Zowie Gear EC2-A: A Linux Gamer's Review
Initial Impressions and Early Performance
By Kyrottimus
Background:
First off, let me start by stating that the main reason I felt the need to write this review, is I have yet to run into a thorough review of a gaming mouse from a Linux user, let alone a Linux gamer. And since this is my first gaming mouse (on any OS), it felt like only a natural progression to share this experience with fellow Linux gamers.
For years, I've laid down some serious money for computer hardware. RAM, GPUs, CPUs, Power Supplies (to support the ever-increasing load), fans/heatsinks, cases, hard-drives, etc. I've never really considered controller peripherals beyond a basic gaming controller and a standard mouse and keyboard. For as long as I could remember, the cheap Logitech mice, keyboards and game controllers all held up and seemed to work just fine.
That was, until, I was at a friend's house recently and was helping him out with some technical issues on his laptop, and I got to try out the mouse he had: a Razor DeathAdder 3G. I was amazed at how responsive it was, how deftly I could engage one of the buttons without moving the mouse, the weight, the cord; it all was a vast improvement over my humble (yet rugged and reliable) Logitech M100.
I started doing research. Looking at reviews, reading about features and their importance, I started to build a library in my head about the kind of mouse that would best suit my needs. Since I only used Linux, I wanted a mouse that would function without issue. Most of the performance mice out there require some sort of driver to access all of the functions (like dpi settings, USB poll/report rates, LED light configurations, etc.).
I realized that while most of the gaming mice out there would work on Linux, more or less with some serious script-configuring, heavy usage and modification of open-source drivers, etc. Now, mind you, I got started on Linux for a reason, and there was a time where I didn't mind customizing every last minute detail of my hardware, software and peripherals to meet my specific, albeit pragmatic needs.
Options:
I wanted a mouse that had it where it counts under the hood, but didn't have a dozen buttons on it. Really, the standard mouse I've been using only seems to be lacking two more buttons in most of the FPS games I play, so I narrowed my search down to the 5 button variety (2 main buttons + 2 thumb buttons + the scroll wheel which functions as a 5th button in itself).
Really, my options were slim. I started to look at the more popular driver-utilized mice that I know work on Linux with minimal effort. My first options were a toss-up between Logitech's G series, Razor and Roccat. Now I considered Logitech because their keyboards and mice for well over a decade have been solid and reliable and super heavy-duty in my fairly abusive use of them. I like them as a brand and I like their simplicity. But when I started looking at their high-end, gaming line of mice, I was a little put off.
If you want a mouse that looks like a spaceship or something that Tony Stark built, hey, it may be for you. But I wanted simplicity, ergonomics, reliability, performance, responsiveness and something not ostentatious. Some of the less-expensive Logitech gaming mice caught my eye, as they weren't so out there in appearance or features, so I bookmarked a few and continued my search.
Next up, I came across the Razor brand of mice. The DeathAdder 3G (the one I had tried at my friend's place) came to mind so I started researching that. Now Razor seemed a bit more my style, but even then a tad over-the-top. Then I come to find out that getting 100% functionality/driver-stability on Linux can be spotty and might require some heavy-duty tweaking. I found a few other Razor mice more to my style and liking and bookmarked those.
After that, I started looking at Roccat. Now Roccat was one of the first ones that came to my attention with their strong (albeit unofficial) support of the Linux community and open drivers, even if made by 3rd party coders for our mousing pleasure. They seemed like a good brand, and I liked the concept of the shift-button on the mouse to double the functions of the remaining buttons. I realize this is definitely not exclusive to Roccat, but they are pretty clear in their implementation and function of it.
After going through all of these, I noticed one thing in common that really turned me off (other than the heavy reliance on customized drivers), and that was marketing flare. All of these companies must have sunk tons of cash into their marketing campaigns, packaging and overall aesthetics. I didn't want all that. I wanted a simple mouse, no flash or flare, that had a monster under the hood.
Also, as a further note, I was not interested in a mouse that had programmable buttons or macros. I realize there is a need for these, and it's good that there are plenty of options as far as they go. However, I have no need for them, as all of the games I play allow for in-game binding of all mouse buttons. I wanted a mouse that kept it simple, without programmable buttons or macros.
My search continued.
Picking the right model for me:
Some searching in a search engine combining the terms "gaming mouse" and "Linux" came up with a brand called Zowie Gear. As I looked into this brand and their products, I knew I was on to something. All of the features that appeal to my pragmatic, functionalist side were there. Then I really came across the selling point that spoke to me, "Driverless Mouse."
