Logitech Performance Mouse MX

If you’re like me and you like your mice big, beefy, and feature-filled, then there’s a chance you’ll like Logitech’s Performance Mouse MX. It’s very much like another Logitech mouse, the MX 1100 Cordless Laser Mouse ( ), but the Performance Mouse MX has a unique feature that is ideal if you wish to use a Logitech keyboard.

The Performance Mouse MX is designed for right-handers (sorry, lefties). There’s a groove along the left side of the mouse for your thumb, and the mouse fits my hand nicely. The mouse is a little on the heavy side, weighing 5.8 ounces, but I didn’t experience any fatigue using the mouse on a daily basis. The mouse is also a bit long, measuring about 5 inches in length (it’s 3.25 inches wide and 1.75 inches tall). If you have smaller hands, you’ll have to reach for the two main mouse buttons.

Speaking of buttons, the Performance Mouse MX has seven buttons: left, right, a scroll wheel button, a Back button, a Forward button, a Zoom button, and a thumb button. All of the buttons were easy to access and click, though I found it awkward to use the thumb button, which is on the Performance Mouse MX’s groove; I had to press harder on it than on the other buttons. The Scroll Wheel can switch between notched and freewheel scrolling. I prefer the freewheel, and on extremely long documents, it’s fun (and useful) to spin the scroll wheel quickly and watch the pages of your document flicker on screen.

Logitech says on its Web site that the Darkfield Laser Tracking used in the Performance Mouse MX can work on “all sorts of work surfaces,” including glass. The mouse worked on every surface I tested it on, including a clear glass window. Logitech says that the tracking won’t work on glass if it’s completely spotless and as clean as it can get; the Logitech Web site recommends a “swipe [of] your hand across the surface” to give the tracking some “context.” I found the tracking to be excellent for everyday use, but it’s not fast enough for hard-core gamers.

The Performance Mouse MX comes with Logitech’s Unifying receiver, a RF device that plugs into your USB port. It works with the mouse, as well as six other compatible input devices, which are listed on Logitech’s Web site. For example, if you decide to use Logitech’s Wireless Keyboard K340 or Wireless Keyboard K350, you can you one Unifying receiver for both devices. At the time of this review, Logitech had only six devices that were compatible with the Unifying receiver, but expect more in the near future.

Logitech includes a rechargeable AA battery. During the two months I used the mouse at work during the business week, I drained the battery three times. That seems like a lot, but fortunately, you can still use the mouse while the battery inside is charging. The Performance Mouse MX has a small USB plug at its front, and you can connect the bundled USB cable to the mouse on one end, with the cable on the other end connected to a USB port or to the included power adapter. In a way, the mouse becomes a wired mouse, but it’s still using a wireless connection with your Mac.

The one annoyance I have with the mouse occurs once or twice during a day of work. After clicking a menu open, I’ll find myself unable to click on a menu item. I’m forced to press the ESC key on my keyboard, which closes the menu.

Macworld’s buying advice

I found the Performance Mouse MX a pleasure to use, and it’s one of my favorites. It’s very comfortable for me to use, it feels sturdy, and all of its buttons (except the thumb button) are in the right places for my hand. The bundled battery drains quickly, and the tracking isn’t fast enough for serious gamers, but for everyday use, it’s currently my mouse of choice.

[Roman Loyola is a Macworld senior editor.]