A mouse and a pad, how about that
Once I find a mouse I like, I tend to stick to it for quite a while. Right now, I’m still using the Logitech G700s Rechargeable Gaming Mouse I picked up in April, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to switch anytime soon.
But I did come across a piece of hardware that I’ll use for my extra machines, or in special cases given one of its neat tricks — the Feenix 2014 Nascita Gaming Mouse.
Product: Feenix 2014 Nascita Gaming Mouse
Manufacturer: Feenix
Input: USB
MSRP: $97
It must be said that the actual design of the Nascita is very simple, and Feenix’s designers really know what they’re doing without getting too flashy. There are very few buttons on this mouse (only two additional buttons including left/right click and the wheel) — making it not so viable for hardcore MMO fans, but suitable for action games and most FPS titles. It has a very sleek design that was slippery at first, but eventually became comfortable after a few hours of use. This is mostly due to the hyper soft anti-sweat material that won’t hurt or cramp your hands — I just wish it had a tad more grip.
The logo and the major buttons glow white when the mouse is plugged in, which gives the mouse a bit of character without turning it into an ugly neon-fest. All in all the Nascita is pretty compact, with a total weight of 114g. It has a great glide with its Teflon feet (which are high in quality) and the mouse itself is very responsive based on my testing though OS and gaming use at a 1 ms response time. It also comes with a braided cable, which prevents tangling.
Besides the usual suspects, there are a few features that set this mouse apart from the get-go, including its customer support plan and the DPI switches on the mouse itself. When you receive the Nascita, it comes packed with a customer support card, with the name of your representative on it and all of the appropriate contact information (including Skype). It’s a far cry from the typical “find the 1-800 number” inserts of many of its competitors, and a nice touch overall. The drawback is that you can only buy the mouse from Feenix “exclusively,” eliminating a chance for a third-party retailer sale or competitive pricing.
But the big draw is the instant DPI manipulation, which Feenix refers to as “driverless.” Simply put, there’s an LCD monitor on the top left corner of the mouse that shows its sensitivity, and by pressing the special up or down DPI buttons in the middle of the Nascita, you can tweak it from 800 all the way to 8200. It’s a really useful feature if you’re playing a particularly twitchy FPS and need to switch mid-match, or for older games that may not have full sensitivity customization.
But as cool as that feature is, it’s tough to justify the price without a number of bells and whistles found on other similar mice. For instance, there’s no left or right scroll wheel functions like many Logitech mice. It’s completely corded, so you don’t have the option to go wireless even if you wanted to. The Nascita also lacks a number of extra buttons and customization, should you want to create macros for more in-depth games like RTS titles — “driverless” has its advantages as you don’t have to install another piece of bloatware, but it also sacrifices deep customization in the process.
In short, I won’t be replacing my Logitech G2 anytime soon, but I’m happily enjoying the Nascita as an ancillary backup for my laptop. You just need to decide whether or not the price is fair for you given the features it provides.
Product: Feenix 2014 Dimora Gaming Mousepad
Manufacturer: Feenix
MSRP: $36
I also had the chance to test out the Dimora Gaming Mousepad, which is a whopping 13×11 long. It’s made of hard plastic with a minimalist logo on it, and it’ll no doubt take up a decent chunk of a small desk. The good news is if you have the space, it clears out a nice area just for mouse, and it frees up a spot to put a drink on the pad itself.
The sound of the mouse on the pad itself is a bit grating at first, but eventually it settles in and there’s minimal noise involved on the pad. It’s also very stable, and didn’t move at all even during some intense testing with a few FPS titles. It must be said that the Dimora is a luxury item through and through, but since I could accommodate the size of the pad, I ended up using it constantly.
It didn’t blow me away or demonstrate any sort of necessity on its part, but I don’t have any real complaints about the Dimora either. Should you need a mousepad at some point, this is a decent option.