Their mouse configuration customization is accomplished with either a toggle button on the bottom for DPI settings, or while holding a certain sequence of buttons while plugging the mouse USB into the computer. After narrowing my search further down to the FK or EC series, I focused in on the EC1-A and EC2-A. The only differences between these two is the EC1-A is a full size mouse while the EC2-A is slightly smaller. I went with the EC2-A, in all honesty, because it was $5 cheaper (with coupon code) than the EC1-A and the EC2-A is closer in size to my M100 to which I've become accustomed.
I picked up the EC2-A from an online retailer for $54.99 USD, shipped. Everywhere else, both the EC2-A and the EC1-A were $77-$99 USD, so going with the lone retailer was a no-brainer. Though, this particular retailer somewhat dragged their feet in shipping the mouse to me.
Zowie Gear is a relatively young company, having been founded in 2008. While I think since their main focus has been on the components and features of their mice, their exposure may have suffered a bit, though I realize the serious gamers out there know of them/use them. Even still, they don't seem to have a huge following, but they've got a pretty good name for themselves all the same.
In any event, it finally arrived, and so my unboxing began.
Unboxing:
The Box
The packaging was very spartan at first appearance, being all white with simple black lettering at the bottom and the Zowie Gear logo in the center. When I opened the box, the mouse was carefully packaged, with Zowie Gear even going so far as having a mouse foot protecting membrane under it. The packing contents included an instruction manual, a spare set of mouse feet and a Zowie Gear reflective decal. Everything inside seemed packaged flawlessly.
The Box Contents
More Box Contents
One of the more striking features, the USB plug is nicely sized with some gold alloy as it's composition. I need not explain why gold is so great when used in electronics.
So out with the old, in with the new. I unplugged my Logitech M100 and plugged the EC2-A in. Immediately, I was greeted with a glowing red scroll-wheel. The cursor moved. The mouse buttons worked. I did not have to restart, install any drivers, write any scripts or alter any libraries or config files. This literally works “out of the box.”
My old Logitech M100 (left), my new Zowie Gear EC2-A (right)
Let me reiterate this for my Linux brethren (as I myself run Linux Mint 17.1):
The EC2-A is a premium gaming mouse that works on Linux out-of-the-box with no drivers, no scripts, or reconfigurations required.
Once I started moving the mouse around, I noticed the cursor was moving far slower than my Logitech.
On the bottom of the mouse, right next to the sensor, is a small oblong button, a bit bigger than a grain of rice. When pressed, this button toggles through the various dpi settings of the mouse. The default (red) is 400dpi, the next one (violet) is 800dpi, followed by 1600dpi (blue), and finally 3200dpi (green).
I settled on 1600dpi for two reasons. First, and most importantly, this setting most closely matched the cursor speed I was accustomed to (though slightly faster at this point). Second, and this turned out to be lucky on my part, is I dig blue. My Linux box has some blue LED fans in it. Blue is my color.
Zowie Gear EC2-A plugged in, set to 1600dpi indicated by the blue scroll-wheel LED
Before I dug into my games library, I wanted to try out a few basic tasks on the desktop. Honestly, it took a bit more getting used to than I was used to, as this mouse picked up every tiny movement of my hand. The Avago 3310 sensor does not fail to impress. Being that this is so much more accurate than I'm used to, I need to adjust. I'm happy though, now realizing that my old mouse was holding me back.
Features:
The EC2-A comes equipped with Huano switches for all of its buttons. The switches are tactile and audible. The switch reset is intuitive and consistent. The main two mouse buttons have almost no pre-travel whatsoever and offer just the right amount of resistance. The thumb buttons have a bit of pre-travel, though when trying them out, I can't help but notice how much less touch sensitivity my thumb has vs my index and middle fingers, so I think they're tuned nicely, though I think the switches themselves could have been made with a little more resistance (more like the main two mouse buttons).
The scroll-wheel has 24 steps and is very prominent without being cumbersome or in the way. Every step is picked up within my browser windows as well as my standard window manager. The cord is a generous 2 meters in length, coated by soft and pliable rubber insulation.
The mouse shape will take some getting used to, as even though it's not much bigger than my Logitech M100, the rear right slope wants to drop out of my hand as I lift-off the mouse and continue movement. The rest of the shape is very ergonomic and natural for my larger-than-average right hand. Once I adopted a bit more of a claw-grip, it locked into my hand nicely.
Speaking of lift-off, this mouse has it's lift-off distance set to ludicrous-low. I have no doubts that this level of sensitivity will pay off for me in the end, but I definitely need to spend some more time to adjust.
