Zowie EC1 Gaming Mouse Review
Up Close
Published: 28th September 2010 | Source: Zowie | Price: £49.95 |
Up Close with the EC1
Firstly it's a long way from California to the OC3D office and clearly the postal services were none too kind with the EC1. The box was rather battered by the time we finally got our hands on it but thanks to the sturdy plastic cover the mouse itself was none the worse for wear.
By virtue of the Zowie not needing any drivers, and mice being more user friendly than a t-shirt, there is nothing at all in the box apart from the mouse. A slightly curious thing because at minimum you normally get a "thanks for purchasing the ... " type leaflet, but it's not a problem.
Here it is in all it's glory. A very simple looking affair with a matt-black top portion and glossy sides. The wheel is white, as is the Zowie logo at the base. A decent length cable ensures that even the most bizarre PC placement will leave you plenty of wiggle room.
Upside down is, in keeping with the rest of the mouse, a stripped down affair. Besides the barcode and logo sticker we have a small Zowie logo, the 2000dpi sensor and a button to switch between the three pre-programmed dpi settings.
The white variant of the EC1 is made entirely from the same material as the gloss black sides here, whereas the black model has this very lovely soft coating to it. It does seem slightly odd to only cover one section with this grippy material. If you're a fingertip gamer then you'll never get the benefit of the grippier top, and if you're a palm gamer then the difference is jarring.
So why is the mouse-wheel white? Well it's actually translucent. When you adjust the dpi settings using the underneath button the wheel indicates what mode you're in.
Red for 500dpi Purple (although it looks pink here) for 1000dpi
And Blue for 2000dpi
All very simple and it's nice to see a clear indication of which mode you're in. Time to put it through its paces.
Most Recent Comments
It's not poorly built at all. It's just.. featureless.Quote
When you use a mouse with low DPI that means when your attempting to draw a straight line in Photoshop, your lines will be straighter since the mouse won't pick up slight tremors that you might have. This is oppose to having high dpi and low sensitivity where the mouse will pick up even the slightest movements.
So in a nutshell. High DPI means higher accuracy of what your hand is actually doing. Low DPI means lower accuracy since the computer plugs in the gaps between movements, so drawing straight lines are easier.
On the issue of this being a gaming mouse. The 1,000Hz refresh rate is good, the DPI is a bit lacking, but a lot of people, such as my friends use ~1,600 DPI when gaming because anything higher is too hard to control, even if they turn the computer sensitivities down a bit. I personally use a 5,000 DPI mouse and computer sensitivity are maxed out and i don't have issues, but realistically 2,000 is probably enough for your average gamer.Quote
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Originally Posted by VonBlade
I agree that in Photoshop the need for a slower responding mouse is vital. However considering that a basic pen and tablet arrangement can be had for about £50 if you really need that amount of precision and use it regularly enough, then I believe you'd purchase a tablet. |
The problem is the competition. Alienware's TACTX mouse for example is a rebranded slightly smaller Logitech. It has about 9 buttons and is completely programmable AND has a RGB lighting system.... For £45.
I know people are mostly 'no frills' but when you have no frills you don't really want to pay for them. TBH that mouse looks like a Razer Salmosa, has the same covering as a Razer Salmosa and about the same level of functions yet the Salmosa costs around £16.
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Originally Posted by VonBlade
It's not poorly built at all. It's just.. featureless.
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If they are aiming for a niche market then I think Steelseries have already beaten them to it
QuoteI just see no reason when you can get some great mice for ~£32, because a lot of people will agree that the Deathadder or the G500 is the most anyone will ever need. That is true, seeing as most people don't have monitors at anything more than 1080p.
To be honest, I have been using a Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse and actually prefer it over the Microsoft Sidewinder X5 and any OCZ mouse on the market. But, then again, OCZ makes horrible mice
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I shall read
Edit..
Well, I have to agree with Bryan. £50 for a mouse that offers nothing much is way too much money. If I hadn't had a look at it flipped over and the blatant MADE IN CHINA stuck underneath I wouldn't have thought about it as much, but it's obviously put together pretty cheaply and thus is woefully over priced.
Personally I don't like the velvet rubber coating. That's why both of my Razers are now back in the box..
On the DPI thing.. I don't really know the complete ins and outs but does 500 DPI just make it slower? or, does it also make it less accurate? (edit, by way of name dots per inch would indeeed indicate so, so 500 dpi may well be very useful for art programs)
The reason I ask is because in Photoshop for example when tracing edges and drawing lines 1000 DPI is so jittery it makes it near on impossible. It's like trying to hold onto a schizophrenic inpatient on caffiene and adrenaline.
I've always used my mice on the lowest possible DPI setting when editing or drawing with Photoshop. It's too easy to slip otherwise.Quote