Frak no. I hate subscriptions. I use boring plain mouses.


Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:

Are you ready to pay a monthly subscription fee for your computer
mouse?

No, of course you're not. What a stupid idea. But it's being floated
around at Logitech. The company is considering a "forever mouse" with constantly updated software and services. All paid for with (possibly)
a subscription.

The mouse itself is a slightly more robust version of their current
line; good quality, well designed. The software... well, they're not
quite sure about that yet. Extra programmability and macro support for
sure. Maybe something to do with AI too. AI sells, right?

To be clear, a lot of this is pie-in-the-sky hypothesizing by
Logitech; there's nothing definite yet. But the announcement shows
that Logitech isn't averse to the concept. They're floating the idea
to see how well it's received.

And... I get it. Mice are a solved problem. They cost a few bucks to manufacture, you can buy them for $20, and then they last for a decade
or more. Most people really don't care about what features a mouse
has; just so long as it has three buttons and a wheel, and grab the
one that's on sale. It's not an industry with huge recurring revenue.
If you're in charge of the Logitech Mouse And Pointing Device
Division, you're probably desperate to find new ways to bring in
income. An idea to somehow attach a subscription to use a mouse
probably seems like something dropped from heaven.

But this one is so ridiculous it's hard to believe it wasn't laughed
out of the board room when first suggested. Firstly, a forever mouse
implies either hardware quality that can last... well, forever, or
that Logitech will continue to support (or possibly replace free of
charge) the hardware when it breaks down. Neither seems likely.
Logitech hardware isn't bottom-level /crap/ but they're fairly average consumer goods. I've used their mice for years, and I like its heft
and feel, but it's been problematic and I doubt it'll last more than a decade. Logitech is not where you turn to for high-end gear, and never
has been. Logitech might want to be the Ferrari of mice, but they've
not the talent for it. They're the middle ground between the $3
Shenzhen crap and the overly-priced gimcracks from Razer and the like.
That's their specialty; their market.

And their software? Let's just say that I'm more likely to pay for
Logitech software NOT to be installed on my PC. It's bloated, buggy,
and filled with unnecessary features. I don't go looking to Logitech
for software solutions... even to use with their own hardware. They've
not the talent for that either.

Really, the only thing GOOD about the idea is how laughably ridiculous
it is. We can all use a good chuckle.

Except... then I remember that HP pushed a monthly ink subscription
service on some of its customers and I realize this sort of nonsense sometimes actually comes to pass. (HP has recently backed away from
that idea, though). Hopefully Logitech won't even start.

--
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On 8/1/2024 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Razer and the like.

Razer crapped the bed with the last one I bought, which will be the last
thing I ever buy from them. Required sign in to download their
software, only I couldn't even create a sign in and no response to any
of my attempts to contact them about it. Then the mouse broke after a
short time while in warranty, no response to that either.

DON'T BUY RAZER.

Logitech is fine, but their software for the higher end mouse is pretty
bad. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything better in the way
of gaming mice now, not that I'd pay more anyway.

--
-Justisaur

ø-ø
(\_/)\
`-'\ `--.___,
¶¬'\( ,_.-'
\\
^'

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Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com> looked up from reading the entrails of
the porn spammer to utter "The Augury is good, the signs say:

On 8/1/2024 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Razer and the like.

Razer crapped the bed with the last one I bought, which will be the last >thing I ever buy from them. Required sign in to download their
software, only I couldn't even create a sign in and no response to any
of my attempts to contact them about it. Then the mouse broke after a
short time while in warranty, no response to that either.

DON'T BUY RAZER.

Logitech is fine, but their software for the higher end mouse is pretty
bad. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything better in the way
of gaming mice now, not that I'd pay more anyway.

I bought a Razer, then I met their software.

Razer rational: .000000000000000000000001% of our users are
"professional gamers" therefore everyone must log in, be online, and
upload their settings to the cloud as though they are professional
gamers.

It never stopped working, I just stopped using it, having bought an ambidextrous sensei steel series mouse, and when that broke a brand x
dragon wars ambidextrous mouse, then when I built the new system a
corsair ambidextrous mouse.

I will _NEVER_ purchase another razor product (well to be honest I
bought a Razer mouse pad, but I will never buy a razor anything that
plugs into anything or uses electricity, not to be trusted as far as I
could throw Jupiter out of the gravity well of a super-massive black
hole.)

Xocyll

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Justisaur <justisaur@yahoo.com> wrote at 18:50 this Thursday (GMT):

On 8/1/2024 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Razer and the like.

Razer crapped the bed with the last one I bought, which will be the last thing I ever buy from them. Required sign in to download their
software, only I couldn't even create a sign in and no response to any
of my attempts to contact them about it. Then the mouse broke after a
short time while in warranty, no response to that either.

DON'T BUY RAZER.

Logitech is fine, but their software for the higher end mouse is pretty
bad. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything better in the way
of gaming mice now, not that I'd pay more anyway.

I have a pretty cheap logitech that still works! Though the wireless usb
thing has been finicky..
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

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On 01/08/2024 19:50, Justisaur wrote:

On 8/1/2024 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Razer and the like.

