Logitech Anywhere MX Mouse Review
What's in this article...
Following a number of notable releases, Logitech has managed to make a name for itself as one of the world’s leading vendors of computer peripherals, having launched a series of products that brought innovation to end-users worldwide.
From mainstream to the high-end segment, the Swiss outfit has become synonymous with high-quality products. As a matter of fact, we have to admit that, when looking for a new mouse, a keyboard and even a pair of headsets, Logitech’s portfolio is probably one of the first places we look.
We are talking about the Logitech Anywhere MX Mouse, which has been featured with the proprietary Darkfield technology.
According to the maker, this solution has been designed to enable consumers to take advantage of their Logitech mouse on virtually any surface, including glass.
In addition, the new mouse also took advantage of another proprietary technology, namely one that permits users to connect both their mouse and keyboard to the same wireless receiver making it a perfect mouse cable management solution.
The peripheral was launched alongside the Performance MX mouse, which was designed for desktop users.
The Anywhere MX model, on the other hand, focused on providing a choice for notebook users, featuring a smaller form factor, a Nano receiver that could be transported inside the mouse and a design that enabled it to be easily carried around in a notebook bag.
For those that were already familiar with Logitech’s notebook-purposed mice, the Anywhere MX model looks to have extended the company’s expertise in this field, providing fresh features and enabling a smoother slide on different surfaces.
Sales package:
- Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX
- Logitech Unifying receiver
- Logitech software CD
- Carrying pouch
- Two AA batteries
- Quick-start guide
- Tips guide.
Now, with that in mind, we will proceed to the more detailed part of our review, looking at things like design, interface, overall experience and performance.
We are not talking about a graphics card, an SSD, or any other internal PC component, this is a notebook mouse, so design is pretty important. In fact, the exterior design of a notebook mouse can sometimes draw the line between a good and bad choice, as your hand will have to accommodate with the gadget’s form factor.
In addition, a good design will ultimately make the mouse more efficient thanks to a better button arrangement and access to available functions.
When it comes to colors, Logitech has a pretty straightforward lineup of products that share the same dark color tones, with the company’s logo always featured at the bottom side of the mouse. There are a couple of models that offer different color options, but the one we have here today is basically made up of black, grey and silver.
This gives the mouse a more business-like touch, while also offering a smooth grip due to the materials selected.
Designed for notebook users, this wireless peripheral has a couple of features that make it easily portable, enabling the end-user to carry all the necessary parts inside their notebook bag. At the bottom side of the Anywhere MX mouse, Logitech has fitted four foot-pads that will enable the mouse to move smoothly across any surface, making the end-user be more productive.
The bottom side also offers access to the mouse’s batteries and a slot where the Logitech Unifying Receiver can be inserted and left there for easy transportation.
The cover that protects the batteries (two 1.5V AA batteries) and the aforementioned receiver slot features a sliding button that will turn the mouse on and off, depending on the user’s requirements.
Sliding the cover away will enable the end-user to easily replace the batteries and slide in the tuck-in nano-receiver, for easy transportation.
Aside from all of that, the Anywhere Mouse MX is featured with no less than five buttons, not counting the left and right scroll. These can be configured through the provided Logitech software application, which can also be downloaded from the company’s website.
On the left and right side of the mouse, there is a soft rubber material designed to provide users with a better grip while holding the gadget. It is built with a quality plastic, accompanied by a metallic part between the main right and left buttons.
One of the main things that we need to talk about when reviewing the Anywhere MX mouse from Logitech is the Darkfield technology that the company has blessed its product with.
This technology is said to have enabled the Swiss outfit to provide its customers with a more reliable product, namely one that can work on a range of surfaces. However, the technology’s strong point is that it will permit compatible devices to track on glass surfaces.
With a name that could easily remind us of some weapon used by villains in cartoons and comics, Darkfield is a technology that is said to have been designed to combat one of the main issues with today’s optical or laser tracking technologies.
