If there was kinzu with Xai sensor, that would be really perfect mouse.
hi! first post here, so excuse any errors :)
i'm a fingertip grip mouse user and i've been using WMO 1.1a, Salmosa, Abyssus etc etc. none have the right shape/size though.
so when i saw the Xai and Kinzu i got really excited :D
unfortunately the Xai really is too big for me and i HATE side buttons... and the Kinzu sensor is.. uh.. just plain horrible.
so i decided to mod my Kinzu and replace the sensor with the Xai's!
some things to note if you try this yourself:
- you risk ruining both mice. expensive!
- not all the Xai features will fit into the Kinzu shell;
- no LCD (it's possible to do, but beyond my level of skill and needs)
- no side buttons / profile switch (it's possible to do, but beyond my level of skill and needs)
first detach everything!
some tools you'll need are a Soldering Iron, Desolder Pump (or wick or whatever you prefer to use for desoldering) and some Solder. oh and a Dremel or something to carve up plastic :)
the wheels are different sizes, so you'll need to change them.
you'll notice that the Kinzu scroll wheel component is higher and indented by 1mm compared to the Xai scroll wheel. you'll need to desolder the Xai scroll wheel and replace it with the Kinzu scroller.
the USB cable won't fit round the side of the Kinzu, so you'll need to thread it under the PCB and maybe cut away some plastic from the side.
you'll also need to trim the plastic from the Xai USB braid cable guard thing to get it to fit in the holder
personally i felt the Xai middle click was a little stiff for my liking, so i placed several layers of electrical tape to make it extra sensitive.
empty out the interior of the Kinzu base, clearing away the Mouse1/Cable area.
the under shell of the Kinzu weighs about 22g and i personally find it to be unbalanced. when i pick the mouse up to reset position, i notice that the backside of the mouse drags on the mouse mat. to remedy this i cut away some unneeded plastic.
yay! now the backside is lighter and the whole mouse will feel a more balanced :D
to secure the PCB into place i decided to drill some holes in the sides...
... and combine 2x cable ties to lock down the sensor. cut away any excess cable tie :)
as you cut away the undershell, you'll need to carve away the Mouse2 area. this is so that the Xai clickers will fit into the Kinzu. be patient and keep checking if it fits. the only way i could fit the Xai board into the Kinzu was by removing the screw socket at Mouse2 :/ this means you'll only have 3 screws.
final step - burn the hideous glides that came with the Kinzu and replace them with Teflon :D
install the Xai drivers and away you go!
i also highly recommend the SteelSeries 9HD hard mouse mat with this sensor.
after years and years of searching, i now have my perfect mouse.
extremely happy! :D