Mionix NAOS 7000 Gaming Mouse Hands-On Overview

Platform: PC
Price: $79.99
Software: Mionix NAOS 7000 Software Suite
Uses: Gaming, FPS, RTS, RPG’s

Highlighted Product Specs

• 32bit ARM processor running at 32Mhz
• 3 step in-game DPI adjustment
• 7 fully programmable buttons
• 128 kb built-in memory
• Up to 16.8 Million LED color options
• Gold Plated, Full speed USB 2.0 connection with Plug and Play
• S.Q.A.T™ – Surface Quality Analyzer Tool

Choosing a PC mouse is often like one’s choice in shoes: one of the first things that comes into play is functionality. How are they going to work on a daily basis? What purpose will they serve? The second thing has to be comfort — some may sacrifice comfort for looks, but what is really being gained here? Lastly, and most importantly, what’s the catch or quirk? Do they pump, zip, or repel water? Maybe they promise to make you run faster or jump higher?

Now, in terms of being a gamer, wouldn’t you want to play better?

You might not think these qualities have any real estate in the PC gaming world, but when it comes to a crossroads where precision meets comfort, there is a first-world need. That need might be found in the contours of the Mionix NAOS 7000. The first thing you will notice about this particular Mionix mouse is its contour and design. The braided wiring promises to withstand wear-and-tear, delivering a six-foot cord. The body of the mouse is much wider than most, supporting the entirety of your hand. If it were a car, it would be something low to the ground and curvy, something like the Chevy Camaro or McLaren P1.

This design highly contrasts when compared to other gaming mice — one that comes to mind is that of the R.A.T from MadCatz. This is particularly the case when comparing the weight, being that the R.A.T. up to six grams (with removable weighted plates) and has a more mechanized feel to it. The NAOS 7000 definitely has a more ergonomic fit, allowing light and easy swipes and sways. The NAOS 7000 chimes in at a breezy 1.3 grams.

Leaning your hand to lay across the top diagonally still leaves the grip comfortable and natural, which is important when reaching the mapped buttons on the side or the three-step pointer speed increase located on top. At first, it can be unnatural to get the placement just right, which does become more intuitive over the course of use. These steps can also be adjusted in the NAOS utility tool. It can be downloaded here and is extremely beneficial outside of the immediate Plug and Play installation.

The pointer speeds comes in steps of three, which may be found important in games like Star Wars: The Old Republic or Guild Wars 2, where clicking multiple inventoried items requires slower speeds while character selection and map panning require swifter movements. For others, like Tomb Raider, I found the faster speed comforting during exploration while the slower speeds lent a helping hand in precision take-downs and combat. For the first-person shooter scene, it shared the same options, making it fitting for the likes of Battlefield. It starts to become tedious scrolling through menu options when you can simply adjust speeds on the fly.

There are only so many features that one can map to a gaming mouse. Standard computer mice often house only a few mappable buttons and maybe a heightened optical sensor. The NAOS 7000 has a rated 7000 DPI optical sensor — hence the number in the name — and seven mappable and customizable buttons on its body. Reloads are just a hairline reach away, and weapon cycle-throughs are a breeze. After installing the mouse through your regular Plug and Play system, you might want to head over to the Mionix website to find a useful tool/utility that accompanies the mouse itself. With the utility open, you will find custom macros for actions and customization tools for mouse speed, x- and y-axis adjustments, and even visual aesthetics like LED lighting effects. It really is cool to set your mouse to “breathing” and let the neon shine. If you have a rig, there’s a color to match over 16.8 million colors.

There are five supported profiles within the tool that can be stored in the built-in memory, allowing for easy programming for specific game types. This offers enough space for you to presumably enjoy the varied landscapes in genres that PC gaming has to offer and was something that I found particularly useful. It is a little bit more point-and-click intensive than your traditional console experience and for most, one of the reasons in which they choose to game outside of the Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo realm.

For those looking into the gaming mouse realm, the Mionix NAOS 7000 is the perfect introductory or mid-range gaming mouse, or traditional, everyday use buddy. I couldn’t really find many gripes other than the tool specifically for the mouse were only found on the official Mionix site. The length of the cord offers perfect mobility for those playing with Steam’s Big Picture or with their HDTV as their preferred display.

There isn’t much to hinder its presence or why it shouldn’t be under your hand when you fire, select, or simply scroll — that is, unless you’re left-handed.

High Score–9.5
-Comfort
-Mappable button options
-Metal Wrapped Cord, Length
-Utility Software
-20 Million Click Lifespan justify;”>Low Score–9.25

• Right-hand specific
• Software/Tool not included, only found on the official Mionix site