According to Logitech, Darkfield-enabled mice can detect the smallest, possible details on a surface, including clear glass, creating a micro-road map of that surface.
Providing a better precision on more surfaces than comparable solutions, Darkfield ultimately gives the end-user more flexibility. By comparison, traditional laser or optical mice use the irregularities in a surface to track the direction and speed of the peripheral.
However, clear glass surface doesn’t have as many imperfections, which is where Darkfield best fits in. As Logitech reveals, this technology makes use of two lasers, to better track the microscopic details on the tracking surface.
There is, however, a twist to this new Logitech Darkfield technology. If you’re a gamer and you are considering that a new mouse will help you improve your gaming experience, these Darkfield-enabled offerings are not exactly what the company will recommend.
As a matter of fact, Logitech clearly states that, if you are looking for a gaming mouse, your attention should be oriented towards one of its G-series products. Darkfield is good for tracking on clean glass and a range of surfaces, but when it comes to gaming-grade performance, this is not the solution for you.
Now, as far as performance goes, we can definitely say that we are more than satisfied with what the Anywhere MX can provide.
The mouse runs smoothly on any of the surfaces we tested it on, with a list that includes a wooden desk, a rubber agenda cover, cloth, glass, carpet and paper.
In fact, we even tried out a couple of surfaces that you wouldn’t normally use, such as human skin, a white wall or polyester.
In the first two cases, there were serious difficulties in the way the mouse tracked the surface, but with polyester, everything ran smoothly.
Logitech Set Point
As mentioned earlier in our review, this is an application bundled with the mouse’s package, providing access to all of the customizable features available, including function assignation for any of the seven available buttons.
Here is where you can also select the mouse movement characteristics, taking into account things like speed, pointer acceleration, pointer trails or Smart Move.
If you are familiar with the application, you’ll recognize the Mouse Game Settings tab, which is where you can set up the different game-related features that are available with the Logitech product.
There’s also a MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel, where you can tweak the settings related to Vertical and Horizontal Scroll.
Next up is the Mouse Batteries tab, which informs you on the status of the gadget’s battery pack.
Unlike other Logitech mice, this one comes with a special tab, available in the SetPoint application, one which refers to the built-in Unifying technology that Logitech announced round about the same time as the Darkfield technology.
The Unifying tab will enable you to access the features available with the Unifying technology, namely to connect another compatible device, such as a keyboard, using the same receiver. Unfortunately, we were not able to test this feature, as we only had the Anywhere MX mouse to play it.
The Good
As most of the products that come out wearing Logitech’s logo, this mouse feels really well built thanks to the adoption of some high-quality materials and a design that just accommodates the hand of almost any user. We enjoyed its form factor and the way it slides on the surfaces we tested it on.
In addition, we should appreciate the features that are available through the company’s SetPoint software, namely the customizable buttons and mouse configuration.
We also need to point out that the small receiver Logitech has bundled with this mouse will be highly appreciated by notebook users, as it can be inserted into a free USB port and left there without worries. Although we weren’t able to test the Unifying software, this is a solution that comes as a certain plus for Logitech’s lineup.
The Bad
There’s hardly anything that we do not like about the Logitech Anywhere MX mouse. But if we are to insist on something, we must say that after working with it for a while, just about when the SetPoint application indicates that there are only a couple of days of battery left, there are some problems with the mouse lagging.
This is only an issue if you are planning on using the mouse with a desktop PC, with the USB receiver being placed at the system’s back panel.
We did not encounter this issue when using the mouse on a notebook PC, with the receiver being much closer to the mouse.
Overall Impressions
The Logitech Anywhere MX mouse is just another example of how Logitech enjoys bringing new high-quality products to market.
This solution is one to consider if you are a notebook user, while also making you take an interest in the other Darkfield-based offering, namely the desktop-ready Logitech Performance Mouse MX.
The company’s Darkfield technology provides a bit more versatility, when it comes to peripherals, something that you should take advantage of.
