A Quick Review on the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse (9.9/10)

My previous mouse (The Microsoft Sidewinder, an exceptional mouse) wore out a few days ago, so I got the opportunity to get a new one. I decided on the Saitek Cyborg R.A.T. 7 mouse, this time purchased from Best Buy (Who have amazing warranty, by the way).
Despite it's shining reviews, I was a little nervous purchasing it, simply because of how unusual its design is, and I wondered if the many ways to adjust it would get in the way or be uncomfortable. However, upon using it for the first time I had my answer - not at all! So here's a little review on it.

Design - 10/10
The revolutionary design of this mouse is based completely on being adjustable to fit each gamer's needs. The idea is cool enough, but the execution was flawless! The only thing I could as for is palm height being adjustable as well, but it's really not necessary. And they couldn't have made it look much cooler, either! There's two other types of palm and pinky rests and a custom weight system, all of which that aren't used are stored in the nifty tin that comes with it. In terms of design and appearance, I completely give it a perfect 10. (As a side note, I love the "Rapid-Fire" written on the left mouse button. It's cool.)

Function - 9.8/10
The buttons are all nice and sensitive, and the DPI range is nice (800-5600). I love the DPI switching button below the scroll wheel, and the way the adjusting tool is stored in the back of the palm, with the weight system. The precision is excellent as well, thanks to the dual-eye tracking system which reads each axis separately.
The only complaints I have are that the two thumb buttons are a little too long, which makes the rear one harder to reach, and the thumb scroll wheel is nice, but I have yet to find a really good function for it aside from weapon switching.
One feature I'm particularly impressed with is the button located at the tip of the thumb. This button activates Precision Aim mode, which instantly reduces your mouse sensitivity by a customizable amount while activated, without changing your DPI. This makes, say, sniping in an FPS much easier. The metal chassis also adds a rock-solid feel, and the braided cable is another lovely feature.
In addition, they made the adjustments so easy to do. It's very nice!

Packaging - 9.9/10
The packaging is very well designed, with some interesting angles and a magnetically-shut viewing door with more information on the mouse on the inside of it, and a robotic dinosaur beautifying the inside and outside of the box. The angles on the corners made it a little difficult to take the plastic and cardboard that sealed the mouse and the tin inside a little difficult to get out, but not too much.
Very attractive package, which most definitely says that Saitek is proud of this product. I would be too!

Software - 9.9/10
The software for setting the 4 DPI settings, the reduction in Precision Aim mode, key commands, etc. is spectacularly easy to use and user friendly, and looks very nice as well.

Overall - 9.9/10
I am in love with this mouse. It performs like a beast, it looks amazing, and it's very comfortable. I would recommend this to any gamer. (Though a mouse like the Razer Naga may be nicer for MMO-exclusive players, as having your hotkeys under your thumbs to leave your hand free for maneuvering or other things is priceless.) I can see myself getting another one when this one wears out - unless a new model (aside from the wireless-optional R.A.T. 9) or something even more revolutionary comes out.

Amazing mouse, and well-deserving of the awards it's gotten, including PC Gamer's Editor's Choice with a rating of 98/100, IGN's Best of 2010, and Maximum PC's full 10 rating and comment of "Best Gaming Mouse Ever."

Here's the website for it - http://cyborggaming.com/prod/rat7.htm

Drew

Sickness And The Future!

I'm sick as a dog right now. Which gets rather old, rather quickly.
On the bright side, I'm so close to graduating I can almost taste it. I'm really really excited. I just need to brush up on my math a little more and I'll be good for my tests. After that, this summer will be spent studying my Computer Service and Repair book, and hopefully getting my IT certification sometime this year. After that I'll be able to find a job in the field I like, and get some experience while I save money for college. Which I'm also kind of excited about (but really nervous because while I'm not necessarily a slow learner, I'm not a great mass-information-studier - I hope it doesn't prove too overwhelming for me).
I'm getting less hours at work than I was in fall, which is okay because I'm really starting to treasure and enjoy the time I have at home. Before I started working, I thought having a part-time job would be a low-stress, work-every-so-often-to-make-some-cash sort of thing. I'm not sure if it's specifically my job/workplace or if it's everywhere, but I was completely wrong. It's really stressful sometimes, especially before inventory or inspections, and I was working full-time hours in fall because they needed me so badly. It's definitely a shock at first. I'm not necessarily looking forward to working full-time for the rest of my life. But it shouldn't be too bad if I get a job I enjoy with an acceptable working environment. Which could be harder to find than I think right now.
Anyways, it's late and I should sleep, because I want to feel better!

Drew