While Apple and others are doing their best to re-engineer the trackpad to the ninth degree, Logitech has taken a different tack. It has just launched a brand new state of the art mouse.

The Logitech MX Master wireless mouse is the company's new flagship offering and delivers precise tracking, plenty of buttons and controls, connectivity options and a new enhanced scrolling mechanism.

Presumably replacing the Logitech Performance Mouse MX, the new MX Master offers a number of new features like an improved central scroll wheel, a gesture pad, side scrolling button and other options, all within a similar bulbous design that looks like a posh ladies bottom from one angle and an octopus head from an other. 

Darkfield laser tracking

Key to the mouse's continued excellent performance is the device's use of something Logitech calls Darkfield Laser Sensor technology.

The technology, which has been around since 2009 creates a micro-road map of the surface so you get better precision on more surfaces regardless of what they are.

In practice and we've found that means it works on anything. It delivers perfect responsiveness regardless of the surface you are working from. Whether that's wood, glass, books, knees, or even mirrors, no surface we tested the mouse on caused the MX Master issues.

Never ending scrolling and control

There's a scroll wheel on the top, and even one on the side. The top now features something Logitech calls a "Smart speed-adaptive scroll wheel" which put simply means that when you start scrolling at speed it will switch from click-to-click scrolling to free wheeling at speed.

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If that sounds complicated there is a easy to press button on the top of the device that allows you to disengage it at any point. Scrolling at speed is certainly speedy, much faster than our test MacBook Air could handle in some instances and we can't help feeling that when disengaged the movement of the wheel doesn't correlate to what is happening on the screen. Yes the page you are working on, whether that's a huge spreadsheet, or a long web page will scroll faster, but just how fast do you need to go?

If up and down scrolling isn't your only scrolling priority, the Logitech MX Master also supports sideways scrolling via a thumb friendly second scroll wheel, alongside two further programmable buttons, a gesture pad, and of course the two standard left and right click buttons. All are very responsive and nicely located.

Multi-connectivity

Like other Logitech devices, the new MX Master allows you to connect to an array of different devices quickly and easily via two options. The first is a bundled miniature wireless dongle that you plug into a spare USB port, the second is via Bluetooth.

Like the company's Bluetooth keyboard range, the MX Master will let you pair the mouse to three devices simultaneously, allowing you to jump between your work computer, a laptop at home, and then a third computer if you happen to be greedy.

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It's certainly handy if a little over kill, especially given the advancements in most trackpads on laptops these days, and while we can happily see the need to use a keyboard on an tablet, smartphone, and computer, the same isn't necessarily so for a mouse.

Still if that sounds like something you'll want, the Logitech MX Master offers a very approachable way of handling it all, simply press a button and you're connected. Easy peasy.

Charging

The MX Master uses rechargeable batteries, so no need to keep replacing it with AA batteries, plus rather than use a dedicated cradle as the company has in the past, it is now just a case of plugging in it via a micro USB socket. One minute of charge delivers 2 hours of usage, and you can use the mouse while charging as the cable comes out of the front away from your trailing wrist. A full charge promises 40 days, although we've not had the mouse for that long to vouch for that claim. Basically you aren't going to have a dead mouse ever.

First Impressions

The Logitech MX Master mouse is a very impressive device that is the top of its game when it comes to being a computer mouse.

Regardless of the array of buttons and gestures at your disposal the tracking capabilities of the MX Master are excellent and deliver a great range of on screen control with little movement - a good thing.

The mouse might be dying in many people's eyes, but Logitech is showing there is still life in the old girl yet.