Customer Reviews

Logitech MediaPlay Cordless Mouse- Blue

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is just great!

Everything worked as was promised. I do not know why other people are having complaints. I have Windows 2000 SP4.

Before installing the software, left-click, right-click, scroll-wheel, and internet back and next buttons worked.

I installed the software manually (just cancel the installer that comes when you insert the CD, or press and hold shift key when inserting the CD):

1. Installed Setpoint 2.22 (latest) (Logitech.com)
2. MediaLife software from the Logitech CD (\Programs\3-MediaLife\Setup.exe)

Did not install any other thing that was on the CD. It has a load of stuff that looked scary.

Everything worked fine. Media buttons all worked fine. Internet Back/Forward buttons still work (one review complaints that it did not after intalling the software).

One review complaint that "Mute" button is missing from the mouse. Well, "Pause" button does exist and works. Besides, volume buttons exist and work fine, you can just lower the volume!

Pros:

- Great shape and size.
- Functionality is unbeatable. Mediaplay functions are great.
- Controls several media players, I tested Winamp 5, MediaLife.
- USB receiver to be plugged behind the computer is small.
- Comes with all stuff you may need to use the mouse:
---- USB-to-PS/2 convertor plug
---- USB extension cable to be used if not enough signal.
- Installation instructions are trivial. So was the installation!
- Mouse looks great. Has lighted media keys which look great.

Cons:

- Boy, there is really none!
- One minor thing, all logitech drivers are somehow 50MB stuff. Webcam driver was also like that. So is the mouse driver. But nevertheless, the software did NOT slow the computer down.
- MediaLife software "looks" good and works fine. Bad thing is that you cannot specify your own music directories, it will only "search" your hard-disk for music. They don't understand that hard-disks are delicate!! Anyway, I'll just use my Winamp.

Other good features which not advertized clearly:

- It's optical. Word "optical" was not clearly mentioned.
- There is an on/off button to save batteries.
- Forward/Back buttons can be interchanged via software so that you can choose the setting that is easier on your thumb. I use only back and not forward!

I am impressed.

One complaint (not about this mouse). They do not sell cordless keyboard without a mouse, and do not sell mediaplay mouse with a cordless keyboard!

The mouse looks great, feels comfortable, has good response in games.. though not good enough for a hardcore FPS gamer requiring accuracy. Works with most media players I have tried - Windows Media Player, Media Player Classic, Foobar etc. Also I like the little USB receiver which is about the size of a USB flash drive instead of those old clunky receivers you get with wireless mice and keyboards. But in the end it didnt work with Windows Media Center 2005 which is what I bought it for. The scroll wheel is supposed to be able to scroll left and right also but it does not work in MCE 2005 making it useless since you cannot make a selection. Overall it does everything else pretty well but Im disappointed it dosent work with MCE 2005.

Wow, this mouse is great. For the longest time, I was afraid of getting a cordless mouse, for fear of poor reception/interference/tracking and limited battery life, but I think this mouse has mostly eliminated those fears. I'm a huge Logitech fan, and this mouse only increases that. My advice is to go to a B&M store (I went to Office Depot) to actually feel the mouse before buying, if you are very picky.
Pros (in my mind):
1) Scroll wheel has obvious detentes (clicks, for those who like to scroll page-by-page), which the MX1000 did not have
2) Tilt wheel, so that one can scroll left/right as well as up/down using the same scroll wheel.
3) Extra thumb buttons: by default, "forward"/"back" functions for web-browsing. I'm a Mozilla user, and I remapped mine to "close tab" (Ctrl+F4) and "open link in a new tab" (middle-click); note for "forward"/"back" mapping in Mozilla, use "alt+left arrow"/"alt+right arrow".
4) Cordless design for those who like that. Supposedly 6 month battery life...we'll see. But in any case, it uses AA batteries, which are plentiful and long-lasting in my household (both alkaline and NiMH).
5) Ambidextrous, comfortable, curvacious design. When test-holding different mice at Office Depot, I liked the feel of the Mediaplay better than the MX510 and MX1000. To each their own, test-hold the mice for yourself.
6) Media functions will work after a minimalist driver install (I used Setpoint 2.14 from www.logitech.com), CD is still unopened.
7) If you use the provided "extension dock," moving this mouse from one computer to another is super-easy, by just removing the USB receiver (looks like a USB flash drive) and plug it in elsewhere!


Cons (in my mind):
1) Cannot reassign the 5 media buttons (vol up/down, playpause, previous/next) with the software, as far as I know. I thought I was getting an 11-button (11 custom functions) mouse, but really it's more like a 6-button mouse with extra media features (which are nice, but I prefer FULL control. Also, I'm used to having a longer list of programmable features for mouse buttons, but all of my needs are on the list.
2) Setpoint driver trumps my old Logitech mouseware. I currently have my old Logitech C48 (FirstMouse Wheel) plugged into PS/2, but it no longer double-clicks when I middle-click (what I assigned).

