Home > Consumer Reviews > Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX

This is a great mouse. One of the best ones I have ever used. Some of the features I really like:
- The (newer) nano receiver, which can stay on the laptop at all times.
- The wireless just works. No pairing issues, no long initial wait when turning on.
- The "anywhere" part which is true! This mouse works on absolutely anything.
- All the buttons you need on a small mouse
- The great dual-mode scroll wheel for step-by-step scrolling or fast flowing scrolling.
- Good ergonomic despite the small size.
- Easy on/off switch at the bottom, which doubles as a protection flap for the sensor.
- Nice pouch.

All of this said, I am instead using a Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black).
I don't think one is clearly better than the other. Choosing one vs. the other is a question of personal preference and priorities.

Here are the main differences:
- The VX Nano is quite a bit lighter (by 30-40%) and it makes a noticeable difference. The Anywhere MX is a bit heavier to begin with, but more importantly, it uses AA batteries vs. AAA for the VX Nano. Note that despite the larger batteries (about 2x capacity), The SetPoint software is predicting ~100 days for the Anywhere's AA and ~150 for the VX' AAA, so I guess the new "dark field" laser uses 2-3x more power. I thought of using AA-AAA adapters to keep the weight difference down, but that would drop the battery life to <2 months. For me, that was the biggest deciding factor with the next bullet. UPDATE: I have since discovered that the Anywhere MX can work with a single AA battery, which IMHO keeps the weight more reasonable.
- The VX Nano is quite a bit cheaper. Now that it's not the "best" Logitech laptop mouse, its price has dropped quite a bit. While the Anywhere MX price is pegged close to MSRP, the VX Nano's price is oscillating up to 40% cheaper than the Anywhere MX. That's a big difference.
- The Anywhere MX can be used on any surface. In comparison, the VX Nano can only be used on most surfaces. It's still extremely competent and works on fabric, many shiny surfaces... anything you'll normally find in a home or an office, and is much better than old red LED-based mice. It does not, however, work on transparent surfaces. If that's important, then the Anywhere MX is the only option.
- The VX Nano has the back/forward buttons on the top vs the Anywhere MX on the side for the more traditional thumb access. Advantage Anywhere MX here. Those top buttons on the VX Nano are not great and I think that was one of the main complaints. I am glad Logitech listened.
- The on/off button on the Anywhere MX is easier to use (flap to slide vs. hold for 3 seconds).
- Both mice get a pouch. The VX Nano has a mesh pouch that's a bit baggy. The Anywhere MX has a tight smooth pouch. It's a near tie.
- The VX Nano comes with a USB extension with holder to use with a desktop. The Anywhere MX doesn't. Not a big deal IMHO.
- The Anywhere MX has the new Nano receiver that can support several devices. The VX Nano has the "old" one. They are the same size though and behave identically with a single device. In particular, there is no pairing and initial latency issues as seen on Bluetooth devices.

It is great mouse, and I can definitely recommend it if you are looking for new laptop mouse. Here are some more details:
1. Appearance: It is very similar to VX Nano, but has better rubber and color coating.

2. Size: It is a bit larger than VX Nano. (I assume the new laser technology, Dark-Field might be required more space. Another obvious reason is two AA batteries are used rather than AAA batteries which are used in VX Nano. Anyway, this mouse is still small enough to easily carry around.)

3. Left & Right buttons: They are a bit heavier touch than VX Nano. I don't like heavy touch on left & right buttons because it makes my fingers get tired faster. It is my preference, so other people could like a bit heavier touch.

4. Back & Forward buttons: They are a little difficult to click with my thumb (I believe my hand is typical size). They should be located same as VX Nano.

5. Hyper-fast scrolling: I always love this scrolling mechanism since it was introduced, and it is one key reason I prefer Logitech mouse. But, there is one problem that its rubber band around the hyper-fast scrolling can be loosed in some time. After the rubber band is loosed, it makes erratic resistance while it is spinning. I guess it may not be a problem to someone, but to me, it is serious problem because I use it all the time. I think Logitech should do something about the rubber band.

6. Dark-Field Laser tracking: I don't know how much it is more accurate and precise than typical laser tracking, but I can be sure that it can be used almost any surfaces including glass & laminated surface which typical laser or optical mouse wouldn't work. It is truly amazing. You will love this.

7. Carrying Case: It is come with carrying case which seems to look better, but its size is smaller than the carrying case of VX nano. So, it has very tight fit which makes a bit difficult to be zipped. I have switched its carrying case with VX nano carrying case.

8. Battery life: at this point, I cannot say much about it, but assume Anywhere MX consumes a little bit more battery since it uses AA rather than AAA. Plus, the dark-field laser tracking mechanism might be required more power than typical laser tracking.

Last thing is "SetPoint" program which is its driver from Logitech. It gives some options to customize each button, but limitation. I might suggest "uberOptions"([...]) which allows customizing each button any way you want, but use it at own your risk.

Pros:
- Nano transceiver
- Darkfield tracking
- Forward/back buttons on side
- Carrying case included
- Hyper scroll wheel

Cons:
- Price
- Ergonomics (or lack thereof)
- Hyper scroll wheel (see full review)
- Storage location for nano transceiver

Full Review:
I'm a very picky keyboard/mouse person first off so a 3 rating really is probably more of a 4 but read on and judge for yourself...

