I had other more serious issues with the MX610 though. The tilt mouse wheel being another issue. Everyone knows what Tabbed Browsing is, and almost every internet user now uses some form of it on their favourite browser. Weather the browser is Opera, Firefox or Internet Explorer, clicking a link with the mouse wheel depressed will almost always open that link in a new tab. However because the MX610 has a tilt wheel, I found that middle mouse clicks were a hit and miss affair. I could never come up with a way of accurately middle clicking a link and opening it in a new tab. The MX610 in this aspect seemed to have a mind of its own.
Let’s look at my scenario. In Firefox, I open a menu full of bookmarks, and I move my cursor over one that I like. I middle click this bookmark only for the menu to close because that middle click has not been recognised. I re-open the menu and try again, yet it closes once more after failing to recognise my middle mouse wheel click. A third attempt finally registers a middle click and up pops that bookmark onto a new tab. Over the course of a day, I tried pressing the wheel in various ways and resolving this issue but just couldn’t get any consistency in successful clicks. Luckily, once again for me, web browsing on my Media PC will be something I will not really be doing…
However, it’s not all bad. The tilt wheel worked just fine in Microsoft Excel and on Firefox when viewing various forums with large images, and its sensitivity and acceleration can be set for either tilt left or right individually within SetPoint, which is a good move. After a period of inactivity, the mouse goes into standby mode to conserve battery power, which in turn should increase the life of the batteries. In addition to this, there is a battery indicator on the mouse itself and in SetPoint to alert you when your batteries are low and just to improve things further, the mouse goes into sleep mode when your PC is switched off and awakes when it is switched back on.
The volume and mute buttons work perfectly, and with SetPoint installed, a graphical volume indicator is displayed on screen that is really handy. The Volume buttons however are a one-button design with either end being depressible for increasing and decreasing volume. I struggled with this button because it just feels too short so I could not ascertain exactly what button I was pressing, and because of this ended up pressing the mute button, which is right behind it. It would have been a better idea make the volume buttons separate, with the mute further away from the two. Most users with smaller palms should be fine with the existing design I would guess.
Conclusion
I was really surprised by the MX610. I have owned a string of Logitech mice in the past and none of them has ever been below expectations. They have all performed well and lasted a good while, before passing away because of my abusive hands during gaming sessions. I decided to purchase the MX610 because it looked like the perfect wireless mouse for my Media PC, especially on the price front. To be honest, while it is not exactly perfect, it does do the job for my PC without any serious issues. If I was a gamer, then I would have cause for complaint but for a secondary PC it does fit the bill.
The MX610 is loaded with features; however they don’t all particularly gel well together. It is like the England football squad, which had some of the best players in the UK, yet they just do not gel together when playing in a game. In addition to this, you really do need SetPoint to customise the buttons but it is such an immense hog, that most computer techy types will be put off by the software right away. To be honest, most average users can get away with using SetPoint full stop, if you can handle the fact that the Zoom feature is the default mouse button setting.
Performance is a worrying issue, the mouse feels great in use but that odd latency issue removes any chance of successfully trying to play any fast-paced game. The MX1000 on the other hand blows this away in terms of wireless performance, which is enough to make you wonder what Logitech were thinking when they designed the MX610. Have they changed the way their laser engine works or the manufacturing process? It certainly feels that way.
I would not recommend this mouse for gaming at all given the issues I have had. In fact, I would strongly recommend that you try this mouse before opting to purchase it. Most users will not possibly run into the problems I have had on the performance front but I am sure they can agree with some of my points. I have been using Logitech mice for so long that it is easy to settle down with a ‘good thing’, and when something new appears on the horizon, you instantly see the differences.
If only I could have found the Logitech MX1000 I would have opted for that right away, but its base station requires a power point, rather than an empty USB slot. Power points are something of a rarity in this room too. Overall, the MX610 fails to live up to my expectations, especially for my first Wireless mouse. I know that Logitech’s wireless mouse range is the best you can set your hands on, so this mouse is a disappointment in real world use.
Pro’s:
- Lots of features
- Great mouse design, very comfortable in use
- Extremely good energy saving features
- Volume and Mute controls at your fingertips
- Good range at long distances
- Good price
Cons:
- Poor performance with latency issues
- Setpoint is required for customisability
- Mouse wheel button seems randomly unresponsive
- Volume buttons could be better spaced out
- Email/IM client requirements should be clarified on the MX610 box