1. Logitech G7 Mouse ($80)
Microsoft has successfully challenged and overtaken its competitors in
every market it has focused on ranging from operating systems to web
browsers. Even the Xbox 360 looks like it will be providing Sony with fiercer competition than anyone could have predicted 5 years ago. Still, there is one market where Microsoft has never been able to win – the computer mouse. Since 1981, Logitech has been producing the best mice on the planet. Logitech continues to outsell Microsoft and as most gamers can confirm, Logitech mice are virtually bullet proof. I have a Logitech mouse myself that's over 10 years old and is still running strong. Logitech's new G7 mouse is the best product to come out of Logitech's design team for some time.
A few months ago, I described building the Ultimate Gaming Rig. If you recall, I recommended finding a discontinued MX700 over the new MX1000 due to size and balance. Well, it seems like Logitech's design team had the same ideas as I did because the G7 has returned to the MX700 ergonomics, and brought back some of the proven ergonomics of the MouseMan+ such as the single thumb button. The distinctive feature of the G7 is the 2000 dpi Laser sensor and "gaming grade" modifications such as the extra-large Teflon feet which provide a smoother glide. The mouse also features two buttons which allow you to alter the sensitivity of the mouse without having to enter a control panel. This means that you can keep the mouse in the default mode for day to day Windows use, then decrease your precision when you're working in Photoshop and finally increase your precision when playing games. This happens in hardware and on the fly without needing to go into the mouse control panel. Before using the G7, I would have called this feature a gimmick but after using the G7 as my primary mouse for an extended period of time, I now realize that this is one of the best features of the product.
With the MX700, users were expected to charge their mouse in the cradle each evening. This became a problem and I ended up using my own high capacity 2200 mAh NiMH batteries and a 15 minute charger to deal with the power-thirsty mouse. With the G7, Logitech includes two battery packs where the second battery back is always charged so that it's possible to swap a used battery for a new one in a matter of seconds. Depending on your use, the G7 batteries last anywhere from 2 to 4 days
Ever since the original bear-claw design, Logitech has always a popular mouse of choice for gamers. Over the years, Logitech has made evolutionary changes and the G7 represents the best mouse from Logitech I've seen since the MX700. The balance is spot on and so there's no need for counter weights, and the wireless signal works with the same fluidity that you expect from a wired mouse. (It samples at 500Hz) The attention to detail that Logitech has put into the G7 is even seen through small touches such as the way the mouse shows you the current sensitivity whenever the mouse is moved and fades to the current battery level when the mouse isn't moving.
I can think of no other product I've reviewed in the last 7 years that has impressed me so much. A few years ago, I gave the MX700 a 97% score and an Editor's Choice Award. The G7? It's a 99% Editor's Choice product. As you know, FiringSquad is typically tougher when it comes to handing out scores – the 99% means that the G7 is truly that impressive. There are no gimmicks – just pure performance. If the G7 was a bit lower in price, it would probably be the second product in FiringSquad history to receive a perfect score. Of course, I'm assuming that you're not left-handed.
Summary
I spent the most time detailing the Logitech G7 and Monster Music SuperDisc because they're truly the best of the bunch. In fact, I would be just as happy in my Holiday Buyer's Guide talking about just those two products. There is no right-handed PC enthusiast who wouldn't enjoy using the Logitech G7 and no audiophile (who enjoys Christmas music) who wouldn't want to own "40 Years, A Charlie Brown Christmas."
Batman: Arkham City PC Review Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to 2009’s smash-hit action game Batman: Arkham Asylum. As the name suggests, you will be reprising your role as the Caped Crusader and going against an even larger 'prison' filled with Gotham's criminals and villains. A textbook example on how to do a proper sequel, Arkham City takes what worked in the original, excised or improved upon what didn’t, and elevated everything to an even greater scope. The PC version suffered from a few months of delay, but in that time, Rocksteady worked closely to NVIDIA to implement some familiar technologies from the last game, such as PhysX and 3D Vision, along with new DirectX 11 optimizations. But how well was the whole package executed? Read on to find out!
Saints Row: The Third PC Review Saints Row is one of most unique series of games to build upon the open-world action template forged by Grand Theft Auto, and has met with plenty of critical and commercial success since it began on consoles back in 2006. This latest iteration, titled Saints Row: The Third promises the most outlandish fun and freedom of customization of them all, and in a much more PC-friendly package than its predecessor. Does it live up to those expectations and, more importantly, is it worth the price of admission? Find out in Will's latest review!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim PC Review The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is Bethesda Softworks’ latest offering in their series of epic fantasy RPGs, as well as one of the most highly-anticipated PC titles of 2011. As the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, prepare to take the fight to the mythical beasts that have returned to the realm after centuries of slumber, all the while exploring a huge and highly-detailed open world.
The PC version of the game promises enhanced graphical fidelity, standard RPG trimmings such as hotkeys and quick-save, as well as unbridled mod support, something we’ll all be thankful for once they release that SDK. Skyrim has already sold millions of copies and set records for play-time on Steam... Find out why in today's review, which happens to be one of the biggest and most in-depth articles on the subject out there!
L.A. Noire Complete Edition PC Review L.A. Noire, as the name clearly states, is a video game built on the tropes of one of the greatest periods of American cinema: film noir. Developed by the now defunct Australian developer Team Bondi and published by Rockstar Games, this title has been out on consoles for a full six months before finally making its way to the PC. This “Complete Edition” of the game features improved graphics, keyboard/mouse controls, and every bit of previously-released DLC for free. But was it truly worth the wait? Read on and find out!
Intel Core i7-3960X Sandy Bridge-E Performance Review
Today marks the launch date for Intel’s Sandy Bridge-E line of processors, a new family of high-end Core i7 products based on the LGA 2011 platform. This new socket is poised to replace the existing LGA 1366 specification used by the more powerful Nehalem and Westmere parts from the past couple years, specifically Bloomfield and Gulftown, the Core i7-9xx+ line of CPUs.
With 6 cores, 15MB of cache, and support for quad-channel DDR3-1600 memory, the Core i7-3960X sounds like quite a catch. Want to know more about it and how it performs? Read on!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Xbox 360 Review
The self-appointed "most anticipated game in history" launched worldwide this past Tuesday. Why, it's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, of course (of course), what else? Unsurprisingly, the military FPS debate between this and Battlefield 3 rages on, but now that both have been released, surely we can take a look and objectively evaluate them both? Luke's taken the Xbox version of MW3 for a spin this week, so to find out what he thinks of it in today's review!
Stronghold 3 Review
The latest sequel in the long-running real-time strategy franchise from FireFly Studios, Stronghold 3 is all about building your dream castle and defending it against sieging enemies. Almost exactly one decade after the first game was released, this new title promises a return to the classic and well-received gameplay that has been strayed so far from in more recent iterations. Does it live up to those expectations? Will (AKA Synchronous Failure) tells us all about it in his first official FiringSquad review, so read on!
Battlefield 3 PC Review - Single-player Impressions
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Equal parts action and strategy, this is a tower defense game that not only puts you in command, but on the front lines of combat, as well. Slaughter thousands of orcs, ogres and other vile creatures of fantasy that invade your fortresses through 24 levels of the story-based campaign. With high levels of replayability thanks to its scoring and leaderboard functionality, multiple difficulty levels, and various styles of play, it sounds a steal at only $15. Does it deliver on all that’s promised, though? Read on and find out!
![Top 10 Holiday Gadgets 2005 [ @ 500 x 500 ] > View Full-Size in another window.](images/12-s.jpg)
The best $25 gift for an audiophile
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