Video game mouse-maker Razer has diversified its Pro Solutions line of mice by introducing the ProClick V1.6, a 1,600 dot-per-inch (dpi) optical resolution mouse whose lineage can be traced back to Razer’s gamer-focused Diamondback model. But this product is made for designers, illustrators, and other creative pros who can benefit from a high-resolution optical mouse with precise drivers.
The ProClick has a sleek, ambidextrous design in white, with gray buttons, that complements Apple’s keyboard. For a bit of rock star panache, the clickable scroll wheel glows blue when it’s plugged in; the blue is also visible through translucent strips on the side of the mouse. The ProClick is much more nimble and light on its feet than the average mouse, and it demands a lighter touch—a caress of fingertips, rather than a choking death grip.
The ProClick has seven buttons including the scroll wheel, and all are programmable using the Razer driver software, which runs natively on Intel-based Macs. The two buttons on the top are oversized with a velvet texture. There are also four buttons total on the left and right side; they take some getting used to, and require you to re-learn how to position your thumb and your ring finger to use them comfortably.
The ProClick has twice the optical resolution of many run-of-the-mill mice, which means better accuracy when you’re working in Photoshop ( ), Final Cut Pro ( ), or other applications that demand precise mouse control (it comes in handy for games, too).
The driver software lets you adjust the mouse’s on-the-fly sensitivity. It allows you to move the cursor across the screen with very little wrist movement, but it also enables you to creep the cursor across small sections of the screen with extraordinary precision. What’s more, you can program the mouse’s scroll wheel to adjust the sensitivity manually. You can also program macros to substitute for mouse buttons.
Unfortunately, the software only allows you to make global button assignment settings that affect how the buttons work for all applications. It would be far more useful to be able to create button assignments for specific applications—mapping my left toggle button to scroll up and down a page in Safari, for example, while changing that to going forward or backward for a series of frames in iMovie.
The ProClick features a seven-foot USB cable, which made my desktop a bit messy, but is a welcome respite from the too-short cables Apple includes with its own gear. I’d love to see how a wireless version of this device works.
Macworld’s buying advice
The Razer ProClick V1.6 is a tethered mouse that features terrific precision and software that lets you program both its sensitivity and its seven buttons. Not everyone needs a mouse like this, but not everyone needs a Ferrari to get to work either.
[ Peter Cohen is senior editor of Macworld.com news. ]
Razer ProClick V1.6