The Gadget: Logitech's MX 1100 cordless laser mouse, which is a combination of the MX1000 (which we've used for years) and the slightly newer MX Revolution. It's wireless, which is great for most everyone, and contoured to your hand for extra comfort. There's also an on-board DPI toggle for sensitivity and the ability to switch between regular scrolling and super speedy scrolling.
The Price: $80 The Verdict: Our favorite mouse yet. The exterior is totally molded to fit your hand with very cozy grooves for the thumb, ring and pinkie. Like the MX Revolution, it's missing the fast scroll buttons found in the MX1000, but makes up for it with the fast scroll/regular scroll wheel toggle that lets you switch between standard scrolling and the super fast turbo spin that shoots through 10,000 lines of Excel in seven seconds. Then there are the other buttons. The exterior DPI toggle can adjust sensitivity on the fly without opening up the control app and the "body" thumb button is good for whatever function (Exposé on Mac or Flip 3D on Vista) you want to assign. The forward and back thumb buttons are still there, and are still nice and soft, and the right and left mouse clicks have just the perfect amount of feedback to balance out feeling solid, being quiet and feeling satisfying. It also solves the flaw Logitech mice have had the past few years where it's hard to middle click the scroll wheel because it would tilt to either side, activating the side scrolling.
The two questionable design decisions are its use of AA batteries, which means it's not natively rechargeable, and the fact that lefties will feel even more uncomfortable using this than with previous ergonomically-shaped mice. We're right handed, but a few of our friends (we call them leftovers) wish they could use these along with us. Maybe make a left-handed version with all the internal pieces mirrored, but only 1/20 the production count? As for the batteries, this might be better, since our experience with Logitech mice is that the contacts between it and the docking station always get worn out, which leads to an inability to charge after a few years. If you're like us and can see past these very minor quirks, you'll definitely be happy picking one up for daily use. At $80, it's not on the absolute highest side of the mice scale, plus it's actually still cheaper than the $99 MX Revolution, so power users will definitely be happy using this for years;or at least until Logitech decides to refine their design even more. [(Logitech (MX 1100) and Logitech (MX Revolution)]