Performance

**click to enlarge**

The R7-70D was primarily tested on what I think is the best mousing surface I have ever used... the Thunder 8.  A4Tech mice are extremely accurate and responsive. The R7-70D is absolutely no exception and worked extremely well on the dual surfaces of the Thunder 8.  Sensitivity was high and tracking was excellent.  The scroll wheel also feels quite nice and is extremely quiet and smooth.  I could not say the same for the main buttons though.  They were a bit too noisy for my taste.

The only issue with performance was with connectivity.  I found that I needed to place the receiver fairly close to the mouse in order for it to function at its best.  I could not run the mouse properly without the extension cradle.  Plugging the receiver directly to the back of the PC was just too far and did not work very well at all.  Considering this is an RF mouse, I was a bit disappointed with the range of the receiver.

Battery Life & Power Management

Unfortunately, it is difficult to test its main feature in the time allotted.  However, what I did do is load some batteries that were fairly run down and tested the mouse on my main rig, which I use consistently for hours on a daily basis.  During testing, there was no indication that battery life was a factor in performance nor did the low battery indicator turn on during use.  As far the unique power management features this mouse does feature, they worked great but can be a minor annoyance to some users.  I found that in order to power or "activate" the mouse after a cold boot, you need to press either the left or right button in order to "wake" the mouse.  This is not something many are used to and while it will take a bit of time to get used to.  However, the features are there for a reason, and that is to conserve as much battery life as possible.

Conclusions

I've been quite fond of the product line from A4Tech.  They do release a new breed of mice that offer features most of the big names in the industry still fail to focus on.  In such a competitive market, it is hard to release products that are unique enough to somewhat capture the interest of many.  For that, I do have a high respect for the company.  The R7 series is their latest breed, focusing primary on power consumption and designed to please those fans of wireless mice in general.  But that is not all they focus on though.  Aside from the Razer Copperhead, the R7-70D is honestly one of the most most comfortable mice I have ever used.  Its ergonomic design and button placement is just about perfect.  On top of that, its highly customizable buttons via software will unleash a number of useful features designed to make you more productive...as long as you can manage to give them a chance and get used to them.

So what didn't I like about this mouse?  Well, only two things really.  The first was its wireless performance.  I found that the RF receiver needed to be placed in close proximity in order to get the best performance.  The second is minor and more of a wish instead of a flaw in design.  I would have liked the double-click button next to the scroll wheel to be customizable via software as well.  This would have allowed me to configure the mouse to my specific needs in order to take advantage of all its features and configure the mouse to my somewhat picky needs.

However, despite how useful their software really is, there was one catch...it did not work with Vista or Office 2007.  While I'm sure they will update their software to support the latest from Microsoft, it is something to keep in mind for those running a system with either of these. 

In the end though, their latest still managed to impress once again.  Based on some of the information I have provided you all with, it is clear that they focus heavily on each and every product release to ensure that they will satisfy the needs of many.  Its excellent design and unique feature set earns our recommendation.

More information on the new R7-70D can be found on A4Tech's Website.  In the past, it was quite difficult to find their mice for purchase.  However, they have informed me that most of their product line is now available at NewEgg and Directron. 

Have questions or comments?  Discuss the review here...