The texture on the mouse leaves something to be desired. Due to the sloping shape, it feels like it should be a little more tacky. I do realize that certain materials and coatings wear off, and this does feel like it's a durable coating (if it is a coating at all and not just finely textured polymer). It's not bad, though, and just by applying a little extra pressure (more-so than I'm acclimated to), it is no longer an issue.
I primarily wanted this mouse as a FPS mouse, and there have been quite a few nice shiny FPS to hit lately with native Linux support. As a few test games, I decided on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Interstellar Marines, Chivalry and the new Shadow Warrior (a healthy mix of both shooting and melee). I also wanted to test out Torchlight II, as I wanted to see how the EC2-A fared in that click-fest of game.
Check out page two for how it performs in-game. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Initial Impressions and Early Performance
By Kyrottimus
Background:
First off, let me start by stating that the main reason I felt the need to write this review, is I have yet to run into a thorough review of a gaming mouse from a Linux user, let alone a Linux gamer. And since this is my first gaming mouse (on any OS), it felt like only a natural progression to share this experience with fellow Linux gamers.
For years, I've laid down some serious money for computer hardware. RAM, GPUs, CPUs, Power Supplies (to support the ever-increasing load), fans/heatsinks, cases, hard-drives, etc. I've never really considered controller peripherals beyond a basic gaming controller and a standard mouse and keyboard. For as long as I could remember, the cheap Logitech mice, keyboards and game controllers all held up and seemed to work just fine.
That was, until, I was at a friend's house recently and was helping him out with some technical issues on his laptop, and I got to try out the mouse he had: a Razor DeathAdder 3G. I was amazed at how responsive it was, how deftly I could engage one of the buttons without moving the mouse, the weight, the cord; it all was a vast improvement over my humble (yet rugged and reliable) Logitech M100.
I started doing research. Looking at reviews, reading about features and their importance, I started to build a library in my head about the kind of mouse that would best suit my needs. Since I only used Linux, I wanted a mouse that would function without issue. Most of the performance mice out there require some sort of driver to access all of the functions (like dpi settings, USB poll/report rates, LED light configurations, etc.).
I realized that while most of the gaming mice out there would work on Linux, more or less with some serious script-configuring, heavy usage and modification of open-source drivers, etc. Now, mind you, I got started on Linux for a reason, and there was a time where I didn't mind customizing every last minute detail of my hardware, software and peripherals to meet my specific, albeit pragmatic needs.
Options:
I wanted a mouse that had it where it counts under the hood, but didn't have a dozen buttons on it. Really, the standard mouse I've been using only seems to be lacking two more buttons in most of the FPS games I play, so I narrowed my search down to the 5 button variety (2 main buttons + 2 thumb buttons + the scroll wheel which functions as a 5th button in itself).
Really, my options were slim. I started to look at the more popular driver-utilized mice that I know work on Linux with minimal effort. My first options were a toss-up between Logitech's G series, Razor and Roccat. Now I considered Logitech because their keyboards and mice for well over a decade have been solid and reliable and super heavy-duty in my fairly abusive use of them. I like them as a brand and I like their simplicity. But when I started looking at their high-end, gaming line of mice, I was a little put off.
If you want a mouse that looks like a spaceship or something that Tony Stark built, hey, it may be for you. But I wanted simplicity, ergonomics, reliability, performance, responsiveness and something not ostentatious. Some of the less-expensive Logitech gaming mice caught my eye, as they weren't so out there in appearance or features, so I bookmarked a few and continued my search.
Next up, I came across the Razor brand of mice. The DeathAdder 3G (the one I had tried at my friend's place) came to mind so I started researching that. Now Razor seemed a bit more my style, but even then a tad over-the-top. Then I come to find out that getting 100% functionality/driver-stability on Linux can be spotty and might require some heavy-duty tweaking. I found a few other Razor mice more to my style and liking and bookmarked those.
After that, I started looking at Roccat. Now Roccat was one of the first ones that came to my attention with their strong (albeit unofficial) support of the Linux community and open drivers, even if made by 3rd party coders for our mousing pleasure. They seemed like a good brand, and I liked the concept of the shift-button on the mouse to double the functions of the remaining buttons. I realize this is definitely not exclusive to Roccat, but they are pretty clear in their implementation and function of it.
After going through all of these, I noticed one thing in common that really turned me off (other than the heavy reliance on customized drivers), and that was marketing flare. All of these companies must have sunk tons of cash into their marketing campaigns, packaging and overall aesthetics. I didn't want all that. I wanted a simple mouse, no flash or flare, that had a monster under the hood.
