Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsWorthy Upgrade, Too Bad It’s Not In White
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019
Purchased this product after accidentally purchasing the 2S. Amazon listed this product two days later, so I got a chance to compare and contrast the two.
Aesthetically the white 2S looked much better on my white desk, in fact it was a perfect match. The light grey version of the 3, leaves me wishing that they released a white version with silver accents instead (the silver portions is akin to the silver of MacBooks or other Apple devices, the light grey portion does not match Apple devices). But considering the button placement of the 2S, I’d rather deal with the undesirable color of the 3, than stress my thumb to use the forward and back buttons on the 2S.
Which leads to the ergonomics.
The 3 has significantly better placement for my larger than average hands (my hands require an L or XL glove, due to finger length, I’m 6’1” with basketball player hands). On the 2S it required pulling my thumb so far back, that it initially felt like my thumb was going to dislocate (maybe if I used the joint of my thumb to press it, it would’ve been easier, but the buttons being stacked on top of each other on the 2S made it a bit difficult to target the button with the joint of my large fingers; using the tip my thumb was easier). On the 3 that isn’t a problem. However, the 3 causes the horizontal scroll wheel to be so high, that it also causes my thumb to be in an awkward / uncomfortable position when trying to scroll horizontally. Fortunately, I don’t require scrolling horizontally that often, and after awhile maybe I’ll learn better hand placement. Probably would’ve been better to put those buttons almost directly where the thumb rests (only slightly above), instead of completely above the thumb (therefore the horizontal scroll wheel could’ve been lower). It’s usable, just know it might cause some initial discomfort for large hands / long fingers.
The vertical scroll wheel is great. Feels much better than the scroll wheel on the 2S, but it may take some fiddling with the Logitech Options program to get it to automatically switch to free scrolling based on your desired speed. The default setting switches it too easily, and the jump from ratcheted scrolling to free scrolling speed is significant. You might find yourself wanting to just scroll a few lines faster, and then suddenly you’re all the way at the bottom of a webpage.
Also, upon the release Youtubers began posting their reviews, and many of them indicated that the scroll wheel is silent. That is not actually the case. In comparison to the 2S, it’s relatively silent (significantly more silent), in free scrolling mode it’s actually silent, but in ratcheting mode it can be clearly heard. Personally I find that pleasant, I was disappointed hearing what I basically interpreted as the mouse not giving any auditory feedback, but it indeed can be heard it’s just much lower than the MX mice before, and the feel of it is much more pleasant.
Lastly, the software.
The Logitech Options program failed to install on a Mac. It just hangs on the first try. This happened when I initially installed the software for the 2S. I had to force quit the install, uninstall the program, and then reinstall it. Upon installing it the second time, the install completed fine. When I eventually received the 3, the program would not recognize the new mouse and I couldn’t get it to register as a new device. I also could not remove the previous 2S, to be able to install the 3. So I then had to uninstall the program again, and upon installing the newer version that they just released, the program hung on the first install process again. So, I had to uninstall it for a third time, and reinstall it again. When the program reinstalled it showed no devices and I was able to add the 3 as a new device, registering it correctly.
Perhaps this issue is because I am an Apple Developer, and am using a Developer Beta of macOS. Or maybe it’s just Logitech going through growing pains they’ll resolve later. But if you encounter an issue like me, know that it can be solved, it will just take patience.
The one thing I haven’t figured out yet is, when installing the custom profiles so that the mouse switches behavior based on the application you are using ... I am not able to install the profile for Photoshop. The Safari, Chrome, and other profiles installed without a problem, only Photoshop did not. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling Photoshop, no dice. I dread the thought of attempting to uninstall and reinstall Logitech Options again. Maybe I’ll try that next month when enough time has passed, and will update this review accordingly.
Those quirks aside, I can honestly say that the 3 is a worthy upgrade. I’ll keep it until they release it in white or the 3s / 4, whichever comes first. But for now I’m as satisfied as I can be, and recommend it.
