Customer Reviews

Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

First and foremost: don't read any review from someone that just got this mouse or has used it for only a day. If I had written such a review it would have been a 5/5 star glowing review. It's total desktop eye candy... a sexy input device with revolutionary features. I decided to give it at least a week of use before writing my review. I'm glad I did.

It looks great, it's light, feels great, but it is not perfect. I've had it for about a week now (since it was released) and the jury is still out. I'm on the fence as to whether or not to return it due to a single design flaw: constant re-centering. I originally purchased this mouse in hopes that it would give me an alternative pointer device to the mouse, as I have tendinitis from mouse use. After a week of use, it unfortunately hasn't received much "air time" and for the most part has rested quietly in its cradle. Here's why.

On the desk: functions fine as a normal mouse but since it doesn't have side buttons like my MS IntelliMouse, I don't use it that way. As a web developer I live in a web browser, so being able to slap the sides of my mouse to move forward/back are critical to my work environment. For me, this is an "in the air" mouse solution, which was my original intent for purchasing this mouse.

In the air: works great except for one thing, and this is why it gets 2 stars instead of 5. You constantly (and I mean CONSTANTLY) have to re-center the mouse. To do this you either have to do some goofy gesture (which isn't as easy as it looks) or you press and hold the Back button, re-center, then release. This constant re-centering must be done every time I pick it up, and often during use. It is a usability killer, and I'm not sure how they could release a product with such a major design flaw.

Wii Would Like To Play: This IS a Wii-like mouse for the PC, no doubt. Same feeling I get with our Wii. Same accuracy as a pointer device, if not better. Before I got the MX Air mouse I actually had a Wii controller that could control my PC to a certain extent using the GlovePIE software and a Bluetooth dongle. It worked, but it was more a proof of concept, so it didn't work well. What Logitech needs to do is they need to release a USB sensor bar just like the Wii so that you can place the bar below or above your monitor. This would solve the centering issue and make this a usable product. A sensor bar would remove the need to have a centering feature, and it wouldn't be expensive to manufacture.

If you are considering this product as a couch mouse replacement, I highly recommend it as there aren't very many alternatives out there for you. For me, in front of a PC, I can't highly recommend it due to the centering issue.

Cost: for me this is a non-issue. I work an average of 14 hours a day on the PC and am looking for a device that helps with my tendinitis from mouse over-use. I'd pay $300 or more if I could find a solution that helped the pain. Unfortunately this is not a mouse replacement for me.

Other annoying features:

Touch-sensitive scroll panel: This is another innovative feature that is cool, but personally I need more tactile feedback like a wheel. It also scrolls REAL fast so be sure to change your settings to slow it down. Finally, there is a goofy audible "real mouse scroll wheel" clicking sound when you use the scroll panel (sound comes from the mouse) and there's no way to silence it.

Volume: Again, for couch potatoes this is probably a good mouse, but for me, pressing the volume buttons on my keyboard is a better solution. Why? It seems that when you mute the volume through the MX Air mouse, it mutes a bit too much. This affects my Skype headset volume as well. Even more annoying, is that when I un-mute my volume through the MX Air mouse, it doesn't raise the volume of my Skype headset back up, so I have to go into the Sound properties and tinker. Essentially, this feature is useless to me because of this flaw.

Buttons: The buttons work great, except no matter if I try to use my thumb or my index finger on top, I just can't seem to get it into a natural feeling position. Here's the rub: when using your index finger, you have simple access to the scroll panel and left/right buttons, but getting to the row of buttons is difficult. It's the opposite situation for thumb use: you have easy access to the buttons, but getting to the scroll panel and the left/right buttons is a stretch. Logitech recommends you hold it like a TV remote, using your thumb to control the buttons. I agree, this is the most natural way of holding this mouse, however unless you have a super-long thumb, the scroll panel is unreachable. The possible solution here is to use your thumb for the buttons and your index finger for the scroll panel... however as an "in the air" mouse, this isn't practical, because switching figures causes the mouse to move quite a bit and then you have to reposition the mouse (again).

In summary, I think this is a very cool device that is very innovative as a first gen air mouse from Logitech. Hopefully their engineers will read feedback from the community and make a better second gen version that fixes the flaws. I've been waiting for a usable Wii-like pointing device for my PC since the Wii came out. This just isn't it. Plus, I tried to use it Adam Sandler-style to quiet my dog and it didn't work :)

The Logitech MX Air is THE mouse of choice for anybody with Windows Media Center! While this product is not perfect, it is the best that I have had the pleasure to test and use.

