If you’re a serious gamer, then I’m sure you’d be serious about your gaming equipment. Arguably the most peripheral device to gaming on your PC would be the mouse. There are hordes of different gaming mouses out there, but not many are as good as those developed by Cyborg. Cyborg’s R.A.T. 7 Contagion Gaming Mouse is simply a white and silver themed version of its brother, Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse.

Even if you’re not a gamer (in any sense of the word), I can guarantee that after using this mouse for at least a few days, you wouldn’t want to go back to anything else.

If, you’re anything like me, you had fun playing with Lego bricks when you were younger (some a bit older than others), then you can enjoy the simple pleasure of adjusting everything you can think of with this mouse, from its physical appearance its software profile. Before I played around with the adjustments I had made, I used the mouse for about two days just getting used to the feel. Although there wasn’t that much to get used to, it was clear after just two days that I was going to have a hard time going back to my standard mouse.

Here is the list of adjustments that can be made to the physical look and feel of the device, using the Allen/Hex Key, included with the mouse (which can be seen in the last image):

• Back and forward adjustment of the thumb rest;
• Sideways adjustment of the thumb rest;
• Reduce or Increase weight, with the 30g of removable weights;
• Select between 3 different pinkie rests; and
• Select between 3 different palm rests.

With 18 user-definable commands via six programmable buttons and 3-position mode switch, there’s a setup for any gaming and daily use. Each button on the device can be programmed via software to any gaming command that’s supported, or any Windows command available. The precision button provides on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment that steadies the tracking, which is especially convenient in gaming when a steady hand might be needed. Additionally, the three different profile modes give you the ability to choose different uses for each of the buttons. For example, you may choose the standard back and forward command for the two thumb buttons. For a different profile, however, you can then choose to perform different actions for the same two buttons.

The following is a list of additional features you can expect from the R.A.T. 7 gaming mouse:

• Aluminum Chassis, which are durable yet nimble. The solid frame forms the core for enhanced rigidity;
• Remap programmable buttons and create custom macros with powerful ST Software; and
• Four user-definable DPI settings, which slow down or speed up the position tracking.

There aren’t many devices out there that emphatically change my opinion about purchasing it, but the R.A.T. Contagion Gaming Mouse has done all that and a little bit more. I now cannot go back to my old mouse (which is only a few months old I might add). Although, I cannot call it simple because it is anything but, using it for everyday use definitely makes things a bit easier. With its smooth, precision tracking, adjustable weight, grips and palms rests, I cannot criticize anything about this device. I can think of a few more adjustments Cyborg could have added to the device, but that would just have complicated things.

With prices starting at around R750 in South Africa (and average cost around R900), this device isn’t cheap by any means. Avid gamers would tell you that it’s a small price to pay, but can this be justified for normal or office use? I’ve been using this mouse for the past two weeks at the office, and not only has it attracted a lot of attention, it has made browsing the internet and file directories much faster, and made the overall experience much smoother and easier. I won’t go as far as to say it saves a lot of time completing the same tasks, but at least you won’t be complaining about how junk your mouse is, especially if you’re still using the old ball mouse. To answer the question on justifying the cost of such a mouse for normal use, definitely.

We’ve come a long way since the development of the first mouse.

You can find a copy of the poster here.