All-in-all highly recommended!

The Pros:
This mouse is really great if you play a lot of music or video on your PC. Or if you use your PC in your living room connected to your TV as a media center, this mouse is perfect for you to act as a remote for your PC.

The instant Play/Pause button is handy especially when you are in the middle of a video and the phone rings. It let you instantly pause a media file without the need to move the mouse pointer to the pause button on the interface of the application you are using to play the media. The Play/Pause button works on almost all media, at least I still haven't encounter any video or audio media file or program that doesn't support the Play/Pause button.

The Volume Adjustment button is also a great feature. It acts just like the volume button on your TV remote. However, it does sometimes have the problem of turning the volume all the way up or all the way down by itself even when I am not holding on to the button. Other than this minor problem, the volume buttons work fine!

The scroll wheel is another nice feature. Just like all the latest mice from Logitech, the scroll wheel does comes with side scrolling capiblity. The wheel itself all double as an extra button and you can assign whatever function or keystroke to it as you wish. There are also 2 side button on the left side of the volume control buttons which let you assign your own command. I personally assigned "page up" and "page down" respectively for the 2 buttons for easier browsing on the internet.

There is a Media button located under the scroll wheel and above the Play/Pause button. It suppose to let you launch your media program. It is useful if you use a single media application very frequently. For those like me who keep using 4 or 5 different media applications all the time, I simply assign the Media button with command other than launching a single application.

The mouse also comes with a Fast Forward and Backward button, however these 2 buttons are quite useless. It doesn't work with most media format I use. And when it does work with the media I happen to be using, the forwarding or rewinding speed is simply way too slow to be effective. So far, I have been only able to get these 2 buttons to work when I am playing DVD on my PC, but again, because of the speed problem, I just stop using the buttons and simply use the pointer to click on the program interface instead. The worst part is that you can't assign these 2 buttons for something else. I wish future firmware upgrade from Logitech will allow user to assign functions to these 2 buttons.

The signal reception of this mouse is excellent. My PC is in the living room and I have been using the mouse in my bedroom to control my PC CD playing program without any problem. The signal works through walls. So unlike mouse using infrared connection, you don't have to keep the mouse and the receiver within line of sight.

Battery consumption is not a problem either. A pair of AA Duracell Alkaline batteries last for about 6 months. This is from a heavy duty user. I spend close to or over 10 hours on my PC almost everyday, so you can imagine my usage. The mouse even has a power ON/OFF switch to let you turn it off to conserve battery life when you are not planning to us it for a long period of time.

Here come the problems:
The mouse lives up to its name. It works great as a media playing mouse, but that's also it biggest problem, it doesn't do anything else well. The accuracy of this mouse is acceptable for casual usage like browsing the web, doing Powerpoint or other Office application. The mouse is really not precise enough for serious gaming or graphic application. It is even less precise and less responsive than my first good old Logitech wired optical mouse (with scroll wheel).
I have to keep 2 mice connected to my PC all the time. When I am gaming or working on Photoshop, I have to use my old Logitech wired optical mouse. But when I am not gaming or doing graphics, I use the Media cause it does feel more comfortable in my hand and more user friendly in terms of customization ability.

If precision is a must for you, don't get this mouse and get one of those new Laser Optical mouse from Logitech. If you watch a lot of video or listen to music from your PC all the time, then this mouse is definitely for you.

After I bought this mouse, my heart sank when I read that it is not Mac compatible. However, it looked so cool that I decided to keep it anyways. I figured at least the main buttons (left, right, scroll) work, and it's a good price for a cordless anyways.

I love the response on this mouse, and the fact that I can use it smoothly even on my lap. Everything about this mouse was perfect, from the shape to its cool look.

However, after a week, I longed for the extra media buttons that would not work in Mac OS X. After a long search, I came across a program called USB Overdrive (don't bother with LCC for Mac, it didn't detect this mouse). This allowed detection of USB Mice and allowed programming of all the buttons. Now I get all the button functions that PC users get, even though Logitech did not specifically say Mac compatible.

Pros:
- everything nice that everyone else said

Cons:
- maybe I have weak wrists, but it feels a little heavy.

Overall, awesome mouse that works for both platforms.

