Logitech MX Revolution Review

Scroll Wheel

The most unusual aspect of the Logitech MX Revolution is the so-called MicroGear Precision scroll wheel. People experienced with several mice know of the two types of scroll wheel: some mice have one that clicks, and other mice have scroll wheels which scroll without feedback (free spin). Both implementatons have their respective advantages; a clicking scroll wheel is useful when navigating through photos, in which each click represents a shift to a new photo. A free-spinning scroll wheel is more pleasant when dozens of pages have to be scrolled through quickly in a Word document.

What makes the Logitech MX Revolution special is the fact that the scroll wheen can work in either setting, both clicking and non-clicking. The Logitech drivers automatically recognise the application that is being used, and adjust the mouse accordingly. The shift between these two modes takes place in a matter of a few microseconds, so there should never be a noticable delay. Naturally you can indicate which program should or should not use the clicking mode. You can also switch manually by briefly pressing down on the scroll wheel.

Another unique aspect of the scroll wheel is that by giving it a firm spin in non-clicking mode, it spins accordingly; with one motion it can easily spin around its axle five times. This allows the Revolution to spin through documents faster than any other mouse.

The scroll wheel can also be pushed left and right to allow for horizontal scrolling.

The instant search button on top of the MX Revolution mouse is also a useful tool. If you select text in any given program and then press this button, the selected term will be searched for in a search engine of your choice, Google for example.

The wheel on the side of the mouse does not revolve completely, but can be pushed forward and back. The function of this wheel can be customised as well, also differing per application. The standard function of the second wheel is switching applications in Windows and/or opened documents within a single application.