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Revolution Gaming is your number one online store in the UK for Razer Products. Gaming Headsets - Gaming Mice - Gaming Keyboards - Mouse Mats - Contollers. The VX Revolution is part of a new future-oriented family of mice created by Logitech. It shares the same futuristic/ergonomic design, laser resolution, revolutionary scrollwheel and web search. Logitech’s right-handed wireless VX Revolution mouse gives you the comfort of a contoured, rubber grip body, and fast, precise tracking. Just plug the tiny 2.4 GHz receiver into your USB port, and forget about it; it’s small enough to stay plugged in, even when you put your laptop in its case! Sentey Revolution Pro Laser Mouse The left side of the Revolution Pro offers a very large rubber insert that affords the thumb some serious grip. Above it, there are the page forward and back.

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Prototype Engelbart mouse (replica)

SRI engineer Bill English built the first Engelbart mouse prototype, which used knife-edge wheels and had space for only one button.

The Mouse

Trackballs, light pens, and other clever pointing devices were widespread. Then the mouse was invented. Twice. (Well, at least twice.)

Doug Engelbart reportedly conceived the mouse during a conference lecture in 1961. His first design, in 1963, used rolling wheels inspired by mechanical area-measuring devices called planimeters invented in the 1800s.

Engineers at Germany’s Telefunken also invented a mouse in the mid-1960s. First described in 1968, their version used a rolling ball—essentially a small, upside-down trackball—which became the standard for decades.

Engelbart mouse patent drawings

The word “mouse” does not appear in Engelbart’s patent for the computer pointing device that became ubiquitous within 20 years. The knife-edged wheels each rolled in just one direction, transmitting movement information for that direction. Each slid without turning when the mouse was moved in the other direction.

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RKS 100-86 mouse ('Rollkugel')

The Telefunken Rollkugel may have been the first rolling-ball mouse.

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Production-run three-button mouse, serial number 001

By 1968, SRI had provided Doug Engelbart with commercially produced three-button mice to use in his famous “Mother of all Demos.”

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Who Named the Mouse?

When asked who named his most famous invention, Doug Engelbart recalled, “No one can remember. It just looked like a mouse with a tail, and we all called it that.” The wire “tail” originally came out under the user’s wrist.

DATAR trackball

Using a ball from the Canadian 5-pin bowling game, this was likely the first trackball. It controlled radar plotters in a computerized multi-ship defense system designed in Canada.

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Bill English at the ARC office

Bill English built the original wooden Engelbart mouse prototype. He is seen here working at an SRI ergonomic workstation.

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Ergonomic NLS keyboard console

Engelbart commissioned office furniture maker Herman Miller to build special workstations to hold the chording keyset, conventional keyboard and mouse.

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Rolling ball mouse for Alto computer

Bill English moved to Xerox PARC in 1971. His group developed PARC’s first mouse, a rolling-ball design like that of the 1968 Telefunken mouse.

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A Menagerie of Mice

The basic idea of the mouse is simple, but there are many variations on the theme. Engineers have experimented with different shapes, numbers of buttons, internal mechanisms, and aesthetics -- as well as with the part of the human body that activates it.

Three-button Depraz mouse

Shortly after its founding, Logitech sold this rolling-ball mouse design by André Guignard in the U.S.

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Multi-button mouse

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How many buttons should a mouse have? For 20 years, Apple said “one.” Video-editing system maker Quantel, however, found many buttons helpful for operating its sophisticated systems.

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Bili Foot Mouse Programmable Pedal

Foot mouse users include people with hand and arm problems, and people who want to keep their hands on the computer keyboard or other control devices.

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Jouse Sip Puff mouse system

Users move this joystick with their mouths. Short inhalations and exhalations signal “mouse clicks.”

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'Mousetop' mouse cover box

The name “mouse” inevitably led to quirky accessories and packaging.

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Wooden optical mouse

This wooden mouse combines up-to-date technology with old-world craftsmanship.

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Mouse interior mechanism

This is the internal mechanism of a modern rolling-ball mouse, with the ball removed.

