.FLYINGHEAD LETTER TO THE EDITOR
.TITLE A better mouse trap
.AUTHOR James Booth
.SUMMARY Here at ZATZ, we get all kinds of mail. Happy mail, sad mail, and mad mail. We get reader mail from all over the world, and this week Senior Editor James Booth got some mail from someone that isn’t a reader; at least not a regular reader. Way back in November of 2004, we featured a review of the Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse, the industry’s first laser mouse available to the retail consumer. Scott here apparently purchased a Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse and is rather displeased; he therefore has taken it upon himself to voice his displeasure to anyone that happens to like the mouse. Read on for Scott’s feelings on the MX1000, and James’ rather constructive reply.
.OTHER
Here at ZATZ, we get all kinds of mail. Happy mail, sad mail, and mad mail. We get reader mail from all over the world, and this week I got some mail from someone that isn’t a reader; at least not a regular reader. Way back in November of 2004 we featured a review of the Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse, the industry’s first laser mouse available to the retail consumer. Scott here apparently purchased a Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse and is rather displeased; he therefore has taken it upon himself to voice his displeasure to anyone that happens to like the mouse. Read on for Scott’s feelings on the MX1000, and my rather constructive reply.
Scott writes:
.QUOTE Ello,
.QUOTE Regarding your Logitech MX 1000 review, read it, as well as various other drooling spectacular reviews.
.QUOTE Owned the lousy thing.
.QUOTE Griping here cuz there’s no place to gripe there.
.QUOTE You missed various negatives:
.QUOTE 1-Scroll wheel feels worn out! From the time you buy it, the scroll wheel’s clicks are almost not there, like they couldn’t decide whether it should click, or roll smoothly; and it fits rather loosely (on every one I’ve looked at). At time of purchase, I asked a store clerk about it. As I did, he assumed it was because it was a thrashed demo model sitting out in the store. NOPE! Gave it a chance anyway. (stupid move)
.QUOTE 2-Scroll-wheel click is way out of proportion. It takes about 5 times as much pressure to click the wheel, than any other button on the thing, including clicking the wheel sideways. In fact, it takes more pressure than on any previous mouse I’ve owned.
.QUOTE 3-Not very sturdy. It’s reached the point of being "worn out" quicker than any mouse I’ve previously owned. Finish wearing. Buttons skipping. Little bottom gel pads coming off. Are there ANY companies that glue these things on with adhesive that doesn’t get to the point where it melts after a few months? I’m NOT heavy handed and don’t grip it tightly, yet these are always the first to go.
.QUOTE 4-Tracking is WAY over-hyped! Almost from the beginning, I noted the mouse pointer making sudden jerks during delicate Photoshop work. Went to the Logitech help forum and found out lots of Mac users were experiencing this. Some were ignored (me among them). Others were told it was a base problem and had it replaced. I’ve never found the tracking to be very good for something that’s supposed to be so super-accurate. Surface doesn’t matter. Equally good and equally bad on them all.
.QUOTE 5-Overpriced. When I bought it at a local CompUSA, it was fairly new and $80, about twice what I had ever paid for a mouse before, even a cordless. I only bought it because the in-hand feel was so great and buttons positioned so well; plus, there was a $30 mail-in rebate.
.QUOTE 6-Lousy service. It took about 6 months to receive the mail-in rebate and Logitech had little or nothing useful to say about the lousy tracking.
.QUOTE I love the comfort, quick recharge time, and a lot of well-placed programmable buttons. Haven’t found a mouse to come close in those categories. Otherwise, it sucks!
.QUOTE Pardon moi. I think I’ll go post this where it will be read rather than just annoy somebody whose not at fault, just mistaken.
.QUOTE kinda peeved
Ello? What’s all ‘is then? I wasn’t aware we had a Cockney region in the US.
