Logitech MX500 Optical Mouse (930763-0403)

Exceed even the loftiest expectations with the Logitech MX500. With our new MX™ Optical Engine captures more data faster. This tracking technology lets you mouse how and where you want, faster and with great response. Plus we've added eight programmable buttons, including the innovative Cruise Control™ scrolling system, to give you a better blend of power and convenience.

New benchmark in optical systems combines high resolution and high frame rate to achieve superior performance.
Ground-breaking new engine captures more data every second, measuring even the smallest movement.
800-dpi sensor ensures unparalleled accuracy.
Cruise Control™ system combines two buttons with scroll wheel to ease scrolling through long documents or web sites.
Quick Switch Program Selector moves you between active documents and programs.
Two thumb buttons let you move forward or backward between pages.
Sleek contoured shape fits snugly into your right hand.
Five-year warranty

Logitech's MX500 features MX Optical Engine tracking technology that lets you mouse however and wherever you want, faster, and with great response. A new benchmark in optical systems combines high resolution and high frame rate to achieve superior performance, including an 800 dpi sensor for unparalleled accuracy.

Logitech has also added eight programmable buttons, including the innovative Cruise Control scrolling system, to give you a superior blend of power and convenience, especially in long documents or Web pages. The Quick Switch program selector lets you switch between active programs and documents easily, while two thumb buttons let you easily move forward or back between pages on the Internet. The mouse's sleek, contoured shape fits snugly in your right hand.

1 Logitech does it again...
This is an amazing mouse. Other reviewers have already highlighted so many of the great features, that I will just list some that I really appreciate.

First, being a PC gamer, I love the number of buttons on this mouse. You've got your left and right buttons as usual, the mouse wheel in between, but the difference is that the mouse wheel can be pressed down and "clicked" like an extra button. It's also got forward and back buttons on the thumb side for going "back" and "forward" on websites without clicking the arrow! Awesome feature for those who spend too much time cruising the net (amazon.com maybe!!) and want extra efficiency. The accuracy is awesome, the pointer stays true and doesnt "bounce" around the screen.

This is a high quality mouse for everyone to enjoy.

2 The Perfect Buddy
This is the mouse to get. I've had this mouse with me for more than 2 years and its still working perfectly. I use this mouse intensively, from hardcore gaming to internet surfing, graphics designing, and simply moving around windows. If find it very comfortable for my hand due to the genius design by Logitech. THe control is even better. With the mouseware driver which can be downloaded from the web, you can configure all the buttons of the mouse as well as set the sensitivity. The flexibility, control and precision is simply wonderful. I would reccomend this mouse over any other mouse in the market. Wired is always better NO MATTER WHAT than wireless mouse in terms of control so if you want accuracy get this rather than cordless mice such as the 700, 900 or 1000. It is definately worth your money!

The only bad thing: If you use your left hand for the mouse then this wont be suitable for you, as it is built only for right handers.

3 LOOK NO FURTHER!
I went from a crappy dell mouse, to this baby.
What a difference! It's like going from a Pinto,
to a Rolls Royce. My old mouse use to skip all
over the place, this one never skips, even without
a mouse pad! It's a little bigger than my old mouse,
but you get used to it real quick! The buttons are
all laid out perfectly, and it feels very solid. If
you're looking to upgrade to a great mouse, at a
great price, look no further! This is the one u want!

4 An excellent and functional mouse
Very precise movement and ergonomic design. Really one of the best mice I have used. The buttons and scroll wheel are well placed and have a nice tactile feel to them.

Like with any mouse (or keyboard), I highly recommend a wrist pad for better ease of use over extended periods of time. The key for better comfort and control is to not put the entire palm of your hand on the mouse, but only let your fingers hold the mouse, while your wrist stays on the wrist pad. I have found this configuration extremely comfortable and natural.

5 PERFECT MOUSE
Absolutely superb, solid - a must have for anyone who wants a good mouse for gaming or otherwise!

GET IT! Especially now that the price has dropped.

6 great hardware, poor software
I gotta say, this mouse is comfortable and responsive. I enjoy it's performance a lot and I notice it especially, because I moved from a no-name non-optical mouse to this beauty. Fortunately, however, I already had micrsoft's intellipoint driver's installed on my computer from a previous laser trackball I owned. The drivers that came with this mouse are absolutely atrocious. First and foremost I cannot set button assignments. The two thumb buttons most, and I stress most, use for navigating forward and backward on the internet, I personally use for a double-click and an enter button. I could not get this mouse to recognize that while Logitech's drivers were on my computer. I tried two seperate times using both PS/2 and USB. Uninstalling the drivers after I discovered they didn't work was of no use either, I had to use system restore after both incidents. Also, the program chooser button is quite a novel idea, but I run a dual monitor set up and these drivers did not support that. How can mouse drivers have anything to do with dual monitors one might ask. Well how this program works is it opens a small window and puts your cursor at the top of it ready to scroll over your program of choice. Well when I was on my subordinate monitor and pressed the button, it would jump my cursor all of the way back to the other monitor to open this window. Quite an annoying property for something that would already hardly get much use, and with this little glitch I would definitely never use it. So I don't miss it now that it doesn't work at all because I have to use the intellipoint drivers. Logitech really needs to get their act together with these drivers. If you need the intellipoint drivers I am pretty sure you can download them off the microsoft site for free.

7 Better than I thought!
Well..I've had this mouse for about 10 months and really love it. I'm going to give this one to my daughter and buy the MX 510. I was contiuosly looking at Microsoft mice when I came across this jewel at a local COMPUSA store. I loved the feel of it the moment I touched it. Of course you can't just go with the feel but if you spend a lot of time on the computer, it's just as important. My father loved the feel so much, he bought himself one also to take back with him to Europe. The installation was easy. I just made sure that I didn't have any programs running in the background when I loaded the software and driver. I also made sure I had any updates that might have been released by Logitech after the product was released. I've heard people say that this mouse is not for gamers..I was a gamer in the past and even to this day I don't know what they mean. I never had any problems with this mouse when I was playing high pace games over the internet. Either way, this mouse is a big improvement over previous versions as well as Microsoft's latest line. The programable side buttons allow you to set the mouse to make I.E. (or any browser) page forward or backward without having to put the pointer on the tool bar. The wheel is easy to move--no like some of Microsoft's mice. The top two buttons allow you to perfom document page scrolls. Another button can be programmed to allow you to switch between opened programs. I have never had any problems with mouse accuracy either. Never try to install any programs (like antivirus, etc.) when you have others sitting in the background. Almost every program tells you that, but people still run itno problems. My guess is they many systems have not gone through proper install/uninstall procedures and that's why some people might be having problems. I would have given this product 5-stars, but I still feel Logitech needs to do better with their manuals. There are still a lot of people who need help installing these things. You should give this mouse chance. You can always return to your friendly store. Good Luck.

8 I'm spoiled now!
This mouse has definitely lived up to everything I've read about it and more! It glides effortlessly across my mouse pad and performs very well. Seven of the eight buttons are incredibly easy to get used to; it's a very well thought out design. The eigth button that switches between applications I do forget to use, but I'm sure if I thought about it more, it would become second nature as well. When I went downstairs to use my husband's computer, it seems like a was using a Stone Age tool to control his computer. It's hard to imagine the impact this one small thing can have in your daily life unless you try it. I can't recommend it enough!!

9 The best mouse ever build
I'm a person that always wanted the best mouse on the market and finally I got it, this mouse is very confortable, durable and back and foward buttons are located perfectly, It has a very soft surface and quickly buttons work fine, even better than the MX700 because doesn't need to be recharged when is not been used

10 Not for everyone.
My MX 500 arrived in the mail yesterday. I was looking forward to switching from my inherited Apple "Pro" mouse because I had read so many great reviews on the MX 500 and its 8 buttons. Unfortunately, I returned the mouse today. It was way too big and clunky for my small hands. My wrists had started to hurt after about 5 minutes of use. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that this is a great mouse, but not for everyone.

11 Comfortable and Precise Mouse
The smooth contours fit my hand well. Like others, I find the upper cruise button difficult to reach. The Macintosh preference pane is simple and straghtforward to use. Very high quality fit and finish. Although a bit large and heavy, it glides very easily. I wish the cord was shorter, since I plug it into the right side of my keyboard. Buttons and scroll wheel all have a nice positive click to them and I like the rubberized finish of the black contoured sides. Most comfortable mouse I have found.

12 Great Optical Mouse
I went from a ball track mouse to this mouse, so of course I can't really compare it to other optical mouses, but I can say that you will not regret purchasing this mouse. I had no trouble getting used to its size (I'm 6 feet tall), and the drivers I got from logitechs website are working fine. The extra buttons are easily accessible but hard to accidently hit. I have had no issue with skipping; it seems to be all I could ask for in a mouse. If you dont really need the extra features though, it might be worth getting a cheaper mouse, $30 is a lot to spend on a mouse seeing there are just as functional optical mice for half the cost out there.

