Comment by pxc | Hacker News Reader

Comment by pxc | Hacker News Reader

Is there anything like this on Windows? Logitech mice are mostly nice, but one of their major flaws is that their macro capability is not onboard but requires some kind of supplemental software like this, so even just binding a single button to multiple keystrokes as a chord is not possible without G-Hub.

Linux has stuff like Solaar and Piper/libratbagd, which is great. For macOS, it looks like SteerMouse does quite nicely, even for mice with many extra buttons. So does G-Hub have any alternatives like this on Windows? It would make recommending Logitech mice to Windows-bound friends and family so much easier.

(My favorite forever for these reasons was Roccat, everything their mice can do they can do onboard. Configure your mouse once and you can purge whatever software you've used to do it if you don't like it, without limitations. But hardware quality control with them has long been iffy, and I think since their buyout by Turtle Beach it will only get worse.)

Their major flaw is that they purposefully use shitty switches that fail, sometimes within months. This is true even with their absurdly overpriced gaming mice.

I have never had a mouse whose buttons failed until I bought a logitech. Every person I know raves about them until you ask them how many they've had to buy.

Warranty will often get you a new one. I had a mouse fail about 2.5 years in and they sent a new one.

OTOH, it speaks terribly of their quality; a mouse should work fine for 10-20 years, like some mice from 20 years ago.

Even 20 years ago mices weren't always that reliable. I used to have a Microsoft ball mouse from the late nineties and I remember the micro switch giving up after about 4 years. Even the replacements (albeit much cheaper/more generic brands) from the time didn't fare better, but at least by that point they were all optical.

And I say "replacements" because they all didn't last very long, until I got the memo and started buying decent stuff from brands like... logitech. And then there is the conundrum of going with something even more "premium" than a logitech, there's very little guarantee it's really gonna last. You may be paying twice as much for it but it still ends up lasting about as long.

I can't confirm that. I have a few Logitech devices and they are still fine after years of heavy use (mx ergo, and master series).

Same, been using a MX Vertical daily for almost 5 years now and, aside from flaking off the finish in some places, it works perfectly fine. Battery life is pretty good as well, I think I can avoid using a cable for months

Nah, I deployed Logitech for ~300 users in a manufacturing environment for years and they were just fine. You got unlucky or are beating the shit out of them.

Agree. It's rare to find a failed Logitech mouse.

It is actually quite common for some mice because logitech uses the wrong switches for a 3.3v logic level mouse.

I have a drawer full of failed Logitech mice (about 10).

They're mostly M100(?) mice from the MK120 combos. They basically all start doubleclicking eventually.

They're not all from my personal computer though, probably from about 8 different PCs.

I’ve had a MX1000 (which did not fail but had terrible battery life), a G7 (which double-clicked on the right button after 3 years), a G602 (which just stopped working one day), a G502 (which stopped clicking at all), and a G604 (same).

I won’t claim to be a statistically representative sample, but from my experience their high-end stuff is expected to break after between 2 to 3 years. I kept going back to them because the hardware is very nice when it works. I gave up and bought a Razer Naga about 3 years ago. Hopefully it fares better in the long run.

Semi-agree. I've had 2 mx525s fail within ~6 months of purchase but I've also had a mx anywhere 2s that I bought used and got 3 years of usage out of it before I had to replace the switches.

I wouldn't buy a cheap mouse from them again.

Three years is below what should be considered acceptable, let alone impressive. I got a bit over ten years of really heavy use out of a dirt-cheap Genius mouse ($3-4) before it had to be replaced, and not because of the switches but because of the physical wear of the case.

I've used a G203 ($20) daily for 4 years and it works like new.

Like the others I can't say I have had a mouse button crap out on me. My problem is with the mouse wheels but I'm not sure if that is the manufacturer's problem or poor cleanliness on my part.

I bought some switches from aliexpress for my Logitech G203 and replace them when they fail. I've had it for 5 years now.

If you don't want to worry about this you can get an Asus mouse that is designed to be repairable: https://rog.asus.com/articles/gaming-keyboards-gaming-mice/g...

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