I am very impressed with this mouse. If you use your PC to play most of your music, this is the mouse you've been waiting for. The buttons are easily programmable and the mouse functions very well. A couple tips of advice, the setpoint software that comes with the software is not the latest version. Before installing the software, go to logitech's web site and download the latest version of Setpoint. I also agree with the previous reviewer: only install the setpoint and the MediaLife software...the rest of the software is unnecessary. Another piece of advice, do not set the mouse pointer at a high speed, when I did this it caused my mouse to jump occasionally. When I adjusted the mouse pointer speed, this problem stopped. Thus, I would recommend keeping the mouse speed at the middle level or below (this is what the default settings are set at). My computer is located close to my bed and I like to fall asleep to the music on my PC. I therefore just take the mouse and put it on my nightstand to use as a remote. While lying in bed, I can than turn the volume up or down, forward to a new song, or turn the music off. Talk about a versatile mouse! I bought mine at Best Buy for 49.99 with a $10 rebate. For forty bucks you simply can't go wrong. Logitech continues to lead the field when it comes to creating a quality and innovative mouse.

This mouse is a very good choice for desktop and laptop users alike. It gives you several useful controls at your fingertips and it works almost flawlessly.

***Plus points of this mouse include:

- Excellent battery life. There is a switch on the bottom that is very easy to use to turn off the mouse when you are not using it (unlike a lot of other brands that require you to use a pen to try and push their small on/off button)
- The optical sensor does not give off any light, unlike a lot of other brands that have a continuous red light that is visible(trust me it gets really annoying if you have to see that bright light all the time).

- a very nice ergonomic design that looks good and feels good to use. The high arch keeps your wrist in a natural anatomical position to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
- you can program 4 of the buttons to whatever you want and you can also program the right and left scroll to control funtions other than scrolling.

- the usb connector is very small and attaches directly to your port (unlike other mice that have a huge wired base that connects to your usb)
- It also comes with wired holder in case you want to mount the receiver in a higher location for extended reception.

- the Mediaplay software is very slick. It detects your photo and audio files so you can use it to view a slideshow with music or you can use it play your audio files. You can also use it to listen to internet radio stations. The software is a very nice and unexpected addition to an already feature rich mouse.

- the mouse can work with normal alkaline batteries or rechargeable batteries so you don't have to worry about any proprietary batteries or chargers.
- the buttons light up with a cool blue light when pressed.
- in six months of use I have never had to reset the mouse to get it to link back up with the receiver.


*** Negative points of this mouse are as follows:

- the side buttons (on the left side in the blue plastic molding) are not very tactile and it is difficult to know which of the 2 you are pressing.
- the forward and reverse buttons do not always work. Occasionally they will function with Windows mediaplayer but they won't work with a lot of other programs such as real player or vlc mediaplayer (although all the other buttons such as play/pause/volume work flawlessly). This is the only major problem that prevents it from being 5 stars.

- although the range is pretty good (they rate it at 10 feet) it would be really nice if it were longer so you could use the mouse as a remote for your computer.
- Even though the mediaplay software is excellent, it comes with another program called Logitech desktop messenger. This program wants to link up to the net all the time so it might be spyware. Not a big problem because you can disable it and prevent it from starting up with your computer.


If you are looking for a reliable wireless mouse that gives you the ability to control extra functions then this is perfect for you. It doesn't have the gimicks of 2.4ghz or laser mice but why would you need that when the RF works so well?

I'm sure this mouse would be great if you are right-handed, but not for lefties. For one, the mouse does not support left-handed capabilities. You can't even swap the click buttons. Left-handed people should stay away from this mouse. Is it too much to ask for mice that support left-handers and have some extra buttons like the right-handers have?

The buttons of the mouse are really awkward. You have to push hard. Your fingers will suffer fatigue quickly...

I love this mouse, feels great, cool new buttons for playing videos and music. Once again, Logitech pulls it off nicely. I used a MX500 for years and going to wireless was where I was headed. This was an excellent choose for me.

Pro:
-New buttons, making it easy to control music and videos at a distance.
-Small and light.
-Comes with USB Stick and USB extension cord for extra distance.
-Includes batteries.
-Works with iTunes, Windows Media, PowerDVD, Internet Explorer.
-Came with $10 Musicmatch Card. Nice.
-Pretty good distance. Using the USB stick on the back of my computer and it can still read from 6 feet away.

Cons:
-Back and Forward buttons. Maybe my MX500 spoiled me, but trying to find the buttons are kinda hard because they are leveled with the blue rubber part of the mouse making it hard know if you are pressing the back or forward. They are also so close together that you push them both at the same time.

-The Back and Forward buttons doesn't work with Firefox. The only way to make it work is to either turn off Logitech's software, but that disables all the cool features of the mouse, or you can program it to work using keyboard commands. Oh, I did do a drivers update though.

-Medialife isn't at all exciting.

If I could, I would of giving this 4.5 stars. It's great for people building a multimedia center with their computers. The new features can be buggy with some programs, like WinFAST TV, by accidentally pressing the Pause/Play button, it disables the volume control. I just got the mouse in today, thanks to Amazon for the best service!

Just wish that logitech go back to selling their wireless keyboards separately!