13 A great little tool
The Logitech MX500 Optical Mouse is now being used on all the computers at my job. When I got mine, I was a little resistant. But after using it for less than a morning, I decided to get one for myself at home. I did, and it was one of the best little investments I've made.

14 The best all-around mouse available
First let me say that I still feel a little dirty using this mouse instead of the beautiful, elegant Apple Pro Mouse that I purchased with my Powerbook G4. I want to like the Apple mouse better. The problem with the Apple mouse is that it is still a one-button device. Now that I've gotten that out, I will continue with the review.
This Logitech mouse is wonderful. I bought the wireless version of this first (MX700), but found it to be cumbersome because it still requires a corded hub. I play a lot of games on my computer, particularly first-person shooters, and I have found no other mouse that compares to this one. The optical sensor is incredibly smooth. The form of the mouse insures that my hand is comfortable during my extended late night gaming bouts. The buttons are placed well; I have never accidentally pressed a button. If you buy this mouse with a Belkin Nostromo n52 gaming pad, you will posess the hardware to move up a few notches in the gaming ladder.
The mouse would also be ideal for people that spend a lot of time using programs such as Photoshop. The extra programmable buttons would come in very handy. I have yet to configure mine for Photoshop, but I am already thinking about the uses. This mouse will allow you to program buttons that function as multiple keys, making it easier to execute certain commands.
The only problem that I have found with this mouse is that driver does not allow functions to be assigned on a per-application basis. There is, however, a workaround (at least for Apples; I don't use a PC). The program USB Overdrive will allow you to assign different buttons for most applications. The problem is that USB Overdrive will cost you an extra $20.
The bottom line is that you will not be disappointed with this mouse. I can say, with a touch of sadness, that I will never go back to my Apple Pro Mouse.

15 Best mouse in the world
This is by far the most comfortable and responsive mouse I have ever used. I got a wireless mouse recently, and was disappointed by the noticeable lag and slow response, so I decided to go with the MX 500. Best decision I've made in a while. I haven't had any problems with the drivers, though I never installed the ones from the box, but downloaded the newest off the Internet right away. Highly recommended mouse!

16 it met my expectations
I took me a while to decide whether or not to get this, but i'm glad I did. What I think the only drawback is, is that the cruise control up button is placed way too much in front of the mouse. I gotta reposition my hand just so I can reach it.( and I have fairly big hands) Besides that this mouse is awesome! I'd recommend this who wants a better mouse sure beats my old wireless intellimouse.

17 Great features and an accruacy you can't beat...
I've been a long-time Microsoft mouse user, but wanted to try something new and picked this baby up. The comfort (as long as you're right-handed) and the features on this mouse blew me away. There are many features in this thing that a Microsoft mouse doesn't have and the accracy is second to none due to the MX engine and the lack of lag and weight of a wireless mouse. I think this mouse has definitely increased my accracy when playing my FPS games - a must have for any gamers! I've heard that Logitech mouse drivers wreak havoc if you're using Win XP, but I haven't had any problems with the driver I downloded from the Logitech website. The only small issue that I had with this mouse is that the wheel felt a little stiff in the beginning compared to the Microsoft mouse that I've been using, but after using it heavily a few days it feels second nature now. Overall, I believe that it's the best corded mouse around... it may cost a bit more than other mice, but you truely get what you pay for.

18 This is the PLAYA mouse!!!
Buy this mouse-- it whips anything Microsoft has to offer.
Why:

1. 7 programmable buttons plus smooth scroll wheel
2. 800-dpi tracking, won't skip ever. ever.
3. Flexible software lets you use Back and Forward buttons, as well as the wheel, in games.
4. Sturdy, will last you years.
5. Silver & black looks awesome.

I would give this 4 1/2 stars if I could.
Why:

1. Intellimouse Explorer fits my hand a little better. (thats just me.)
2. Most games won't recognize the Maximize, Minimize, and Program Switch buttons.

Otherwise, this mouse is for YOU, playas.
Simply the best wired mouse out there.
Good going, Logitech.

19 Great Mouse
Going from a 3 button mouse to an 8 button was a little weird at first, but once I got used to it, I don't think I could go back. I installed the latest drivers and haven't had any problems. The mouse is very responsive and quite comfortable.

My only complaint, like other people, was the lack of mouse button profiles. A quick search found a program called LogiGamer . It lets you switch a set of button assignments on the fly without having to do each one separately. It even allows for the profile to be automatically applied when the associated application is launched.

Overall it's a great mouse and definitely worth the money.

20 Mouse is nice, software absolutely STINKS!
Seized my windows XP machine, disabled almost all of my other USB input devices and now puts me in an endless loop of files not found for uninstall. I can't get it off my machine!!!!! Software tries to load all this other crap on your system. The mouse might be nice but my suggestion is that all of the logitech programmers go back to programmers school.

21 better than a wireless, much better than balls
It's no secret that wired mice are faster overall trackers than wireless. Wireless models are improving however, example the MX 700 & 900. If you're a PC gamer speed is key, you don't want any lag and you don't need your batteries running low at the worst time. I chose a wired mouse for this reason. I didn't care to waste money in constantly buying batteries for (some) wireless models or down time in recharging others. I almost went with this model until I learned Logitech has a new improved version called the MX 510. Do your homework as it's exclusive to only 1 store. Unfortunately not available to Amazon. If you're interested in the MX 500 please also consider the 510. It's basically the same but with much faster specs and a cool burgandy holographic color. I'm happy with it ! Logitech is a leader in optical mice. (My MX510 replaces a MS Optical Intellimouse I bought in 2k1) Award winning technology and quality construction. Also very attractive designs. They are superior to a microsoft mouse, in my opinion. The mouse fits my hand comfortably and performance is solid. It features 8 customizable buttons!! Thank God for optical mice the old ball style was horrible. I run an older PC (Pent.III) w/ WIN98 and set-up was a breeze for me. You really can't go wrong with any mouse from Logitech's MX line. The 510 just worked best for me. Now go get yourself one and be happy!

22 Great MOUSE for Gaming!!!
This mouse is such a GODsend after using a wireless mouse for a year. This mouse does it all and everything else. It has alot of buttons so you can configure it to do different things. i have some of them set to things like MINIMIZE and MAXIMIZE so it can improve my browsing.

This thing is soooo responsive that it has improved my gaming skills by alot. This is soo good in game such as Counter Strike or America's Army.

Pros:
1. Responsive
2. Smooth moving
3. Multiple buttons to configure
4. very comfortable for small or large hands

Cons:
1. must have a good MOUSE PAD that is single colored to prevent skipping.

23 Great mouse, subpar drivers
I'll start out by saying that this is probably just about the best mouse you can buy. Logitech makes durable, well-designed products, and the MX500 is no exception. Its design fits my hand to perfection, and I love having all the extra buttons. Movement is extremely smooth. I have noticed a small glitch here and there, where the pointer will hover back and forth between two adjacent pixels on my screen, but it is a very minor error, and seldom occurs. I've seen it perhaps three times in the month or so I've been using the MX500.

The downside is that MouseWare has never been an exceptional set of mouse drivers. The latest version (9.79 at the time of this writing) is considerably more stable than the version that comes out of the box, but it still leaves something to be desired. I'd love to see greater programmability for the buttons. For instance, they could add the ability to launch individual applications (It will let you bind a button to bring up the Run dialog, but that doesn't save any time, especially when there's already a quick keyboard shortcut for it.), the ability to send a series of keystrokes in sequence rather than just one, or functionality allowing buttons to function in different ways depending on the active application. I don't know how many people would make full use of those things, but I certainly would.

I also had difficulty using this mouse with USB. Specifically, the cursor would only move in increments of two pixels, which is totally unacceptable to someone who works with a lot of programs where great precision is required. Movement was also too fast and somewhat difficult to control given the settings I'd entered in my control panel. The problem vanished when I used the PS/2 port instead, although one time when a program I was using (UnrealEd) crashed, the mouse reverted to its buggy behavior, and I had to reinstall MouseWare to get it to go away. Logitech's online customer support didn't know what to say to this. I'm content to just use the PS/2 converter, but the problem still vaguely bothers me.

If this were a widespread concern, I think I would have seen it addressed in a previous review, so I don't think the problem is necessarily a defect in this model in particular. I have observed mouse pointers moving two pixels at a time on many people's computers, though I never looked into the cause as it never happened to me. Of all those computers' owners, none of them noticed the problem before I did, and some couldn't even see it after I pointed it out, so I wonder if this might be something that occurs with many types of mouse on USB...?

