Wednesday, October 2, 2013

SteelSeries Kinzu v2 Optical Gaming Mouse - Pro Edition - Silver

SteelSeries Kinzu v2 Optical Gaming Mouse - Pro Edition - Silver
  • Ambidextrous shape and compact size
  • Tournament grade optical sensor
  • 3 programmable buttons with "best in class" gaming grade switches
  • Quickly switch between 2 CPI settings
  • Durable, double braided nylon cord
  • High-performance PTFE feet for low friction glide

I am not a gamer, but I am a programmer. I rely on a good computer mouse and keyboard to make my living. So when I got the opportunity to get this mouse, I jumped on it. I do have a SteelSeries keyboard for the clickiness, like old IBM keyboards.

Anyway, this is a very comfortable mouse. It seems a bit lower than I am used to (meaning it doesn't arch my hand as much; my palm is flatter and closer to the desk).

I have a wireless Microsoft Mouse as my daily driver. I don't think this mouse will replace my wireless mouse anytime soon though. That, in no way, means this is a bad mouse. It is a great mouse. In fact, since this mouse is designed for gamers, it probably has more precise optical tracking than my Microsoft Mouse. This SteelSeries feels solid and I can tell it will stand up to day to day use. The cord is made of a nylon material, which is a seemingly unique feature among mice. It doesn't seem like it will ever tangle up.

So here's the deal: This is a great uniformly shaped mouse, with no crazy indentations or carved out areas. It is a "no fuss" design...clean and neat. For me though, I prefer a wireless mouse. This is not a flaw of this mouse, as I presume gamers need a wired mouse when every second counts. Wireless can drop out (its never happened to me) or the batteries can die. Gamers need instant responses and always on reliability. If you are a gamer, then this is the mouse for you.

Bottom line: If I were buying a new wired mouse, I'd be very happy with this one.

Buy SteelSeries Kinzu v2 Optical Gaming Mouse - Pro Edition - Silver Now

The mouse that I've been using is a $100 Logitech gaming mouse. I would say that this mouse is right on par with that, and it is far less than half the price! I am anti-battery, so I love the fact that this is a wired mouse (there are too many unnecessary wireless products these days). The scroll wheel moves very smoothly, and the mouse glides around my table with ease without a mouse pad! I also like that its more of a medium sized mouse, as many mice these days are getting excessively large, and have too many unnecessary buttons. My favorite mouse ever is still the simple basic Microsoft mouse (feels great and nice scroll wheel), but if you are in need of a better mouse for gaming, then I highly recommend this one!!

Read Best Reviews of SteelSeries Kinzu v2 Optical Gaming Mouse - Pro Edition - Silver Here

Well I am a gamer, and the latest mice I use include the Razer Diamondback and right not the Logitech G500. This might leave others wondering why I would be interested in this product at all. Well a couple of reasons. One is a i have multiple computers that I infrequently switch out the mice. The other is I've seen the SteelSeries brand around later, and I am kind of curious what they have to offer.

Let's talk about size. Now the Razer mice tend to be slim and sleek. In comparison, the G500 seems like a Behemoth of a mouse. The Kinzu feels awfully low to me and short. I dont' have especially large hands here. The smoothness is not an issue for me. The Logitech has a coarse texture to it and the Razer a more rubbery feel on the side. This is perfectly smooth which some will hate and other love. I will say that the cord is nice and long, cloth feel to it. Finally, the on the fly sensitive change is there, 3 options I believe. It doesn't fine tune enough for my main build, but the notebook, this is great. For someone taking a step up from an "ordinary" mouse, this is good. At regular price, this is significantly less expensive than the other two, and if that is a factor, this really is't bad at all. Oh, and the shiny black finish with the logo, it's not bad to look at if you care about that sort of thing.

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This optical gaming mouse works out of the box with Windows XP and Windows 7. The mouse surfaces all have a nice smooth finish that isn't too slippery. The movement is smooth and the default is set at a very usable dpi. The scroll wheel has non audible clicks as you roll it, but does not free wheel if you spin it hard (my preference). It has worked on all surfaces that I have tried: wood, white laminate table. My only cons for the mouse are that the software is not included -I suppose you should download latest drivers anyway -and that it does not have any side buttons. I really miss the side buttons for everyday use and gaming. I downloaded the steel series software, however it would not recognize that I had a steel series mouse attached.

All factors considered, I prefer this mouse for my games: Razer Deathadder Black 3500 High Precision 3.5G Infrared Gaming Mouse.

The SteelSeries Kinzu 2 Pro Edition Optical Gaming Mouse is a minimalist mouse for gamers who use a claw grip. It floats on my desk like it's oiled, making my other mice seem like they have sandpaper on the bottom. Both the wheel and the optical sensor are very precise. I even like the way my fingers slide on the glossy surface vs. the normal matte finish found on most mice. It has a braided cord and a button to switch between 2 CPI settings and no bothersome LEDs. It was plug and play on my newish Mac with OSX 10.82.

However, the SteelSeries Engine software for Mac won't recognize the mouse. I have reinstalled it three times, restarted my computer I don't know how many times, updated the software, unplugged the mouse and plugged it back in repeatedly in conjunction various combinations of reinstalling and restarting, searched online forums for an answer. No matter what I do, I can't get it to work. : (

So overall, this is a 5 star mouse and 0 star software--at least for Macs. Without the software, it's a very nice but basic mouse, very precise and enjoyable to use, but not really suitable for the advanced gaming for which it is designed and marketed.

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