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Having used an Intellimouse Explorer followed by a Logitech MX1000 for a number of years I had switched to a Razer Copperhead (which just was the wrong mouse for me) and then on to a Microsoft Sidewinder X8 (which recently broke). When I looked around for a larger mouse not a whole lot of good choices came up though someone in the what gaming mouse do you use/love? thread suggested the Roccat Kone+.
Unfortunately there's no US supplier for this mouse and so I ordered one from the UK in mid January. It finally arrived and here is a write-up on couple things that immediately stood out to me.
I will spare you the unboxing etc, you can check Youtube there are a few videos out there about the unboxing and the drivers.
The mouse is made in China (what isn't these days) but it has a high quality feel to it. Just like with so many other mice manufacturers Roccat too insisted on placing a sticker around the sensor opening which will eventually start to accumulate dust/gunk. To me that's truly disappointing.
Even with all four 5g weights installed my subjective feel is that the mouse is lighter than the X8 (which I have already tossed so I can't compare). The Roccat Kone+ weighs in at 5.1 oz. I have a Logitech G700 here as comparison and it weighs 5.4 oz, which feels better to me as I like heavier mice. Of course the X8 and the G700 are wireless and the internal battery contributes to the weight.
Another disappointment was that the mouse wasn't recognized as such by Windows 7 Pro 64bit. It did recognize that a USB device was attached but that was the end of it, the "failed to install/locate driver" message appeared. While this isn't a deal breaker it certainly is annoying and just plain bizarre. The mouse was recognized after a reboot, even without drivers installed.
I took some pics (hosted on Imageshack, just mentioning this for those who have it blocked) to compare the Kone+ to the G700.
This one shows the Kone+ and the G700 in length comparison. The two mice have basically the same length:
When it comes to width the Kone+ is a bit wider and/or simply differently shaped than the G700. I didn't take a pic of the arch but while the G700 arch is higher the Kone+ feels better for palm grip since it is wider. The G700 feels a tad too narrow for my palm grip:
Another minor gripe I have about the Kone+ is the thickness and rigidness of the cord. Razer has certainly shown that cords can be thinner and more flexible. The Sidewinder X8 cord was extremely thin and flexible in comparison to the Kone+ but also the Copperhead. Ignore the dust on the copperhead, I just pulled it out of the garage to take this shot:
Other than these issues the mouse has a good feel to it. Love the way it is customizable and the EasyShift+ which lets you essentially double up on mouse button assignments. The mouse wheel is not spinning freely as with the G700, it has a very tactile "click and stop" while scrolling unlike the G700's wheel which you can give a little bump and it will spin for the next 15 seconds.
Of all the mice I had in recent years, and considering that the MX1000 with its 1000dpi is really too low res for today's monitors, I like the Roccat Kone+ best in how it fits my hand. Buying this mouse was also yet another reminder of how subjective mouse feel is. The G700 appears to be a great mouse, but it just doesn't feel right in my hand while the Kone+ is close to perfect.
I paid $112 shipped for it, $85 for the mouse and $27 for shipping. I do think that it's worth the $85 which basically puts it into the same price range as other high end mice. I also think that a total of $112 is a bit much but what can you do when they don't sell it in the US.
I bought this from AireTech IT and would not buy from them again. Order processing and communication were excellent but packaging was sub par. The mouse was shipped in two layers of small bubble wrap and a plastic bag. If I were to order something from Europe again I would insist on the item being shipped in a box. The mouse arrived in perfect condition but the retail packaging was significantly dented/smashed which would have been very embarrassing if this would have been intended as a gift rather than for personal use.
Unfortunately there's no US supplier for this mouse and so I ordered one from the UK in mid January. It finally arrived and here is a write-up on couple things that immediately stood out to me.
I will spare you the unboxing etc, you can check Youtube there are a few videos out there about the unboxing and the drivers.
The mouse is made in China (what isn't these days) but it has a high quality feel to it. Just like with so many other mice manufacturers Roccat too insisted on placing a sticker around the sensor opening which will eventually start to accumulate dust/gunk. To me that's truly disappointing.
Even with all four 5g weights installed my subjective feel is that the mouse is lighter than the X8 (which I have already tossed so I can't compare). The Roccat Kone+ weighs in at 5.1 oz. I have a Logitech G700 here as comparison and it weighs 5.4 oz, which feels better to me as I like heavier mice. Of course the X8 and the G700 are wireless and the internal battery contributes to the weight.
Another disappointment was that the mouse wasn't recognized as such by Windows 7 Pro 64bit. It did recognize that a USB device was attached but that was the end of it, the "failed to install/locate driver" message appeared. While this isn't a deal breaker it certainly is annoying and just plain bizarre. The mouse was recognized after a reboot, even without drivers installed.
I took some pics (hosted on Imageshack, just mentioning this for those who have it blocked) to compare the Kone+ to the G700.
This one shows the Kone+ and the G700 in length comparison. The two mice have basically the same length:
When it comes to width the Kone+ is a bit wider and/or simply differently shaped than the G700. I didn't take a pic of the arch but while the G700 arch is higher the Kone+ feels better for palm grip since it is wider. The G700 feels a tad too narrow for my palm grip:
Another minor gripe I have about the Kone+ is the thickness and rigidness of the cord. Razer has certainly shown that cords can be thinner and more flexible. The Sidewinder X8 cord was extremely thin and flexible in comparison to the Kone+ but also the Copperhead. Ignore the dust on the copperhead, I just pulled it out of the garage to take this shot:
Other than these issues the mouse has a good feel to it. Love the way it is customizable and the EasyShift+ which lets you essentially double up on mouse button assignments. The mouse wheel is not spinning freely as with the G700, it has a very tactile "click and stop" while scrolling unlike the G700's wheel which you can give a little bump and it will spin for the next 15 seconds.
Of all the mice I had in recent years, and considering that the MX1000 with its 1000dpi is really too low res for today's monitors, I like the Roccat Kone+ best in how it fits my hand. Buying this mouse was also yet another reminder of how subjective mouse feel is. The G700 appears to be a great mouse, but it just doesn't feel right in my hand while the Kone+ is close to perfect.
I paid $112 shipped for it, $85 for the mouse and $27 for shipping. I do think that it's worth the $85 which basically puts it into the same price range as other high end mice. I also think that a total of $112 is a bit much but what can you do when they don't sell it in the US.
I bought this from AireTech IT and would not buy from them again. Order processing and communication were excellent but packaging was sub par. The mouse was shipped in two layers of small bubble wrap and a plastic bag. If I were to order something from Europe again I would insist on the item being shipped in a box. The mouse arrived in perfect condition but the retail packaging was significantly dented/smashed which would have been very embarrassing if this would have been intended as a gift rather than for personal use.