Razer crapped the bed with the last one I bought, which will be the last thing I ever buy from them.   Required sign in to download their
software, only I couldn't even create a sign in and no response to any
of my attempts to contact them about it.  Then the mouse broke after a
short time while in warranty, no response to that either.

DON'T BUY RAZER.

Logitech is fine, but their software for the higher end mouse is pretty bad.  Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything better in the way
of gaming mice now, not that I'd pay more anyway.

Razer seemed to be the goto premium brand several years ago but all I
hear now is complaints in particular things just failing after a couple
of years. That's not premium quality.

My current mouse is the new MX518 which I got to replace the old MX518
as I like the feel of them. I do have some sort of app but I can't
remember if I had to create an account for it.

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On 01/08/2024 15:10, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Except... then I remember that HP pushed a monthly ink subscription
service on some of its customers and I realize this sort of nonsense sometimes actually comes to pass. (HP has recently backed away from
that idea, though). Hopefully Logitech won't even start.

I did see something about that and although I can't remember the details
it just struck me as why would I as a customer want that when it's going
to cost a lot more.

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Am 01.08.24 um 16:10 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

Are you ready to pay a monthly subscription fee for your computer
mouse?

I am as ready for this as I am ready for cutting my left foot off...

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On Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:10:42 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Are you ready to pay a monthly subscription fee for your computer
mouse?

Yes. Will I? No.

--
Zag

No one ever said on their deathbed, 'Gee, I wish I had
spent more time alone with my computer.' ~Dan(i) Bunten

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On 02/08/2024 19:17, Zaghadka wrote:

On Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:10:42 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

Are you ready to pay a monthly subscription fee for your computer
mouse?

Yes. Will I? No.

It kinda feels like some exec. has decided a subscription model is good
but will leave the 'details' to others to sort out. I had that quite a
few years ago when our lovely marketing team decided that our radio
needed an intelligent hopping mode. I did ask them what it was and the
answer I was given, they don't know but our competitors have it so we
should as well.

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On 02/08/2024 17:13, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:

On Fri, 2 Aug 2024 09:49:16 +0100, JAB <noway@nochance.com> wrote:

On 01/08/2024 19:50, Justisaur wrote:

On 8/1/2024 7:10 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Razer and the like.

Razer crapped the bed with the last one I bought, which will be the last >>> thing I ever buy from them.   Required sign in to download their
software, only I couldn't even create a sign in and no response to any
of my attempts to contact them about it.  Then the mouse broke after a
short time while in warranty, no response to that either.

DON'T BUY RAZER.

Logitech is fine, but their software for the higher end mouse is pretty
bad.  Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be anything better in the way >>> of gaming mice now, not that I'd pay more anyway.

Razer seemed to be the goto premium brand several years ago but all I
hear now is complaints in particular things just failing after a couple
of years. That's not premium quality.

My current mouse is the new MX518 which I got to replace the old MX518
as I like the feel of them. I do have some sort of app but I can't
remember if I had to create an account for it.

I actually don't have a problem with Logitech gear. My speakers are
Logitech. I've used Logitech keyboards. My current mouse bears a
Logitech logo. I don't really have any complaints about any of it.

Their stuff is fine. It's not high-end --even their BEST stuff is
pretty average-- but that's it's not terrible either. Sure, it feels plastic-y and cheap, but it lasts. I can't remember when I bought this current mouse --2017 maybe?-- but it's still usable. Every now and
again I unscrew it, blow out the accumulated grit, and it keeps
working well enough. I expect it will keep working for many more
years. I paid maybe $30USD for the thing; that's pretty good value for
money.

But I didn't buy it for their software (which I don't even bother
installing anymore), and I didn't buy it because the mouse impressed
me with its features. Sure, it's comfortable. Sure, it has some extra buttons. But mostly, I chose Logitech because they're generally
reliable, they aren't terrible feature-wise, they're not very
expensive, and because they're not a no-name Shenzhen brand I'd be
afraid to plug into my computer because god knows what quality of
components they use.

But this "forever mouse" scheme is either about their selling a
high-end mouse, or somehow pushing value to users through their
software. The former I have no confidence Logitech can offer, and the
latter I've no interest in. If I'm going to get some AI-powered tool, Logitech is not where I'm turning to for a solution.

But I'll happily return to them if my run-of-the-mill mouse dies.

For me buying a MX518 was a bit of a no brainer as I had my previous one
for about fifteen years although it was still useable the DPI buttons
had become very sticky due to grime build up. I did try cleaning them
with IPA and that helped but still a bit unresponsive. Next open it up
to give it a deep clean which worked but I was buggered if I could get
some of the little mechanism back together. Exactly where is the spring supposed to fit. Won't be a problem with this one as of course, it's a
sealed unit!

Overall they are a brand that aren't the best value for money but what
they are is one of those companies were you basically know what you're
getting. In the age of buying everything online that's become more
important. It was one of the reasons when I changed my keyboard I got a
cheap Cherry one instead of so no name brand with more features that you
can shake a stick at.

As for the subscription service, I just don't see what they can offer
which will make it worthwhile. To put it simply how is a mouse an
ongoing service beyond say providing mappings for games you have.

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