Sharkoon Rush FireGlider Laser Gaming Mouse

Burn Baby Burn

These days you really can't release a mouse unless it has a laser in it somewhere, even if it's just to blind annoying co-workers with. Today we take a look at Sharkoon's FireGlider laser mouse.



A quick run-down of the specs:

- Laser mouse with 7 buttons (6 of them freely programmable)
- DPI switch with colour display (6 steps)
- Weight tuning system (max. 19.5 g)
- On-board memory for macros
- Max. DPI/CPI: 3600
- DPI/CPI stepping: 600 - 800 - 1200 - 1600 - 2000 - 3600
- Max. Acceleration: 20 G
- Mouse weight max.: 135 g
- Mouse weight min.: 118 g
- Laser sensor: Agilent ADNS-6010

There is one very subtle but important omission from this list of specifications and that is the ability to side-scroll with this mouse. It seems to have become a standard feature of most mice on the market, but it seems to have been skipped for this release. Maybe a revision 2.0 will have it included...

Ribbed for your pleasure

Getting down to business and plugging the mouse in, when you first hold it in your hand the most notable feature is the rubberised grip under the thumb at the side of the mouse. It has ridges to help improve grip and comfort during those late night sweat sessions doing dungeon raids or other equally hand sweat inducing past times.



It's a nice feel and I can't help but keep stroking it with my thumb! It's almost hypnotic..... NO! Bad Andrew... Stop stroking the mouse!



Enough of that. Downloading the latest drivers from the website and installing them gives you the mouse editing software where you can assign whatever macros you desire to the buttons. There are a whole bunch of preset macros to choose from along with button and keyboard assignments.



The whole software suite is also nicely laid out with a very simple menu system and clean design which is quick to use.



Mouse sensitivity is also adjustable allowing you to assign different DPIs to each mode. This is then changed by clicking the button above the scroll wheel to cycle through three colours and two extra modes where the button will flash between two colours to indicate the mode.

Click Click Boom

Let's now get some game time happening with this mouse.

Firing up Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 and playing a bit of co-op terrorist hunt with some buddies; this mouse's ability to track quick jerky movements really comes into its own. I'm not the most steady handed of gamers so having the adjustable DPI comes in handy (get it?) to make sure I always get the headshots.

The scroll wheel is smooth and still has a nice solid roll click so you don't accidentally scroll past what you want.

Working off mat, this mouse tracks well on a variety of surfaces from wood grain, to frosted glass, to jeans.

To test out the macros a bit more it's time to fire up my favourite MMORPG and play some World of Warcraft!

After a few hours of playing and tweaking the macros it definitely helps improve your play. Having the additional button next to the scroll wheel means you can assign some nice combos without having to move your hands over to the keyboard which can break the flow.



Sharkoon has gone all out it seems to ensure that this mouse has all the features you would need. The mouse even has a program memory to remember your macro and DPI settings so you can plug it into another system wherever and still maintain the same functionality.

Flame Decals

With the plethora of buttons and the stroke-able rubber grip, this mouse is a real winner in my book. However, I'm not so sure about the flame decals chosen for the shell; it does make it look slightly tacky and could be a turn off for buyers due to its un-professional look.



I'm not saying all companies should be producing mice in boring black and grey; I think that spending more time and money on producing a good aesthetic design can really carry a brand and generate more interest from potential buyers.

One thing that has really caught my attention is some of the little details that Sharkoon has included such as a protective bag for the mouse along with spare Teflon feet! Simple things like that re-assure me that companies are paying attention to the products they are creating and not just pumping out another mass-consumer product.



For the price this mouse doesn't disappoint; there is a lot of features and the performance is up to the high standards of the gaming community.

Oh, but I will say this Sharkoon. Add some side scrolling to your mouse please! Pretty please!