Elecom Scope Node Review: All Style and No Substance?

Most of those in the west have probably never heard of the company Elecom. It is actually a very well known Japanese producer of computer peripherals. Any who have walked through one of the many multistory tech department stores in Japan will have seen plenty of Elecom products lining the shelves. This is a review of one of Elecom's most interesting mice: the Scope Node. With its strikingly sleek design, many in Asia have been drooling at this Japanese domestic market mouse. Is it all style and no substance? Read on to find out.

Design:

The most immediately noticeable aspect of the Elecom Scope Node is its striking, modern, and sleek design. Available in silver, black, and glossy silver, each color scheme oozes that futuristic class. The mouse almost looks like a combination of several parts strapped together like a transformer rather than a solid body. Closer inspection reveals that the mouse is actually built upon a solid body piece though and does not actually have floating buttons. Another interesting design feature of the mouse is the protruding bulge right in front of the thumb grip area. This is actually where the mouse's 1600 dpi laser sensor has been housed. I'm not exactly sure why Elecom chose to displace the sensor to this area but the packaging, which is in Japanese, relates it to holding a pen between the thumb and index finger. Perhaps Elecom believes this naturally more compatible with the human hand but I've never heard of any research evidence supporting this. Exactly where the laser is currently pointing is viewable through the black, transparent plastic top of the bulge. How this can possibly be useful is also a mystery to me. Beyond that, the Scope Node also features a classic, right handed mouse shape with a lengthened left click button and a shorter right click button. Oddly however, the left click is disproportionately long compared to the right click. The scroll wheel is rubber coated and held between the prongs that make up the mouse buttons. It uses a classic stepped scrolling and fully exposed to the outside on all sides meaning you can see the bottom of the mouse wheel when you flip the mouse over. An interesting design that makes sure no dirt can get clogged between the wheel and the chassis, a downfall of classic mice.

Feel:

In the frankest words possible, this mouse feels like crap. Its design is so inherently unergonomic that its a wonder how Elecom's industrial engineers allowed such a product to be made. Perhaps it is better fitted for the the smaller hands of the Japanese, indeed Japanese mice are very small, but to me the displaced laser does nothing but get in the way of your thumb. You cannot place your thumb comfortably on the side of the mouse without shifting your entire hand such that it grabs the mouse at an odd angle. Also the raised plate that forms the arch of the mouse sticks out so far and so high above the body while being so angular that it constantly digs into your palm. The abnormally short right click button also means you have to curl up your ring finger while using the mouse which is extremely uncomfortable for prolonged periods. The middle click also requires an abnormally large amount of force to depress. When combined with the ease of which it is to scroll the mouse wheel, it becomes very difficult to press the middle mouse button.

Build Quality:

Overall the build quality of the Scope Node is very good. It looks like metal but is actually entirely plastic. The body is coated by rubber velvet and can be gripped easily. The buttons and arch are made with a different, harder plastic that is very smooth to touch. The base of the mouse is standard affair made with glossy, hard plastic that scratches easily.

Performance:

The Scope Node is not built to rival high precision gaming mice, but with its 1600 dpi laser sensor, it can hold its own pretty well. I've flicked the mouse from side to side and never has it lost track, evident by your cursor staying in place despite your mouse moving. As with all laser mice however, it is a bit picky on what surfaces it tracks on. So far I have found it tracks fine on any cloth or plastic pad but not very well on wooden desktops. Due to its lack of software, the mouse has no methods to quickly change sensitivity beyond the Windows Control Panel.

Pros:

• No other mouse has a design this cool
• Good build quality
• Very decent 1600 dpi laser sensor

Cons:

• Just plain unergonomic
• Difficult to perform middle click
• Quite picky with tracking surfaces

FAIL-O-METER RATES:

2 out of 5 Stars: More FAIL than WIN.