Comparison Asus ROG Gladius II vs Asus ROG Spatha

The type of connection used by the mouse.

All types of mouse connection can be divided into wired and wireless. There are also combined models that allow both methods; however, for a number of reasons, they have not received much distribution.

Wired mice can vary in connector type; however, the universal standard nowadays is USB, other options are much less common (see "Cable" for them). Anyway, such mice are much cheaper than wireless counterparts, moreover, they do not require batteries / accumulators and have an almost unlimited lifespan. On the other hand, the wire restricts mobility and can be inconvenient when connecting, especially if the computer is located far away or in a hard-to-reach place.

Wireless devices, in turn, can connect via radio, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi ; in some models, two options are combined — at the user's choice, (usually radio and Bluetooth). Regardless of the interface used, all such models are more convenient than wired ones due, in fact, to the absence of a cable; and their range is at least a few metres, so a wireless mouse can also work as a kind of remote control. At the same time, a wireless connection is more expensive than a wired connection, and besides, it requires autonomous power supply — as...a result, the period of continuous operation of the mouse is limited.

As for the different types of wireless connection, here are their features:

— Radio. To connect over the air, usually, a wireless adapter is used, which is connected to the USB port of the computer. This method is convenient in that it can be used with any computer, including systems that do not have built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi modules. The disadvantages of this option include the fact that the adapter requires a free connector; as a result, with a small number of USB ports, difficulties can arise. However, this moment, if necessary, can be easily corrected by connecting a USB hub; so it is this connection method that is most popular among modern wireless mice.

— Bluetooth. The main advantage of this connection method is that many modern devices — laptops, most monoblock computers, smart TVs, etc. — have built-in Bluetooth modules. Thus, you can connect the mouse to such equipment directly, without occupying hardware connectors. And for PCs not equipped with internal Bluetooth modules, appropriate adapters are available (which may even be included with the mouse). In addition, some advanced models with such a connection are able to remember several Bluetooth devices at the same time and switch between them literally “with the touch of a button”. The Bluetooth communication range is at least 10 m with line of sight.

— Wi-Fi. A rather specific option, which is extremely rare — in certain models of laptop mice (see "In the direction"). In many respects it is similar to Bluetooth — in particular, it is designed mainly to work with built-in modules and allows you to use a mouse without occupying hardware connectors. At the same time, the range of communication via Wi-Fi is much greater. On the other hand, this advantage is not of fundamental importance, and on the technical side, the creation of Wi-Fi mice is associated with certain difficulties. That is why this type of connection has not received distribution.

The length of the cable that is equipped with a mouse with the possibility of a wired connection (see "Type of connection").

When choosing this parameter, you should first of all take into account the distance from the manipulator to the connection port: a cable that is too short may simply not reach the connector, and a cable that is too long may get tangled at hand and create inconvenience. As for specific values, the most modest wire length in modern mice is 1 m or less ; such devices are intended mainly for laptops. Most desktop manipulators come with cables that are 1.1-1.5m or 1.6-2m long, with some models running longer than 2m.

— Optical. The working element of an optical mouse consists of an LED that illuminates the underlying surface and an optical sensor that photographs this surface at high frequency. On the basis of a number of received images, the mouse electronics concludes about the direction and speed of movement of the manipulator and outputs the corresponding data to the computer. Optical mice are inexpensive, reliable enough and not too demanding on the working surface. Initially, they were poorly compatible with certain types of surfaces — mirror, fur, leather, etc.; however, in most modern optical sensors, this drawback is eliminated, and mice of this type are often quite "omnivorous".

— Laser. According to the principle of operation, laser mice are similar to optical ones (see above). The main difference is that they do not use an LED, but a laser, to illuminate the image. Thus, a narrower beam directivity is provided, and as a result, more accurate cursor positioning, which is especially important when working with complex detailed graphics, in games, etc. Theoretically, the laser is less versatile and not compatible with such an abundance of surfaces as optics, but this difference is noticeable only on specific surfaces like fur, polished metal, etc. But the unequivocal disadvantage of this technology is the higher cost.

— Optical, Bluetrack. Optical mode...ls (see above) using a sensor with BlueTrack technology. This technology was originally developed by Microsoft, but nowadays it is also found in other manufacturers. The most noticeable difference between such sensors and conventional optical ones is the blue colour of the LED (hence the name). In addition, the design provides for a number of improvements: an increased area of illumination of the surface under the mouse, high resolution of the matrix, coated optics. Thanks to this, BlueTrack mice have high accuracy and are able to function even on “difficult” surfaces such as glass, polished stone, carpet pile, etc.

— Optical, V-Track. Optical sensor using V-Track technology. This technology was developed by A4Tech and is used primarily in mice of this brand. One of the key features of V-Track is that the beam of light in such sensors falls on the work surface vertically (rather than obliquely, as in conventional optics). In addition, the light spot size is very small, the light density is high, and the photodetector lens has a very narrow aperture, which gives a large depth of field. Thanks to these improvements, V-Track provides very high accuracy and (according to the creators) is able to work even on volumetric mechs, where other types of sensors are useless. However, mice with this feature are not cheap.

— Laser, V-Track. Laser sensor using V-Track technology. For more information about this technology, see above, but here we note that the use of V-Track in laser mice allows you to get rid of the main drawback of such devices — sensitivity to non-standard surfaces. At the same time, the positioning accuracy characteristic of laser sensors is further increased by V-Track. On the other hand, the price of such devices is high. Therefore, the combination of a laser sensor and V-Track is extremely rare, mainly in premium gaming mice from the same A4Tech.

