Performance
I prefer a wider mouse for almost every application, and the Legendary just the right size to support both the thumb and ring finger. Since the ring-finger has a rest of its own, the pinky finger takes the role of gripping the right side of the mouse, combined with the thumb on the right. As mentioned in the design section of this article, because the thumb is still used to steer the mouse in any direction, the buttons directly underneath are susceptible to accidental triggers. I'm used to a more finger-tip grip with my mice, so the somewhat shorter length took a little getting used to, but was still comfortable in the end.

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I'm not a huge fan of the finish on the top of the mouse, however. The glossy finish, in addition to being difficult to photograph, can be difficult to grip. Granted, the thumb and ring/pinky fingers are used for griping (and therefore have a more slip-resistant coating), but the gloss does extend to the left- and right-click buttons. There were times when I would try to wake myself up in the morning, before a shower, with a little gaming. A simple scratch of the head was catastrophic, enough oil from my hair to make my finger slide back instead of compressing the left click.

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This isn't due entirely to the finish, nor to my luxurious, full scalp. The distance between the shell on the left- and right-click and the mechanism that fires the signal to the computer seems to be more distant than what I'm used to. To put it simply, it requires more effort to left- or right-click. This isn't a review-breaking trait, and indeed there may be those out there that prefer more resistance on clicks. In combination with the slick finish of the mouse, I found myself constantly wiping my hand to feel as though I had the proper hold on the mouse.

If you have read any of my other writings, you may know I already have a bias against glossy finishes because of how they attract finger prints. Rest assured, however, that regardless how much you touch the Legendary MMO mouse, it will still look great, which is a credit to the material that SteelSeries has decided to use.

In-game performance with the Legendary MMO mouse, especially in World of Warcraft (as you may imagine) is great. Though the mouse is an obvious tribute to the monumental online title, the mouse functions very well for any MMO, though the majority of the software will be moot unless you're fighting for or against the Horde. Converting the button assignments to any other title may require a little effort too, but it is possible.

The CPI, or counts-per-inch, is similar to DPI (dots-per-inch) as most are familiar with. CPI, however, is SteelSeries' claim that is more accurate, and given that DPI originated as a printing term, they may be on to something. Regardless, I am lucky in that my typical value is included in the four which can be selected from. In addition, SteelSeries has included a nice range of users here with support from low, 400 CPI settings (we usually see 800 here), and high 3200 CPI settings (again, usually somewhere in the 2000 field). Regardless, if you're one of those picky gamers who NEEDS their setting to be 1785, for instance, you'll have to compromise with the nearest value available through the software.

Typically, I enjoy a software suite that is compact so I can leave it open without it being too obtrusive to other windows. While the Legendary MMO's suite is just about the ideal size, the use of so many drop down menus is as good a reason to have an adjustable window as any, or at least one that can be maximized to full screen. This sort of function is available in SteelSeries' new Engine software, as we have seen with the Shift and Sensei peripherals. However, the Legendary MMO mouse software is locked at one size. Luckily, this sort of thing is software-based and can easily be patched (hint hint).

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garfi3ld's Avatar
garfi3ld replied the topic: #20117 28 Sep 2011 08:09
A big week in reviews!
Wingless92's Avatar
Wingless92 replied the topic: #20118 28 Sep 2011 08:13
This WoW mouse looks a whole lot better than the first one. Great review Adam. Nothing but the best.

Also loving the layout of this one.
Kelf's Avatar
Kelf replied the topic: #20133 29 Sep 2011 05:57
Nicely done adam. Very impressed with the mouse, it looked great, if I still played wow (does anyone?) I would be all over it.

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