Also, as a further note, I was not interested in a mouse that had programmable buttons or macros. I realize there is a need for these, and it's good that there are plenty of options as far as they go. However, I have no need for them, as all of the games I play allow for in-game binding of all mouse buttons. I wanted a mouse that kept it simple, without programmable buttons or macros.
My search continued.
Picking the right model for me:
Some searching in a search engine combining the terms "gaming mouse" and "Linux" came up with a brand called Zowie Gear. As I looked into this brand and their products, I knew I was on to something. All of the features that appeal to my pragmatic, functionalist side were there. Then I really came across the selling point that spoke to me, "Driverless Mouse."
Their mouse configuration customization is accomplished with either a toggle button on the bottom for DPI settings, or while holding a certain sequence of buttons while plugging the mouse USB into the computer. After narrowing my search further down to the FK or EC series, I focused in on the EC1-A and EC2-A. The only differences between these two is the EC1-A is a full size mouse while the EC2-A is slightly smaller. I went with the EC2-A, in all honesty, because it was $5 cheaper (with coupon code) than the EC1-A and the EC2-A is closer in size to my M100 to which I've become accustomed.
I picked up the EC2-A from an online retailer for $54.99 USD, shipped. Everywhere else, both the EC2-A and the EC1-A were $77-$99 USD, so going with the lone retailer was a no-brainer. Though, this particular retailer somewhat dragged their feet in shipping the mouse to me.
Zowie Gear is a relatively young company, having been founded in 2008. While I think since their main focus has been on the components and features of their mice, their exposure may have suffered a bit, though I realize the serious gamers out there know of them/use them. Even still, they don't seem to have a huge following, but they've got a pretty good name for themselves all the same.
In any event, it finally arrived, and so my unboxing began.
Unboxing:
The Box
The packaging was very spartan at first appearance, being all white with simple black lettering at the bottom and the Zowie Gear logo in the center. When I opened the box, the mouse was carefully packaged, with Zowie Gear even going so far as having a mouse foot protecting membrane under it. The packing contents included an instruction manual, a spare set of mouse feet and a Zowie Gear reflective decal. Everything inside seemed packaged flawlessly.
The Box Contents
More Box Contents
One of the more striking features, the USB plug is nicely sized with some gold alloy as it's composition. I need not explain why gold is so great when used in electronics.
So out with the old, in with the new. I unplugged my Logitech M100 and plugged the EC2-A in. Immediately, I was greeted with a glowing red scroll-wheel. The cursor moved. The mouse buttons worked. I did not have to restart, install any drivers, write any scripts or alter any libraries or config files. This literally works “out of the box.”
My old Logitech M100 (left), my new Zowie Gear EC2-A (right)
Let me reiterate this for my Linux brethren (as I myself run Linux Mint 17.1):
The EC2-A is a premium gaming mouse that works on Linux out-of-the-box with no drivers, no scripts, or reconfigurations required.
Once I started moving the mouse around, I noticed the cursor was moving far slower than my Logitech.
On the bottom of the mouse, right next to the sensor, is a small oblong button, a bit bigger than a grain of rice. When pressed, this button toggles through the various dpi settings of the mouse. The default (red) is 400dpi, the next one (violet) is 800dpi, followed by 1600dpi (blue), and finally 3200dpi (green).
I settled on 1600dpi for two reasons. First, and most importantly, this setting most closely matched the cursor speed I was accustomed to (though slightly faster at this point). Second, and this turned out to be lucky on my part, is I dig blue. My Linux box has some blue LED fans in it. Blue is my color.
Zowie Gear EC2-A plugged in, set to 1600dpi indicated by the blue scroll-wheel LED
Before I dug into my games library, I wanted to try out a few basic tasks on the desktop. Honestly, it took a bit more getting used to than I was used to, as this mouse picked up every tiny movement of my hand. The Avago 3310 sensor does not fail to impress. Being that this is so much more accurate than I'm used to, I need to adjust. I'm happy though, now realizing that my old mouse was holding me back.
Features:
The EC2-A comes equipped with Huano switches for all of its buttons. The switches are tactile and audible. The switch reset is intuitive and consistent. The main two mouse buttons have almost no pre-travel whatsoever and offer just the right amount of resistance. The thumb buttons have a bit of pre-travel, though when trying them out, I can't help but notice how much less touch sensitivity my thumb has vs my index and middle fingers, so I think they're tuned nicely, though I think the switches themselves could have been made with a little more resistance (more like the main two mouse buttons).
