A mouse by anyone other name, would it still be a mouse to use in a game? I think so sometimes it does not matter what the mouse is but it is the person using it.

Now at first if you go to Rude Gameware’s web page you would not typically think they were a hardware manufacturer? The impression I first got was “Oh, they are a game Clothing ware” but as anything in this world look can and usually are deceiving.

The Mouse

Well as you can see from the image below it has somewhat of the same look as many a top mouse out there, side buttons, scroll wheel, and comes in many colours as long as it is “BLACK”.  The mouse comes with a small box with four adjustable weights for the back of the mouse.  The weights are set at:

• 5gram

• 10gram

• 10 gram

• 10gram

Now I have not needed to use these weights as I find the mouse is just right as it is for myself.

The Cabling

While the Fierce 5000 is a wired mouse, the braided cable is a defining feature that I have not come across with other mice I have tested so far. So what is a braided cable?  The best way for me to describe it would be it feels a lot like a shoelace. You will find it more lightweight than the typical rubberized cable that is on most mice, and this affects your mouse movement less. I also find that it is more tangle-resistant, but that is just my personal opinion.

Software and Configuration

The Fierce 5000 comes with typical software to help customise your mouse, the one issue I do see even though I personally did not have a problem with installing the “Mini-CD” now I have come across some drives, all be it not that many that are not able to play these small discs. The install was painless as it is rather self explanatory, I do always advocate to anyone that has just installed drivers for a new piece of hardware or even a new software program, “Reboot your computer” just to make sure all is ready and working as it should.

Now as most of us who know anything about Windows, mice and hardware, most of the time windows and I am specifically speaking of windows 7, handles most of the drivers and I have not had a problem with any hardware as of yet that I have tested.  The same goes for the Fierce 5000 mouse. But using the software that is on the CD you will be able to control the even to more of a degree for your precise wants.

The Cons of it:

Ok, here is where I say what I do not like, or what I perceive as a problem.

As for the mouse itself I did find one problem and I would say it was a bit of a pain and will need to be addressed, now that said it might just be the mouse I have here was from a bad batch or just this one was bashed around in shipping.  Where you place your thumb if you push the plastic there it moves in and out, this is turn causes the forward and backward button settings that is default to activate, so you end up with your page etc doing an undo or redo. But again not many people are going to be pushing that hard enough to get it to do this.

Now the manual that came with it I found way too small to read. The mini-cd some might find an issue with their drive but that I think is very minor.  

Here are the obligatory specs!

• 5000 DPI Laser Engine
• 1000 Hz polling with 1 ms response time 
• Onboard memory to save your modifications
• 7 independently programmable buttons and macro support
• Adjustable Weights
• Zero-Acoustic Ultra-smooth Teflon feet
• Always-On mode 
• On-the-Fly Sensitivity DPI adjustment (no driver needed)
• LED DPI Indicator
• Gold plated USB connector for maximum conductivity 
• 7 foot, lightweight, non-tangle cord
• Included customization software

The Fierce 5000 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse V.2 from Rude Gameware, is it going to be able to get a foothold in the very competitive gaming hardware world, we can only see what will happen?

So now is comes down to the verdict: Well this may not be a name you have heard of but that does not mean it is not just as good as the big boys or dare I say it in fear of a good flaming from the hardware elite but it might even be better (gasp) So I and Abrii both say   BUY when it comes to the Fierce 5000 DPI Laser Gaming Mouse V.2 from Rude Gameware.

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DarrenS