Gaming. This mouse was designed to be the ultimate gaming mouse, and we put it through two solid weeks of intense gaming action.
I’ve been using the Logitech Dual Optical as my primary gaming rodent for some time now, so the MX700 had some big shoes to fill. The two mice have very different shapes, and it took me a day to get used to the slightly more symetrical design of the MX700. The most noticable change to the MX700 is a small ledge for the user’s thumb to rest on. I liked it, and using a mouse without it feels odd now.
The main buttons of the MX700 are integrated into the top panel of the mouse itself, making it perfect for users with all different hand sizes. The wheel is centered between these two buttons, and serves as a third button. The wheel action itself feels slightly mushy for lack of a better term, when compared to some of the other mice I have used. Nonetheless, the postition is good and easy to manipulate. Just forward and aft of the wheel are auto-scrolling buttons, for those people inclined not to use the wheel for scrolling. A second button is placed aft of the wheel, and when depressed a small menu appears on the screen revealing all of the minimized applications for quick selection. Two additional thumb buttons are tucked into the side of the MX700, offering forward and back actions when depressed. On the underside of the mouse are five pads, LED/optics, Connect button, and the battery compartment. Two rechargable batteries are included with the MX700.
All of the buttons are programmable, using the included mouse drivers. The programming is a simple drop down menu selection, choosing each button and function from the list. The drivers also have a tab to check the battery level of the mouse, and should you forget to charge it, an onscreen warning will appear when the mouse must be placed back into the cradle. I found the MX700 to last upwards of 3-4 days on a single charge, before requiring a recharge. Of course if you remember to place the mouse back in the cradle at night, you will never see this message; initially I found myself forgetting to charge the mouse, and had to keep a standby mouse available for emergency use. The charging cradle also servers as the receiver base for the wireless system. The base is connected to the system through a USB cable. A power cable for the charger is connected to the USB connector on the system end of the wire. My only gripe about this system is the length of the USB cable, which seemed a little on the short side to me.
Our first test for the MX700 was mousing surface compatibility. Mirrors are a no-go, as to be expected from an optical mouse. Our next surface was the fUnc Pad, and the MX700 performed flawlessly. The 3M Precision Mouse Pad worked equally well, as did the bare desktop. I’ve stopped using mouse pads with the latest generation of optical mice, and with the MX700, the trend continues.
Moving on to the gaming performance, the MX700 lived up to all of the hype and expectations. I ran this mouse through every title I have on the test machine, including Unreal II, BattleField 1942, Counter Strike, Diablo II, and StarCraft. During all of the testing, whether a twitch game or RTS title, the MX700 provided accurate, smooth respsonse to my input. I didn’t have any issues this the mouse getting confused during rapid movement, or tangled cords to cost me a frag. We found the MX700 worked quite well at ranges up to 10 feet away from the base, which is more than adequate for most gaming environments.
Daily use with the MX700 was excellent. The comfortable new design, coupled with the massive array of buttons makes the MX700 one of the more useful mice we have ever used. Wireless technology has come a long way since the original cordless rodents, and the MX700 represents the current leader in the field. Now if I can just remember to put it back in the charger each night…