In any case, I would strongly recommend this mouse to anyone. Even though the limitations in its software keep it from getting full marks in my book, there isn't another mouse on the market that I'd recommend over it. Come on Logitech, we want more options!

24 Best 50 bucks.....
I'd have to say this is the best $50 I've ever spent (aside from buying Halo for the Xbox in 2002) I love how it feels in my hand and the extra buttons are great. It also looks nice next to black computer and silver keyboard. When you play Counter Strike with this things, it feels like the mouse is playing for you. It's truly a pleasure to use.

25 Great Mouse...would buy another one
This is a great mouse and doesnt feel cheap at all. I love the way it fits right into the hand. Highly recommend.

26 Really surprised hour poor it is
After reading the glowing reviews I ordered the MX500 eagerly anticipating a performance jump from my year old Microsoft Blue optical mouse. The mouse is attractive and well built. I rather like the "heft" some people complain of and the design is comfortable. The problem is performance. The pointer is erractic (quivering, shaking pointer with "ghost" images flashing behind it) and the software is extremely buggy either from the CD or Logitech's site (numerous crashes that ended when I uninstalled the Mouseware drivers). Plus the CD installed Backweb Lite to faciltate online registration and updates. Little did I know that that particular program is considered Spyware by many spyware removal programs. That's really a shock from a company like Logitech. All in all I was very dissapointed with the MX500. I went back to my old MS Blue optical, downloaded the lastest drivers from Microsoft and it runs rings around the Logitech and is much more stable!

27 Mouse performance annoyance a thing of the past!
I purchased this item six months ago from Amazon.com, and have put it through rigorous web-surfing and gaming. This mouse has also been detached and subjected to moderate travel-related abuse while being transported to and from LAN parties.

This is the first optical mouse I have ever used. It replaced a roller ball mouse that was just taking up too much of my time and attention keeping clean and properly fuctioning.

I found installation a snap in Windows XP professional. Plug and play! I was thinking of getting a wireless mouse, but I prefer to keep them chained up to prevent wandering, so I opted for this model.

All the buttons are well-placed and useful. Precision is unquestioned for gaming purposes as well as general use. I generally use a hard-plastic mousepad (Ratpadz GS) with a generous surface area, but I once had occasion to use a table-top without a pad, and the mouse performed just fine.

All-in-all this is a great corded optical mouse, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for one.

Update: 09/30/2004: I've had this mouse almost a year and a half now, and it has continued to work without any trouble. I'll never ever own a trackball mouse again. No cleaning needed and an accurate response every time makes this one a winner.

28 Best Optical mouse
MX 310 & Click Plus Cordless Optical mouse are good but after using MX 500 I think it is best. It is light weight compare cordless mouse. Very useful buttons & size seems to me perfect. I think cordless mouse make no sense for laptop user as you have to carry receiver too. My wife loves extra button on MX500 because you can use it to open many application at single press e.g. in Mozzila & Netscape browser you can map CTL-T to one of the button to open multiple TAB.

I think you can't ask for more with so many buttons and price not too high. Buy it..

29 As perfect as a mouse get! Bravo!
Being really sensitive to the ugliness of any kind of computer cables, I bought the MX700 wireless mouse from Logitech mostly based on its cordless design and its many buttons.

As much as i really wanted to like this mouse (I really do hate cables) I ended up being frustrated once too many with the iffyness of the wireless signal connection. I simply could not find any practical spot on my desk that wasn't far enough from any EM influence. Moreover, if the base was more than 10 or 12" away from the mouse the connection became erratic. When it worked it was beautiful. When it didn't I wanted to throw it out the window!

In the end I decided to send it back, and ordered, reluctantly, its corded brethen the MX500. Boy what a difference a simple cord make! I have been using this mouse for about 3 weeks now and i still get impressed and elated by the feeling of extreme precision and "confident authority" this mouse gives me whenever I use it. Indeed, I have even grown to LOVE its cable! This is how good this mouse is.

The buttons are where I expect to find them with just the right amount of resistance to them. The mouse feels just right in the palm of my hand. Its weight is an improvement over the slightly too heavy MX700. Its mouse software is simple, effective and extremely flexible. The optical design virtually never needs cleaning.

The only "negative" I might point to, and a very subjective one at that, is that the MX700 silver accent was a perfect match for my Dual G5. The MX500 silver is more smokey grey than silver (Yes, we Mac users, really are that picky with the esthetics of our tools ; )

All in all, I cannot recommend this mouse enough. It is quite simply the very best mouse I have ever used, and certainly the only mouse I have ever felt that passionate about.

30 As perfect a mouse as it gets! Bravo!
Being really sensitive to the ugliness of any kind of computer cables, I bought the MX700 wireless mouse from Logitech mostly based on its cordless design and its many buttons.

All in all, I cannot recommend this mouse enough. It is quite simply the very best mouse I have ever used, and certainly the only mouse I have ever felt that passionate about.

31 Only had it for one half hour now and...
...already I can say, that it beats any other I've used...tracks with high precision- effortlessly floats the pointer quickly and exactly...the buttons and wheel work positively but with very little resistance, no doubt it won't be nearly as tiring as my last MS product...silent and extremely smooth on any plain vanilla standard rubberized mousepad, no optical pad needed or desirable...

Compatible with my CH USB HOTAS flight controllers, mousepan in cockpit view now much smoother, why I don't know...maybe Logitech just makes excellent drivers :)

32 Simply the best mouse on the market
I've used a lot of optical mouse in the past, and this one easily takes the cake. Perfect weight, shape, button placement, button response, number of buttons, and movement response. Get this mouse NOW if you're planning on getting a new optical mouse.

33 Great for Every Day Use and Gaming of course
I had been looking for a new mouse for gaming and this was what I chose. Its got alot of buttons to use, 8 to be exact. Make sure to download the 9.79 drivers from Logitech. When configuring the mouse, modify the buttons to any keystroke, even combinations of keystrokes. Then set up the mouse in your game to match the functions you want. Its like having a new game controller in a mouse. So cool!

Then if you really want more game control (off topic), have a gamepad with an analog stick and hold this in your other hand placing your thumb on the analog stick. Map the stick to the directional keys, W-A-S-D. This set up will have juking faster then pressing buttons on the keyboard. Now with the mouse in the other hand to aim your shots, you'll be an elite sharpshooter in FPS games. Have fun and GET THIS MOUSE!

34 Doesn't work on my "optical" mousepad.
I have to use it on my desk, (no mousepad). It can get noisy when playing video games with all the clunking on the desk.

Other than that it is very smooth and precise. Love all the buttons.

35 Good But Not Great
I'm sure you must've heard the hype about how precise this mouse and its all true. However this mouse isn't perfect from a gaming perspective. The weight for one is way too heavy and can cause wrist strain after extended use with click fest games such as Diablo and online FPS. I didn't notice it at first but after a few hours of intense gaming my wrist started hurting so bad I literally saw stars. This happened on a consistent basis despite me having an ergonomically perfect chair and desk combo. I'm very dissapointed with Logitech because I've never experienced wrist strains with my old MS Explorer 3.0 mouse even after more than 5 hours of use.

Overall if you can handle pushing this absurdly heavy mouse around all day then go for it. If not...then stay away for your own good.

36 Great mouse!
My old mouse that came with my PC was dying so it was time to buy a new one. I looked at all the options, and since this one came with a rebate and the reviews looked good, I bought it. After about 3 months of use, I have to say I love this thing. Lots of buttons make surfing easy, and no more trackball to clean. The optical thingamajig works great no matter what surface I use it on. And, it's comfortable in my hand. Overall I think it's a great mouse, especially at the price.

37 not for me
i figured i'd try a new mouse with a lot of buttons. i found i didn't really need them and this mouse is kinda heavy.

38 Great for gaming and surfing
I recently upgraded to the MX500 from the MS Explorer Optical. The shape fits my hand a lot better and the increase in frame rate is remarkable, especially for gaming. It's actually taking a bit of getting used to because it's so quick and accurate. I surf the web quite a bit and play a few FPS games and it's improved my experience in both areas. The wheel is smoother, and feels a lot better -- my fingers would get sore from chafing on the other brand.
I like the wireless model too -- the MX700 but am not a big fan of having the cradle on my desk, so I actually prefer the MX500 but if you really like the freedom of a wireless mouse. the MX700 is an excellent choice as well.

39 Amazing!
I love gadgets and buttons that are unnecessary, but useful. This mouse is full of them. I just bought it and I'm surfing on the net right now just so I can keep using it.

I'm constantly flipping backwards and forwards through web pages. This mouse is awesome, because it has forward and back buttons right where your thumb is. No more moving across the screen, waiting for the full screen autohide menu to appear, and clicking on the back arrow. I just push a button.