For starters, I spent a solid few weeks with this mouse before I passed judgment. Initially, I found it not as responsive as I would like. It certainly looks nice, but the default button settings also weren't perfect for me. After toggling the software settings, I have found that this mouse is very versatile and well designed for its purpose.

This mouse is sleek and fits nicely in your hand. It's not heavy and it's not light; it's just the right weight to use on your desk and then in the air.

Even without the software drivers this mouse worked upon plugging it in. Logitech is batting 1000 on plug and play!

The software that comes with it allows you to customize all of the buttons and functions on the top of the mouse. For me, I had to adjust the sensitivity and the button functions to get the responsiveness I wanted in the air. By default it is set to have a separate air cursor and desk cursor. This is very valuable!

I was somewhat disappointed with the limited default buttons. The "volume" button is really only a mute / unmute button. A default volume scroll would have been nice, but is not critical.

Similarly, there is a play / pause button. No forward / backward is set by default.

Once again, I took advantage of the software to customize the buttons to my needs.

For presenters and teachers I have used some devices that seem to be a little better suited for powerpoint presentations. Still, I suppose this guy is a candidate for presenters. With some customization you can use it for just about anything.

It took some practicing for me to be able to use this as a mouse in the air. Now I can drag and drop from across the room.

The only minor con I can give this item is that the charger requires you using an additional outlet. So many other Logitech mice require a small battery that lasts a long time. However, I have noticed that on a single charge I've gotten almost a weeks worth (25 hours) of active use. Not too shabby! The li-ion battery is also lighter. It's a design trade-off.

Overall, for those who are techy this is the best mouse on the market for media center apps once you've customized it for yourself. Out of the box, most users will have to adjust to the feel of this mouse before they can get the most out of it.

Enjoy!

I come from the unique perspective of having used the Gyration Ultra. The Logitech MX Air is far superior. The movement is smooth. I mean really smooth. The feel is very natural. I don't feel like I am hanging onto a odd shaped object. The back lighted controls are great in the dark. Considering I have all the coordination of a club footed baboon and being on asthma medicine that make me shake like a leaf. I am astonished by the quality of cursor control. I purchased it for a Vista Premium laptop used as a MCE for the living room, I could not be more pleased. It shows realistic battery life. The cursor is easy to control. Feels good in the hand. I can even use my left hand! I like the volume control (great using shoutcast web radio.) Is it worth twice the cost of a Gyration mouse? That's up to you to decide. But as my Pappy always said. "Buy the best son and you'll never be sorry" OOOPS I almost forgot the most important thing, Range at 35 feet flawless. No jerky cursor (although hard for these old eyes to see). The volume function works great at 35 feet too. Would I buy it again? Oh Yeah!!!!

I've been using this for a couple of days now and I love it. Part of my responsibilities is designing web and multimedia material for use in a classroom setting. In the last decade the use of multimedia has gone way beyond popping a video into a VCR or using a stack of transparencies. With the tools available there can be an amazing array of interactive material that a teacher or presenter can use to augment their efforts. The best I've seen this work is not with each student hunched over their separate computers but with effective use of a projector that allows the teacher to involve the whole class in a multimedia exploration of the topic.

The only problem is that the teacher is tied to their computer. They can step away but always have to keep returning in order to interact with the material.

This mouse solves that problem, letting a teacher or presenter of any kind free to move around, interact with students, completely untethered. With very simple movements of the wrist the cursor moves just as with an earth bound mouse. With essential buttons that control volume, play/pause, scroll up/down, along with the standard mouse buttons this mouse is absolutely perfect for use in a dynamic classroom setting.

I found the mouse is most effective with some distance from the computer. It works fine at the desk, and close up, but there are more difficulties keeping it aligned. Step away from your desk and this mouse is amazing. Very exact in movements. Almost magical in its spatial recognition.

If you work at a desk, this just isn't worth the money. If your work or play would be enhanced by having freedom to step away from a fixed point you can't find anything better. It does take a little while to get comfortable with the movements and the buttons. You can't hold it the same way as a regular mouse and everyone likely has a more steady way of using it. But once I got a feel for it I moved around the web, enjoyed a movie, and practiced a presentation without hardly even thinking about the mouse. It becomes like an extension of the hand.

While it seems to be marketed as more of a remote control for computer media such as music or movies, I see this much more as a tool that could help interactive teaching go to the next level.

I'm going to be highly recommending this mouse to the teachers I know and everyone who uses a computer as a presentation tool.

