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Logitech G3 Laser Mouse Review |
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Written by Don Lee
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Tuesday, 07 November 2006 |
 Logitech G3 laser mouse was designed to offer more precise control for
gamers looking to get an edge against their opponents. The sleek, black
USB mouse offers gamers a comfortable fit for those marathon
multiplayer sessions. I picked up this mouse because I needed to a bit
of help during my daily Star Wars Battlefront II multiplayer conquest
battles. Here is what I discovered about the Logitech G3 laser mouse.
The Logitech G3 laser mouse offers up to 2000 dpi for precise control and you can customize the mouse through Logitech’s SetPoint software. The six button mouse has the typical left and right buttons and a scroll wheel at the front of the mouse, a button on each side of the mouse and a single button directly below the scroll wheel.
Setting up the Logitech G3 laser mouse is very simple. You should download and install the appropriate mouse software from the Logitech website (http://www.logitech.com/setpoint.) first. You will be prompted to restart your system. Upon restarting, you should replace your current mouse with the G3 laser mouse.
Get Your Game On
Now that you have the G3 laser mouse installed, it’s time to configure it using the SetPoint software. Just launch the software the icon in your task bar and you should see the interface showing your selected mouse, the current button configuration and the assignable tasks that you can set. Now the left and right buttons can be swapped but they can’t be assigned.
The next three generic button settings cover the scroll wheel and the left and right side buttons. You will notice a small button at the center of the mouse. This button can be used as a Sensitivity Toggle button but you can also set it up to perform other tasks similar to the other three buttons. You can also set up typical mouse settings such as mouse speed, acceleration too.
The G3 laser mouse was very responsive even at its default setting but you can adjust the precision even more through the SetPoint software. Inside SetPoint’s Advanced Game Settings, you can create five different sensitivity configurations that you can switch between using the one touch center button. I enjoyed the ability to be able to either make the X/Y work equally or you can be more specific and make one axis more precise than the other. Personally, I usually find myself needing more precision on the X axis than the Y which is good for aiming at targets.
You can even set up the G3 for particular games. By specifying the game within the Recognized Games list in SetPoint, the mouse can automatically switch to the setting you set up when the game is launched. This is a pretty intuitive feature and very useful for those of use who play a lot of games using the keyboard and mouse combo.
Logitech doesn’t leave you lefties out in the cold since the G3 laser mouse is designed in a way that you can enjoy it as well. The G3 Laser Mouse is very comfortable and should be easy to manage whether you have large hands or small ones.
The Final Word
The Logitech G3 laser mouse is a good gaming peripheral for those looking to gain an edge in their play. Setting the mouse to 2000 dpi definitely helped my targeting but I also discovered that it is also very useful when doing design work as well. Using the mouse at that setting may be a little too extreme for web surfing or general use but I think that’s why they put in the sensitivity toggle feature for the center button. It gives you the option to quickly change your mouse configuration from ultra sensitive to standard use without having to make the change through SetPoint.
The sides of the mouse use this DryGrip technology, which I felt pretty good at keeping your hand from slipping away. The DryGrip only covers the lower portion of the mouse and not the surface area where your hand will rest. Whether you like to lay your hand on the mouse or keep it slightly elevated, the mouse is very comfortable.
Although the left side button is positioned perfectly to fit my hand, I wish the right side button was located a little higher along the side of the mouse. I found it difficult to access that button at its current location. The sensitivity toggle button at the center is also a little tough to reach and I found myself having to release the mouse to activate it. I did not have a problem of pressing on it during game play by accident.
Overall, the Logitech G3 laser mouse offers some really excellent features (especially for gamers) but it’s the responsiveness and the custom configuration through Logitech’s SetPoint software that helps make all the difference. While the G3 laser mouse is designed for gamers, I feel that anyone looking to improve on their pointing device would benefit from the G3’s capabilities. That’s why the Logitech G3 Laser Mouse earns 4 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.
System Requirements
IBM or compatible PC
Windows Vista (requires Internet connection)
Windows XP or 2000
USB port
G3 Laser Mouse Specs
- Tracking Resolution: 2000
- Image Processing: 6.4 megapixels/second
- Max. Acceleration: 20G
- Max. Speed: 45—65 inches/second (depending on surface)
- USB Data Format: 16 bits/axis
- USB Report Rate: 500 reports/second
- Sleep Mode: Disabled
- Dynamic Coefficient of friction - Mu (k): 0.09 (tested on wood-veneer desktop)
- Static Coefficient of friction - Mu (s): 0.15 (tested on wood-veneer desktop)
- Buttons (Left/Right): 8 million clicks
- Feet: 250 kilometers
About Logitech G3 Laser Mouse
With Logitech's SetPoint software, you can customize your G3 Laser Mouse with game detection and in-game adjustable sensitivity (including independent x- and y-axis settings). You can visit them online at http://www.logitech.com.
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