The cruise control is a nifty feature. I sound like an old fogey, using that word, but it fits. If I'm scrolling down a long webpage or document with lots of text, I just hold down the cruise button. No more working my finger muscles by endlessly scrolling scrolling scrolling. If I want to scroll just a bit at a time, then I use the mouse wheel. And you can adjust whether you want it to scroll 1, 3, or 5 lines at once.

The last button is the one that works just like Alt-Tab. You push it and it opens up a little menu showing all the applications you currently have open. Saves time and is just cool to use.

I read in some reviews that there are problems with the software? I didn't have any. I run Windows XP Pro and simply installed the software from the provided CD-rom...no hassle. It works great. Plus, the movement of the mouse is really smooth and precise. Every little twitch I give the mouse, it catches instantly.

I'm very happy with my purchase. I don't doubt you will be too.

40 Extremely disappointed
...

I purchased this mouse after reading the many positive reviews. But its performance is very disappointing. It won't move the cursor to where I want it to be and it's very frastrating sometimes. It is lot worse than my old microsoft wheelmouse. This is my second bad experience with optical mouse. The extra functions with this mouse like navigating are nice, but I seldom use them since a lot of browsers now provide mouse gestures that are more convinient than using the mouse.

41 Great Mouse, nice comfort, software is ok, ONLY 1 Problem
the mouse is great, nice buttons. Comfort is nice also. Logitech software are ok, just that the mouse fix is needed. As for that 1 problem, its the mouse feet. If you have a plastic mousepad, such as the awesome func pad 1030, this mouse isnt gonna last.... Its great with cloth mousepad. The mousefeet dies within 3 weeks. I heard the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer v3 is nice, but I also heard that it dies eventually.

I hope this review helps you pick the mouse, because the logitech mx500 and microsoft intellimouse explorer v3 are the best optical wired mouses out there.

42 What a great mouse
This mouse is just amazing. For just 36 bucks it is well worth it and has made me more productive. It is comfortable stylish and has many buttons. Just go out and buy it you'll love it.

43 Over Sold. - All Hype and no Subtance
This mouse has a lot of buttons. I like a lot of buttons so that seemed great. Well, First off the mouse was too heavy from the start. So, Next we have to take the extra weight out of it. The sticky covers over the 3 screws do not come off cleanly so I now have a [money amount]mouse that would sell for[money amount}ext I have to try their software. First I noticed that all but one button works with the Microsoft software. So there is only one button I need their software for but I go ahead and get the Logitech software including the advanced software (a registry patch) for games. I like to set my scroll for browsing at 8 lines. Well, That is not possible. They give me 0,6, or one screen. I am no dummy so I try TweakUI but it goes back to their 6 if I do anything. So I paid [money amount]for a mouse that would do the same as alt- tab one button but have to give up what I really do like (Scrolling 8 lines). Also I though that the PS2 would be nicer than the USB but the mouse is not as fast that way but the software can fix that if you change it's settings. I also got a message about it not liking my Microsoft natural keyboard. I do not think it liked my sleeping feature. I am not sure on that.
I had to pick between the extra button to change programs or scroll. Well off when the Logitech software and I changed the speed to fast in the default win2000 software and used TweakUI to set the scroll to 8. I also changed it to USB since it is a little better that way without their software.
The mouse is still too heavy. This mouse is a waste of money. My hand is sore from the weight. I can not even take it back and get my money because I had to take it apart to get out their weight and the bottom of the mouse looks like I tore it up.
Great!!
This mouse is one step forward and two steps backward.
As for games my Microsoft Optical mouse runs circles around this baby.

44 Best mouse I've used, so far...
The mouse is very ergonomically designed. Unlike the Microsoft Intellimouse, the forward and back buttons are accessible via the thumb. With the Intellimouse, I didn't use the forward button much since this usually requires using your ring or pinky finger, which isn't as natural as using one of your first 3 digits. All the buttons on this mouse are thoughtfully placed for best usage.

I initially had issues with this mouse skipping across the screen unexpectedly from time to time, but this problem was resolved by just using a non-reflective surface for your mousepad. You'll notice this type of abberant, intermittent behavior with any optical mouse on a shiny surface, so no big deal.

Also, note that there appears to be a crack coming out of the optical sensor (on the left side). After replacing the unit, thinking the original was a damaged unit, I discovered that the crack is due to the mold from which this was made. All units have this apparent crack, so don't assume your unit's defective or damaged when you inspect the mouse and find this crack.

45 Excellent mouse
Great mouse... highly recommended.

Pros:
1. Feels very comfortable in the hand.
2. Spot-on optical accuracy and tracking
3. Lightweight and glides effortlessly on most surfaces
4. Extra buttons (except task switcher button)
5. Price. At ($$$) after rebate on Amazon.com this is a great value!

Cons (minor):
1. task switcher button is basically useless due to its awkward location. This is not really a con though, just dont use it.
2. for some reason, when browsing I have click the 'back' button twice on pages that have an input field active by default. This is rather annoying and does not happen with my MS intellimouse explorer.
3. would like it if the cord were less rigid so that it would not apply a force on the mouse.

Again, great mouse. I just got this at work and have the most recent version of the corded MS intellimouse explorer at home. Though I love the intellimouse explorer too, but this one is better. It appears to track better, and it is a bit more comfortable (the MS mouse is just a bit too narrow which ends up being tiring to the thumb), you get the extra buttons. Also, it is cheaper than the MS (plus you don't have to support the MS juggernaut). Buy this mouse and you'll be very happy.

46 Best Mouse I've ever owned.
I got the MX500 about a month ago and have loved it ever since. It takes maybe a week to get used to it if you're used to a regular ball mouse. But after the getting-used-to period you'll think it's an extension of your body.

PROS:
-7 buttons plus mousewheel click and scroll up/down.
-2 of these buttons are conveniently placed near the thumb and are used to go back and forward when u are viewing webpages. extremely helpful feature.
-5 of the buttons are bindable for half-life mods. plus u can also bind mousewheelup to something. i am a pretty hardcore gamer and i've noticed ppl comment on how my aim has improved.
-no mouse wheel.
-no mouse pad required. mx500 works great on a smooth surface such as a table
-great for people with smaller than average hands. I'm not sure about people with large hands though since i dont have large hands.

CONS:
-lint may gather on the cord or on the bottom, but it usually doesn't affect the mouse's accuracy... just make sure to rub the cord and the bottom of the mouse every 2 weeks-1 month if u want your mouse to be clean and not have a lot of friction between the mouse and the table. This mouse requires a lot less cleaning than a ball mouse.
-I don't believe the mouse is good for left handed people, but i may be mistaken.

47 Something that actually works!
I've used a laundry list of mice and trackballs over the years. Up until recently the Kensington Turbo Mouse was my favorite. The problem was that when I needed to upgrade I didn't want to plunk down a hundred dollars to buy a new input device. So I tried the Logitech MX500. I love it. Everything works out of the box. No problems, no quirks, nothing finnicky about it at all. I almost want to buy one more to keep in the drawer - just in case! It feels solid, it works perfect and it looks pretty good, too. It's a great add on for my Dual-Processor G4, for very little cash. Now I can spend the extra money elsewhere - like on more memory! Thanks Logitech. Well done.

48 Great Product
This mouse is really amazing. The product fits in the palm of my hand well, and is very comfortable.

The upgrade to so many buttons helped to improve productivity. They are difficult to get used to at first, but once I started using the buttons they became a real help.

The optical tracking on this mouse is also top notch. I haven't noticed any lagging or unintended movements.

If you aren't looking for a wireless model, then this is the one for you.

----------------

Later Addition:

I have now had the Logitech MX500 for about 5 months. It continues to work perfectly, and has experienced almost no visible signs of wear (even under daily use). The optical tracking is great, and works on so many surfaces.

Over time I have further customized the buttons, and my productivity continues to improve.

I still highly recommend this mouse!

49 Comfortable, Fast, Flexible, Perfect
Pros:
VERY comfortable
VERY fast... responsive to your movements
Extra buttons are awesome! I don't use my keyboard nearly as much. It has Back and Forward buttons for browsing, scroll buttons so you can scroll by pressing a button instead of constantly rubbing the wheel up or down, and a button to switch programs (think alt-tab).

Cons:
Button locations take some getting used to, they are a little awkward at first, especially for those who are used the the 3 button types (like me).

I recommend this without any reservations, I own one and am going to buy the wireless version for my home pc.

