Fierce!

Introduction

A mouse? Yes, we review lots of different stuff nowadays, so why not a mouse?

"Isn't this just a commodity item that you get free with your computer?" I hear you cry. Well, it is, but you can also spend a few pounds to get something with buttons and options and things.

Whilst you might think that your ordinary mouse is enough for your day to day use, you might also just be surprised about what having an "enhanced" mouse can do for you.

Set Up

Take it out of the box. Plug it in to a spare USB port (they recommend not plugging it into a USB hub). Your computer will recognise it straight away and you can start using it. If you want to take advantage of the advanced features, and the ability to have different settings on the mouse, then you need to install the small software program on the CD enclosed in the box. More on that later.

In Use

It's a mouse. You know how a mouse is used. This one has 7 buttons, plus the now ubiquitous scroll wheel. And using the software that you can install, you can program each one to do different things, record macros, change the speed that the scroll wheel moves your screen up and down, and change the sensitivity of the mouse to one of four different settings (which all come with a different colour LED just below the scroll wheel).

In the days of 640x480 and 14 inch monitors, it was easy to get around your screen quickly. Now if you're running dual 1920x1080 displays on 23 inch monitors, it can take a while to move around your screens, so a mouse that moves at different speeds at the touch of a button is good. I've been using it for general tasks at a much higher speed than my older mouse, and have found it really useful.



You can adjust all of the settings with the enclosed software, and they are then stored on the mouse, so it will behave in the same way on any other PC. A nice touch.

You can adjust it physically too. You can add/remove small weights from inside the body of the mouse, to make it heavier/lighter as desired. You might wonder about this, but it does make a difference to how the mouse moves.

It has teflon feet to glide effortlessly across your surfaces. There's a gold-plated USB connector (you can argue amongst yourselves if that's going to make a difference or not). And it has a nice long "no tangle" cord.

Conclusion

Not just for gamers! This mouse has useful features for casual web browsers, programmers, developers, designers, and anyone else who doesn't just play games. You'll find it very good for gaming too, but it's worth some serious consideration even if you don't play many games. I've found it a very good addition to my desk, and I'm still tweaking it to get things perfect.

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