DEVICE INSTALL/SETUP
The Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse was a breeze to install and configure. Logitech's Setpoint software makes it a breeze to set the mouse properties to your exact preferences with little trouble. I will admit, however, that I incorrectly assumed I knew better than Logitech, initially increasing both the pointer speed and acceleration during `In the Air' use. I quickly learned that Logitech's default settings were more suitable, and restored the default settings - a task made easy with the `Restore Defaults' button Logitech provides in the Mouse Movement window.

MANUALS/DOCUMENTATION
The MX Air mouse came with appropriate documentation that is also easily found on the Logitech website in PDF format should you need to download the documentation. My one complaint concerning the manuals for this device is that Logitech omits any entry concerning the time you should expect it to take for the device to charge, and how long a full charge should last. While the second item would be understandably affected by individual usage and could only be an estimate, the charge time should be fairly standard. For those of us anxious to use a new gadget, waiting an undetermined amount of time for that first full charge can be vexing. From experience, I now know the device charges fully in under 2 hours, and Logitech very kindly includes charging indicators on the mouse that show when the mouse is still charging and when it has completed, but it would be nice to have these times included in the manual.

FUNCTIONALITY
I was delighted that this mouse was not just an air mouse, but also a laser desktop mouse. The device senses when it has been placed on a surface and switches to desktop mode seamlessly, with no delay and no effort on the user's part.

An unexpected bonus is the scroll bar. Instead of a scroll wheel (something I used frequently), this mouse has a bar. A light brush of the finger across the bar will scroll the page you are viewing, and holding the scroll up or down buttons will move continuously through the document in the direction you have commanded. As much as I loved the scroll wheel for years, this scroll bar has replaced it in my affections.

As far as using the mouse in the air, I can affirm that you can perform any mouse task in the air that you could on the desktop. I have had great success with the maneuverability of this device in the air once I trained my wrist to not move downwards when clicking the mouse buttons.

Additional buttons on the mouse make it easy to control media program such as iTunes, using it as a remote control, complete with volume buttons on the unit.

EASE OF USE
I've never used an air mouse or presenter before, and so becoming accustomed to the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse was a new experience for me. I found my hand and wrist had to train to prevent moving the mouse downwards when clicking the right or left mouse buttons when using it in the air, but I adjusted easily within the first two days, and after 2 weeks of use, I find it easy enough. However, I think this could be greatly improved by simply adding a left and right mouse button to the sides of the device to make clicking in mid-air simpler.

I've used a Logitech USB/PS-2 Trackman Wheel Scroll Optical Mouse (904353-0403) for years, and have become quite accustomed to its ergonomic fit in my hand. I have to say, though I have come to wholly appreciate the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse, it does not fit as ergonomically as I would hope. Logitech could easily solve this in the next model by simply adding a slight curvature to the sides of the device and a little hump in the top to mold better in the palm of your hand.

QUALITY/DURABILITY
I've had this mouse a little over two weeks, and while I can't really profess its durability until I've used it for some months, I can say I expect it to last for quite a while. It does not feel or look cheaply made, and has traveled quite well in my laptop case every day for the past few weeks. I believe Logitech has built this mouse for longevity, something I can say with confidence judging by my past experience with numerous Logitech products.

VALUE
Is the mouse worth its price? If you have a use for an air mouse, then yes, I believe so. If the air function is a novelty to you that wouldn't see much use, then the pricing is probably too steep for you at this point. I will tell you that if something happens to this device, I expect I will want to purchase a replacement for it, as it has become extremely useful to me in a short period of time, and its advanced features and duality (air and desk use) make it a worthwhile investment for me.

QUICK RECAP - PROS & CONS
Ergonomics - Not quite there yet, although it is not uncomfortable. I fully expect Logitech to design an even more comfortable fit in the second generation of this device.
Use - The advanced features quickly become something you will depend on, making it impossible to consider returning to a standard mouse.

This mouse is an amazing combination of form matching function. The form -- a piano-black teardrop design -- fits perfectly in your hand, and almost physically screams for you to use it for the function it's designed for.

It's a "wand." Similar to the way a Wii controller moves the cursor around the screen. There are other similar devices for PC that also move a cursor in a similar manner -- but the MX Air does it with a sense of style that's lacking in other devices.

On a table-top, it acts just like any other wireless mouse, tracking your movements in a standard, competent desktop manner. But lift it off the table, and the accelerometers kick in to pick up your every movement. Treat it as though you're using a laser pointer to indicate what you're pointing to on screen -- it's that simple.

