Logitech wireless mouse M305 — M310 and M705 — a mini review for left handed people

© 2016 Peter Free

 

19 August 2016

 

Photograph of Logitech computer mice, including M305, M310 and M705.

 

 

© 2016 Peter Free

 

19 August 2016

 

 

Logitech product confusion

 

Logitech manufactures a wide and confusing array of mice and keyboards. Sometimes a model goes "obsolete" for no evident reason, and Logitech's parsimonious website does a poor job of helping you find a ballpark replacement.

 

A case in point is the no longer produced M305 mouse reviewed here. This was an excellent product. I am guessing, based on my recent experience with the M310, that Logitech decided that the M305 was too high quality and replaced it something less costly to produce and less appealing in use.

 

If you read Amazon customers' reviews of Logitech's currently produced M187 Mini Mouse — even the highly favorable assessments — you may intuit that the Mini seems to be a cheap and watered down version of the previous and less complicated M305.

 

 

Distinguishing these Logitech "mice"

 

These three reviewed computer "mouses" ascend in size. The M305 (no longer produced) is smallest. The M705 is largest.

 

Curiously, the 305 — despite weighing very slightly less than the noticeably larger M310 — feels nicely more solid.

 

The M305 and M310 are symmetrical. The M705 is designed for right hands. It comes with thumb-actuated programmable function button on its left side.

 

The 705 uses the same wireless USB receiver that communicates with Logitech's MK710 (PC-intended) keyboard. Neither the M305 nor the M310's USB receivers are compatible with the 710 keyboard.

 

Logitech now partly skirts this problem by producing Bluetooth equipment. I am not, however, convinced that Bluetooth is as reliable as the old USB receivers were. Every Bluetooth item that I own seems to be moody, when it comes to pairing and demonstrating a reliable connection with input devices.

 

 

The old M305 mouse versus the new M310

 

The M305 mouse feels solid and has enough concentrated heft to feel good. Its scroll wheel has a nice semi-clicking feel. I have two 305s. Both scroll well.

 

In comparison, the M310 seems too light for its size and feels cheap as a result. Its scroll wheel cannot make up its mind whether to click or be smoothly rolling. Over time, these erratic changes in scroll feel become irritating.

 

My sample of the 310 also scrolls more slowly than the two other mice. This characteristic seems not to be a defect, but simply a reflection of its apparently low quality build.

 

The more nicely crafted M305 performs well as nice laptop computer companion. Were it not so petite, I would use it with my desktop.

 

 

The right-handed, programmable M705

 

A few years ago, I reviewed the M705 Marathon mouse. Its primary drawback is its right hand only design.

 

For lefties, the mouse's left side thumb buttons are too easily pressed. When clicked, these buttons change pages or programs, or send the document cursor to some place far away. This gets time-consuming, if you use computers all day.

 

You can program or deactivate these buttons by downloading Logitech's Control Center software. I deactivated them, so that I can use the mouse left-handed without making inadvertent trips to some place I don't want to go.

 

 

The moral? — You may want to avoid the M310's cheap feel and not-so-nice scroll wheel

 

The M305 (if you can still find one) and the M705, however, work well.

 

That said, the 705 will annoy most left-handed users, if its right side thumb buttons are left operable. These, however, can be turned off with Logitech's Control Center application. Though disabling the buttons diminishes the mouse's programmable purpose, it makes using the M705 less aggravating for lefties.

 

I am still looking for a symmetrical mouse that combines decent heft with an appealing scroll. A giant M305 would have been ideal.