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Media gadgets powerhouse Logitech does not seem content to manufacturing mice which work on the standard 2D surface. With the addition of their new top-of-the-line MX Air to their mousing arsenal, Logitech has opened an entire niche in the mouse industry. The unique selling point of the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse is that, well, it works as well in air as compared to being used on a table surface.

The Logitech MX Air is a gyroscopic mouse. This means that, other than being used in the standard way, the MX Air can be lifted off the surface and be used to control the cursor on the screen like a laser pointer. This is most certainly targeted at home theatre entertainment users. The MX Air has a sleek and futuristic design, which looks nothing like conventional mice. It has a touch-scroll which has replaced the conventional scroll-wheel, extra multimedia buttons and is fully wireless.

I had some misgivings regarding the touch-scroll strip which replaced the scroll-wheel. It makes use of a technology called inertia scrolling. Sliding your index finger along the strip will allow you to scroll documents, achieving the same effect as rolling back on a scroll-wheel. However, as you flick your finger faster on the touch-scroll strip, it accelerates your scrolling speed exponentially. This causes some inconvenient scrolling of web browsers and documents sometimes, although I would admit, it is a very classy feature.

The four extra mouse buttons are self-explanatory – Back, Select, Play/Pause and Volume. These are basic entertainment and multimedia mouse functions, perfect for that Home Theatre PC (HTPC) to watch Blu-Ray movies or stream online video content. The Logitech MX Air is fully wireless; all that is required is for you to stick a USB receptor into your computer. The signal strength is strong - I had no problems operating it even at distances of up to 7-10 metres. The MX Air is equipped with a rechargeable battery and comes with a very stylish charging stand.

The mouse makes use of mechanical gyroscopes in the air, meaning that even if you tilt the mouse sideways and move it up, the mouse will still register a horizontal cursor movement. This is definitely a very considerate feature and will reduce the disorientation while in midair. The myriad of functions and controls that the MX Air possesses can only be fully explored once you have the mouse and start to experiment on it yourself. For example, holding down the Volume button in midair and then traversing the mouse sideways will adjust the volume. This is a power-packed addition to Logitech’s growing family of versatile mice.

One important fact to bear in mind before deciding to buy this is that, while the whole concept of gyroscopic mice is very attractive and very appealing, the MX Air will take some getting used to. A user of standard mice will find it disorientating once you lack that sense of security that the solid table gives you. Apart from this, this mouse also commands a very exorbitant price tag of approximately US$120-140.

If money is of no object to you in securing an attractive and functional mouse for that HTPC, the Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse will be the perfect choice for you. This Wii variant of the mice fraternity is a very handy device which would complement a HTPC very well.

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(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5)
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