The scroll "wheel" isn't a wheel at all -- and may be one of the most amazing and unique pieces of technology you'll use. It's simply a solid touch-sensitive area between the left and right mouse buttons. Slide your finger or thumb up along the length of it, and the scroll goes up. Slide it down, and it scrolls down. But it acts like a virtual wheel. Slide your thumb quickly like you're setting a wheel in motion ... and the scroll continues even after you've lifted your thumb! It produces a clicking sound similar to the way Logitech's high-end physical wheels sound when scrolling freely. It also simulates a slow down and stop. This works better than a real mouse wheel. And if you don't want to virtual scroll, you can just hold the clicky parts at the top and bottom of the touch pad, to initiate an automatic scroll for as long as you hold it down. This mimics the physical scroll buttons Logitech puts on so many of it's mouses.

Button-wise, you get the left and right, the scroll-pad up and downs, another left-click in the middle for use when you're using it in wand-mode, a back button, play and pause for media players, and a unique volume button. Press the volume and wave the mouse left or right, and the system volume will slide down or up, respectively. An ingenious way of controlling volume.

This is ultimately intended to be a media-center mouse. Visually, it fits nicely with a piano-black LCD or plasma TV, and it won't look out of place on a coffee table. Because of it's overall functionality -- it can be used to replace all of the garish media center remotes that come with many HTPCs or TV tuner cards. The orange indicators on the mouse only light up when the unit is in motion, and they fade up from complete darkness with a warm glow -- not the harsh impression given by photos.

It uses an RF wireless connection, and I've never dropped the signal, unlike bluetooth. However, it would be best to have the receiver in line-of-sight on your HTPC, rather than stuffed way in back. Still, I keep mine plugged in the back for the overall looks, and I've never had a problem. The battery lasts for weeks, but can be recharged each night without shortening the lifespan. Keep in mind, it's a non-replaceable, internal rechargeable -- and at some point, it will simply die. But I've been using it for 3 years now, with no signs of problems. Since the cursor is "boxed" in the screen, no matter how you move the mouse, it will take a little getting used to re-centering it ... but that will come naturally in time. Don't be put off by the somewhat high price. It's about twice what you'd pay for a top-of-the-line gaming mouse - but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.

Logitech's new air mouse is a fantastic little device -- and to use it feels like getting in on the first generation of the wave of the future, when mice become more like wands and are completely liberated from the table.

While this is an excellent step forward, and worth having if you are in front of the computer more than a few hours in the day, it is not quite ready to be the new best thing.

Part of the problem -- but part of what makes this so versatile -- is that the Logitech folks didn't want to make the leap to a wand but made this into a hybrid mouse/air mouse. The optimal shape and button placement for one function is not optimal for the other.

As a mouse it works great -- it has left and right click, a touch scroll and four programmable buttons. It fits nicely into the hand and is very responsive on the ground. Some optical mice seem to zone out here and there on the desk but this one catches my every move.

As a wand it still has a lot going for it. It takes some time to get the hang of it, and you have to get it centered and adjusted for your speed -- but once you do it can point and click all over the place and subtle hand movements can lead to high precision pointing. The buttons are programmed for many standard functions -- back, play/pause, select and volume -- and can be reprogrammed to do almost anything you could do with a few key strokes.

What is really cool is that there are some unique wand functions -- that work like magic. Hold down the volume button and swing the mouse to the left and the volume goes down, swing to the right and the volume goes up - and you can program it so that up is up and down is down if you prefer. Hold down the play/pause button and "twirl" the air mouse clockwise and it will advance to the next song (in iTunes) or next chapter (in a movie) or "forward" to the next webpage (if you have a browser open); twirl counterclockwise and it goes back. I wish there was a way to set this so that it always controlled songs in iTunes -- since I'd like to be able to do that when I'm browsing, but unfortunately they don't give that option. It only works in whatever program is currently on top.

The difficulty is that the buttons are placed where they'd be easy to reach for someone whose hand is on top of the mouse -- when it is sitting on the table. When you are holding it, your fingers reach around the mouse and you have to contort them a bit and sometimes adjust how the mouse sits in your hand to get your fingers to reach all of the buttons. I've found that it works pretty well if I hold it sideways, with my palm on the bottom and my fingers reaching around to touch the left click button and my thumb on the right click button -- but it wasn't really designed and shaped to make that kind of holding natural. It is really shaped like a table mouse and the air features feel like bonuses but not like they are the primary functionality of this piece.

I'd like to see a next generation air mouse that really made the leap -- allowing users to use it on the table as a mouse if they prefer, but obviously designed for use in the air. In other words, I'd like to see the next generation be a wand and only secondarily a mouse rather than a mouse that tries to fly but only manages to get partly off of the ground. Having said that, I really like this mouse and will use it exclusively until that next generation thing comes around.

