Testing the mouse

Testing the mouse

So I've been using the mouse for a little while now just to check out how well I like it in gaming and normal desktop usage. Personally I'm still using the good old Microsoft Trackball Explorer series. Why on earth they stopped making these nifty things, beats me.

Anyway, the Sentinel Advance, the mouse is very responsive and everything you can expect from a mouse in this price-range and more... and I say 'this price range' on purpose, as the one thing this mouse definitely is not, is cheap. Right now we see it coming online in web shops for 60-70 EUR, which granted is a lot of money for a mouse.

Testing a mouse is a very subjective thing to do as everybody has different needs, experiences and requirements. I tried a couple of games like BIA: Hell's Highway and Call of Duty 5 as I do like to snipe in such games and this does make the Sentinel Advance shine.

The ability to switch DPIs on the fly in games is something that I really like. I'm certainly not switching in-between DPI modes or anything that often, yet I do seem to get to my target (in-game) more quickly. Example: when I'm sniping I want precision and the mouse to function not too erratically; so I set it at 1100 DPI with the flick of a button. When I take my shot and have to move out of the danger zone quickly I take another weapon and go into a more shoot 'em up scenario; then I want that mouse to behave really fast and could take it to 3800 DPI. The difference is really distinct and handy.

One thing that I did notice is that the left DPI switch button selects an upwards DPI, and the right one lowers it. That really should have been the other way around, it feels unnatural.

The mouse can scan 5600 DPI, but does it really matter if that laser light is scanning 1100, 2600 or 5600 dots per inch? Well, that's the subjective part I guess. I however do enjoy this mouse. Precision is really good. And thanks to the use of a wire you do not have lag or slowdown that you might experience (as a hardcore gamer) with wireless mice.

So the response time and accuracy certainly feel good as well. The dual laser optical engine combines high precision movement with light weight, making the mouse easier to move quickly and repeatedly.

Personally I really like the selectable DPI levels, it just really makes the difference in first person shooters with fast high action, versus say a sniper level where you quickly want to lower your DPI precision so that your mouse pointer can be steered towards your target more accurately.

Other than that the mouse feels right in many ways, though it is quite a bulky mouse to handle.

I have no clue if a dual-laser design really works, but sure, that might just be a marketing gimmick. As a manufacturer you want to diversify yourself from the competition.

The mouse itself, like many others, is just on par with everything. The buttons are positioned well enough; except my remark on the DPI switch buttons that is.