Page 1: V400
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Intro:
Logitech is a company that is known for making quality input devices. They know the market and fill a need when presented. Recently, Logitech released a new notebook line of mouse targeted to people that need All Terrain tracking. The Logitech V400 steps up to the plate promising good battery life and great tracking.
Box:
Here we see the Logitech branded box. Logitech branding is good and is unmistakable.
Parts:
What is included in the packaging: The mouse, the receiver, a Duracell AA battery, the software and a manual. I skipped the manual and the software installation (because everyone knows I hate installing support software that is not needed).
The receiver is just as any other of Logitech's smaller receiver. The G7 that I am using sports this same form factor of receiver as does the MX610. It is light, compact and fits into the mouse for enhanced portability. The only thing that would make the receiver better is the ability for it to angle 90 degrees from the USB plug. If I keep my laptop in the case, I can not use the receiver because it sticks out too far.
The Mouse:
The mouse itself comes in two color schemes. I received the regular computer mouse looking one. The other has orange tones in it that makes it look a bit more rugged. I find that useless, though. Since I paired this up with my »Dell C400, it was a nice fit.
The mouse itself is rather small, but is common for a notebook mouse. The placement of the mouse in my hand was okay. My fingers would hang off the top edge and the base of my hand would just falls off the mouse. Make sure you are aware of this for any length of time and using this mouse may hurt your wrist if you are bending it too much. For normal notebook use, it is fine.
The mouse has a scroll wheel that tilts. It is nice to have when you get those webpages that can not figure out that content can be vertical, but is not a feature that would be a deal breaker to me. It is difficult to accidentally move the wheel horizontally, that is good. The scroll wheel also has stepping so you know you are moving it. This is very important because you are given tactile feedback instantly. One of my later Intellimouse Explorers did not give this feedback and it is awkward to use.
The placement of the back and forward buttons is good. You need to be actively searching for the buttons to press them, though. It would be nice if they were placed near the thumb instead of on the top left. This is minor since upon using the mouse you will get used to it. The normal left and right buttons are fine, not to spongy or to springy.
Testing:
I tested the mouse in normal use for a laptop. I took it to school where it would get a good workout. Considering I do not listen in class, the mouse was fully tested during my entire class session. Tracking was good on a desk or a mousepad. The desk had a shine to it that would make optical mice cringe. The tracking of the mouse, while good, is not as good as the MX1000 or the G7, by a long shot. It is obvious that this would be the case considering those mice are larger and can be charged frequently.
Battery life is not an big issue since it lasts for a long time. Carry a spare battery around just in case and you will be better off (Murphy's Law). The mouse does some neat tricks to conserve power. The fact that it uses a laser instead of a LED is a large boost to power savings. If you are done with the mouse and insert the receiver into the mouse, the mouse turns off. This is a perfect way to keep the mouse off and know it, no on-off switch to mess around with. The mouse will go into power saving mode when there is no use and will wake up after about a second of movement. The MX1000 and the G7 have no such lag. Given that this mouse is targeted towards laptop users, it fits the bill nicely.
Conclusion:
The Logitech V400 is a perfect companion for your trusty laptop. It is nice and small, but not small enough to be hard to use. The receiver conveniently stores inside the mouse which doubles as the off toggle. Tracking is good for a notebook mouse and it can be used nearly anywhere except really shiny surfaces. If you plan on purchasing this for a desktop, you should not look at this mouse. Look at the »MX1000 or »G7. For laptop users, this mouse is great. You can purchase this mouse for less than $40. It is a good buy.