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Andrey “Rarst” Savchenko —  — Hardware — design, group-writing, logitech, mouse

Logitech MX500 – ancestor to Revolution

logitech_icon Design is so broad area. While in Internet design is often associated with something fleeting that must capture visitor in those few first seconds… I think long-term design aspects, things that will be used for years are just as important.

So having many things to to choose from I picked my Logitech MX500 mouse to write about in this post on design.

History

Logitech MX500 was announced in autumn 2002 as part of MX series. It was breakthrough in terms of design combining and reinforcing early ergonomic trends in solid asymmetrical form plus ditching excessive twin-sensor concept of previous high-end mice for new optical engine.

Looks

logitech_mx500

logitech_mx500

As far as I remember MX500 was first mice to hide buttons in plain sight by making them part of casing. Fluid form gave it alien looks of being something else while retaining all features of usual mouse. It had best ergonomics available which was exactly the reason I bought it shortly after release and using till now.

Functions

MX optical engine was a breakthrough important to making optical mice mainstream. It single-handedly solved most of surface problems and losing cursor from moving mouse too fast.

While there is only so much buttons you can place on mouse - thumb and on top of wheel remain most usable areas for them to this day.

Successors

MX series defined mouse design for a decade which is far from over.

While it had direct updates of MX series and spinoff of G-series gaming mice …

logitech_mx518_g5

logitech_mx518_g5

Logitech MX Revolution is rebirth of MX series.

logitech_mx_revolution

logitech_mx_revolution

Years later Logitech took same recipe – superior ergonomics, superior functions, alien looks and excellent usability. Pure spirit of MX500 living to this day. Will it ever be replaced with new design concepts? Time will show.

Link http://www.logitech.com/

This post was written for “Design you love ” group writing project. (roundup, winners)

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14 Comments

  • Lyndi #

    These designs are unbelievable. I really enjoy the ergonomic approach to these. This helps a lot if you use a mouse as much as I do. All day at work and then still blogging in the evenings and weekends. Those little carpal bones do sometimes take a hammering.

  • Rarst #

    @Lyndi Yeah, I think it's one of the best peripheral design ever. That original press release says that over 40000 hours was spent on initial MX series. I guess it fully paid off. What mouse are you using btw? :)

  • Michael Aulia #

    I don't really like the designs of the Logitech.. I ended up buying Razer DeathAdder myself :)

  • Rarst #

    @Michael Aulia Razer mice just feel wrong for my hand. And I am hardly active gamer so my demands are mostly for ergonomics not polling time, etc. :) Thanks for your visit and comment. :) Yan pitched me link to your blog today.

  • Ben #

    I just had logitech mice for years...they are killer mice! ;)

  • Nihar #

    The designs are very good. but my mind never agrees with me to purchase a costly mouse.

  • Rarst #

    @Ben Yeah, totally agree. :) @Nihar Why not? Mouse works for years and mouse with unfitting ergonomics can cause health issues. In my opinion it makes sense to pay for best.

  • SecondShell – window manipulation app | Rarst.net #

    [...] right click title bar to minimize. I have this function binded to hardware button in drivers of my MX500 at home. Lack of it drives me crazy at every other computer.Strong featuresApp is minimalistic, [...]

  • Soylent #

    Heh. The mousewheel on my MX500 finally broke today and I wasn't able to fix it. Replaced the feet with teflon tape a couple of times through the years; had to clean out crud gunking up the buttons and keeping them from operating smoothly once or twice. Best mouse I've ever had; so I decided to check how old this thing was. I remember the MX500 being a newish model when I bought it, so about 2003; eight, fucking, years. That's good build quality. I'm just going to grab the g400; the direct successor in form and function to the MX5xx series. As far as keyboards goes I'm still using an IBM model M from the early 1990's. I've spilt coffee on that thing, dropped it on the floor and it still keeps trucking.

  • Rarst #

    @Soylent My MX500 died as well, using Performance now. Not very impressed with it, it is step down from Revolution in some aspects and after a while left click started to double occasionally (seems to have passed at moment). I have considered one of MX500 follow-up models, but they are all corded and I wanted to try going wireless.

  • Alexis #

    Yup, my MX-500 is in the process of dying.. it stops working for a couple of seconds then comes back. Probably a bad wire connection somewhere. On the upside, I've also had it pretty much since it launched. It (and my Genius keyboard) are the oldest components in my rig. That's 8+ years! I love the little bugger. It makes me sad to have to replace it.. will probably be the G400 or G500 if the ergonomics of the 500 agree with my hand.

  • Lotta #

    Hello, my mx500 do the same thing, so, i like to buy another one, Ive been looking, can not find the same, maby they dont make them anymoore??? Do you know?? @Alexis

  • Rarst #

    @Lotta MX500 had been long discontinued. There have been multiple models very close to is since, at moment G400 and G500 mentioned above seems like closest to original MX500 you can buy.

  • Vocko #

    @Soylent Mine died today (19.08.2012) and I've been using it since it appeared on the market (~10 years). All hail to MX-500!