Chip Chick
If touch sensitive devices are the future, and the future is now, then touch sensitive mice only seem natural, right?! Like Apple’s Magic Mouse, Logitech has just released their very own touch sensitive mouse which supports smooth scrolling and gestures. The Logitech Touch Mouse M600 features a 2.4GHz wireless connection, a sleek and comfortable design, a six-month battery life and, a very stylish appearance.
In the Box:
-M600 Touch Mouse
-2 AA Batteries
-2.4GHz USB Adapter
-Carrying Case
Design:
Logitech has done away with individual mouse buttons on the M600. Click on the left side for a left click and the right side for right click. There’s no scroll wheel either, you just slide or flick a finger up or down to scroll. These features are all similar to some of the buttonless laptop touchpads (like Macbook’s). The size of the M600 mouse is pretty standard for mice, though it’s much sleeker and smoother.
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On the underside of the mouse is an on/off button, the optical sensor, and a battery compartment. Tucked away neatly in the battery compartment is the USB “nano” receiver which plugs into any empty USB port. It’s a very small receiver with a great range and compatibility with up to 6 Logitech devices.
Features:
The Logitech Touch Mouse M600 is an optical mouse which uses “Laser-grade precision tracking” to offer perfect usability on any surface. It uses a 2.4Ghz wireless connection with a range capable of transmitting up to 33 feet (10 meters). A really nifty feature is that it can be powered by just one AA battery even though the compartment fits two. Each battery will get you about three months of use and you can reduce the weight of the mouse if you just use one.
The M600 features smartphone-like smooth scrolling. A nice flick down will scroll down fast, smoothly slowing to a halt. This is a one finger gesture. The other gesture navigates back or forward in the browser history. This is accomplished by sliding a finger right or left.
Performance:
The Logitech M600 Touch Mouse was very comfortable to use. It was more sensitive than my previous mouse and it’s a lot more precise too. Sensitivity is adjustable in mouse settings. The M600 has drivers/software available to enable smooth scrolling in Windows 7. Without the drivers installed, the Touch Mouse does the best it can to smoothly scroll just like any iPhone or iPod would. Without the drivers it’s a bit choppy, but it still works.
The range and accuracy was perfect. I didn’t get much further than 12 feet, but even at that range it worked without hesitation. Right clicking on the right side of the mouse works, but if you have a finger resting on the other side of the mouse it registers as a left-click. This was a bit frustrating. Navigating back and forward in the browser was a nice feature that worked well. The scrolling was good and can be controlled just as accurately as an actual scroll wheel. The smooth scrolling is a nice feature to have if you want to quickly get to the bottom of the page.
While I liked the smooth scrolling and browser navigation, the Touch Mouse is missing out on a few features that Apple’s Magic Mouse and some laptop touchpads have. There’s no multi-touch (more than one finger) gestures. This means no pinching to zoom, no rotating, and no window switching. The only other feature I really missed was middle click, which can open links in new browser tabs or even close tabs.
The size, weight, and shape of the mouse suited me perfectly, even with my large hands. The design is also really cool, especially when the light hits it the right way. Smooth scroll drivers are only available for Windows 7, but the Touch Mouse worked fine on Windows XP and even Mac OS X (browser gestures and all!).
Conclusion:
All-in-all the Logitech Touch Mouse M600 is a great every-day mouse, as well as a great travel mouse. While there could be more touch features available, the smooth scrolling and browser navigation are still pretty cool. The range and accuracy were perfect, and it looks awesome too! It’s not quite an Apple Magic Mouse, but it works on any operating system and costs less too. The Logitech Touch Mouse M600 is currently available for $49.99 on Amazon.com.
The Good: Cool Design, Comfortable, Sleek, Good Range, Precise, Smooth Scrolling, Back/Forward Browser Navigation, Only Requires One Battery, USB Adapter Fits In Battery Compartment, Includes Carrying Case, Long Battery Life
The Bad: No Middle Click, Right Click Requires No Fingers Touching Left Side of Mouse, No Multi-Touch Gestures
