Logitech MX 510 Performance Optical Gaming Mouse (Red)

The design is the same as the mx500, mx700, and mx900 series, a somewhat tried-and-true style. The forward and back buttons (on the left side of the mouse) are close enough to use easily, but aren't in danger of being accidentally clicked. The up and down buttons (positioned above and below the scrollwheel) take some getting used to, but are useful enough to outweigh this. The up button *isn't* the most natural button, but I'm able to click it with my forefinger easily (despite reviews to the contrary), and my hands are average sized.
The switch application button seems to be the only downfall of the mouse. It isn't as easy to reach as the other buttons and its usefulness is questionable. A friend of mine with the mx700 (same design, just a little older and wireless), however, swears by that button and says he couldn't be happier that it was included. Even in the case of someone who doesn't like it, it really doesn't take away from the mouse; you'd don't have to use it if you don't want to.
Note: I would not recommend this to anyone that uses a mouse with their left hand.

The optical engine is newer and supposedly better than the older mx500s and mx700s. I, however, haven't really noticed a difference, having used an mx700 before. Despite that, it's amazingly smooth. I have heard people online and in person complain that it "jerks" or is "twitchy," but I'd venture a guess that most of those people either do not have quality mousepads or have incorrect sensitivity settings in their OS. One person who mentioned the twitchiness to me in person showed it to me, and then was surprised when I fixed it easily by turning on "Enhance pointer precision" and lowering the sensitivity. The mouse will track on virtually anything: fabrics (if you're using a laptop while sitting on the couch), just about any hard shiny surface (that traditional trackball mice have difficulty with), plastic, paper, metal, you name it.

The software included is easy to use and has never had a compatibility issue that I've seen. Remapping *any* of the buttons to a variety of different controls is easy. For example: I was able to map the up and down buttons to "next song"/"last song" in Winamp, which is one of the coolest things I've seen a mouse do.

Overall it is a wonderful product and a great deal for someone looking for a new, stylish, light, and feature intensive corded mouse.


Excellent product but somewhat dubious value   September 2, 2004
rl123 (Dallas, Texas United States)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

I bought this mouse after losing my old MX500 during a move. In general, I would say that you should buy the MX510 only if you don't have the MX500 and play games a lot. It's definitely better than the MX500 in terms of tracking but only if you turn the sensitivity way up. There are few situations outside of certain games where this is necessary so it's questionable how benefitial this improved tracking really is.

The only other difference between this and the MX500 is the holographic cover. This "feature" has no functional purpose other than to look pretty so it's of dubious value.

The MX510 retails for approximately $10-$15 more than the MX500 but aside from better performace in certain games and a different look, it's functionally the same. Thus one has to make a value judgement as to which is better.

At the time of writing, Logitech announced the MX1000, the replacement of the MX700, which is the cordless version of the MX500. The MX1000 features "laser tracking" which is supposedly 20 times better than the current MX sensor and also has a 5.8 megabit resolution. Since Logitech is sure to release a corded version of the MX1000, one might want to wait for this instead of buying the MX510 now.