Logitech's Anywhere MX mouse aims to live up to its namesake -- namely, that it can be used (duh) anywhere. It does this and a little bit more, and it proves to be quite a comfortable mouse for use during even long periods of arduous dragging and clicking.
Anywhere MX At a Glance
The Good: effortless mousing, can be used on (almost) all surfaces, has Hyper-fast scrolling
The Bad: a bit small, no place to put the receiver
Use it … Anywhere
Once Microsoft pulled the wraps off its
"use anywhere you want" mouse with BlueTrack technology, it was a safe bet that Logitech would quickly follow suit with their own version. Instead of BlueTrack, Logitech's mice feature what the company calls "Darkfield Laser Tracking" technology.
Click here to read why standard mice can't operate on smooth surfaces like glass and marble.
I tried the mouse on a variety of surfaces, and I never noticed any difference in performance. This is a huge plus if you use your laptop in the kitchen (no more carting around scummy mouse pads) or at a glass table. (Logitech notes right on the packaging, however, that glass does need to be at least 4mm thick for the Anywhere MX to work.)
Super Fast!
One of my favorite Logitech inventions is its Hyper-fast scrolling on mice -- I've become quite addicted to it. It’s ideal for spreadsheet users who need to scroll quickly to row 5431, or even if you just have a habit of reading Websites that post content on a single, long page. The Anywhere MX allows you to choose between Hyper-fast and standard scrolling simply by pressing down on the scroll wheel -- a nice touch because sometimes you just like the tactile feel of standard scrolling.
A Wee Too Small
I used the Anywhere MX over a period of about a week, and my days typically include long periods of use. Although the Anywhere MX makes no claims of ergonomics, my hand never stiffened up and my wrist never ached, which often happens when I use non-ergonomic mice for even a single day. However, it did feel a bit small at times, especially since I’m used to using a full-sized mouse. I have pretty small hands for an adult, so taking a look at Logitech’s full-sized version, the Performance Mouse MX, wouldn’t be a bad idea if you have larger hands.
Speaking of small, the Anywhere MX comes with Logitech’s Unifying receiver, which is meant to stay nearly flush with the side of the laptop. The plus of this is that it’s so small you rarely need to remove it. The downside is that it’s so small that should you need to remove it, there’s a good chance you’ll lose it.
Microsoft elegantly solved this problem in its Arc mice
by reserving a magnetic placeholder for the receiver right on the mouse. Instead of a receiver placeholder, the Anywhere MX comes with an on/off switch to preserve battery life. An on/off switch is only a plus if people remember to use it, which, I suspect, most will not.
