Mad Catz M.O.U.S. 9 Bluetooth Mouse

[PCAnyWhere]

1. I supposed you could use the included dongle on a computer and continue to use the BT for the SP3. However I haven't tried it and not sure which one it would pick up first if they were both nearby. I might suspect that they would both start to take input. if they were not close to each other I would suspect this to work as you intend. I will give it a try when I get back to my mouse which I left in my office.

2. It is surprisingly durable. I have not really dropped it. It doesn't come with a small padded baggy that I transport it but I do not baby it during transport. Unlike my Logitech Performance MX which I can attest to be being durable after dropping it out of the trunk of a car and it bounced a couple of times on the parking lot.

3. Battery life - I did purchase the mouse a year ago for a different computer and then when I got my SP3 I pulled it out to try. My older laptop didn't do very well with the BT as it was the older (I think BT3) and disconnected every so often. However the battery I didn't change until more than 12 months later and I didn't think that they needed changing but was testing with another laptop (Lenovo Yoga 2) and wanted to give it a fresh chance as I was having trouble pairing it with that laptop. So it was stored for many months and used for maybe 3 before I swapped batteries. I have been using it with new alkaline batteries since November with no issues still.

4. Actually until you reminded me of the MOUS9 I didn't think there were any full-size mouse formats in Bluetooth out there. The Razer Orochi is not as big as the MOUS9. I believe the Gigabyte one is also not as large: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=3247#ov

you are probably right that the angular dimensions just didn't suit me. I really like the rubberized texture and appreciate that on certain mice for the thumb and little finger.

 

[ptrkhh]

damn you MS for getting cheap with ports

More like damn you Logitech for using proprietary technology instead of the standardized, widely used method.

1. I supposed you could use the included dongle on a computer and continue to use the BT for the SP3. However I haven't tried it and not sure which one it would pick up first if they were both nearby. I might suspect that they would both start to take input. if they were not close to each other I would suspect this to work as you intend. I will give it a try when I get back to my mouse which I left in my office.

Thank you! That's super helpful. Im looking forward to that

3. Battery life - I did purchase the mouse a year ago for a different computer and then when I got my SP3 I pulled it out to try. My older laptop didn't do very well with the BT as it was the older (I think BT3) and disconnected every so often. However the battery I didn't change until more than 12 months later and I didn't think that they needed changing but was testing with another laptop (Lenovo Yoga 2) and wanted to give it a fresh chance as I was having trouble pairing it with that laptop. So it was stored for many months and used for maybe 3 before I swapped batteries. I have been using it with new alkaline batteries since November with no issues still.

I also asked somebody else with the MOUS9 and s/he said that it lasts much shorter than the advertisement as well, just about 2 months. That's quite disappointing.

 

[PCAnyWhere]

My quick test with my RAT M is that if my SP3 is nearby and I have a dongle inserted in another computer the Bluetooth connection wins and no signal is going to the USB dongle. I did not have time to shut off my SP3 or walk it out of range however to see if it would revert to the dongle when there is an absence of BT host.

 

[ptrkhh]

I just came across the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Mouse (not Sculpt Touch). In term of dimension, this is comparable with the MOUS 9. The length is 111mm, right on the middle between MOUS9's shortest and longest adjustable setup. The width is 68.5mm, just a tad wider than the MOUS9. In term of dimension, I couldn't complain about it.
The best thing about this mouse, compared to the MOUS9, is the price. Its just $40/€40 new, less than half of the MOUS9.
My biggest gripe is the lack of buttons. There is practically no customizable buttons. Sure, there actually is, but it consists only of the scroll left/right button which I wont change, and as far as I know, the useless Start button is not customizable.

What do you think?

 

[PCAnyWhere]

I found that mouse for $25CDN and did a measure comparison to my RAT M and they are almost identical. You got met thinking with the dimensions though and I did some comparisons to other mice that I use and found that my most comfortable mouse is my Razer DeathAdder at 5".

Should I make my way in the direction of the store (NCIX.com) i will surely pick one up but it didn't warrant a special trip as of yet.

I did read and view some reviews on the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort and they look promising. I think I agree that the Start button is only semi-useful since I don't use the Modern UI very much. I'm all about a weighted scroll wheel that I can use to fly through documents

So far still no issues with my MadCatz RAT M, bluetooth connectivity or battery. the ballistics are sometimes too sensitive but I like the trackpad to be at maximum sensitivity so the only thing missing is a mouse that stores its own settings.

 

[ptrkhh]

Now I'm even more confused. I just found out that Mad Catz had just released the Office RAT. It seems like a rebranding of the MOUS9, but I wish it used the better 6400dpi sensor from the RAT M, given this is a RAT

 

[ptrkhh]

I think I agree that the Start button is only semi-useful since I don't use the Modern UI very much. I'm all about a weighted scroll wheel that I can use to fly through documents

Even for me that uses metro 80% of the time, the start button on a mouse is still utterly useless. The keyboard already has a start button and can be easily hit with the left hand. Even when there was no keyboard, it takes no time to flick to the bottom left corner and hit the start button. And they didn't even make that button customizable

Actually, the reason why I haven't got the Sculpt Comfort is the fact that RAT/MOUS has an additional scroll wheel. Haven't found any other mouse with that feature. I can use it either for horizontal scroll or zoom (how well does it zoom btw? Is it smooth?) when I have the SP3 attached to my non-touch monitor or with my desktop PC.

