Cyborg RAT Advice - to replace or not to replace.

Hey guys I need your advice on something..
I got a Cyborg RAT 7 Contagion edition last week...well having some troubles with it..

The sensor stopped responding for like a 30 seconds.The mouse was working, as in buttons,dpi switching working but it wont move. unplugging and re plugging did nothing and it just started working on its own after a few seconds.. Its happened twice so far. Last time it was for such a short duration, I didnt even realise what was happening.

Before buying this, I knew that the sensor in this mouse is bashed by many people for apparent faults like jitter motion, skipping, z-axis deviation etc but I haven't faced any of those problems and from what I read, people either have these problems or dont, they really dont develop with time..

But what i did find is that people have apparently had the same problem as me (sensor not responding) but usually much later into use and for many people the mouse just got stuck like that. It's apparently some weird driver issue or something. It would work on other comps but not there;s and a complete driver uninstall didn't help either. Some even reported some weird issue that it stopped tracking all of a sudden and then would only track on particular surfaces like white paper. (I'm currently using a Black coloured soft cloth pad. Will use it with my razer vespula when I get back home..)

I'm in love with the mouse's ergonomics, it fits my Hand like a glove and find the pinky rest especially comfortable. The problem is that I bought this mouse in Canada and i'll be going back to India soon. I'm concerned that if this fails on me then I'll be stuck with this non-working beautiful mouse in India where i prolly wont be able to avail the warranty. I really dont want to have to spend more money to get a new mouse then. However it is still within the 14 day period so i can return it to the store and get something else..

So now the way I see it, I have 3 options.
1. Keep the mouse, shrug off the occurrences as minor driver error (it hasnt happened since btw) and hope nothing happens to it
2. Go to the store and replace with another RAT unit and hope that nothing happens with that one
3. Pains me to consider this, as I really want this mouse's shape but I could compromise a bit on ergonomics to get a reliable mouse in exchange. In which case I have the Mionix Naos 5000 (same-ish shape as ikari which i'm used to but better/more reliable. Though i always resented the lack of proper pinky support) or the logitech G9x (doubtful about how much i'll like the shape as there's no pinky support to speak of but i've seen so many people swear by it that there must be something good in it) or if you have another ~$100 mouse then suggest that please.

Well if you read so far, then would I value your advice as i'm in a bit of a quandary.

Thanks.

PS: i'm not trying to be demanding or anything but I realise many of you are completely in love with the G9x and i'm going to see a lot of recommendations fo it. I'd really like to hear from someone who uses it with a palm grip and his little finger hangs of the side, touching the mat and annoys him (as it does me). Is the compromise in ergonomics worth the added reliability?

 

I personally didn't like the shape of the G9X but that's obviously a personal thing. I've tried other mice made by other companies besides Logitech but I always return them and go back to Logitech. In my opinion, they use some of the best sensors available on the market over the past 12 years I've owned over 6 different Logitech's and not one of them died or shipped with tracking issues. Right now I'm using the G700 and it is definitely the best mouse I've used. Of course I say that about every new Logitech mouse that comes out. If I were to purchase a wired mouse right now, I would probably fo for the G500 just because of the typical Logitech design fitting my grip so well. I also may look into Mionix since it looks like they ripped off their design from Logitech and I already know it would fit my grip well.

When it comes to pinky support, some like it and some don't. I can't stand it because I feel like I have more control with my pinky touching the mouse pad.

 

Fan of neither from an ergonomic perspective, and not n00b enough to make mouse judgements after a week or less - but who knows, both come from roughly the same place ergonomically so it might work out for you. Tracking wise the G9x is definitely better.

Some comparo pix if that helps. Largest palmrest fitted on the 7, the large body fitted on the G9X for comparison's sake.

(As you can see, not only not a fan of the mouse, but not a fan of the pinkie tray either)

 

Thanks for your input Vogelbung and thanks for the comparison pics... but to say you're not a fan of the mouse is a massive understatement. You seem to have a pathological hate for the cyborg RAT line of mice.. perhaps for good reason but dont know as yet..
as for the "n00bness" of forming an opinion in a week.. as I explained, I'm pressed for time, the store will only accept return for 14 days after purchase and I'm not here for long enough to RMA it, so as much I hate having to, I have to decide whether to keep this mouse for its excellent fit (for me) or go for something with proven reliability but not inferior shape and fit (for me)

 

No, I just feel that the adjustment of on offer is ergonomically useless and that it's smoke & mirrors.

