On an impulse, I picked up a Logitech MX 1000 Laser Mouse. I already have a perfectly adequate MX 700, but adequacy has nothing to do with most of my buying decisions. “Oooo Lasers” is the mindset I was in when I made the purchase. Unlike the MX 700 which uses the red LEDs that are on all optical mice, the MX 1000 uses a class 1 laser supplied by Agilent. Agilent makes the fine OmniBER line of test sets, so they know a little something about lasers. I use their OmniBER OTN almost daily. Lasers, lasers, everywhere.
Anyway, the MX 1000 doesn’t emit any visible light. The telltale red glow of an optical mouse is absent here. Without any colored fanfare, the MX 1000 dutifully tracked across every nearby surface in my office, including sheets of white paper and high gloss surfaces. When gliding across my desk, the tracking is very smooth and responsive. The three bar battery indicator is nice, as is the quick charging cradle. I like it.
