The Logitech MX Revolution redefines what an input device should be. The basic buttons—left click, right click, and scroll wheel—work right out of the box. The mouse tracked flawlessly in my Photoshop test, detecting minute movements without losing its wireless connection. The ergonomic right-handed design keeps the hand in a comfortable position. The small wireless receiver plugs into any USB port.
The MX Revolution has five buttons, as well as two clickable scroll wheels, one on the top and the other near the thumb rest. Logitech’s software provided the most configurable global and application-specific settings of the mice I’ve tested recently. You can program the buttons to perform keystroke combinations such as Command-X or Command-C.
A top button that launches Spotlight is highly useful, but it can be reconfigured. By default, the scroll wheel on the mouse’s side lets you flip between open applications; this is a more efficient way to do that than using the Finder or Exposé. The top scroll wheel not only spins vertically, but also tilts from side to side—extremely useful when you’re working with wide spreadsheets or using a 12-inch laptop. Most interestingly, a SmartShift feature allows the mouse to scroll in either a ratchet-style mode or a smooth-turning mode, depending on your needs—it would be hard to find a better scroll wheel.
There’s a battery-life indicator in the software and on the mouse, so you can see at a glance whether it needs a charge—not that it needs one very often. After using the mouse as my primary input device for more than one week without turning it off, the battery was at about 50 percent. The one drawback to this mouse is that it’s not Bluetooth, so it takes up a USB port.
Macworld’s buying advice
The Logitech MX Revolution Mouse is the best and most versatile mouse I’ve seen. It’s comfortable, performs flawlessly, and is highly configurable. While it does take up a USB port, that’s a minor complaint for such a great device.
[ Mathew Honan writes about technology for Macworld, Wired, and The National Journal Technology Daily.]
Logitech MX Revolution Mouse