Page 2: G9, Testing, and Conclusion
The G9 (more):
The contour of the G9 holds your thumb well. It is pretty doubtful that any thumb will be hitting the mousepad using this mouse. Allowing your thumb to completely rest on the mouse aids with reducing the friction that a thumb causes. Less friction means better performance. These minor details make the overall appeal of the mouse excellent.
The G9 brings back a forward button to the gaming series which is a fairly useless function. I very rarely have the need to go back then forward. The real interesting option that hits the G9 is the enhanced scroll wheel. Not only does the scroll wheel itself feel great since it is a ribbed flat strip on metal (instead of the rubber roller), it also has done the MX Revolution tickless scroll properly. The MX Revolution had the SetPoint software control the function of the scroll wheel. The G9 leaves this up to the user by ways of a button on the bottom of the mouse. The MX Revolution felt broken when it was first used since the scroll click changed modes instead of the normal middle click.
There are DPI adjustments (not really, it is just speed) in the form of a plus and minus toggle near the first mouse button. There is no danger of hitting it accidentally since it is inset. The mouse can be setup anyway that you require with the use of the SetPoint software. SetPoint does not work in Linux so it was not reviewed. The mouse works perfectly out of the box without any software.
Testing:
Testing involved using the mouse in general use and in a few games. UT2004 was used as it works perfectly on Linux. General use was done by using the computer normally for three weeks. How did the mouse fair?
The mouse handles like a dream. It glides across the surface with hardly any friction, thanks to the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or the DuPont Teflon) feet on the mouse. The curvature of the mouse allows your hand to rest in a much better position than normal mice, but compared to the older G7, it is a toss up. Regardless, this is one extreme mouse. It feels like it is built for speed and comfort and that is what you should expect with this price tag.
Gaming on the highest speed setting is impossible. I would guess that most people would not be using the high speed setting at all. Medium settings works fine for everything. While using GIMP, it helps to use the slowest setting for that per-pixel accuracy. I like that the mouse does not need ANY software to be properly used. It is unfortunate that the MX Revolution did not share the same design philosophy.
The switch on the bottom that controls the scroll wheel is a welcome addition. You can disable the ratcheting for normal use and put it right back on for gaming use. It is much better than having to have these crazy profiles on the computer.
The mouse can change the color of the speed adjustments as shown above. Pretty nifty.
Conclusion:
Since you can pick this mouse up for a tune of $80, it is well worth it if you don't have a G series mouse already. If you do, you may want to wait till it drops in price since you have a good mouse already. If you're a lefty, look elsewhere. I just want to stress the important of trying before you buy. If you can find a store that has display models, go in and check the mouse out. It is well worth it. Logitech keeps improving their models while keeping the functionality basically the same. It is good to see a company strive for excellence.
I would like to thank Kate and Sarah from Logitech for all the support and for making this review possible.
PS: If you like anime, »Anime Threads will be launching a brand new streaming area just for you. Soon...
The contour of the G9 holds your thumb well. It is pretty doubtful that any thumb will be hitting the mousepad using this mouse. Allowing your thumb to completely rest on the mouse aids with reducing the friction that a thumb causes. Less friction means better performance. These minor details make the overall appeal of the mouse excellent.
The G9 brings back a forward button to the gaming series which is a fairly useless function. I very rarely have the need to go back then forward. The real interesting option that hits the G9 is the enhanced scroll wheel. Not only does the scroll wheel itself feel great since it is a ribbed flat strip on metal (instead of the rubber roller), it also has done the MX Revolution tickless scroll properly. The MX Revolution had the SetPoint software control the function of the scroll wheel. The G9 leaves this up to the user by ways of a button on the bottom of the mouse. The MX Revolution felt broken when it was first used since the scroll click changed modes instead of the normal middle click.
There are DPI adjustments (not really, it is just speed) in the form of a plus and minus toggle near the first mouse button. There is no danger of hitting it accidentally since it is inset. The mouse can be setup anyway that you require with the use of the SetPoint software. SetPoint does not work in Linux so it was not reviewed. The mouse works perfectly out of the box without any software.
Testing:
Testing involved using the mouse in general use and in a few games. UT2004 was used as it works perfectly on Linux. General use was done by using the computer normally for three weeks. How did the mouse fair?
The mouse handles like a dream. It glides across the surface with hardly any friction, thanks to the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or the DuPont Teflon) feet on the mouse. The curvature of the mouse allows your hand to rest in a much better position than normal mice, but compared to the older G7, it is a toss up. Regardless, this is one extreme mouse. It feels like it is built for speed and comfort and that is what you should expect with this price tag.
Gaming on the highest speed setting is impossible. I would guess that most people would not be using the high speed setting at all. Medium settings works fine for everything. While using GIMP, it helps to use the slowest setting for that per-pixel accuracy. I like that the mouse does not need ANY software to be properly used. It is unfortunate that the MX Revolution did not share the same design philosophy.
The switch on the bottom that controls the scroll wheel is a welcome addition. You can disable the ratcheting for normal use and put it right back on for gaming use. It is much better than having to have these crazy profiles on the computer.
The mouse can change the color of the speed adjustments as shown above. Pretty nifty.
Conclusion:
Since you can pick this mouse up for a tune of $80, it is well worth it if you don't have a G series mouse already. If you do, you may want to wait till it drops in price since you have a good mouse already. If you're a lefty, look elsewhere. I just want to stress the important of trying before you buy. If you can find a store that has display models, go in and check the mouse out. It is well worth it. Logitech keeps improving their models while keeping the functionality basically the same. It is good to see a company strive for excellence.
I would like to thank Kate and Sarah from Logitech for all the support and for making this review possible.
PS: If you like anime, »Anime Threads will be launching a brand new streaming area just for you. Soon...