Just about a month ago, I published the review of the Logitech G9 Laser Mouse which I got to play with from the good folks at Logitech. The G9 is a sturdy and power-packed mouse targeted at the gaming audience and the time I spent using the mouse left me pleased and satisfied that it indeed was the best gaming mouse out there today. But, what about the common consumer? The movie-watching, multimedia-loving, home-theatre managing consumer doesn’t really need the power features of the G9.
While Logitech has a Universal Remote offering for those who want to manage the gadgets in their living room, those looking for a hybrid solution will love the Logitech MX Air. I’ve been playing with the beautiful and sleek mouse for about a month now and it fits just about right in the segment I mentioned above.
Product
The MX Air is a hybrid mouse from Logitech that not only works on your desk, but also in the air through hand gestures. It boasts an advanced laser technology for pin point accuracy when on your desktop and the company’s innovative Freespace™ motion sensing technology powers the mouse when working in the air. Let’s take a look at the features:
- Laser performance
- Freespace™ motion sensing
- Scroll panel
- Easy control of PC-based entertainment
- Gesture controls
- Li-ion battery
- 2.4 GHz wireless
A decent list of features for a mouse that’s targeted to a multimedia centric consumer market.
Packaging (and Contents)
The MX Air comes packaged in a trademark Logitech-green box, almost like the ones the G9 is packed in. Except, the mouse is not visible through clear hard plastic. You open the box as you’d open the lid of a laptop and there’s even a magnet to hold the lid closed. Smart thinking.
Inside the box, neatly packaged, are:
- MX Air Mouse
- USB Receiver
- Stand
- Power Adapter
- Cleaning Cloth
- CD / Manual
Design
The MX Air is a beautiful and stylishly designed mouse that has a classic glossy finish to it. Weighing in at just over 90 grams, it’s extremely light weight and fits just right into your hands. The curves along the body are well thought out, irrespective of the way you’re using it. It’s quite easy to catch attention when it is resting in the stand provided in the box, which also doubles as the charging base. The MX Air has Li-Ion batteries embedded in it and has an illuminated battery indicator just below the logo on the mouse.
The mouse features 8 illuminated buttons, two of which comprise the scroll area. While you can use it to scroll one-click at a time, the area surface is touch sensitive as well, meaning you can just drag your finger once over the scroll area and it will go on scrolling continuously, just the Logitech G9. Although, the surface is very sensitive and tends to get annoying after little usage. There’s no way to turn it off.
The mouse has 4 feet at the bottom, allowing it to glide over surfaces with ease. Again, it’s the same ‘polytetrafluoroethylene’ (Teflon) feet that you’d find on most Logitech mice. The on-off switch too is located at the bottom of the mouse, right next to the 848nm high-performance laser engine. While the mouse glides smoothly over my desk surface, the design of the mouse kept lifting the mouse up from the front if I placed my hand firmly over it.
The USB receiver for the mouse is almost the size of most thumb drives today.
Performance
So how does a mouse, with such an exceptional design fare in performing?
When you first hold the mouse, it’ll take a while before you’ll be comfortable with the grip that suits you. The design is symmetrical, so left-handed players need not worry. The pointer moves around sufficiently well, although I did not find it as intuitive as the G9. The front of the mouse is tapered, so if you click too often, you might find it difficult after a while. The centre buttons are well differentiated, so using them is not a problem. As I noted above, the scroll surface’s sensor is a little too sensitive and it will annoy you out.
While “In the Air”, the Freespace motion sensing technology kicks in, allowing the mouse to read your hand gestures and perform various tasks. The mouse movements work surprisingly well, and are quite intuitive. While the mouse handles most movements quite well, small distances are the hardest to handle, so selecting files or test is a complete no-go and so is double-clicking. The gestures to increase/decrease volume, change tracks etc. work surprisingly well.
The mouse works wirelessly over 2.4GHz wireless and is good for about 9 metres. A full-charge should not bother you for over a week. I usually found myself popping it back into the charging base after use.
Being on a Mac, I couldn’t test out the SetPoint software that comes along with the mouse.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the MX Air does what it’s supposed to do quite well and I’d consider it a good product. The Air is definitely not a product if you’re looking for a desktop mouse replacement. But if you’re the one with an HTPC set up and want hassle-free control, the MX Air would be a solid choice.