To be comfortable with the shape, you must find the innate shape comfortable to begin with - so to pretend that it can adapt for a wide range of hands / holds is misleading to say the least. I have other issues, but that's what it basically boils down to. A lot of people see the adjustability and assume it's a fits-all. It's not.

All that might be tolerable if it was a superior mouse, but once again despite some nice features it's not that amazing in terms of the absolute functional basics - i.e. moving the pointer.

From my perspective I don't care about return dates, since trying to have an opinion in such a period usually results in worthless opinions. I keep mice and have a view on them after a fairly long time.

I guess any 'pathological' reactions I have about it is that it's such a cool- looking mouse I really want to like it - After all, I did buy the Contagion only recently, some time after I rejected the original 7. But I'd be deluded if I did from a functional perspective.

As I said though, both the G9X and the RAT7 come from a similar school of ergonomics (although I guess you could argue from what I said about the above that Logitech is more honest about the ultimate level of adjustability) so if you genuinely like the ergonomics of the RAT7, you may not feel too hobbled going with the G9x. It's not an infallible mouse - I've had a couple fail on the wheel - but if it does fail, I guess you can rely on Logitech much more than Saitek to sort you out. And from the point of actual mousing, I think it's significantly better in that they appear to have sorted out the behaviour of the sensor better.

 

Short answer: Exchange it for something else.




I used to own a Cyborg RAT7. The ergonomics and adjustable shape of that mouse made it the most comfortable mouse I've ever used.

But I had problems with the sensor reliability. My problems were more along the lines of jitter, Z-axis, and unreliable tracking on imperfect mousing surfaces (like a bare desk). It never stopped tracking completely, like what you are experiencing.

But after about 1 month of use, those imperfections caused me to sell the mouse and get something else. I am currently using a $35 Logitech G400, because of the superior reliability of its optical sensor (vs laser sensor), and its light center-balanced weight profile.

If the Cyborg RAT7 costs closer to $50, then the imperfections would be bearable. But it is too unpolished of a product to ask the $90+ that it costs.

I'd return it, and get something else isntead. If you like optical sensors, go with the Logitech G400. If you like laser sensors, get the Logitech G500 or G9x (both use the Avago S9500 laser sensor).

 

I n my opinion if you're looking for comfort the g9x isn't for you. I had it for a few months and my hands began cramping up. Switched to the g700 and no problems now. As for sensor quality the logitechs will be better.

 

Same exact situation with me. I just couldn't get used to the G9X. I guess I am so used to the classic Logitech design and that mouse kind of strayed a little bit. I'll probably never use anything else as long as Logitech keeps the same design they have always had. There's really no reason to switch when all of their mice have top quality sensors and last as long as you want them to.

 

I have the G700 and couldn't be happier with any other mouse. Can run it as corded with data-over-cable while it charges the rechargeable AA battery inside, or run it wireless with still amazing response. The wireless dongle is the same size as their unifying receivers so you can leave it in all of the time if you use the wireless on it. This is the most thought-out and well developed mouse I've owned to date.

 

In my case not a cramping up, but my index finger began killing me. Now all I have to do is switch to the G9X for a couple of days and then my finger starts complaining. In my specific case I switched to a few other mice then a Spawn, and that's pretty much where I've stayed since.

But as I said and as you can probably see, the RAT and the G9x have fairly similar profiles - which is why I said that if the OP genuinely finds the RAT comfy, then he might get on with the G9X.

I have way too many mice already, but I think the G700's might be next on my list when I feel I need a change.

 

For now i've decided to stick with the RAT for another week and test it. Its sensor seems to be very finicky regarding dust/fibre. It seems that even its blocked just a bit, the sensor seems to stop responding all together. I suspect that is what caused the 2 previous episodes which I mentioned.

I've since cleaned it with compressed air and in order to distinguish whether my issue was being caused by a problem with the sensor its self or due to dust, I intend to clean out the opening once every day for a week or so. If I face no problems, then it was probably the dust issue and I keep the mouse. If I still face problems, I'll go and exchange this for a g700..

btw in the time since the original post when i first cleaned it out, I havent faced the issue thus far. Hopefully that was what was causing the problem and I wont have to change the mouse..