The scroll-wheel has 24 steps and is very prominent without being cumbersome or in the way. Every step is picked up within my browser windows as well as my standard window manager. The cord is a generous 2 meters in length, coated by soft and pliable rubber insulation.
The mouse shape will take some getting used to, as even though it's not much bigger than my Logitech M100, the rear right slope wants to drop out of my hand as I lift-off the mouse and continue movement. The rest of the shape is very ergonomic and natural for my larger-than-average right hand. Once I adopted a bit more of a claw-grip, it locked into my hand nicely.
Speaking of lift-off, this mouse has it's lift-off distance set to ludicrous-low. I have no doubts that this level of sensitivity will pay off for me in the end, but I definitely need to spend some more time to adjust.
The texture on the mouse leaves something to be desired. Due to the sloping shape, it feels like it should be a little more tacky. I do realize that certain materials and coatings wear off, and this does feel like it's a durable coating (if it is a coating at all and not just finely textured polymer). It's not bad, though, and just by applying a little extra pressure (more-so than I'm acclimated to), it is no longer an issue.
I primarily wanted this mouse as a FPS mouse, and there have been quite a few nice shiny FPS to hit lately with native Linux support. As a few test games, I decided on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Interstellar Marines, Chivalry and the new Shadow Warrior (a healthy mix of both shooting and melee). I also wanted to test out Torchlight II, as I wanted to see how the EC2-A fared in that click-fest of game.
Check out page two for how it performs in-game. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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(no jitter at high-dpi, low Lift of Distance, no mouse acceleration, no mouse smoothing, no angle snapping, no input lag) to it with great quality switches, it's what makes them so good, a high-quality, no-frills mouse
I actually still use that mouse... Only Microsoft product I own.
Not sure I understood everything correctly, but if it doesn't support acceleration it definitely wouldn't end up on my desk since I need that feature.
I don't care about the trash talk people do about acceleration, mostly because they haven't discovered its potential and how beneficial it actually can become.
I used that mouse for more than 10 years and can say it's the only good MS product I know.
It simply means that there is no built-in acceleration. People that don't like it can actually disable it (a good share of great Quake 3 players used acceleration at the time, but CS players hate it.)
In fact that's what I've been doing for years with my original Razer Abyssus, yet another mouse that didn't need drivers and had switches on its back, known for its extreme precision and reliability, but at the same time, its lift-off distance is ridiculously high and its ergonomics are crap.
Great review by the way!
I did the exact contrary compared to you: I went from my Razer to a Logitech M500 Refresh and... I don't regret it. Some high-end "office" mice have come a long way, and it's really obvious with this one. I started playing with acceleration again, and I love it. Don't know why, maybe I'm a damn freak, but as long as it enhances my aim I don't care. Maybe when I have the time I'll share what led me to that choice, but after 10+ years using Razer mice, it was a pretty tough one.
Like you, I buy every kind of hardware for my system except a gaming mouse and keyboard, I might finally break the rule. ;)
I ended up choosing Roccat Kone Pure. I am not using the additional functionality of the drivers all that much, but being able to quickly make the initial configuration via a program was actually quite convenient.
I personally have been using a R.A.T. 9 for at least five years now. Its look may be a little bit futuristic, but I love it :-)
However, you need to edit your Xorg.conf in order to avoid any problem with it (the mode button acts as three buttons, which are not released when selected, and confuses X. The feature I love with this mouse is the thumb horizontal scroll wheel. It is awesome once you are accustomed to it, but needs the X.org.conf remap too.
I created a python driver to configure the sensitivity, it can be found on my Github account (MayeulC), together with the necessary adjustments to the X conf. I have to get the power indicator merged with upower, too, once I know where to put the code.
The other equipment I use is also a Saitek one, since I always found their products amazing. It's the Cyborg V7 keyboard. The programmable buttons don't work, but are available via a hidraw device. If anyone know how to make a macro software (how to talk to X, etc), please drop me a word.
About the keyboards, I don't particularly like mechanical ones, as long as the build quality of the membranes is great. Am I the only one thinking this way?
also i still dislike mouse accelleration, i've used it for many, many years, and only a week after disabling it i noticed my K/D ratio increasing rapidly, it's much easier to controll and therefor makes it easier to aim, for desktop use it can be handy, but for gaming i'd say mouse accelleration should be off always, unless you haven't got enough room for your mouse to move larger distances and still need to be accurate
Again, you seem to be a CS player. Fatal1ty himself used acceleration extensively on Quake 3.
See: http://fatal1ty.com/fatal1ty-frags-blog-3rd-frag-mouse-sensitivity/
But indeed you are right, a flawless sensor allows you at least to disable it completely.