Review: Logitech MX Revolution mouse

There's not much that can be done with the humble computer mouse – an extra scroll wheel here and there, swapping mouse-balls for optical sensors, and adding extra buttons for web and document browsing. The basic concept, however, remains the same.

With the MX Revolution, Logitech has added some minor but significant innovations.

The most obvious one is the addition of a second scroll wheel, on the left-hand side. This doesn't scroll horizontally, but either zooms into documents or selects an application, depending on the settings.

The top scroll wheel rocks back and forth as well as side-to-side. All the buttons are customisable using Logitech's easy-to-use software.

The most interesting innovation is inside the scroll wheel – some mice have wheels that click, scrolling one line at a time, while others scroll continuously. The MX Revolution does both: the wheel can be set to click or will automatically figure out when to scroll continuously.

The MX Revolution comes with its own charging station, as well as a wireless adapter which attaches to a PC's USB port. It would have been nice to see some sort of combined adapter which would both provide the wireless connection and charge the mouse simultaneously.

The battery life is a small worry, with a full charge lasting only a week or so with daily use. Our usual mouse, a Microsoft wireless model that uses a pair of AA batteries, lasts at least a month with the same usage. That said, recharging is easy, and if you leave it in the dock each night, there's no cause for concern.

Rather than a red LED to detect motion, the mouse uses an invisible laser beam, which means more accuracy than a standard optical mouse. It can also operate on more types of surface.

With all things considered, it's not the clever new features that make the MX Revolution worthwhile. The mouse is well-designed, and fits the average hand snugly, although accidental button presses are regular until you get used to the feel of it.

It's comfortable and easy to use, and although the new features are very useful, it's the old-fashioned quality that means the MX Revolution will suit those looking for a really good mouse.

At £80, it's not exactly cheap but it really is a cut above other mice.

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