Sadly, when I went looking for a mouse for my refreshed company laptop, I could not find something I was comfortable holding on to and had an appropriate set of features: nano transceiver or Bluetooth, small size, forward/backward side buttons, etc. I saw in the store the Anywhere MX and despite the price of $79.99 plus discounts I thought I would give it a try.

From an external point of view it had everything I was hoping for. I opened the box and knew what to expect. The setup was non-existent; everything was plug and play. The size was still a bit larger than I was expecting but it was still compact and usable. Amazingly, thanks to the hyped Darkfield technology, the mouse tracked on my desk and just about anywhere else I put it. The hyper-scroll, which I've used for some time on my G9 on my desktop, made scrolling through pages of text so much easier than a standard mouse wheel. The nano transceiver was one, for the first time ever, I was comfortable putting into a laptop and leaving there.

So why the 3? Well, let's start with the transceiver. Yes, it's small and tiny and is supposed to work with many of Logitech's products but as one reviewer said, that list is only 3 mice and 2 keyboards at the moment. It doesn't make it worthwhile to get the mouse for the unifying part unless you're getting one of the other items first. Moreover, the transceiver - let's say you decide to take it out - has its storage location IN the mouse. You have to take the cover off as if you were getting at the batteries to store the transceiver. It's a rather large annoyance for such a small thing.

Next, the hyper-scroll, while useful and one of my favorite inventions of Logitech from recent memory, has a flaw on this model in that to switch it from free-scroll to notched, you use the scroll wheel as if it were the middle mouse button. This means, for those who are quick to realize, that the middle mouse button feature is gone from this mouse...kinda. Actually, if you don't install the SetPoint software, XP treats the application switch button below the scroll wheel as the middle mouse button so guess it really depends if you're going to use the application switch button and the hyper-scroll wheel together or not.

Moving on, this mouse, while diminutive by design, is very uncomfortable. I knew getting it that it would be similar to another Logitech product on display there and thought that maybe the newer model would fix any design issues from previous ones. Rather, they just took the same outer shell, moved a few buttons around, and repackaged it. For someone with slightly larger hands I can't use this mouse for very long or very seriously without my hand cramping up.

Finally, this mouse has a pretty steep price point as most of Logitech's tech-oriented mice have in the past. I'm not saying $80 isn't worth it but honestly this mouse should probably be half the cost considering what you're getting.

Parting thoughts: Overall, this mouse packs a lot of features into a very small space. The size is perfect for a portable mouse but that's put before comfort which is my biggest gripe with this product. For someone with a smaller hand size, who will be leaving the transceiver plugged in all the time, and who doesn't need the application switch and middle mouse button, this is the perfect portable mouse assuming you have the money to spend on it. For me, I'll be returning the mouse to the store I bought it from and getting another mouse, possibly the Performance MX, instead.

This is really a great mouse, the darkfield laser technology works great. I have yet to find surface that it will not track on and properly work. It REALLY does work on clear glass (and all other surfaces I have tried so far). I am often using my laptop in locations where it seems like all the available working surfaces are glass or some other material that doesn't work well with laser mice, and I believe I have found a solution to that with this mouse.
If you are looking for a new laptop mouse (it's would also work great as a desktop mouse, if you don't like the big bulky ones - and prefer something a bit smaller) then I highly suggest you give this one a try, you will not be disappointed.

Used this in conjuction with a Logitech Wireless Keyboard K350, $53.

Love the nano USB receiver and Unifying software. Was looking for the capability to quickly transfer keyboard and mouse functionality between a desktop and a laptop without having multiple devices and this fit the bill nicely. Unifying software has to be loaded to link more than one device to a nano USB receiver. Transfering a device to different nano USB receiver on a different pc was as simple as switching the device off and back on again using the easily accessible on/off switch. The Unifying software also plays well with a Logitech Trackman I had hooked up allowing different settings for each device via a drop down selection. Interestingly settings in both the Microsoft control panel and Logitech Setpoing software affect the mouse simultaneously. For example, increasing pointer speed and/or acceleration in both has a multiplying affect on the Anywhere MX and it becomes almost too fast. Have noticed a few times where mouse settings do not seem to fully save and may disappear on reboot, but have not had time to investigate when this is happening or potential causes. Seems to be more prevalent on my Vista desktop, but not an issue with the XP laptops I have tried them out on.

Mouse buttons are well thought out for a right handed person and customizable. Position of the forward and back buttons may cause accidental pushes for a left handed person (same as my Microsoft Laser 5000 does for me as a right handed user). Other great features are the hyper-scrolling (wheel spins effortlessly) and internal storage slot for a nano USB receiver. I tend to forget the side-to-side scrolling is available, but maybe will improve with time.

My only real hesitancy in recommending the Anywhere MX is the price at $70. If you don't need to the dark field feature for use on glass, consider the Logitech M305 on sale recently for $30. The M305 doesn't feel as hefty and solid, but does have almost all the same functionality. Finding a M305 in a conservative silver and black amid all the art deco designs was strangely a bit of a challenge, but they do exist. [I also keep hoping Logitech will come out with a Trackman style mouse which uses the nano USB receiver, but their customer service department couldn't say one way or the other.]