50 Simply Buy it if you want a new mouse
Love this mouse. I saw some gamer on TV playing in a tourney using this mouse. I buy a lot of mouses and hated optical ever since my Microsoft mouse went dead, dead meaning didn't work at all. I was reluctant to purchase this one but gave it a shot. After 4 months it is still humming along. I am not a hard core gamer but I love the feel of this mouse and like all of the button positions. In addition when clicking on this mouse it is not as loud some others, and others have all been Microsoft.
Logitech are a must when purchasing a new mouse. I would still steer clear of any wireless. I think wireless mouses have a long way to go in regard to battery life. In the age of high speed internet and powersaving computers people never turn their system off, thus causing the mouse to be active full time. It's just like keeping a battery powered item on forever. They run out, and the frustrating thing is if you are playing a game and it starts to go, you will want to toss it out a window. If you buy wireless also get a ton of extra batteries. Nothing like having to run out to the store just to get a mouse to work.

51 Best mouse I've ever owned
This mouse is the greatest. I'm sure the wireless MX700 is pretty good too, but I didn't think it worth the extra money and I wouldn't like to have to remember to put it back in the cradle.

Despite being optical, this mouse has a higher resolution than my old reliable IntelliMouse. It's great for just navigating around your desktop or playing counter-strike.

This mouse is GREAT with Mozilla. Do this:
1. Download new mouse drivers
2. Configure the buttons near the scroll wheel to CTRL-TAB and CTRL-SHIFT-TAB, and CTRL-W. This will let you switch and close tabs quickly.

The only thing I wish was that the new drivers let you have an application profile, that is, allowing you to have different button bindings for different games.

52 Awesome mouse that sounds like a ratchet !!
True, this is the most comfortable & well built mouse I've ever used. I'm using it on a new top-of-the-line Latitude by Dell. Every feature works as described by other reviewers. BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT AUTO SHOP NOISE ??? Is everyone here deaf? - Maybe it's me, I'm just hearing things. Either way, I feel like throwing this thing out the window - a sentiment shared by at least one other in these reviews.

Seriously, I can't believe that soooo much R&D went into the great looks and function of this (would be) great little mouse yet no one stopped to consider what a user is doing when using it ... most of us are trying to think and get work done! Contrary to what you may assume, I am a very easy going business man who has used every type of mouse during the past 15 years and I've never had a computer device drive me as crazy as this has. EVERY turn of the scrolling wheel clicks so loudly that I keep turning around expecting to find Allen Funt and his candid camera crew laughing at me.

A Logitech rep said it's just the way their mouse works. So, I went to lookup my old, reliable (& quiet) HP wheelmouse only to find that they've turned the bottom half of that mouse into a flashing red led light! Has everyone gone mad ?????

I hope future reviews enlighten us with the answer to the age-old question, "Who is listening to the customer?" In the meantime ... I warned you ... click, click, click ...

53 Here Kitty Kitty
The Logitech MX 500 is a good looking mouse, and it fits in my hand comfortably. I like having all the extra buttons, although I don't use all the buttons very often. I mostly use the left, right, middle, and the two buttons on the side. The mouse is very responsive and the weight is nice. Not too heavy, not too light, just right.

I also own the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical Special Edition. The Intellimouse is slightly lighter, but that doesn't bother me. I have owned 2 Intellimice and 1 of them broke within a year of use (it wasn't an SE). For some reason it started multi left clicking, when I would single left click, from time to time. That's when I got the MS Intellimouse SE, I now have; I have had it for about 3&1/2 or so months. My special edition Intellimouse's buttons are starting to weaken, and they are starting to feel loose, used and abused (which they probably are because I use my mouse for gaming). I like the Intellimouse, that's why I got another one when the first one went bad. It looks cute and it feels fine. The intellimouse can be used by right handed or left handed people with the same ease (it is perfectly symmetrical). I don't think left handed people would be superbly comfortable with the MX500; I'm right handed so I can't really vouch for its left hand compatibility, or lack there of.

The construction on the MX500 feels and seems slightly sturdier. I have used the MX500 for about 2&1/2 months. As an apparatus, I like the MX500 more. It feels better and than Intellimouse which doesn't feel bad, but just not as form fitting (to my right hand) as the MX500.

Both the MX500 and the Intellimouse let you assign keystrokes and keystroke combinations to different mouse buttons. That is, you can assign DELETE to the 5th mouse button, or whatever you want to do. However, MS Intellimouse has an extra feature that MX500 does not have. The intellimouse software also lets you assign different keystrokes to different mouse buttons for different programs.

For example, You could bind the delete key to "kill" command in quake 3 arena, then set the Intellimouse software to recognize when Q3 is running in the foreground, and set the 5th mouse button to BE the delete key, while in Photoshop you could have that same 5th mouse button be your undo key, while in internet explorer you could have that same 5th mouse button be your forward button. That is GOLD to me (since Q3A does not recognize 5th or higher buttons on a mouse).

Unfortunately the MX500 does NOT do that. If you set 5th mouse key to be Delete, it's delete in Q3A, PS, IE, and everything else. Which isn't great, because BF1942 DOES recognize a 5th mouse button, and when using the Intellimouse the 5th mouse button is my parachute, but with the MX500, there is no 5th mouse button if I have it bound to be my delete key. Of course there is an easy fix, simply change my parachute key to delete or go into the MX500 software and set the button back to its default. But I think you can see how this is something of an inconvenience compared to MS solution. (What if you want to use Delete key for something else in BF1942 and you're going to be going back and forth between Q3A and BF?) This is just one plausible scenario; you of course will run into your own.

If Logitech would have devised similar functionality for their mouse, than hands down the MX500 would be the greatest USB optical mouse in the universe (for right handed people).

54 Best Mouse I ever had
This new Logitech mouse is the best mouse I have owned so far. Easy install of the Logitech Mouseware driver suite with the included CD and frequently update Mouseware on the logitech web site make this mouse great. many buttons: scroll wheel, fast scroll buttons (up and down), ALT/TAB windows switch button, forward/back web browser buttons. Fully XP compatible (you won't believe how many incompatible mice are still out there) Anything I would improve? Not much, except the buttons could be farther forward on the mouse body...I recommend this mouse...

55 Comfortable and customizable
With the right software updates, this mouse is by far the best mouse I have ever owned. The mouse is shaped comfortably, and more importantly it's shaped comfortably no matter which buttons you are using. (Before buying this mouse, I bought and quickly returned the Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse - more on that in a moment). The buttons are customizable: for example, I have one button programmed to close the current window by pressing Alt-F4. The tactile feedback on the wheel is precise but not overly "clicky".

Before buying this mouse, I knew that I wanted a mouse with more than two buttons. I briefly bought the MS Wireless Bluetooth Intellimouse. I found the MS Bluetooth mouse deficient in two respects: First, the wireless reception, like all the wireless keyboards/mice I've tried, was a bit sketchy. I like my computer equipment to do precisely what I tell it to do when I tell it to do it, which is why I also stayed away from the wireless MX700. Second, the form factor on the MS mouse was slightly uncomfortable. The buttons were poorly placed compared to the shape of the mouse, and positioning my hands so as to constantly use the extra buttons made holding the MS Bluetooth mouse uncomfortable. I also tried out the Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse, which has a slightly different form factor - it felt even worse.

This mouse, on the other hand, is a dream to use. You find all sorts of time-saving uses for the extra buttons, which speeds up your work substantially. In short, then, I'm very happy with the MX500, and I highly recommend it.

56 This is the best mouse I've ever used in my life.
Take it from me, a computer programmer who has freelanced at dozens of offices for almost 15 years and has used probably hundreds of different mice:
THE ONLY MOUSE I WILL EVER USE AGAIN IS THE LOGITECH MX500 OPTICAL MOUSE.
This mouse is the most ergonomic, most comfortable, most accurate, most customizable, most sleek, most responsive, and most elegant mouse I have ever used in my life.
I honestly could go on for days about how great this mouse is. Plus, if you're a Macintosh user, you can make this mouse even better by skipping the Logitech driver that comes with it and installing USB Overdrive instead ... USB overdrive gives you even MORE customization than Logitech's own driver.
My favorite thing about this mouse is that it has 7 programmable buttons (that's right -- 7 buttons!!) that are so conveniently placed & so often used that you actually feel at a gigantic disadvantage when you're sitting at a computer that doesn't have an MX-500 optical mouse at it. I love programming the two thumb buttons on the lefthand side as "back" and "forward" buttons, for use on the Internet (and in other programs that have forward/back functionality).
Take it from me -- you will NOT be disappointed with this wonderful mouse. This mouse is a steal [...] I would pay several hundred dollars for the time-saving convenience and ergonomic delights that this mouse offers me.

57 Great extra functions
This mouse is a great little device that works well all-round. It's less erratic than other optical mice I've used.

The best part about it is the programmable buttons that make surfing the web and working on text documents a whole lot easier.

