- Reviewed on: Windows XP Home
- Also available for: Windows 2000, XP Professional and Vista
- The Good: Works with either hand; programmable buttons for thumb and pinkie; high-resolution optical engine; button lets you change dpi settings on the fly.
- The Bad: Doesn't have the ergonomic design of a mouse made specifically for the right or left hand; no indicator on the mouse to show what dpi setting it is using.
- The Verdict: It's not as glitzy as Logitech's higher-end gaming mice, but the optical engine is excellent and the dpi adjustment is very handy.
REVIEW:
Most of the mice designed for video game players are aimed solely at the biggest segment of the market - right-handers - so it's refreshing to see Logitech come out with its ambidextrous G3 Laser Mouse.
The $59.99 (U.S.) G3 is a USB 2.0 wired mouse designed to be used by either hand, so it's not exceptionally ergonomic. That said, it's a low-profile mouse that sits comfortably under the palm. It has the standard main finger buttons and clickable scroll wheel, but it also has a programmable button on either side of the mouse for your thumb and pinkie finger.
The G3's optical laser system has tracking resolution of 2,000 dots-per-inch - that's about twice the resolution of most "high performance" mice on the market right now. The engine can process 6.4 megapixels of positioning information, and can track its position and movement accurately even if the mouse moves at up to 45 inches in one second (that's nearly four feet, so it's not a limit you'll ever exceed on your desktop).
On the top of the G3, up behind the scroll wheel, is something that gamers and heavy-duty mouse users will love: A dpi control. The button lets you adjust the dot-per-inch setting for the mouse's super-sensitive tracking laser.
Without any drivers installed (just the generic Windows drivers that kick in when you plug in a USB scroll mouse), the dpi button lets you set the resolution to 1,600 dpi or 800 dpi. With the Logitech SetPoint drivers for Windows installed, you can call up a programming panel that lets you set up to five custom resolutions of your choice instead, from 400 dpi up to 1,600 dpi, as well as set the functions for the side buttons.
Why would you want to change the dpi settings? Well, a lower resolution means the mouse moves more slowly across the screen, and a higher one makes it zippier. By clicking on the plus or minus buttons on the G3, you can kick the resolution of the optical scanner down without stopping in your game, then boost it back up again whenever you want to.
If you're hunkering down to do some long-distance sniping, for example, you can push the resolution down to 400 dpi for precision aiming. Then when the enemy figures out where you're hiding, you can move up to 800 dpi by pressing the plus button to hose them down with a rapid-fire weapon. When they send in more reinforcements than you can handle, you can open the mouse up to its full 1,600 dpi resolution with another click to make it easier to dodge bullets as you head for new cover or flee in a vehicle. A 1,600 dpi setting is also handy when you're in the turret of a tank or gun emplacement, since it lets you rotate the turret faster than moving a standard low-resolution mouse would.
Changing the dpi settings really does make a noticeable difference in the way the mouse reacts, although it delivers the most benefit if you play games where you have to regularly switch from sniping to fast action. If you only play run-and-gun games where the action is full-on assaults at all times, the dpi adjustments won't help you much.
While the main market is gamers, the mouse is also handy for a wide range of Windows tasks. It can make the mouse more or less responsive for things like browsing Web pages, editing photos, working on graphics with a virtual brush, and so on.
It's a useful system, but unfortunately Logitech has dropped the dpi LED indicator that is built into some of its higher-end gaming mice. This means that if you don't have the drivers installed, there's no way to tell what resolution the mouse is set to - you have to figure it out by feel, adjusting the dpi button until the cursor movement on the screen is at the proper response rate for the work you're doing or game you're playing.
The mouse itself has a rubberized coating that's been roughened for a better grip, something Logitech calls Drygrip. It makes the G3 a lot easier to hang on to if you get sweaty fingers.
It also has super-slippy pads that let it slide easily over your desk or mouse pad.
The G3 comes with drivers for Windows 2000 and XP, and Logitech says it will work with Vista as well.
Overall, this is a solid little cyber-rodent for gaming or precision work. It's not as glitzy as Logitech's higher-end gaming mice, but the optical engine is excellent and the dpi adjustment is very handy.
