Introduction

Logitech late last year introduced a new line-up of products specifically targeted at gamers, starting off with three products; two of them laser mice and the third a keyboard. The mice, the G5 and G7, were both manufactured to use Logitech's latest 2000 dpi laser engine, which they promised would deliver the best performance available - something desired by all hardcore gamers in their effort to improve their play in all sorts of online games, mainly FPSs. The major difference between the G5 and the G7 was that the G7 was wireless while the G5 was not. It would thus appear that Logitech realizes that some gamers would still refuse to use a wireless mouse and didn't want to leave them out in the cold.

While laser mice are still vastly outnumbered by their predecessors, optical mice, this isn't keeping companies like Logitech from continuing development on this front. With their first laser product, the MX1000, they provided a decent laser mouse in a wireless package - and with the G5 and G7 they hope to extend this to the gaming market. The G7 perhaps has the most to prove, since it is both laser and wireless, and Logitech hopes to prove that this wireless mouse can be as good as any wired mouse.

Looking at the G7's stats, it's easy to see that Logitech has seemingly put their latest and greatest into this mouse. Not only does it have that 2000 dpi laser engine, but it also features a 2.4 GHz wireless connection, includes 2 rechargeable Li-Ion battery packs, and features hardware-controlled sensitivity settings to allow you change the mouse's sensitivity on-the-fly. But we all know that a product is more than just its features; has Logitech managed to put these features together well, into a cohesive and easy to use product free of bugs?

Specifications

Featuring Logitech's flagship sensor, the 2000 dpi laser engine, the G7 is packed with other goodies as well. First and foremost, the wireless connection operates over a 2.4 GHz frequency that Logitech claims will "bulletproof" the connection against lag and interference. It is USB-only, and the polling rate has been set to 500 Hz - much higher than most mice but not as high as the Razer Copperhead (which Virtual-Hideout reviewed here), which can be set to 1000 Hz.

Buttons on the mouse also allow for hardware (driver-free) control of the mouse's sensitivity, which can be ideal in games where you want to change sensitivity based on the situation - say if you want a lower sensitivity for sniping. Up to five sensitivity settings can be set, each between 400 and 2000 dpi. The G7 also features a 6.4 megapixel/sec rating through its 30x30 pixel sensor.

• See here for a list of specifications.

A Closer Look

Looking at the package, you get with the mouse two Li-Ion rechargeable battery packs, a USB mini-receiver, the charger/base station and a CD/installation guide. It's quite a complete package and is to be expected this is a flagship product. Note that there are no mini-weights with the G7 like with the corded G5 mice, since the compartment used for the weight cartridges in the G5 is used for the battery in the G7. The battery packs are custom units that I don't think are based off any standard size batteries out there.

The G7 comes packaged in the traditional Logitech box, which both is attractive and showcases their prized product. After removing the well-packaged mouse, you'll get an idea of all the package contents, which are more than come with a regular mouse. It's important to note that the USB mini-receiver is separate from the charger - though it can be plugged into the charger since it is effectively a USB extension as well as battery charger.

The separation of the receiver from the charger may seem like a minor point of interest, but it actually ends up being quite useful. For example, since the charger uses the USB bus to draw power for the batteries, you'll probably want to plug it into a powered USB port like one directly on your computer. The separate receiver can then be plugged into a USB port on your keyboard or mouse, and the USB port on the charger can be made available for any other USB device. Additionally, the mini-receiver makes it ideal to use the G7 on a laptop.

The G7.	Nice Packaging.
Well-packaged.	What's included.

The two Li-Ion batteries may seem weird at first, since most other rechargeable cordless mice only come with one set, but here it actually is essential. Since the G7 was made with performance in mind, battery life unfortunately had to take a backseat, and the result is that the G7 is rated only to provide only 10 continuous hours of usage off of one full battery charge. The upside is that switching out batteries takes only a few seconds, and charging a battery back to full should only take about two to three hours on a typical system, and so there should never be a time when you don't have a battery to power this wireless mouse.