Now, on to those buttons.

Like all Logitech mice, all of the buttons on the MX 1000 Laser are user programmable. For example, rather than use the thumb button for application switching, I have it programmed to activate the CTRL key. And I have the wheel button programmed as a double-click.

The rapid-scroll rocker is the bee's knees. Along with the side scrolling of the wheel, and the Forward and Back rocker on the thumb, navigation of your computer has reached levels of ease that only complete voice control could top. The scrolling speed on both the rapid scrolling and side scrolling is programmable too.

Why do we need a rapid-scroll rocker? Well, I like to have my scroll wheel set to a one-line advance, which makes scrolling quickly through a long document tiresome, and who wants to have to work the slider or click those little arrows to scroll up and down. The rapid-scroll rocker makes life so much easier.

The side-scroll rocker on the wheel is so convenient. This is something that's been needed for a long time. And I've never been much of one for the old Forward and Back buttons on a mouse, but it's nice to have it available.

So what does all this mean? In a word, convenience. Logitech has put all of the most frequently used navigation features right on the mouse itself, making life easier for you, the user.

How does the RF work? It works pretty well. You literally can mouse from across the room. Why would you want to? I don't know, but you can. [Well, here's an example: if you have one of those Media Center PCs and your PC is plugged into your TV and you want to mouse from the couch, assuming the signal would reach, you could. -- Ed.]

I did encounter a problem with mousing from around a corner, but who'd be doing that anyway? The point is, there's no need to make sure you're lined up with the base station like with IR.

How does the charge hold up? Darn well. I've been using it on the first charge for a week now and the four-stage power bar has only dropped by two. And with the rapid charger, there's not much chance of it actually running out, unless you intentionally let it.

To save power, the mouse goes into Standby mode within seconds of losing input. In addition, there's a power button on the bottom to completely turn it off. My initial thoughts were that I would keep it turned off and in the base station when I wasn't using it, but there's just no need to be that miserly with the power.

Conclusion
What do I think of the Logitech MX 1000 Laser cordless mouse? I think it's about the best mouse to come down the pike in a long time. Not only could I not find anything wrong with it, I can't even think of anything that would make it better. There's just nothing to complain about.

Logitech has really hit a grand slam with the MX 1000 Laser cordless mouse. It works better than any mouse I've ever had, and the functionality of all the buttons is more than convenient, and the ergonomic design feels like it was made just for my hand. If you can't be happy with this mouse, then you can't be happy.