And I have a Microsoft mouse (Wireless 700) that doesn't age that well. At one point, it refused to work for months, although it magically came back to life, somehow. And the scroll wheel has gotten really really loose. That's what makes me afraid of investing on another Microsoft mouse. It seems like durability isn't their strong suit.

I could as well get the Sculpt Comfort for my SP3 and a wired RAT for my desktop PC, and still spend the same as a MOUS9. Decisions decisions decisions ...

 

[PCAnyWhere]

For the first while I did carry a wired mouse with me. Corsair M65. but found that I can get by with my RAT M and a Logitech Performance MX permanently stationed at my desk that has it's USB dongle plugged into a little USB 3.0 hub that I have at my desk. I can leave that and the mini-DP adapter to VGA at my desk and not really be too concerned if it goes missing (versus the dock).

I like the idea of wireless; just hate the idea of dead batteries

 

[strollin]

... as far as I know, the useless Start button is not customizable.

What do you think?

I have 3 of the MS Sculpt Comfort mice and really like them. The Start button is also "swipeable" and , if you install the MS software (MS Mouse and Keyboard Center) , customizable to an extent. I have it set so that swiping up/down with my thumb does back/forward on my browser. There are quite a few commands that can be assigned and you can also assign key combos and macros. The software also lets you specify how the mouse buttons work with individual apps.

 

[ptrkhh]

I have 3 of the MS Sculpt Comfort mice and really like them. The Start button is also "swipeable" and , if you install the MS software (MS Mouse and Keyboard Center) , customizable to an extent.

I have some questions,
Is it durable? Since Im planning to use it as a mobile mouse, so it has to be durable. Hows the battery life by the way?

Yeah, I know the swipe is customizable, but that's merely just two functions and I cant even press-and-hold it, or can I? For example, I want one button set as Ctrl, so that I could hold it while scrolling to zoom. I don't think that's possible with the swipe-able part.

Btw, does the Start button get annoying at gaming? I can imagine that I accidentally tap the button in the middle of a game. And since its not customizable, I don't think I can disable it while gaming. (not only gaming though, but could it be accidentally pressed?)

 

[ptrkhh]

I got the response from Mad Catz concerning the comparison between the MOUS9 and Office RAT

The battery life, if you are using the BT connectivity should be up to 1 year and if you are using the USB dongle, it can last several months. Please keep in mind that this depends on the usage and the battery quality you are using.
The polling rate on all our mice is 125Hz and 0.8m/sec tracking on all our mice while the main difference between these 2 devices is the DPI level: the MOUS 9 features a 990 DPI maximum level while the Office RAT comes with a 880 DPI maximum level

Basically:
1. Both mice work more efficiently with BT instead of the dongle
2. In term of specs, MOUS9 has ~11% higher DPI than Office RAT, everything else is identical
3. Mad Catz themselves don't bother to write the dots inbetween the names of either products

 

[PCAnyWhere]

After some longer term use again with my RAT M, I found that I just couldn't use it with the precision that I liked. It was better than the trackpad; but less comfortable/accurate than either a wired Corsair M65 or a wireless Logitech Performance MX. I was still convinced that there was a BT 4.0 mouse out there that would suit me and I was on the fence; but found myself close by a computer store that stocked the Mad Catz Office RAT. I picked up the Matte black one. My RAT M was a glossy finish. I like the rubberized texture of my matte black Office RAT.

Connectivity - simple and worked on the first shot. Installed the drivers and the supporting software (which needs .NET 3.5).

Accessories - stickers and a small carrying bag and a single AA Battery

Short review: A youtube post I saw on the MOUS9 showed a flimsy battery door and it really is. like a cheap flashlight cover (plastic). Buttons are solid and decent placement. Most importantly that the length is good. I only have to use one click of the palm extension and it feels pretty good. I do have greater preference to the ergonomics of the Razer DeathAdder but this is the only Bluetooth 4.0 that is full size. If I adjust the reach for the thumb actuated buttons I feel slightly too far from the scroll wheel. This was pretty much known to me as I already own a Mad Catz RAT 7 - that was retired due to the superior feel of the DeathAdder. Weight is decent and the fact that it works on glass surfaces is definitely a bonus. I know that the Logitech Performance MX also does this but this one seems to track a little better than the Logitech. The scroll wheel is nicer than the RAT M; which felt more like a paddle wheel. It was not terrible but this just rolls a little smoother. If it had a weighted fly wheel then it would have rated +1 star for sure.

I have only owned the mouse for about an hour but can tell that I can hold on it for prolonged periods and precision work. The customizable buttons are welcome but I haven't found a good setup just yet.

Compared to the RAT M software the software for the Office RAT is just about non-existent. I have the ability to adjust a) precision b) tilt wheel. that's it. No other ballistic settings were available.

I saw that the store still had a couple of the MOUS9 still at $20 more. the glossy finish didn't appeal to me.