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Optorite ML100 Laser Mouse Review July 25, 2005 |
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Summary: Pongky takes a look at Optorite's entry into the laser mouse foray. The ML100 sports a 1600dpi sensor, low-friction pads and a cord to boot! How does this stack up against Logitech's venerable MX1000? Only one way to find out...
 A Laser Mouse from Optorite? | Page:: ( 1 / 5 ) |
Introduction
When we hear the company name, Optorite, we immediately associate it with CD-ROM and DVD drives and burners. But, out of the proverbial blue, they have released to market the industry’s second mouse based on laser technology. Enter the ML100 (red) and ML101 (blue) Laser Mouse by Optorite. This corded mouse offers a simpler package than the Logitech MX1000 such as having no additional buttons around the scroll wheel, and a lighter software package.
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Carrying a $29.99 price tag at Newegg in blue and in red, the ML100 is much cheaper than Logitech’s full-featured MX1000 Laser Mouse reviewed here six months ago. Comparatively a featherweight in terms of features, the ML100 series is much lighter the Logitech counterpart, as most of the weight was shed when the need for a rechargeable battery was eliminated. Also, the reduction in features also means that a cord is present – tethering the mouse in sometimes awkward positions, such as if the majority of the cable is hanging off the edge of the desk, the sheer weight of the 6-foot cable itself can be easily felt when operating the mouse. The presence of the cord may, or may not be a bad thing; depending on usage. For general office use and surfing, it surely is a treat to move the mouse freely. But, for gaming – a corded version may be called for.
We’ve read in some online forums that some users who play twitch FPS games with the MX1000 mouse feel a noticeable lag (if only very slightly) in mouse response, and that is probably why Optorite marketed the first corded version. Some gamers will always be adverse to using any wireless mouse for their serious gaming sessions. With higher accuracy than its optical counterparts and mouse lag eliminated, this could definitely be the weapon of choice for some gamers.
We will see if this if this is a capable mouse on many surfaces and more importantly – a mouse that can be relied upon during hardcore gaming, as well as day-to-day office tasks.
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Features Overview
The ML100 ships with six buttons ( three thumb buttons, left and right mouse buttons and the scroll button ). The large mouse buttons are easy to access, and they can even be clickable when you apply pressure all the way to the top hump of the mouse, which makes the clicking area about 30% larger than the MX1000’s.
The right-handed-only configuration of this mouse will miff some left handed users who have also been alienated by the MX1000’s design. The grip around the sides are made of the same rubbery compound found on most modern mice, including the MX1000. It provides exceptional comfort while having the ability to stay clean-looking. We’ve tried hard to apply an oily finger imprint, only to be left with nary a spot to speak of. However, we’ve not tried to place such an impression after having potato chips.
What’s interesting about the bottom of the mouse is that it comes with six ‘skate’ pads for feet that comes in contact with the mousing surface. In this case, I compared it to the smoothness it has while gliding on top of an IKEA tabletop which has the roughness of roughly a cat’s tongue. While the MX1000 feels sluggish on it, the ML100 moves with much less effort across the surface. In this one department, the ML100 wins out on top of the MX1000. Kudos to Optorite for choosing superior pads for this mouse.
SIDEBAR: In a Las Vegas summer, if your AC unit stops working for more than a day, expect to lose a few fish if you have an aquarium. Indoor temps reached 95-100 degrees, essentially cooking the poor fish.
| Packaging and Construction | Page:: ( 2 / 5 ) |
The packaging is durable and visually catching – though it’s not as fancy as the MX1000 packaging with its rainbow foil and well-themed colors. The ML100 box provides plenty of protection during shipping, as well as prominently displaying the mouse itself in a clear plastic shell.
Included with the ML100 mouse is a small instructional booklet that covers installation and troubleshooting, and also a small 3” CD that contains the drivers and its own proprietary software to enable the 3 thumb buttons. The mouse works out of the box just fine, with the thumb rocker buttons being used for ‘forward’ and ‘back’ functionality when surfing. The middle button has no function until the software is installed.
Also, the ubiquitous light-green USB to PS2 adapter is included – for those who wish to free up their USB ports for other devices. We tried attaching it to the PS2 port when the system is on, and it was immediately recognized and functioning.
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Construction Impressions
The ML100 itself is an impressive unit to view – though it doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor as one would expect from seeing the MX1000. There are no straight lines to be seen. The silver mouse buttons’ ‘plateau’ is massive – and detracts from the nice metallic red that curves itself around the sides and front of the mouse. The black one-piece rubber grip feels sturdy, and will probably stand the test of time.
The construction of the mouse body feels sturdy, yet light. The skate pads have not worn out at all in the 2 months that we’ve been using it, on and off. The thumb buttons are on the small side for this reviewer who wears a size S adult glove.
The chrome ‘pod’ that encompasses the scroll wheel looks somewhat out of place since there is no other chrome accents on the mouse. Nevertheless, it makes the scroll wheel stand out more.
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The only visual issue for us was the simple “Optorite Laser” oval logo where the user’s palm would be. We felt the logo could have been more polished in to give it a more professional, or edgy look.
