[Review] Logitech M570 - Switching to a trackball mouse

[Prof7]

Hello everyone,

 

About a year ago I noticed that more and more often I had some strain on my shoulder. Some days it was worse than others. One day I started researching and came across RSI. Most of you know what it is, for you who don't know: link. Since it had some of the symptoms I experienced I went on researching and came across trackball mice.

 

Those of you that know what a trackball is... congratulations. You probably are a little older than me or use one yourself. Maybe I'm just blind, but I don't see them anywhere.

 

But yeah, trackball mice. There are not a heck of a lot of options out there. For normal mice you have hundreds if not thousands of options, want a pink one, there it is. But trackball mice are not very common. 

 

One day I came across the Logitech M570. The design looked far better than anything on the market right now, and since it was €50 I bought it.

 

Packaging

I don't know, it came in a box and some plastics. That's the only thing I remember and most of the time that's a good thing.

 

What's in the box?

First of all there's the mouse -duh-, a Logitech Unifying Receiver and a manual. That's it. You have to download the software from their site which is better than drivers disks IMO. That receiver can be stored inside the M570 for transport. But let's be honest, who does that? That receiver lives inside a USB port at the back of your pc or laptop.

 

What's it like switching then?

If you read some stories online about switching to a trackball mouse, it must be a hell the first week or so. Did not experience that at all. The mouse is not worse to use than a the track pad in my notebook. The first week may be a little on the slow side compared to a mouse though, but so is the track pad. After that week you gain some precision, but not much. Switching from a CM storm inferno was, let's say different. The precision is worse, but the comfort is way better than probably 90% of the normal mice on the market.

 

After almost a year, it failed (or so i thought). Going back to a normal mouse for daily use felt weird, slow to be honest. I had to get used to actually moving the mouse instead of just the ball. But the precision was way better, especially for gaming.

 

Ok, but how is the built quality then?

Decent, if i had to describe it in one word. It is rugged as hell, you could probably hit one in the face with it without it breaking. The left click is slightly heavier than the right click (don't know if it is a different switch of difference in leverage or something else). The ball is small, too small for my taste. They could easily make it bigger by adjusting the angle the mouse is on. It's easy cleanable, just pop the ball out -and believe me, you will have to do this about every 2 weeks-. It has 2 extra buttons, mine are used for forward and backward for the browser as they come stock. The mouse has a very natural shape to it. Just lay your hand on the table - not flat -, that shape has the mouse.

 

And then... the scroll wheel. WHY? Why logitech, when you have all those beautiful scroll wheels, did you decide to use the scroll wheel from an rusted 80 year old rollerskate? Honestly it's the worst part about the whole mouse. It feels like poo.   

 

Oh yeah it's wireless which is pretty neat. It runs on 1 AA battery and that lasts about one year. Yes, one (1) year, don't know how many mice can say that.

 

The mouse sits stationary on your desk and thus has those non slippy pads on the bottom. But they collect dust like there is no tomorrow, so you probably have to clean them when you move your mouse by accident or intentionally.

 

And about that RSI thingy, how is that going?

Honesty, it's about gone. After about a week it started to go away. That natural curve in the mouse creates a natural angle for the arm. Also the fact that you don't have to move your wrist/elbow to move your mouse takes a huge amount of stress away. About a year later I rarely have strain in my back and shoulder.

 

Summary

Good mouse, bad scrollwheel

 

I wish Logitech had the balls to come with a new model with a bigger ball, nicer scroll wheel and maybe some of those fancy plastics like their g-series. A bigger non slip pad on the bottom would also be nice. 

[Octavialicious]

Nice review! But yea, I love logitech mice but I honestly hate their scroll wheels

[NumLock21]

During the pre optical mouse days, I've always wanted a track ball mouse, cause it seems a lot easier to control than a traditional mice. Logitech used to have a lot of models, but now they only have 2. The one you have and the other with the ball in the center.

[EscalatorBoy]

I've been using the M570 for a couple of years now, and as long as it holds out, I'll never switch to a traditional mouse. The versatility, reliability and ergonomics are just too good. Just wish there were more models, as a few more buttons and a better wheel would help.

[Guest Philosophy]

Nice, review. I may be getting my a Logitech mouse if there is a good deal this Monday!