Installation

Installation is a breeze, as it should be with all mice nowadays. All one needs to do is plug the MouseMan Dual Optical into either the correct PS/2 port or a USB port, then turn on the computer. Installation of the MouseWare software is optional, but I'd recommend it as it gives you access to a wide range of features to configure how your mouse functions. A quick reboot is needed after installing the software. For me, the entire process was even easier, as I already had the MouseWare software installed for my previous mouse, a Logitech First Mouse+. I just needed to shutdown the computer, switch the mice, and then reboot. The MouseWare automatically detected the new mouse and prompted me to configure its functionality. The great thing about Logitech's MouseWare is that it remembers the configuration for each mouse you have plugged into it, so if I were to switch back to my First Mouse+, I would not need to reconfigure it in MouseWare upon restarting the computer.

Logitech's MouseWare.

Configure the functionality of any button.

You can set the PS/2 refresh rate if the mouse is plugged into the PS/2 port.

As I mentioned before, the MouseWare software is very robust in features and allows you set the functionality of any button. (It's also needed if you want to use the thumb button.) I've set the extra thumb button to perform a double-click, which helps a little in day-to-day mousing. You can also set the number of lines to scroll per wheel roll. Another great features for those of us who still use the PS/2 port for mice, is the ability to set the refresh rate all the way up to 200Hz. There have been other little apps that can do this, but it's still nice to see it included in MouseWare.

Set the orientation. (This function has been the target of pranksters.)

Version information.

WebWheel.

The orientation of the mouse movements can also be set, if for some reason you are mousing at some weird angle. Its other use is merely for pranksters, who wish to mess up your mousing accuracy. The last feature that is presented is the 'WebWheel' function. This is basically a 'neato' feature that I didn't find useful at all. When you set your middle button to the WebWheel function, it can be clicked in a browser window to bring up the 'Wheel of options', as seen above. You then select one of the options using the cursor or using wheel movement. Most of the functions that are available are all easily accessible by the use of the keyboard, so I didn't find it to be of help. I instead set the middle button to be, well... a middle button, which is useful in games.

Testing

Testing was conducted on a purely subjective basis, with about two weeks of daily use, (I.E., web-browsing, image manipulation and basic desktop usage), and gaming sessions with Unreal Tournament, MoH:AA, ST: Bridge Commander, and the latest game to eat up my time, Jedi Knight II.

The first thing I noticed upon initial usage is that this mouse is slightly bigger than those I've been used to. This took some time getting used to, but no major problems were felt. The shape felt great, and easily fit into my hand. After extended usage, it was found that this mouse was very comfortable! The side grips have an excellent feel to them, and help a little in holding on to that mouse in intense gaming sessions. This mouse is also very accurate: No matter how fast I moved it, I could not get it skip during usage. Note that I said 'during usage'. If you wanted to make this thing skip, you'd have to jerk it back and forth so fast that you wouldn't have any intention of actually using the mouse while doing this. I'm sure mechanical mice wouldn't hold up under that kind of intense 'usage' either. In addition, image manipulation was very easy due to its accurate interpretation of small movements. But I'm guessing what you really wanted to know is how this baby performs in games! I can easily tell you that this mouse was a dream in games. I never accidentally activated the wheel while pressing the middle mouse button, and I was able to maintain accurate control with this mouse. This mouse's movement is sleek as can be, and the five feet do a good job of letting the mouse glide. I also found this mouse to be just the right weight so that it does not move unnecessarily.

Conclusion

I think that I have said all that I can say, in the body of this review. While it took a little bit of time to get used to the shape, I ended up loving this mouse. The response is excellent, and the extra thumb button can be a plus. Daily use and gaming with the MouseMan Dual Optical was a dream! As with all optical mice, little cleaning is required, beyond scraping any weird gunk that may accumulate on the feet/pads of the mouse. The MouseWare software can also be very useful. And let's not forget the nice LED's on the bottom that give off a nice glow during the night ;)

Pros

• Dual optical sensors are very accurate - no skipping noted

• Works with either a PS/2 or USB port

• Little or no cleaning required

• Very comfortable to the right-handed

• MouseWare software is great (Though WebWheel feature may be less than useful)

• Looks great

Cons

• Doesn't work well with left-handed people

• A bit pricey. (~$50USD MSRP)

Many thanks go out to Logitech for providing the review unit! As one last note, some people have reported a problem with the use of the wheel in games. This is not specific to a particular mouse, but it rather is a result of the MouseWare. You can find a fix here, at the bottom of the page, under the heading "Mouse Registry File for Gamers". (Although the page is for Windows 2000 downloads, the registry fix will work with Win9X, Win2K and WinXP.) This fix will restore the use of the wheel in games without having to make any changes to the function of MouseWare.