LogiTech MX610 Review

[TateJ]

My first observation is the physical size of this mnouse. I have your typical "office-goon" hands... not too small... but large & strong enough to defend against the occasional vice-grip hand-shake. This MX610 mouse is smaller than the MX1000, and smaller also than my trusty Intellimouse. I don't like that.

Now... before I can really start "reviewing"... I need a little help from a 610 user... Jeff.

What button assignment have you set to the wheel on your 610?
I can't get the ROTATE VIEW function to work for me on the wheel. I think I've tried every option that makes sense to me. Now, in desperation, I'm going to try the ones that can't possibly work.

Also... I did downloaded the latest driver.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[Theophilus]

I really don't use the middle wheel button as a button (since I use the arrow keys to rotate my model almost all the time--old habit from 1997 before the scroll mice--plus, I'm very fast with this method).

I've tried using the rotate feature with the middle mouse button, but this is tough if you have a lateral scroll feature through the wheel/button as well, since it's difficult to push directly down and not sideways on this button. But again, I love the shape of this mouse and use the features the other buttons provide quite a lot in other applications to a great extent.

If you really want the middle scroll button for rotating your view, I'd recommend getting a mouse without the lateral scroll--and also feel the "click" of that button to see if it provides enough tactile feedback to know whether it's clicking or not--some are very muddy feeling and difficult to use for that reason. Unfortunately, going after a mouse of this kind will probably land you in a different mouse class that's dumbed down in the other features you're looking for.

Where did you find a MX-610 these days, anyway?



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[TateJ]

...found it at Best Buy.

ARROW KEYS ...sorry your boss is such a tightwad that you can't get a SpaceBall.

It'd be nice if I could totally disable the Set Point software when usung SolidWorks... Then the wheel would work right. But I don't see that as an option.

So, it's not looking good for the MX610 either... but I'll kick it around for another day or 2.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[Theophilus]

That's true--he's definitely a tight-wad. Big juicy monitors, quick chips and other things have played a priority over the Space-xxxxx so far, but that could change soon. (I have almost everything else up to speed now, including a huge lava lamp.)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[handleman]

What do you mean by "ROTATE VIEW" function? Do you mean spinning the model by holding down the wheel? All I had to do is set it to be mouse button 3 or middle button.

I have an MX518. It doesn't have a tilt wheel, but it does have little buttons at the ends of the wheel. They are intended to be for increasing/decreasing mouse sensitivity during gaming. However, the "increase" button is very handy to reprogram as "middle button". It has a nice low activation force, much less than clicking the wheel on any wheel mouse I've used, and it's positioned in an easy-to-acces spot.

I did install the UberOptions referenced in the MX1000 thread. Application-specificity was the one thing I found sorely lacking with the 518, and now I have it.

I did try one of the MS mice with tilt wheel. It had a far too high wheel-button actuation force, but I did really like the smooth, no-clicks-when-scrolling wheel. So I took my MX518 apart, bent the little spring that makes it click, and packed the hollow axle pocket with a high-viscosity synthetic grease. I liked the result so much that I did it to my mouse at home as well. I've since performed a "click-ectomy" for several others in the office.

 

[TateJ]

<-- that ROTATE VIEW function.

I do like your mouse-mods... but don't want to go there for a work mouse.

I agree about the new Intellimouse wheel click resistance... but I do like the ratchet feel of my old Intellimouse.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[handleman]

Here are my settings. They let me rotate view no problem:

 

[handleman]

Sorry, pasted the wrong link:

 

[TateJ]

<<<--my settings.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[handleman]

Does the middle button perform the correct actions in other programs (e.g. "open link in new tab" in FireFox)?

 

[TateJ]

Holy Crap! it works now...! I like to think I've progressed past the point where I thought that them computers do wierd things at random... then something like this happens to confuse me. The ROTATE functions is working right now & I have done nothing different than before. But I must have done something different... just dunno what.

So here are my SolidWorks settings (non-default) so far...:

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[Theophilus]

Mine works--I just don't like using it because of the touchy side-scroll action when pushing down. (I'm still faster with arrow keys where I keep my left hand for quick key commands, so I don't bother learning the knack it takes to use the center wheel as a button.)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[innov]

MX 3000 Cordless desktop


MX 600



1
2
3 Middle Button
4 Pan
5 Enter (you get quite attached to this one, it does everything. Almost.)
6 do nothing (so I don't inadvertantly press it) or middle button
7 do nothing (so I don't inadvertantly press it) or middle button
8
9
10 insert sketch

 

[toycept]

I've been using the 610 for about 6 months and, for the most part, it works well for me. It took some time to set all the buttons to my preferences, but now all works well. I use the middle wheel to scroll in and out and rotate the part. I use this feature all the time... The only complaint I have is that sometimes this feature seems to get locked up and won't scroll in and out or rotate the part.... it's then that I hold down the shift key and push down the middle wheel to zoom in and out...or arrow keys to rotate.... not sure why it gets locked up....annoying.

I tried the lateral scroll...(pushing the wheel left or right to laterally scroll)... but this feature conflicts too much when zooming in/out with the wheel... so the lateral scroll feature has been disabled.

 

[TateJ]

My only remaining "negative" is the physical size of this varmint... or it's lack of size.

I've been spoiled by the girth of my Intellimouse. And I don't have big-O lumberjack hands either.

When are they gonna start marketing man-sized mice? Jeff... comments...?

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​

 

[Theophilus]

HA! I guess that depends how you use it.

I like super-fast speed for moving across my huge monitor without making panicked-looking scrolling gestures with my mouse. As a result, I stay on the little mouse pad with fingers curled around the mouse in a spider-like pose. That way, it's really my fingertips that flex to allow precise movement with the mouse (instead of my wrist, elbow, or shoulder, like most normal people). In this case, having a smaller mouse is much easier.

I detest the outer surfaces of mice (mouses?) that slope downhill toward my desktop without sufficient undercut for me to pick up my mouse with little pressure (like many of the earlier non-Logitech attempts at good mouse design featured).

So if you're like normal people, you probably would like something to fill the girth of your hand better because of the way you use your mouse. The way I use it, my palm really doesn't touch the mouse--only five fingertips.

Since people use them different ways, designers need to address both styles (and hence, sizes) to accommodate everyone.

(I am similarly like this with mountain bike frames--small, light frame [Bridgesone MB-1] for very technical trials-style riding instead of the traditional form-fitting frame that will let me stretch out my legs. Perhaps it runs across many areas of my personality.)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[TateJ]

I grip my mouse the same way... finger-tips only.
I suppose I just like my mice a little girthy... like my women.

Windows XP / Wireless Intellimouse Explorer
SolidWorks 2007 SP1.0 / SpaceBall 5000
Lava Lamp
www.Tate3d.com​