Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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139 of 147 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Logitech's latest gaming mouse is a gem, October 21, 2005
The Logitech G7 cordless laser mouse is an impressive piece of PC hardware. More often than not for the casual PC user the mouse is overlooked (unless you still have one of those ancient ball mice where you have to pull out the ball and clean the rollers every other day), so Logitech smartly marketed their high end (in price and quality) G7 mouse toward the hardcore gamer segment, the segment who needs the best technology and needs it now. And its main draw--the accuracy and sensitivity of the mouse-- is geared towards that segment of FPS freaks who need that added edge of being more accurate in the sniper role, yet capable of turning and looking as swiftly as possible in the deathmatch or team arenas.
The main draw here is the 2000 dpi laser engine. And, having had experience with the entire line of Logitech's higher end mice--MX510, MX518, MX1000 and now, G7--I can say that the G7 is undoubtedly the most precise mouse I have ever used. The laser engine in the G7 makes a tangible difference in the FPS games I normally play. And ergonomically it fits my relatively small hands rather well. Think of it as a slightly heavier MX 510 or 518--it's about as narrow, and very similarly shaped to its predecessors. The G7, besides having state of the art laser technology and the previous gaming mice ergonomics, now has the added benefit of the tilt wheel. Why the tilt wheel didn't make an appearance in the older gaming mice remains a mystery to me.
Besides that the G7 keeps giving. For one, the high quality PTFE pads the mouse glides over are incredibly smooth. And of course the cordless freedom it offers. For those of you who worry about interference in cordless mice-you won't with the G7. It's not an issue in the slightest sense. Logitech claims the cordless technology in the G7 is "bulletproof", and that is an accurate statement. Finally the swappable battery packs are a great idea-not only will you always have juice, but having the ability to swap out batteries means being able to buy separate batteries down the road-a feature that hampers the otherwise capable MX1000's longevity in comparison.
Also, despite the fact that Logitech is marketing this mouse to the gamer segment, the G7's adjustable sensitivity switching is a boon for any type of mouse use that requires accuracy in movement. Photoshop and other paint program users can dial down the sensitivity for smaller, more precise actions on images that require it. Furthermore, the actual dpi settings are user-adjustable from 400 to 2000 dpi in 50 dpi segments, with 5 customizable settings using the included SetPoint software. Beyond that SetPoint allows for fully customizable buttons. The G7 is an extremely flexible mouse.
The two gripes that I have about the G7 may be major or minor depending on your mouse needs. First, while the G7 is more sensitive and more accurate than the MX1000, it features less buttons (most importantly the forward button on the left side/thumb area of the mouse). Secondly, this is an expensive mouse. Casual users will find it hard pressed to justify buying a mouse this expensive for casual use, even casual gaming use. Most will be satisfied with an MX1000 which is substantially cheaper and, despite being less sensitive and having a non-replaceable battery, has more buttons and is more than adequate for general use across the board.
Ultimately the G7 represents the pinnacle of mouse technology housed in a very comfortable, light, and cordless shell. You pay the premium, but for the most part you get what you pay for--if "insane to the point of overkill" accuracy and cordless reliability is what you're looking for.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost perfect., November 9, 2005
Now, don't get me wrong. This mouse is AWESOME. But there's a few things that I have problems with.
1) This mouse does NOT work AT ALL with an icemat. Even though the package says it won't work with clear/mirrored glass, it won't work with any icemat, regardless of the color (I have black).
2) The mouse doesn't have a forward button. This is a problem for me because I've had an mx700 for 2 years and used the button ALOT. But if you've never had a button for that, or don't use it, it shouldn't matter much.
3a) The scroll wheel on the mouse protrudes ridiculously far out of the mouse. It's way bigger than any other mo use I've used.
3b) I can't get the sidescrolling feature to work. I installed the drivers and it worked, until I turned off my computer.
Now, for the good things about this mouse
1) Smooth, shiny, high-gloss exterior. This could be a blessing or a nightmare, depending on how much your hands sweat. If your hands don't sweat much, the feeling of the mouse in your hand is great. However, if your hands sweat alot, I can see this mouse becoming sticky after a while. My hands don't sweat alot, so I can't verify this.
2a) Battery display. My old mx700 didn't have one and I'd always wished for one, because I ALWAYS forgot to charge my mouse. This lead to alot of down time during my gaming sessions, which leads me to my next point.
2b) Dual battery packs! What a great idea! I was very surprised that they included this. I can now change my battery in a matter of seconds, and I always have a charged one.