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Logitech has always had a strong presence in the high-performance mouse market. They were the first to have a virtually lag free cordless mouse (MX700), the first large company to produce a cordless laser mouse (MX1000), and now the trend continues. Logitech has recently created what they have dubbed as the world's most advanced mouse. Today I will be checking out the MX Revolution to see if it lives up to that epithet.

The MX Revolution will be replacing my recent wireless Mighty Mouse purchase for one reason; scrolling. After moderate use, the Mighty Mouse's scroll ball becomes dirty and will not scroll at all. Short of disassembling the Mighty Mouse, cleaning it is impossible regardless of the Apple doc page suggesting rubbing the scroll ball upside down. On the other hand the MX Revolution utterly excels at scrolling, as you'll soon find out.

Specs

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The MX Revolution is a right-handed mouse with 7 buttons not including the 'quick-flip' wheel on the left and the main scroll wheel on top. It comes with a charging base and a separate, bus-powered USB stick which acts as a 2.4GHz RF transceiver. The MX Revolution is powered by a rechargeable, non-replaceable Li-ion battery. This mouse utilizes a precise Class 1 848nm performance laser similar to those found on the Logitech 'G' gaming series of mice.

However, the best feature of the mouse lies in what Logitech calls SmartShift technology. Depending on how you setup the options in software, the main scroll wheel has two modes - the regular 'ratchet' mode and an uninhibited free spin mode. For example, in the Logitech software (which is available for Windows XP, Vista and as a universal binary for OS X) I have it set to use the clicky ratchet mode until I scroll fast enough, at which point the scroll wheel goes into free spin mode. Free spin is by far the coolest aspect of this hyper-fast scroll wheel as Logitech calls it.

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Ryan Block from Engadget comments on the MX Revolution. Clip cut from ScobleShow with permission from Robert Scoble.

Ergonomics

Logitech has always been known for producing well-fitting, comfortable mice and the MX Revolution is definitely no exception. There is a rubber-clad thumbrest area with the document quick-flip wheel and 2 additional buttons within reach. The quick-flip wheel is like a spring-loaded scroll wheel that only goes forward or backward a bit. Logitech wants you to access the Alt+Tab/Apple+Tab interface with the quick-flip but I have found it equally handy just as a scroll device.

Compared to other cordless laser mice, I don't find the MX Revolution too different in terms of weight. I actually couldn't decide which was heavier - the MX Revolution or the Apple wireless Mighty Mouse with its lithium batteries. I double-checked with Chris and we seem to believe the Mighty Mouse is actually heavier. Moving on, Logitech has generously fitted the underside of the mouse with 4 teflon pads making it glide-happy on most surfaces.

Software

I can't comment on Logitech's SetPoint software for the PC, but the Logitech Control Center for Mac users is very powerful. Users can pair each button with an action, either for global settings or by application. Buttons can be routed to actions such as click, advanced click where a keystroke can be added to the click, keystroke, cruise, switch application, open web page and many more. All in all, there was nothing I couldn't get the software to do. I have the scroll button act as a middle click so I can open bookmarks in tabs (I had to use advanced click with Command), I have one-touch search open my homepage while in Firefox and open a QuickSilver prompt while on the desktop.

If you have specific settings for various applications, the software will detect this and change button mappings on the fly or at least that's what it should do. There are times when it gets confused and defaults to global settings even though Firefox was the selected application. In cases like this, just switch to something else and then go back to your current app. That usually fixes it. Meanwhile, PC users that demand even more control over SetPoint might want to give uberOptions a try.

Worth It?

The MX Revolution can be found online for around 90 USD. The price is definitely on the steep side for a mouse but some people can justify the cost. The MX Revolution has many buttons, capable software for using those buttons how you like, a sturdy, comfortable feel, a small, portable USB transceiver and stellar battery life. I don't think I touched on the battery life, but the MX Revolution is great at conserving power. With a full charge, the MX Revolution lasted me 3-4 days with moderate use. If you have ever used a Logitech G7 mouse, the MX Revolution's battery life outpaces it incredibly.

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I think this mouse was a good investment and will let me tame my 24-inch display all the better. The MX Revolution might even be a Photoshopper's dream peripheral by mapping the many buttons to create new documents, cycle through history, etcetera. That being said, this mouse probably isn't worth it if you only check email, talk on AIM and browse the web. Do you think this mouse is right for you? Let me know.