Only gripe: the scrolling wheal is a little hard to handle, and scrolling is thus not very smooth.

But in any case, this is the best mouse I've worked with so far.

58 Mac Users, Read This!
Okay...here's the story. My Macally ioptinet mouse died after about a year...it was an okay mouse, but the insufferable illogic that makes Apple still put out a one-button mouse with their PowerMac necessitated its use.

So it died. And I went back to using the Pro Mouse.

And after one day of using it, I went onto Amazon to find a replacement. Why?
1) Clunky to use
2) Not a very good gaming mouse (ie., one button)
3) Skips often
4) No scroll button makes internet surfing less quick

5) I missed the right mouse button.

So I got the MX500 because it had a good review. And I've used it to play RTC Wolfenstein, Dungeon Seige, Warcraft III; used it in MS Office X, with Safari, and other programs. It is a quality piece of mouse hardware! It feels "authoritative" if that can be applied to a mouse. In RTCW head shots were much easier, and clicks were not missed in DS.

In one week, it hasn't "jumped" once over my woodgrain computer desk keyboard drawer. And it kind of matches my G4.

I like it.

59 Excellent mouse, but some issues
This is a far better mouse than any I have used to date. Nevertheless, for Mac and other users there are some issues.

Note that you will want to download the current drivers from the Logitech web site -- easily done, so I'm a little surprised by the number of complaints I see about the need to get current drivers.

Second, I have some reservations about the ergonomics of the mouse. I have large hands, and I unconsciously tend to splay my ring and (especially) little fingers out -- not the best for avoiding pain in the hand.

Otherwise -- a great mouse, the extra buttons are real timesavers.

60 Great for gaming
I appreciate when I get a good quality product so here's my recommendation.

It's a perfect gaming mouse. However, make sure like someone else said, to get the two programs for it from logitech.com. I jumped straight into a game and had problems using the middle button so I went to the website and got the latest software for it and it works perfect now.

I had a Microsoft intellimouse explorer (optical mouse) for three years and upgraded to this one for the increased precision and control. The Microsoft mouse is a good reliable mouse but the Logitech is much better for tasks or games where you want precision. I use a hard wood surface and it works without a glitch.

The wheel on the Logitech is better than the Microsoft mouse as well. The Logitech is more accurate, silent, and not overly sensitive.

I don't see why people say it's heavy. It feels just right to me.

61 Best mouse on the market
By far this is the best mouse I have ever tried. It is fast, accurate, easy to use, easy to setup, very confortable, lots of extra buttons. This is the best gaming mouse I have ever tried. No poroblems with Windows98 and WindowsXP. The only downside is the price, but in computers as in in most of the things is life, you get what you paid for, if you want the best wired mouse available in the market, look no further, this is the one to get.

62 Best mouse on the market
By far this is the best mouse I have ever tried. It is fast, accurate, easy to use, easy to setup, very confortable, lots of extra buttons. This is the best gaming mouse I have ever tried. No poroblems with Windows98 and WindowsXP. The only downside is the price, but in computers as in in most of the things is life, you get what you paid for, if you want the best wired mouse available in the market, look no further, this is the one to get.

63 No as good as the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical
I am an avid gamer and I owned the white Microsoft Intellimouse Optical and it worked great with games and had a great feel but it was white and I converted my system to all black. So I decided to look for a new mouse. Well after reading the reviews on the mx500 and it was black and grey I decided to go with it. It works great precesion wise but I have a few gripes.

1. The back and forward buttons are both placed on the left side of the mouse which are hard to get at where as when I used the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical with each button on each side I would fine I would occasional use them as they are right there.

2. As a gamer I use the scroll where to cycle thru weapons and I always set the scroll wheel click (push down on it) as my jump button. This seems natural to me and I'm sure other people use it as this funtion as well. Well compared to the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical pushing down on the wheel takes some force and I've found during gaming I more often then not due to the amount of force needed to click the wheel I end up scrolling it up or down at the same time and my weapons end up changing on me. With the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical it had the easiest push down on scroll and I never made a mistake with it. So probable because of this problem I will be purchasing the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical again.

3. I use a fellows mouse pad with gell wrist pad. Never have any problems with it but now with this mouse I get some friction which sometimes created a griping sound which is anoying where as my old Microsoft Intellimouse Optical flowed friction free.

But don't get me wrong without this few problems would be a decent mouse. But for a gamer I highly recommend the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical not the explorer version as it is similar to this mouse with button layout.

Save a few bucks and go with the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical!

64 Best Mouse I've ever seen!
This mouse truley deserves 6 stars out of 5.. it's the best feeling mouse I've ever used/owned. It tracks better than any other optical mouse I've came across and it just looks plain cool..
I could go on forever.. if you're looking for a really sharp and high quality optical mouse or just mouse overall.. snatch one of these puppies; you wont regret it. :P

65 Good, but not for gamers
I bought one of these on impulse from a computer store, as it was a good bit cheaper than the microsoft counterpart. Having already owned an intellimouse optical, i can compare the two.

Plusses include the logitech is a bit heavier, eliminating the clank you sometimes get from moving an intellimouse to quickly and inadverntatly picking it up, and it has 8 buttons instead of 6. Also, it is curved to shape your hand, which is a plus if youre a righty and a serious minus if you are a lefty

For me, it only had one major flaw, and that was the programmable buttons. Unlike microsofts mice, which allow you to program in virtually any keyboard key, lgoitech chose to make the programmable functions windows commands like maximize, minimize, close window, run, explore my computer, etc.

Depending on how you use your computer, this could be good or bad. As a gamer, it totally destroys most of the buttons usefulness, as i can no longer use the extra buttons in-game as i once could.

Long story short, if you are a gamer, get a MS optical mouse. otherwise, this is the mouse for you

66 nice mouse, but too big and heavy
I love the idea of a "back" button on the mouse, but both my husband and I did not like feel of this mouse or how heavy it is. I am prone to wrist problems and this mouse hurt my wrist - I am returning it. Also did not track as well as the little logitech optical wheel mouse we use now

67 Great Mouse
I just received this mouse from Amazon. I connected the mouse to the computer then went to the Logitech website and downloaded the latest driver, which works perfectly with Windows XP. It is a joy to use. It replaced a cordless Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer that was frankly a real hassle, mainly because it kept "falling asleep" during use. This is supposedly a feature designed to save batteries but it still went through more batteries than my kids' gameboys. In addition, the Logitech is more ergonomic. Highly recommended.

68 Great mouse
Never loses tracking, though occasionally I have experienced some tracking errors. Such errors are extremely infrequent though. The mouse is also a little big for my hands, which are admittedly quite small.

The teflon pads on which the mouse rests can be dislodged a bit easily, a little plastic cement fixed that though.

Best mouse I've ever used. Great for gaming, graphics and everything else.

69 The mouse to beat
Having bought myself an iMac - and what a fantastic machine the new Mac is - the only disappointment was the silly mouse. Looks great, functionality poor. I plugged in my old Intellimouse 1 and it worked fine, but it looked a bit sad alongside the new hardware, so I thought time for new mouse. As Apple seem to be too stuck in dogma to make a decent 3-button that looks as good as an iMac, I bought a new Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer. The next day it went back - the wheel is dismal - and I tried every other mouse in the store. Finally, I plumped for the MX-500. And am I glad. This is a superb mouse; the ergonomics are perfect, the wheel is excellent, weight just so, additional keys actually useful and the software exactly enough for the job. It's a delight to use. I can throughly recommend this mouse for other Mac users. Remember to download the OS X driver from the Logitech site though - it only comes with the Classic driver.

The onlu downside is trying to open the box it comes in!

70 Nice feel, useful features
The ergonomics are great, it has design style, and the thumb buttons are a real boon for web surfers. Sole notable complaint is that "cruise control" scrolling is disappointingly slow. All in all, however, glad I own it!

71 Excellent IF you get the software upgrade
When I first got the mx500 mouse I installed the software, per the instructions which came with it. Everything worked just as advertised except the roller used to scroll. It seemed to have a mind of its own; sometimes the document would not respond at all and at other times responding in a delayed fashion. I nearly decided to pack the mouse up and send it back. After thinking about it though I checked the Logitech web site. What was happening was a known issue with some computers and there was an updated mouse driver available for download. I did the download, installed it and now it works beautifully. Of the 8 or 9 mice I have ever owned THIS ONE IS THE BEST. Smooth, very ergonomic, comfortable, responsive and IMO weighted just right. The extra buttons can pretty much be configured as desired and work well and are very conveniently placed. Sharp looking.

72 The software's not THAT bad
First off, this mouse feels and tracks great. Absolutely no random jumps or stickiness like first generation optical mice. Fits in my hand nicely. All buttons except for the 8th (for the task switcher) are easily accessible.

