My Logitech MX Revolution (the best mouse I’d ever owned)died recently after a year and a half of heavy use. While I was disappointed to see the device fail, I was thankful when Logitech honored their three-year warranty and sent a replacement free of charge.
The MX Revolution had been discontinued by the time my unit was kaput. In its place, Logitech sent the Revolution’s successor, the Performance Mouse MX. Similar to the MX Revolution, the Performance Mouse MX might well have been called the MX Evolution, as it primarily builds on the strengths of its predecessor while correcting some of its flaws.
The Logitech Performance Mouse MX looks almost exactly like the MX Revolution, with slightly different angles, a tweaked button arrangement and metal trim. The functionality has been improved, with Logitech putting a lot of thought into the model’s wireless usability.
Gone is the thumb scroll-toggle-wheel found on the Revolution; in its place is a fully-rubberized thumb rest, which can be depressed to activate a Logitech task-switching utility similar to Expos? on the Mac. The same hyper-fast scroll wheel has been ported over to the Performance Mouse MX, but there’s now a hardware button on the device body that toggles between click-to-click and smooth scrolling (on the MX Revolution, this change was made by pressing the scroll wheel). This scroll wheel is the best available on a mouse, hands down.
The Performance Mouse MX also employs a new laser, which Logitech calls Darkfield. This is supposed to make the mouse work better on traditionally difficult surfaces like glass. I don’t use a glass desk, so I can’t tell the difference, though the mouse’s reaction does seem generally snappier; whether or not this is due to the laser, I can’t say.
What I like best about the Performance Mouse MX are the changes made to address some general wireless mice headaches. First, the USB receiver has been made much, much smaller than that of the Revolution; in fact, it barely protrudes from the USB port at all, making it great for laptops. This “Unifying Receiver” also works with a handful of other Logitech wireless products, making multiple receivers obsolete (sadly, there are only four other compatible devices as of this writing). Despite its size, the smaller receiver seems to keep a connection to the Performance Mouse MX better than the much larger receiver found on the Revolution.
I also like the new charging system; rather than a cradle, the Performance Mouse MX has a microUSB port in its snout. When you’re running low on juice, just plug in the mouse to charge (to either a USB port or a wall outlet with the included charging adapter) and continue to use the mouse like a corded model. Logitech also includes a USB extender cable just in case your USB port or wall socket is too far away for the standard charging cable.
As painful as it is for me not to be able to bash something about this excellent mouse, I can direct at least one criticism at the Performance Mouse MX; it’s too expensive. At $99 (the same price as the Revolution MX), it’s one of the most expensive mice on the market. One Hundred Dollars is a pretty penny in today’s economy, but I do feel it’s justified for power users (those at a computer all day). Perhaps they’ll shave a bit off the price in the coming months.
As much as I liked the MX Revolution, I must say that the Performance Mouse MX is a better device. It seems to work more smoothly, it has much better wireless performance, and I love that if I forget to charge it, I can just plug it in and continue to work.
If you spend a lot of time at your desk – with a desktop or laptop – you’ll appreciate the Logitech Performance Mouse MX more than you know.
It’s just the best mouse out there.
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I’m including a CNET video review of the Performance Mouse MX so you can see it in action.