I've read some of the other reviews and it seems that most of the negative ones relate to persons being stymied by the learning curve. This is a new human interface device. It's not really a 'mouse', just like the 'wii controller' really isn't a classic 'game controller'. It takes time to train yourself to use it.

Logitech, apparently, has tried to make this painless as possible. It can be frustrating. In order to use a regular computer mouse, we have to train our neural pathways to understand a whole new way of knowing. We move something under our hand, something appears on a screen in front of us. This evokes my sympathy for those persons that were early adopters of office PCs. The transition from looking 'down' at a typewriter, to 'across' at a screen must have been difficult - especially for older people who taught themselves to type.

This mouse is extremely easy to use, but it is different. It operates in multiple dimensions.. The best way to train yourself is to take it slow. It is extremely quick to respond. The controls do not favor a right or left hand, or hand position. You have to work out what is best for you, then practice. It is a bit like an ipod touch or a zune 80 in that you can scroll very quickly through a great deal of material just by moving your finger across the center section. The whole thing is touch sensitive. It also needs to be wiped off periodically. Logitech has included a nice big cleaning cloth that gets rid of smears easily. I am a handcream fan so this was a real bonus for me :)

This unit is replacing a Microsoft 6000 laser mouse. Everything was fine until I got into 'shooter' games, then I realized my mouse wasn't keeping up. I didn't want to get a wired gamer mouse, because I have enough clutter on my desktop. This mouse solves that problem. The charger can be located anywhere. It has an independent power supply that does need a larger plug. The sending unit is a slim usb that can fit easily into narrow, crowded slots. At first I plugged the usb into one of my front ports because I was worried that the signal could get blocked. Everything was fine. Next, I moved it to one of the ports on the back of my apple cinema screen. Same response :) So feel free to put the receiver/sender on the back of your box. Get it out of the way.

The next thing was teaching myself how to use it. If, like me, you find it whizzing all over the place, you can 'center' it by pressing the 'back' button for more than two seconds. That will lock the mouse in place. When you press the back button again, the mouse will move. Thereafter you can use it like you would a TV remote to scroll through menus, select items, or control your browser. In addition, you can also scroll through your volume control, like you would a TV remote.

What this thing is best used for right out of the box is for windows media center. If you are planning on building a system dedicated to recording/playing video, playing slideshows or playing music on your television, this mouse will make more sense immediately. It has an extensive range - 30 feet. You can put the charger on the coffee table then put the usb send/receive unit in whatever style computer you have hooked up to your television so you can use it as a 'remote'. You can also use this to turn your computer into a console game system hooked up to your television.

The ultimate test of the Logitech MX was whether it would help me improve my score in 'Jets'n'Guns Gold'. It did :) The response time is so much better than my old Microsoft 6000 it was a snap :) I am still learning to use the mouse in the air. It's a strange sensation to use it to flip through pages in e-books, or scroll through listings on ebay when it is not on a flat surface. It's getting there, though.

It also helps that this is a VERY nicely designed mouse that fits nicely in my small hand :)

This is a very good device once you get used to using it in the air. I personally think it excels for use in presentations. I have yet to use it to play multimedia or video games, so I'll leave those reviews up to others.

Set up is a breeze, and it worked on my Vista laptop without a hitch. As a desktop mouse, it's OK, but I have others that I use that are more responsive.

You're going to want to change some of the settings - particularly the scrolling feature. As other reviewers have mentioned - it's way too fast.

I do find the device comfortable and it has a slick design. It's definitely a "hey check out my cool new tech-toy" thing.

Once you've spent a week or so with it, using it in the air becomes second nature.

It looks great, it's light, feels great, but it is not perfect. I have not had the re-centering problem many others have written about. But the mouse does feel to me that it is made of cheep plastic, though it works fine and nothing has broke. And it took me a while to get use to it ... heck I am still getting use to it and immediately grab my normal mouse for those hours when I am able. I do like the fact that all the buttons light up.

I have to spend almost half of my day in bed hooked up to machines and this air mouse comes in handy since I am stuck in place and cannot reach the computer. I found it best for using it to listen too my music or watch movies on the computer. But I never use it when I am to remove the wires and raise myself high enough to use a normal mouse. Now lets see if Logitech can get a keyboard to operate with an air mouse...

Now it can function as a normal mouse, but I really miss the side buttons like my Logitech MX-700 has. I maintain a website and a couple of blogs and spend the rest of my time in a web browser, so being able to have access to the sides of my mouse to move forward/back are critical and very convenient

But it does as it claims; it functions well as an "in the air" mouse solution. I do not know how long the charge last, I used it for hours to watch movies and surf and when I placed it in the charger it had not even used half of its charge.