I was wary after reading the complaints about the software and games. I've read about people hacking the registry, using Microsoft's drivers instead, etc. I downloaded and installed Logitech's Mouseware 9.76 just to try it out. No scrolling twitchiness that some have reported. At first I was having problems with assigning the extra buttons in some games, but I found a configuration that works with just about everything. In the Mouseware control panel, I set the thumb buttons to [Backspace] and [Enter] to go back and forth on web pages. Then I set the Cruise buttons to [Page Up] and [Page Down]. I set the Quick switch button to [Escape] to get to menus in most games. I can now use every button in my games plus I can navigate web pages with it. Highly recommended.

73 Ergonomic AND Useful
What can I say? Logitech is a great computer stuff maker. I bought my mouse, keyboard, and 5.1 surround sound speakers from them. Anyway, this mouse is great. It's got a scroll wheel, scroll buttons, forward-back browser buttons, and a button that switches btween windows. It's got a curve that shapes to you thumb, and the right and left-clicks are especially hard to break because they're connected to the rest of the mouse. Look at a picture and you'll see. And to top it off, it's very comfortable for my hand. If you're willing to waste 30 bucks, then get this mouse!

74 Mouse prevents display power saving mode.
Beware if you are buying this mouse for a computer in your bedroom, or any other location where it may be annoying to have your monitor unexpectedly turn on.

This mouse either prevents your monitor from entering power saving mode (i.e. automatically turning off) or brings it out of power saving mode without cause.

75 Great Mouse
There are so many ways to configure this mouse, you can actually set it the way you like. Additionally, it is very comfortable (took a few days to get used to the height; now I find regular mice less comfortable).

I highly recommend this one.

76 Best Mouse out there right now
In a word: Awesome!

I've been using this mouse for a month now and can't belive the difference between this and an older Logitech Optical Mouse....no lag, jittering, etc.

I play Medal of Honor Spearhead online and this mouse just absolutely rocks! Took a day or so to get used to the different feel but now it feels perfect!

For 20.00 less than CompUSA or Best Buy is selling this for you cannot go wrong. If you are in the market for a new optical mouse look no further!

77 Good mouse
Good mouse, many customizable buttons make this product a versatile tool. Don't like the middle button? just remap that function to the thumb button. As others have pointed out, download the mouseware files from the logitech site instead of using the included software.

If you're one of those that find this mouse a little heavy, try this: open up the mouse by unscrewing the 3 screws (they are hidden behind the little holes in the stickers on the bottom). Mounted to the underside of the top panel, you'll find a chunk of metal with no apparent function other than to add weight. Just unscrew it and voila!

78 First Rate Mouse
Comfortable in the hand, elegant, very accurate, with good "added feature" buttons. This device moves and tracks more accurately than any other (ball or optical) device that I've used. It would be worth it for that alone, but it also has an elegant look, excellent touch and sensitivity on the finger clicks (notice that there are breaks on the top of the mouse but the touch is wonderful), and the grip is extremely comfortable. I find the scroll up and down buttons save me much frustration.

79 Great
I finally broke down and bought this mouse after it showed up in my Gold Box. The optical sensor is precise and the higher arch of the mouse for better comfort is exactly what I was looking for. The "back" and "forward" browsing buttons on the thumb work extrememly well and are very convienent. The scrolling buttons work but I find myself using the wheel more for that. I did have to load the software to get the "switch to another open program" type button to work and that seems to have decreases the functunality of the wheel a little. I may uninstall the software to gain the full senstivity back as I don't use the other aforementioned button anyways. All in all a great buy.

80 The 2nd best mouse I've ever owned.
This mouse is wonderful. I love the shape of it, the color scheme. It has plenty of buttons. But, most importantly it's so smooth and accurate. I have owned probably 2 dozen different mice over the years. I use to stick with the 5-10 dollar cheapies. I wanted a good optical, I saw this, I've always liked Logitech and the color scheme matched case and monitor. So I picked it up. There is a whole lot of hoopla about the "MX" engine, and how much better it is. Do I notice a big difference over my older mouse? No, but my old mouse was a Boomslang which is even more accurate then this. I think, especially with the mouse acceleration turned on. This is a real beast. And, if the mouse feels a tad too heavy for your liking, you can easily open it and pull out this metal disc they have screwed to the inside, it makes it a ounce or two lighter. I did it, was especially good for gaming. This sucker is very quick and responsive. I recommend this highly, if you need an optical mouse especially.

81 Wonderful Mouse :)
Excellent mouse!!! Very precise, does not require any type of battery or charging device, which makes it very comfortable if you don't have much space on your desk. All of the bottoms work flawlessly and the grip is fabulous. If you want a great optical mouse for such a cheap price, you better get the Logitech MX500 :)

82 Good mouse but can not remap buttons to [Alt]
I love this mouse, except for one thing... The software will not allow you to remap any of the buttons to [Alt]. For games like Star Wars Galaxies, a thumb button remapped to [Alt] would be a godsend.

You can remap to [Ctrl], and several other buttons, but not [Alt]. I do not understand why Logitech can not add [Alt] to the remap options, MS has inferior mice compared to Logitech's MX series, but MS includes the option to remap to [Alt]. I called Logitech Tech Support today and was told that there was no way their software could remap to Alt.

Good mouse, bad software.

What a shame. This was a great mouse, but I will have to return it.

83 Scrollwheel jumpy
I use this mouse on OS X, and after 2 months the scrollwheel randomly jumps the page up and down, which is completely unnacceptable. This may be because I press the scrollwheel a lot (it acts as a middle mouse button.) You might not have this problem if you don't need it as a button.

84 This is an excellent mouse!!!
For the gamers out there this is how to get the mouse working with games (I wish they mentioned this in their manual).
1) Go to the logitech website
2) Download the latest version of their MouseWare software
3) Download the advanced MouseWare software (it's on the same page)
4) install both and on the advanced mouseware properties/software there is an option for the mouse software to recognize when games are being played.

**This will allow you to use the full buttons of your mouse for games**. If you don't install the latest MouseWare etc.. you will probably not be able to use the full range of buttons on your mouse for games.

This mouse rocks!!

85 I love this mouse!! Though it does have flaws
Let me first say that I love this mouse!

Though it does have flaws:
I bought the mouse for gaming noticing that it had tons of buttons. The drivers that came with the mouse did not allow me to use the full features of the mouse for gaming. It took me a while to figure out that I had to download the latest drivers from the logitech website to get it working. After I downloaded all the latest drivers (and advanced drivers), the mouse worked well with my games. There is still one button (out of 10 total button actions) that I can not get working with games (pushing inwards on the mouse wheel), but it's no big deal considering all the buttons that the mouse has.

What I love about the mouse:
The extra buttons really come in handy. The side buttons by the thumb are very useful to go back and forward on the internet. If you are an internet junky like me you will love these buttons.

The window switch button below the quick scrolling button is also very useful. I can switch betwen windows very quickly and It takes the pain of looking for ALT-TAB or looking below in the window for all the applications/ documents that I have open.

The mouse is very accurate as they state.

The weight and feel of the mouse are very comfortable.

Overall, its an excellent mouse even if some of the extra buttons may not work in some of your favorite games. The regular buttons work fine in games so that's all that matters.

86 Good Mouse
Looks good and feels good on the palm.

Installation: USB, plug and play on WinXP..but doesnt give you the extra button functionality. Install the driver CD and it incorporates the button controls into your Control Panel Mouse profile.

Tracking: Accurate.

Buttons: Neat and they work great, you can program them but they come default to BACK/FWD, UP/DOWN, and task switch. Right now, remembering that they are there is the biggest obstacle to using them all the time.

Overall - attractive, accurate, extra buttons. A great mouse.

87 Best Mouse Ever
Before I got the Logitech MX500, I was stuck with the cheap mouse that came with my new computer. This mouse was small and very uncomfortable. I decided that I should get a new mouse. I did MANY comparisons for about a month and narrowed it down to 4 mice. The 4 mice were the Logitech MX500, Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical, Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer, and the Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. I read many reviews about how the Intellimouse Explorer sometimes "froze" and being the hardcore gamer that I am, I couldn't have the mouse freezing. So this narrowed it down to 3 mice. The Intellimouse Optical was a great mouse that I had tested at many people's houses but I didn't really like how it felt in my hand. Finally I decided on the MX500 since I didn't really need a cordless mouse and the MX had more features.

The MX has been reliable for the whole month I've been using it. Setup was a breeze and I get updates all the time. The buttons are all conviniently placed and the mouse feels great in my hand. The rubber grip kind of gets my hand a little sweaty but it's ok. The extra customizable buttons are really useful. I have the Back and Forward buttons set to well, Back and Forward. Clicking on the wheel closes my windows which is really handy. The program switcher is kind of strange and I don't really use it that much. The other two buttons I've set to minimize and maxamize. There isn't really anything I can set the application switcher to so I might just unassign it.