3) Sensitivity switching with the touch of a button! This is great for sniping in games. When you scope in on someone, you can turn the sensitivity down (3 different settings, you choose up to 2000dpi) and aim better. I love this feature.
4) Not only is it cordless, but the receiver is about the size of a thumb drive. While using it at home, you plug it into the battery charger, and when going to a LAN, just take that instead of bothering with the whole charger (Unless you plan on killing a battery)
5) There is an on/off switch. This makes travelling so much more convenient. With my old mx700, I'd have to take the batteries out every time I went to a LAN, or else they'd drain on the way there, no more of that problem.
6) Sidescrolling capability, if you can get it to work :-\
7) Gaming feet. This makes the mouse slide on a surface faster because there is less friction. Not much more I can say about this.
Overall, the mouse is pretty awesome. Just wish that I'd known it wouldn't work on my $50 mousepad. On the bottom of the box it says "Will not work on mirrors or clear glass surfaces". They need to change it to "Will not work on glass surfaces"
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
There are significant issues to know about, April 29, 2007
The glowing reviews here for the most part tell the tale. This thing does as advertised. I give it a 3-star review because I believe it does have a couple of major drawbacks, major enough for me not to use it after trying to get used to it.
I too have owned all of Logitech's top models, including the MX Revolution and MX1000. This is on balance a solid piece of gear. Here are the issues I found with it:
The battery system is nifty. However, it's not exactly fully baked. Unlike other Logitech mice, the power level indicator is completely deceptive. It will always read in the center position when "running" (a little icon of a running man lights up when it's active). When not running, the indicator will briefly change out for a second or two to indicate what power level it's "really" in, and then fade out completely.
In order to see this, you have to move the mouse, then take your hand off it and watch it while you wait the 5-10 seconds for it to come out of run state and then show you the actual battery life, which also is unlikely to be accurate.
This is ridiculous, particularly when every other mouse by the same company has a battery indicator that's dead accurate. This one is also positioned in such a way that your hand covers it, which is not the case with their other models (your mileage will vary on your hand shape and mousing style of course, but you almost certainly will cover the G7's indicator with your hand).
Partially because of this little user interface problem, the mouse can and does run out of juice instantly, with no warning. You're playing and -poof- mouse doesn't work. Not at all cool and basically unacceptable for multiplayer gaming where you can't pause to deal with it.
Battery life is also quite short. Other reviews here are reporting far longer battery life than I experienced, which I'd ballpark at less than four hours, sometimes closer to two. Also, again unlike other Logitech mouses, the charge time appears to be equal to or greater than the run time. Other cordless mice of theirs will charge up in short time and run for literally days. What this leads to, I found, is far too frequent battery swaps as one would die and you're then replacing it with one that's not fully charged. Again, very uncool, doubly so because of the lack of warning.
The second issue--and as annoying as the battery thing is, this was the true dealbreaker for me after weeks of trying to like it--the actual surface of the mouse is very unusual for contemporary models. It's this slick gloss plastic, which I can only describe as awful to the touch, almost oily feeling.
(NOTE: there are a couple of 'revision' versions of the G7 being sold. One is all this gloss plastic and it is gray/green in color, the one I own. The one pictured in this ad is I believe a more recent version, and it has side grips out of softer, rubberish plastic, which they should have done on the whole mouse. Know which one you're getting.)
Seriously: it simply doesn't feel right, instantly slickifying the mouse at the slightest hand perspiration. Your hand will actually make a peeling noise like tape coming off when you remove it. Additionally, it seems to collect gunk, which is also instantly ugly thanks to the glossiness of the surface. In my opinion you need to put your hand on one for a test drive for a few minutes before plunking down your money for it.
No doubt for many users this isn't a problem. It definitely was for me. Again, I'm a veteran Logitech junkie, and this is unique. It would be one of their best mice, if not the best mouse to date, were it not for this and the battery issues.
Having said that, it's great in every other way. The shape, particularly, is extremely good, and to me this far outweighs even the accuracy of the mouse. Logitech's shapes in the last few years have lacked support for the ring and pinky fingers, causing them to either trail on the pad or have you clench the mouse in a claw manner, which is bad for you. And if you've had this problem, then you know it.
Interestingly, the wired versions of this shape (the MX510/518) have a completely different surface to them (what the G7's should have been) and two thumb buttons instead of one, which is another weird flaw of the G7's.
If they could manage to straighten these issues out in, say, the "G8", this would be a near perfect mouse. As it is, approach with caution.
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