Also, one thing we wish mouse designers would minimize is the dreaded “gunk-trapping chasm” problem. This is the gap in between the panels of the mouse body, on the upper side where it comes in contact with the hand. As time passes by – the hand and fingers start to deposit particles in there, which in turn, attracts dust. In a few months, you get the nice crusty whitish residue that no one would claim as their own. Time to get the toothpick! The ML100 is guilty of this design sin also.
One way to prevent this is to have fewer panels on the topside of the mouse, or create a way for the panels to join below the mouse, as we’ve noticed with the bottom rear-side of the MX1000. Also, is there a reason why this gap between panels so wide? I think with the ability to manufacture tiny devices such as cell phones, PDAs, mp3 players – we should be able to have a mouse with smaller gaps between panels!
The scroll wheel is one of the highlights on this mouse. It is tactile and has easily-sensed internal ‘notches’ or clicks which gives feedback to the user. We’ve tried some mice (like the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 2.0) which has a ‘lazy’ scroll feedback which makes it difficult to sense when a ‘notch’ has been reached, thus, making changing weapons in-game more difficult.
SIDEBAR: Astronomers recently found a planetary system with three stars in its nucleus! Check it out and read the user comments.
| Gaming Performance | Page:: ( 3 / 5 ) |
Loading up Call of Duty: United Offensive, we wanted to see how this mouse performs under FPS gaming conditions. After adjusting the mouse sensitivity slider at first startup (and factoring in the lightness of the mouse), we got to the point of feeling comfortable with the mouse tracking. We decided not to play on a mousepad, opting for the wider area of a bare tabletop. The slick foot pads definitely help in this department, making movements effortless.
Once the fragging begins, the ML100 was up to the task. The tactile scroll wheel help to switch between weapons quickly – giving feedback at every turned notch. The aiming is also very precise, good for careful sniping and likewise close encounters around the corner with an automatic weapon
One thing that bothers us more than it should, is the distance from the surface the sensor was tracking motion. We noticed it much more when we used a mousepad, but basically, when we lift the mouse to re-center or re-position it, the sensor still registered many of the moves caused by the action of lifting and putting down the mouse. This distance was much higher than the MX1000, maybe 3 / 4 inches. These sharp motion ‘jolts’ caused us to be fragged more than a few times because the in-game point-of-view got randomly twisted and turned, forcing the player to sometimes face the ground when facing an opponent.
The two large mouse buttons made for easy access for ‘fire’ and ‘aim down the sight’ functions. Overall, we were impressed with this mouse in a gaming situation. We played maybe 10-12 hours with this mouse over a span of a few months. Once we overcame the ‘high-tracking’ problem mentioned above, there really is no flaw to this unit.
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Daily office tasks
The 1600dpi sensor seems to do its job very well in day-to-day tasks such as graphic design and web surfing. The only issue we had was that due to its lightness, we sometimes moved the mice too fast around the surface. We were used to heavier cordless mice. To combat this, we turned the mouse sensitivity slider down – making the mouse have more controlled movements while still keeping it very accurate.
Doing sensitive operations in Photoshop was also effortless with this mouse, even on a rough surface like a tabletop.
We did not install the software that enabled the middle thumb button on the mouse. As far as we knew, this was only to allow the user to switch between tasks easily. Well, for us, nothing is as good and as fast as the venerable “Alt + Tab” combo, so we felt no need to install the Optorite software.
Even though this mouse was a champ in Windows, there was no denying that we preferred the weight and feel of a cordless mouse. We are just too accustomed to it.
SIDEBAR: A pig’s penis is shaped like a corkscrew.
| Ballistics Report | Page:: ( 4 / 5 ) |
Pros
• low price point and good value for money.
• scroll wheel is tactile and responsive.
• laser sensor is very accurate and sensitive. User needs to lessen the movement sensitivity upon initial setup.
• six gliding skate pads will keep your mousing effortless on a variety of surfaces.
• no mouse lag in gaming. So when you get fragged, there really is no excuse, except maybe to blame the dog who is chewing on the cord.
• works ‘out of the box’.
• mouse body feels comfortable to grip.
• laser technology enables tracking on more surfaces, such as black glossy surfaces, and clear glass.
• cord eliminates mouse lag, and removes the need for a rechargeable battery.
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Cons
• the laser tracks movement at an uncomfortably high distance from the mousing surface – which means we have to lift the mouse higher than what we’re accustomed to to re-position or re-center the mouse. This is glaringly evident in users with small mousepads in the heat of battle.
• wide gaps between the panels mean more gunk and particles will be wedged in there after constant usage.
• design may not appeal to some.
• cord.
• lefties will want to parade outside the UN headquarters in New York to boycott this product.
• thumb buttons are on the small side, even for someone with small adult hands. Especially the ‘back’ button, which is used more frequently than the ‘forward’ button.
• scroll wheel cannot function as a left-right rocker as found on the MX1000.
• slightly large footprint means a larger (or no) mousepad will fit the ML100 better.
• low mass equals less weight, which may cause a ‘floating’ sensation – resulting in inaccurate mouse pointer targeting.
SIDEBAR: The dot above the lower-case letter (i) has a name, it’s called a ‘tittle’.
| Conclusion | Page:: ( 5 / 5 ) |