First off, my opinion about any product is just that, my opinion. Just like your opinion is yours. Since personal preference falls greatly into play, it is unlikely that any two people will feel exactly the same about a product. It is my job to examine the product based upon what it claims to be, and what it actually is, based on the perspective of the average consumer. And from my perspective, the MX1000 didn’t have any negatives; otherwise I would have noted them.
Let’s look at the deficiencies you’ve outlined and address them. First off, let’s talk about the cost of the MX1000. At its launch, it was priced well over a hundred dollars, around $120 as I recall. They currently retail for an average of $80.00. So, if you purchased it for $80 with a $30 rebate, I would conjecture that you haven’t had it all that long. I suspect you’ve had it for perhaps a little over the six months you’ve been waiting for your rebate. In the end, it only cost you $50, which is pretty good for a top of the line laser mouse.
About that rebate… When a company offers a rebate, they don’t handle them in-house. Rebates are farmed out to processing centers. I happen to know because we have a rebate processing center in my area that handles rebates for hundreds of companies, so your complaint regarding the rebate actually has nothing at all to do with Logitech.
Now, regarding what you paid for the mouse… You say at $80 it was twice the cost of any other mouse you’ve purchased. Is it possible that a lot of your complaints stem from a history of purchasing cheap mice in the first place? I don’t think I’ve ever spent less than $75 for a mouse, and I have always gotten several years worth of service from every mouse I’ve purchased. As a matter fact, not counting the MX1000 (because I didn’t buy it), I’ve only purchased two mice in nine years. Both of them Logitech.
You complain the scroll wheel feels worn out, perhaps it is just subtlety. I can hear the clicks from the cheap mouse on my wife’s computer from across the room. Why? Why do the clicks need to be that loud? As long you can register a tactile sensation of movement why should it need to be so loud or profound? Personal preference, Scott.
You stated the scroll wheel took too much pressure to register a click. I call that quality. My feeling is that you are just used to the weak scroll-click of all those cheap mice. I personally like the need for added pressure; it prevents accidental clicks. The same goes for the sideways tilt of the wheel.
I really can’t address your claims of cheap construction; I’ve not found that to be the case. My MX1000 still looks as good as it did when I took it out of the box. And yes, I do use it quite a bit.
I just don’t understand your complaints about the tracking. My MX1000 continues to track better than any other mouse I’ve used. Perhaps the surface you are using has something to do with the tracking problem you’re experiencing. Gone is the need for a mouse pad or dedicated mousing surface. Today’s optical and laser mice can track on virtually any surface. But, like the old trackball mice, the optics need to be cleaned from time to time. I use a damp Q-Tip, followed by a clean, dry one. And even at that, I only do this a couple of times a year.
I’m sorry, Scott, that you aren’t pleased with your MX1000, but since you didn’t buy it on my recommendation, I don’t feel at all responsible. From time to time, products will come off the line that are below standard. There is frequently no way to know this until those products are out in the market. Deficiencies in quality control can arise due to compromised cleanliness conditions in the manufacturing process, poor quality parts from a third-party supplier, an inattentive attendant on a run prior to or following a holiday. A lot of things can contribute to a bad run.
I am of the opinion Scott, that you, and probably a lot of others, were the victims of a bad run. My MX1000 is nearly two years old, and it looks and works as well as it did the day I first powered it up. I’m very pleased with my MX1000, and still have no complaints. Considering my track record with Logitech mice, I expect to continue using it for another year or two. [I have a Logitech MX700 that I bought and have been using and abusing it for nearly 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for at least two years. It’s been rock solid. — DG]
We always welcome your thoughts, comments, and letters here at ZATZ, keep them coming. We may respond personally, we may use it for a Letter to the Editor feature, or both. But rest assured, we always read them, and sometimes can even offer a solution. Or maybe just poke a little fun.
.BEGIN_SIDEBAR
.H1 Product availability and resources
For more information on the Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse, visit http://www.logitech.com.
For the Computing Unplugged Magazine review of the Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse, visit http://www.computingunplugged.com/issues/issue200411/00001448001.html.
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.BIO