— Hybrid. The combination of two sensors in the mouse at once — optical and laser. Such a combination allows you to combine the advantages of both technologies and partially compensate for the shortcomings: in terms of accuracy, hybrid mice are not inferior to laser ones, while they are not so sensitive to non-standard surfaces. At the same time, the presence of two sensors significantly affects the price of the device, while it is possible to achieve similar characteristics with one sensor — due to the BlueTrack or V-Track technologies described above. Therefore, hybrid systems have not received distribution.

Resolution of the sensor responsible for tracking mouse movements on the work surface. Specified in DPI — dots per inch.

The physical meaning of DPI as a whole is as follows. The sensor of a modern mouse works on the same principle as the camera matrix, and consists of pixels. And DPI is the number of pixels that fall on 1 inch of the underlying surface (length or width), "visible" by the sensor.

It is believed that more DPI means a more advanced sensor and mouse in general; nowadays, models for 3500 – 5000 DPI, 12000 DPI, 16000 DPI even more are not uncommon. In a way, it is — high resolution contributes to accuracy. However, the only thing that is directly determined by this indicator is the speed at which the cursor moves across the screen: the higher the resolution of the sensor, the greater the number of pixels that the cursor will move when the mouse itself moves a certain distance. At the same time, it is worth recalling that too high a speed is even more undesirable than too low. So the real need for high DPI ( 1000 and above) arises mainly when working on large screens (4K resolution and more); for more modest displays (HD and Full HD), smaller values are often enough.

The greatest acceleration during movement, at which the mouse maintains normal performance; if this indicator is exceeded, the cursor may “break down” (moving to an unexpected place due to incorrect processing of data from the sensor).

The faster the mouse moves, the greater the acceleration acting on it. Accordingly, this parameter determines the sensitivity to sudden movements, the extent to which this model is able to normally perceive and process such movements. High values of maximum acceleration ( 40 G, 50 G) are important first of all in dynamic games, especially for professional e-sportsmen and advanced enthusiasts. If the mouse is bought for relatively simple tasks (working with documents, surfing the web, etc.), you can ignore this indicator.

The ips (inches per second) parameter is the linear speed of mouse movement, expressed in inches per second, at which the manipulator's sensor is able to read the surface. In top models, the maximum mouse movement speed often reaches 400-600 ips, but devices with ips in the region of 200 are more common.

The number of buttons provided in the design of the mouse. However, the term "buttons" can also refer to specific hardware solutions — for example, a solid touch area used in many Apple mice counts as two buttons, because. it is divided into two working areas. But the clickable wheels, as well as the power button, are not taken into account in this calculation.

The minimum number of buttons for modern mice and other similar manipulators is two : this is the number that is necessary for comfortable work in most modern operating systems. If there are more than two keys, this means that there are additional buttons responsible for specific actions. So, even relatively inexpensive devices can be equipped with 3 – 4 buttons ; in addition to the 2 main buttons, they can have, for example, 2 side thumb keys, or 1 double/triple click button (see below). Solutions for 5 – 6 buttons are extremely popular nowadays; among them are many gaming mice, where the mentioned thumb buttons are supplemented with a double / triple click, a sniper button and/or a DPI switch (see also below about these functions). And in the most multifunctional models, 7 – 8 buttons and even more can be installed. In some cases, this number exceeds a dozen and a half; such mice are usually gaming devices designed for RPGs...and other similar genres where it is important to have a wide range of actions at your fingertips.

The presence of a separate "sniper button" on the mouse.

This feature is found mainly in game models (see "By Direction"). When you press the sniper button, the mouse sensitivity (DPI) is significantly reduced (usually by half) and, accordingly, the movement of the cursor / sight slows down; to restore the original settings, just release the button. One of the most popular uses for this feature is sniping in shooter games. This is due to the fact that when using an optical sight with magnification (especially high), the standard mouse sensitivity may be too high for comfortable aiming, and it will be more convenient to reduce it.

Most often , the sniper button in the mouse is located on the side, under the thumb.

The brand of switches (switches) installed in the mouse. Also, these parts are often called "mikriki" — from the term "microswitches". Usually, the characteristics indicate the brand of switches used in the main buttons (left and right); additional buttons, usually, are equipped with other switches, often simpler and cheaper.

The mics are directly responsible for the operation of the keys when pressed. Accordingly, the quality of the mouse, as well as the feel and comfort of the user, depend on the quality of these parts: different switches can vary in stiffness, ease of operation and the sound of pressing. And the brand of switches is not specified for all mice, but only for models equipped with advanced elements. In other words, this parameter is indicated in cases where the brand of the microswitch is a sign of the high quality of the "rodent". Typical examples include mics under the brands Omron(considered premium) and Huano(Chinese counterparts of quite comparable quality). Light Strike and Razer switches are also pulled up to them.

We emphasize that in this case, not a specific model is indicated, but a general brand under which mikriks are released (sometimes also their type, opto-mechanical or mechanical). At the same time, the same brand may include different mo...dels of switches that differ in features: some are “quiet”, others with a normal sound, some with increased accuracy, others with an extended service life, etc. So the features of these parts should be clarified separately. However, the detailed characteristics of mikriks are important mainly for demanding users, in particular professional cybersportsmen.