The
Logitech Cube is not in fact a cube at all but rather a tiny rectangular block that’s thinner and just a little longer than a matchbook. The outer shell is made of hard plastic with edges that taper for added grip and a reflective surface that’s extremely attractive.
On first acquaintance, it’s tough to figure out exactly what the
Cube does – other than look attractive and take up very little space but a glance at the base and you’ll spy a 1000dpi sensor and flip the switch at the back to bring it to life with a reassuringly glowing green indicator. You’ll also find a mini-USB connector at the rear for charging with the included (very short) cable.
The only other item you’ll need to get clicking with the
Cube is one of
Logitech’s tiny Unifying receivers. This USB dongle claims to be able to connect up to six devices at once in a range of 25 meters and we have no reason to doubt their word.
The
Cube is Plug and Play on
Windows and
MacOS so you’ll be getting to grips with it in no time. The small size does a better job than you might expect of replicating the ergonomics of a regular mouse, with the left click easily accessible.
Logitech has decided to place the right click input closer to the middle of the
Cube, a movement which can be difficult to pull of consistently. You’ll also find a scrolling function which requires you to caress the upper surface of the
Cube but results are nowhere near as accurate as a scroll wheel.
The
Cube’s secret talent is that it also doubles as a rather nifty presentation tool. Just lift the mouse into the air and it switches modes – letting you advance to the next frame with a click. If you want to reverse direction, just turn the device over and click again. It’s simple, nicely presented and works flawlessly – with just a short delay to switch back to regular operation.
The rechargeable battery on the
Cube is a great touch, and its both speedy to reach a full charge and compatible with many generic USB cables – should yours go missing. Battery life itself is far from stellar, lasting around a week of regular use though the small size likely left little room for a large Lithium-Ion cell.
The
Cube also comes with a nicely padded and textured cover for the mouse, helping to protect it from knocks but
Logitech missed a trick by not including a place to store the small USB cable and tiny (not to mention easily mislaid) receiver.
The Cube, snug in its padded case
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The
Logitech Cube is a wonderful piece of design work and makes a great first impression for its looks and relatively intuitive replication of basic mouse functions, as well as a solid presenter tool. But longer sessions lead to frustration – particularly with the odd placement of the right click function and inconsistent scroll, while the shape never really feels completely comfortable.
The
Cube looks great and delivers on many of its promises but if productivity rather than presentation is your aim, you’ll want to look elsewhere.