New Mouse Arrived - Logitech M500 Mouse Review

After only 2 days my new Logitech M500 Mouse arrived from Newegg.com even using their standard 3-day ground shipping. Ever since I've discovered them I don't think I've ever bought any computer hardware from anywhere else.

My old mouse, a Logitech MX-310 was tilting the crap out of me. It seems the cord had developed a short and was cutting in and out and buttons where being pressed when I didn't press any.

That's a recipe for disaster when you have multiple poker tables open. I had timed out a few instances with big hands while I was wiggling the cord trying to get the mouse to come back. I also had some unfortunate misclicks.


Not the topic I was expecting to be blogging about but I've been so frustrated lately because of it it's such a relief and I feel like sharing.

It was my second MX-310 mouse. The first had the same problem. The strain-relief on the mouse cord is virtually non-existent. There is a sharp bend inside the mouse that prevents the cable from pulling out of the circuit board but that's about it. The cord seems like it could have a bit more insulation as well.

I was hesitant to purchase another corded Logitech mouse because the two MX-310's only lasted around a year each. The only reason I decided to stick with Logitech is their pretty much the only brand of mouse I've ever bought and they replaced the first MX-310 mouse with little hassle under warranty.

Since the only major problem I had with the mouse was the cord I was thinking about getting a Logitech Performance MX Wireless Mouse instead. It's almost identical except that it's wireless. It comes with a rechargable battery and the mouse can be charged through your computer or a power outlet making battery replacement a minor issue.

The Performance MX also has an extra Zoom Button which could be useful if you use custom AHK scripts and the Darkfield Laser supposedly works on glass desktops.

Since this is for my desktop, I decided to be cheap and stick with the corded mouse.

I haven't used it much but here's my quick review of the Logitech M500 Mouse:

Pros:

Size/Shape

The M500 fits my hand perfectly and is one of the most comfortable mice I have ever used.

Browser Back/Forward Buttons

Like many new mouse the M500 has back and forward buttons that aid in navigating through web pages. The MX310 also had these and I have become dependent on them. I didn't realize how much I used them until I sat at a different computer that didn't have them and constantly kept clicking the side of the mouse but nothing happend. The M500 has both buttons on the left side which I find easier to use that the MX310 which had the back on the left and the forward on the right. The forward button was awkward for me to press.

Continuous Scroll Wheel

The scroll wheel is quite different. It can function as a regular scroll wheel that has stops and clicks as you turn it but there is a button below the scroll wheel that allows it to spin freely. I LOVE this!!! When you're on a long page you can just flick the wheel and it will zip right down to the bottom. The momentum keeps the wheel spinning and as long as it's spinning it keeps scrolling. Using the scroll wheel sometimes strains my finger so this is a great feature for me. Just keep in mind that the scroll wheel also increases/decrease bets on PokerStars so keep an eye on your bet sizes. Holding the CTRL key down and accidentally spinning the wheel when the detents are disengaged makes a webpage zoom in/out really fast too.

Tilt Wheel

The scroll wheel tilts from left to right. This is good when webpages have horizontal scroll bars but most sites avoid them. For gamers it's nice as you can quickly strafe left and right. The only use I've found for it is it moves the cursor to the left and right when you're typing but I don't find that useful since when I'm typing both hands are on the keyboard.

Laser

It uses a laser instead of an LED. The laser is supposed to be more precise but I don't think most people will notice it. What you will notice is that no visible light is emitted from the mouse which can be nice.

Cons:

Same cord

It looks like it uses the same cord as the MX310 and there is no strain relief boot where the cable leads into the mouse. I'm not going to void the warranty and open it up to see if they put a more relaxed bend inside but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't. Hopefully this one lasts more than a year. If not I'm going wireless.

No PS/2 Support

First thing I did when I opened the mouse was attach a USB to PS/2 adapter and then plugged it into the back of my computer. It didn't work. Apparently the Logitech M500 mouse doesn't support PS/2. This isn't a big deal since I have extra USB ports but I've always had my mouse in the PS/2 port. When I plugged it into my USB hub it didn't work but when I plugged it into a USB port on my motherboard it did.

Same Glides

The 4 glides on the bottom of the mouse are the same as on the MX310. They work fine after a few months 2 of them fell off the MX310. I didn't notice any difference but others have.

Middle Button

The scroll wheel is also used as a button. I have it set as the middle button. It gets a lot of use because middle button clicking on a link opens it in a new tab. Clicking the middle button isn't as easy as it was on my previous mouse. It takes a little more effort and it doesn't always feel like it 'clicked'. Sometimes it's a nice solid click, other times it's a mushy thump.

It's a fairly simple mouse. It does what a mouse should do with some cool extras. I'm still wonder about the cord durability but Logitech and Newegg.com offer great customer support which eases my concerns.

I'm just excited that tonight I didn't have to worry about watching my time bank expire after I'm dealt AA as I'm cursing and jiggling my mouse cord.