Posted on Friday, November 04 2011 @ 21:38 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Zowie officially introduced AM, a new gaming mouse developed in cooperation legendary Counter-Strike player, Abdisamad ‘SpawN’ Mohamed. The mouse will start shipping in December, pricing is unknown.
There is nothing revolutionary about the design of the mouse, it looks like most other ambidextrous mice; it is black, but has a symbolic red logo and mousewheel, as these are SpawN’s colors.
The ZOWIE AM shines in its performance and features, as it has been specifically developed for use with either hand, but not as other ambidextrous mice. There are two buttons on each side of the mouse, but only one side can be active at a time, allowing users of ZOWIE AM to switch between left- and right-hand functionality.
Shape
Because shape is one of the most important factors when choosing a competitive gaming mouse, the ZOWIE AM has been built as a versatile mouse, which can be easily adapted to the users’ preference to either left- or right-handed use. In an effort to offer users of ambidextrous mice (left-handed users especially) a higher level of comfort when playing, the ZOWIE AM features two buttons on each side – but only one side can be active at a time, meaning that the users has to define either left- or right-handed usage. Just as with the Hz-changer on the EC-series, there are no drivers or software – the switch is made directly on the mouse, and the mouse will remember the setting.
From the feedback we have received from researching about ambidextrous mice, we can understand that one of the most annoying features is that these mice almost always have functional buttons on both sides, making it easy to accidently hit the wrong button with your palm or pinky finger. Some users don’t see this as a problem, but instead they think it’s annoying that there’s only one button on the side they actually use. This is not suitable for competitive gamers, so it is something we are looking to eliminate. For those of you who prefer functional buttons on both sides – this mouse is not for you.
Performance
When it comes to performance, there is no doubt in our mind that optical is still the best choice. Even though it does not offer the same DPI-values as laser, the optical sensor has proven itself worthy of competitive gaming through its everlasting stability and trustworthy functionality.
However, one thing that can split the waters is the question of prediction or no prediction – some like it, some don’t, and SpawN insisted that his mouse should be without it. The ADNS-3090 is the best prediction-free optical sensor on the market at this time, so we decided to fix the issues it has and use it in the ZOWIE AM.
The ADNS-3090 is the most stable and functional optical sensor available, but it has a problem with lift-off distance, which is up to 3,5 mm. This is not suitable for competitive gaming. Other manufacturers have looked for fast solutions, trying to hack the sensor, but this has resulted in instability of the cursor instead – not suitable either.
Unfortunately there are very rarely any easy fixes when it comes to optimizing a product and making it ideal for competitive gaming, so we have gone the hard way to develop a custom lens which would function flawlessly with the ADNS-3090, as we did with the ADNS-3060 in the EC-series. It has taken a lot of time and effort, but we have finally succeeded in creating the exact combination necessary for a low lift-off distance (1,5 mm) while maintaining flawless performance.
Improved mousewheel
The mousewheel in the ZOWIE AM is the same as the one used in the ZOWIE EC-series. Developed using an optical encoder instead of the traditional mechanical system, the mousewheel has proven to be extremely durable. We expect the lifespan of the mousewheel to be more than five years.
Features:
* Ambidextrous mouse developed by legendary CS-player Abdisamad ‘SpawN’ Mohamed
* Two thumb buttons on both sides to comfortably serve left- or right-handed users
* Easy to switch between left- and right-hand functionality, no drivers needed
* Optical encoder mouse wheel system for increased durability
* 450 / 1150 / 2300 DPI adjustment
* Adjustable USB report rate 125 / 500 / 1000 Hz
* ZOWIE custom-designed lens for a very low lift-off distance = 1.5 ~ 1.8mm
* Operating system: Win2000/XP/VISTA/7, Mac OS X v10.2 after
Specifications:
* DPI (Dots Per Inch): 450/1150/2300
* Connector: USB
* Buttons: 5
* Length of cable: 2m / 6.6 ft
Measurements:
Length: 125 mm / 4.92 in
Width: 60 mm / 2.36 in
Height: 39mm / 1.53 in
Weight: 88g (without cable)