Pros:
-Very Ergonomic
-Many Buttons
-Scroll Wheel Feels Nice
-Nice Look

Cons:
-Makes Hands Sweaty
-Skips On My White Desk (using mousepad now)
-Scroll Wheel Kind Of Hard To Press Down

88 Awesome mouse for Mac users, After Effects, Final Cut
I just replaced my Razer Boomslang with this mouse. I downloaded the latest Mac drivers off the Logitech website and they work PERFECTLY. The programmable buttons work flawlessly and i can't believe I've waited this long to get an optical mouse. It is so much more precise and smooth than my Boomslang. This is the perfect mouse for Mac users. It's a must have.

89 A godsend
Having been strangled by a trackball mouse since the day it became a common computer item, I've often wondered if putting up with the cleaning, maintenance, and sheer annoyance of such an accessory was going to be a necessary evil of computer use forever. Enter Logitech's optical mouse.

Installation was an extremely simple process, and the assigning of the various buttons is made easy via the included software. The buttons on this mouse will spoil you, and you'll find yourself wanting to buy all your friends this mouse just so you can continue to use the buttons you'll quickly grow accustomed to.

The mouse also "feels right", fitting very well in my smallish hands. It also looks nice, and compliments the decor of my desk nicely.

If you haven't picked up an optical mouse yet, you have no idea what you're missing. This thing can be used on any surface except glass, which includes my lap if I want to change positions and lean back in my computer chair. And it works flawlessly. Once you purchase this mouse, you'll wonder how you ever dealt with that little rolling ball.

90 Freakin' Awesome!
I've used every and any mouse I've been able to get my hands on. They're all garbage compared to this product, and being such, have ended up in the trash. But the Logitech mouse I bought? Freakin' awesome! It's everything I've ever wanted in a mouse! It is so precise it scares me...using it with the lasso tool in photoshop is like drawing with my own hand. There are a plethora of things you can do with your mouse buttons in the beautifully designed preference panel (this refers to the Mac OS X software), and you can configure the 8 buttons to your heart's content. Did I say 8 buttons? They are so neatly tucked away and strategically placed, you won't even know they are there until you need them. No accidentally "clicking" the wrong button with this slick mouse from Logitech. I also use the MX700 at work and it's the cordless half-brother of this model. Either way, you'll be astounded by its amazing smoothness and ergonomic feel. My palm has never felt more comfortable since I started using this mouse.

91 Buy This Mouse!
Perhaps the first note of this review should address the "skip" that occurs when using the scroll wheel with the drivers (software) provided in the box with the mouse... The first thing you should do is go to Logitech's support site and download the newest drivers (released in March 2003) for the MX500 mouse. This will save you the trouble of returning a mouse that appears "defective" ...- the mouse is NOT defective but they had problems with the boxed drivers. THANKS to another reviewer here on this mouse I checked out the new drivers and found that, with the upgrade, the mouse functions PERFECTLY!

I had been using the Microsoft optical mouse for the past year and I decided to try something different. This IS the mouse for you! Great fit and terrific options that are within easy reach of your fingers including, autoscrolling (up and down) near the scroll wheel, a switch screen feature that is terrific, and forward and back buttons that are positioned by your thumb. It is the most comfortable mouse I've ever used.

Next, there is the beauty of the mouse. The photos on this site do not do it justice. Well-designed and a great addition to my desk.

I give this mouse five stars and it's the best mouse I've ever used since I've been computing.

92 Lacking programmability
Mouseware 9.76 doesn't allow you to arbitrarily define keystrokes or buttonclicks; rather, you have to choose from a list of predefined options that Logitech thinks you want. Other than that and being a bit heavy, it's a great mouse.

93 Very Comfortable and Easy Mouse to Use
You can do what you want with the buttons. It's super-comfortable in your hand (I have pretty big hands). No skipping or flat tires because it's optical and accurate. Logitech makes great mouses (mice?).

94 Ok, but if it breaks you are stuck with it.
You might want to skip Logitech based upon my current problem trying to get them to replace my mouse.

One of the plastic feet came off of my 6 month old MX700 mouse causing the battery compartment door to get scratched. The white plastic shows where the mouse foot was and in the scratches on the battery compartment door. I have contacted Logitech and I have been emailing back and forth for the last 10 days with them and have tried to phone them but get put on hold. They have not agreed to replace the feet or battery compartment door. They have not sent me an RMA number. Bottom line, IMO, Logitech does not offer a warranty and it seems that I will have to persue other means to get my mouse repaired or replaced.

95 Great overall performance and design.
I'd say the best feature of this mouse is the ergonomic design (right handers only). Your whole hand easily fits over it- I had to get used to how comfortable it was!!!
There are a few extra buttons on it- I don't really care to use them- but they are there- turbo scroll up and down on top and bottom of the scrol wheel, below that is a quick program swith button, and about where the thumb goes there are up down buttons- some programs take it as a scroll, others as forward/back (like internet explorer).
The only button that doesn't work without the driver is the program switch. If you don't need it, then I'd recommend not installing the software- it takes 4mb memory, but includes extra stuff. (Allows buttons to be programmed, additional settings)
Logitech makes a great optical system- it runs very smooth. Not a glitch noticed. Comes with ps/2 adapter (that's the green round one) if you need to save or don't have usb ports.
Bottom line is- if you're looking for feel, this mouse has it- plus excellent reiablity.

96 MX500 Great with XP-But Use Driver on site!!![.]
Logitech makes a very comfortable mouse and the MX500 corded optical mouse is no exception. Great to hold, 6 buttons, fully programmable. If using with XP, use the latest driver on the Logitech website. Do not use the drivers that come on CD-ROM! very important! I am not a gaming fanatic, but it works well with the games I do use. You can remove a weight inside the mouse if you like a lighter feel. I liked it the way it was. Definitely for right handers though to get the max use. Do not use this mouse on a plain white smooth background, or one with ridges or grids; you'll exploit the optical camera and it will jump around. if you download the proper driver and use the right mousepad, you'll enjoy your mouse tremendously. Amazon did have the best price on this item when I purchased it. This has a serial /USB adapter for all possibilities. I am sure that my next mouse with be a Logitech after using Intellimouse most of the time previously, this can't be beat!

97 WOW!
I ordered this mouse 4 days ago and received it today (thanks to free shipping!). I love it! The software is a bit more complex than the macally sw i am used to (MacOSX) but easy to use. Evrything worked the first time I plugged in. The side buttons are pretty cool as are the scroll buttons next to the wheel. The change app button is a bit weird and I dont see myself using it much, but it might be useful to some o fyou.
The mouse itself has great tracking! I am very impressed with how it copes with different surfaces (I had a mcally ioptinet). The scroll wheel feels like the microsoft wheels-smooth. The mouse is very comfortable but I agree with the other reviews about the lack of space where you can put your ring finger (if you have big hands). Great Mouse, looks cool!

98 Two thumbs way up!
I used to have Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 before I got this mouse. It was the best optical mouse out at the time and I never had any problems with the Explorer 3.0.

Then came the Logitech MX500. The mouse looks great and feels even better. Much more comfortable than the Explorer 3.0. The buttons are easier to reach and scroll wheel is much much better. Also, the optical sensor on the Logitech MX series are much more advanced than the IntelliEye technology on the Microsoft IntelliMouse series. I was able to notice the difference right away. It's more precise in games and also the extra weight of this mouse gives a much better feeling.

However, one thing I don't like about this mouse is that it doesn't work well on mousepads that used to work just fine with the Explorer 3.0. Very weird, but it tends jump alot. Those mousepads were the ones with Micro-groove surface originally made for ball mouse. So I just use it on my desk without any mousepad.

99 Scroll wheel's response is very slow.
The scroll wheel is not that responsive.
After you scroll the mouse, you have wait a little bit
to see that happen. No, this cannot be customizable by
the program. So bad that I had to return and replace it
with MS Intelli-Mouse, which is perfect.
I do not recommend Logitech mouses. They always come up
with seemingly something better and more features,
but they always have a huge fundamental flaw here and
there.

100 Beat Intellimouse Explorer V3
After using Intellimouse Explorer V3 for about 2 months, I had to try this mouse. I sometimes found the Explorer a bit fatiguing, but the MX 500 is perfect. Not only is it better to hold, I get hardly any fatigue, the buttons are better placed, and to my surprise, it really does respond more smoothly. There is some undefinable way in which it is simply "better" to use.

I immediately went out and bought a 2nd MX 500 for my laptop.

5/5