Opinions on CM mice? Particularly the Alcor!

[pizza_is_a_lie]

Looking at getting myself a mouse but I think I'd rather get one which doesn't need software. Thus, I've been contemplating the Alcor.

What are peoples thoughts on this mouse? Are there better alternatives out there (in the UK, in the £30 ballpark)?

[Bucake]

Looking at getting myself a mouse but I think I'd rather get one which doesn't need software. Thus, I've been contemplating the Alcor.

What are peoples thoughts on this mouse? Are there better alternatives out there (in the UK, in the £30 ballpark)?

have you looked into zowie mice? they're very reliable (and driver-less). though, they might be a little expensive.
i believe the alcor is alright, but it's just that it's a little dated. i remember reading about it having a very high LOD.
the sensor in the alcor is fine, but the 3310 sensor (found in most zowie mice) is just a safer bet (tad more reliable).

anyway, the alcor would definitely not be a bad buy. but keep in mind that you will likely have a high LOD, and the lowest dpi step is 800.

[pizza_is_a_lie]

At Overclockers in the UK, EVERY Zowie is £50. What makes them each different?   )

[Bucake]

At Overclockers in the UK, EVERY Zowie is £50. What makes them each different?   )

i'm pretty sure that only the shapes are different.
the ZA11, ZA12, ZA13, EC1-A, EC2-A, FK1 and FK2 all use the same 3310 sensor, the same matte coating and the same switches.

it's a shame about the high price - but i suppose 95% of gaming mice are highly overpriced :-)

i'm pretty sure the alcor is a good mouse. it's up to you to imagine if the high LOD might be an issue.
sensor-wise, the biggest difference is that the 3090 (of the alcor) only has the 800 and 4000 steps that are native to the hardware, while the 3310 has all steps native.
but, considering the price-difference, it's hard for me to recommend you a zowie mouse over the alcor.
and most people definitely prefer the (omron) switches of the alcor over the (huano) switches of the zowie-mice.

i most certainly would not recommend any zowie mouse other than the ones i mentioned above, they're all too unreliable.

[pizza_is_a_lie]

800 kind of is high. In Windows, isn't the standard DPI like 600?

[Bucake]

800 kind of is high. In Windows, isn't the standard DPI like 600?

the sensitivity of windows is merely a multiplier of the sent data of your mouse.
the first opticals (like the WMO and IMO) used 400dpi, but nowadays the standard is 800+ (because resolutions of monitors are going up and up).

the default windows multiplier is 1.
with the default windows multiplier of 1; your cursor will move 1 pixel for every pixel the sensor scans.
but if you'd crank up that windows multiplier to 2, then your cursor will move 2 pixels for every pixel the sensor scans.
so, in terms of speed, 400dpi with a windows multiplier of 2 will be the same as 800dpi with a windows multiplier of 1.

anyway; i'd be surprised if 800dpi would really be too high for you if you use a common present resolution like 1920x1080.
any idea how much dpi your prior mice have been, and what your windows multiplier was set to?

[pizza_is_a_lie]

Yeah, I'm on 1920x1080 but I've been using a cheapo Dell mouse. In the mouse settings within Windows, the multiplier was exactly half way along the bar so I'm not sure what this translates to!

[Bucake]

Yeah, I'm on 1920x1080 but I've been using a cheapo Dell mouse. In the mouse settings within Windows, the multiplier was exactly half way along the bar so I'm not sure what this translates to!

that doesn't really tell me about the dpi of your mouse; dell has made a lot of different mice :-)
i presume you don't have the box anymore? ;p
you could check the bottom of the mouse, sometimes it says how much dpi it is.

exactly in the middle would be 6/11 (the sixth of eleven notches), which is the default multiplier of 1.
theoretically that's the best setting, and i suggest you to leave it on there for all eternity.
and for when you get your new mouse; i definitely recommend to make sure that "Enhance pointer precision" is unchecked :-)

[davkol]

The newer firmware reduces alcor LOD a lot.

that doesn't really tell me about the dpi of your mouse; dell has made a lot of different mice :-)
i presume you don't have the box anymore? ;p
you could check the bottom of the mouse, sometimes it says how much dpi it is.

Dell don't make mice, only rebrand them. For example, the dark blue/silver mouse shipped with optiplex desktops in mid 2000's was made by Logitech, had a terrible 400dpi sensor, cheapo switches and a heavy-metal weight inside. I haven't disassembled the newer ones.

[pizza_is_a_lie]

The newer firmware reduces alcor LOD a lot.

Does it put it above the Zowies, though?

And it checks out I'm using some old HP thing at 1000dpi. HP X1000.

[woll3]

Looking at getting myself a mouse but I think I'd rather get one which doesn't need software.

You dont "need" software for any kind of mouse, just saying.