Microsoft’s Sidewinder vs Logitech’s G9

Supposed to catch Dan in real life today with E, but end up she’s too tired. Luckily, I went to funan this afternoon and hooted these…

Razer eXactMat Xspeed mouse pad (comes with wrist rest), Logitech G9 Gaming Mouse and… I finally got these balls!! WooHoo!

Overclocked these babies to 1066 Mhz… *silly grin*

Also decided to do some review/comparison with my Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse. Quite frankly I’m putting myself to shame doing this review, on the basis that my writing sucks now. Nevertheless, I will base this review along this set of criterion:

1) Comfort
2) Functionality
3) Value/Price
4) Features
5) Cool factor

Also, I’m strictly reviewing right-handed mice… no offence to lefties. =p

here’s the Microsoft Sidewinder up close…

Its probably the biggest gaming mouse ever seen in the market as of late. I’ve used this coming to about 2 months without a mouse pad/rest till now, and thankfully nothing bad has happened to it yet (even after slapping the mouse onto the desk when I keep dying while playing Call of Duty 4). Which really makes me pretty glad that the construction is solid. For someone who has longer fingers, I found the grip to be very comfortable, and despite its size, its actually quite light. But that’s really subjective because it might feel a little bit too chunky for others with smaller hands. There’re many other mixed reviews in gaming websites with regards to the Sidewinder. Some say its just too big, whereas some end-users really adore it (think its the bigger hands). Just to set the tone right, its one of those types meant for gamers who have more palm/large movements as opposed to finger/delicate movements.

(above) a look at how the mouse fits. Notice that my fingers are quite extended but not reaching the front, and my palm’s fully in contact on the mouse.

The Sidewinder has a flurry of buttons that seem to bode really well for the hardcore gamer. Its the 1st mouse to have an LCD display showing the dpi (2000, 800, 400 default) with 3 red led buttons at the topside just behind the mouse wheel to toggle the desired sensitivity. The mouse wheel feels really solid without the side to side clicks found on other mice. I found this to be good because you don’t have to worry about accidentally clicking on the wrong button (cos there isn’t one). There are 2 silver thumb buttons strategically placed and only work if you deliberately click them. In front of the silver buttons is a macro button that I’ve not tried yet.

Another really nice touch was the fact that Microsoft actually went the extra mile to think about how to make the mouse even better. They did that by introducing a weighted box that actually clips on to the mouse wire to prevent excessive wire slack that messes up the desk. The box also doubles up as case containing interchangeable weights, and even 2 sets of interchangeable mousefeet. Makes one wonder, if only MS did the same for Windows Vista… (they must be playing too many games with this to do real work…)

On the downside, I found that the weights made the mouse too heavy and sluggish. I also felt that the smoothest set of mouse feet, is still brought down to its knees compared to the G9’s slick glide. Its also only 2000 dpi at max, which is kind of low for gaming mice. Having got this at Sitex for S$139 together with Gears of War was a really good deal, now its probably retailing for about S$120 just by itself. Rather average price-value ratio if not for the additional features like the weighted box that solves the wire slack problem. This mouse is a real looker with the Sidewinder logo embedded at the top (actually brings up the Games folder when clicked) and the red lights shining out under the mouse yells out awesome coolness. The macro button is a good idea from MS that separates the Sidewinder from its competition with additional functionality.

On a score out of 10…

1) Comfort – 7
2) Functionality – 8
3) Value/Price – 8
4) Features – 8
5) Cool factor – 9

Overall – 8/10

Next up……

Logitech’s G9 Laser Mouse

Logitech has been at the forefront of the PC peripheral market churning out tons of gaming hardware (i.e keyboards, speakers, mice, media controllers etc). If there’s any company that knows how to make great mice, its Logitech. Their stuff is always good, and hard to beat. And this G9 mouse is nothing that I’ve ever experienced before.

The G9 is light and seems to make more sense in terms of size compared to the Sidewinder. There’s also a box of interchangeable weights that can be inserted for the hardcore gamer. Logitech have also included 2 different types of “grip-casing” which provides a choice of soft satin feel, or rugged dry feel. And both grips are equally comfortable. Its just a matter of preference to which feel you like. Shown above is the soft satin casing, below is the rugged dry casing.

Interchangeable weights for the G9

Moving the G9 is a very soft and delicate affair. The mouse is extremely nimble without weights and even though it doesn’t have interchangeable feet, it feels like the mouse is floating on a cushion of air. Its nothing I’ve felt before and its insanely smooth. This thing glides like nobody’s business, and it requires such minimal effort to use. Its ergonomically sound in design and very suitable for those with smaller hands, or those who prefer smaller movements relying on fingers.

(above) my palm is hardly touching the mouse so its moving more delicately with my fingers.

The buttons also have a softer feel to it, but in no way should be misunderstood as risk to misclicking. Everything about the G9 is simple and delicate. When its movements replicate running your hand through silk, it almost feels feminine and sexy even. The mouse also comes with its own inbuilt memory, and requires no software to install. Just plug and play. There’s a toggle switch on the topside to adjust up to a max of 3200 DPI, and the red led indicates the amount of sensitivity of the mouse. The thumb buttons are in their usual traditional location, and have a very nice solid feel to it as well.

Logitech have again produced another strong contender for gaming mice. Aside from the Razers, this thing glides as smooth as butter. Its really the most comfortable mouse I’ve ever used. The high sensitivity also makes it great for quick sharp movements needed for competitive gaming. Despite its rather awkward looks, it should satisfy the most nitty picky gamer looking for a good gaming mouse. However, this is also the most expensive gaming mouse in the market at S$159 (after discount pay in cash only, S$169 on credit) which is really expensive taking into account there’s not as many features as the Sidewinder.

On a score out of 10…

1) Comfort – 9.5
2) Functionality – 9
3) Value/Price – 6
4) Features – 7
5) Cool factor – 8.5

Overall – 8/10

Conclusion:

At head to head, the Sidewinder loses out to overall performance due to its size compared to the G9. But it does however make up for that with value added features with the box solving wire slack and doubling up as a casing for interchangeable mice and feet. Not to mention the macro button for added functionality.

The G9 makes up for lack of features with a sublimely smooth glide and exceptional nimbleness and quickness. But you have to pay a high price for sublime. The interchangeable grip-casings feel fantastic and its very easy to change them whenever you want to.

I really have a hard time deciding which is the one to own… so coming to personal preference, I’ll choose the G9. Because this thing feels so good once you use it… nothing else really matters.

More details of the products can be found at the following links:

Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse