Logitech MX Ergo & MX Ergo Plus vs M570 vs ELECOM

Let’s start by getting the easy to judge things out of the way first. Trackballs are so much better than mice for gaming that it is not even funny. They are fast, they are accurate, and generally are like turning on ‘cheat mode’ when competing against mice using competitors. We strongly recommend investing the time in getting used to their unique interface as both the short term (gaming advantage) and long term (less chance of RSI) is worth the effort.

Next, if you were one of the few who bought the ‘best buy exclusive’ MX ERGO Plus and paid more for it than the standard MX ERGO… our condolences. Logitech did make the right decision by making it a very short exclusivity. It is though a bit of a middle finger to loyal Logitech users who rushed out to buy their latest and greatest… but that is what you get for being an early adopter, and yes we feel your pain as that is what we did too and are now regretting it. Next, if you see the Plus version retailing for more than the non-Plus edition at your local brick and mortar store, do not buy it there. In a very interesting move Logitech now offers both, with free shipping, direct from them at the exact same price. As such if the MX ERGO trackball series is right for you it is a veritable no-brainer: get the MX ERGO Plus. You may or may not feel the extra wedge is all that usable but since it doesn’t cost you anything… why not buy it and see if it is right for you?! If at some point this interesting price model does change we would be sorely tempted to not recommend the Plus edition. It really will take a lot of time to get used to and it is doubtful many will find this to be extra money well spent.

With all that out of the way the burning question is simple. Is the MX ERGO series a definite improvement over the M570? Yes and no. Overall it is indeed a better trackball with better ergonomics. The very fact you can go from zero degrees to 20 degrees by just twisting your wrist is bloody brilliant. Equally important is in either position the MX ERGO series is rock solid stable. Any fears you have over it being ‘tippy’ can be put to rest. Logitech did spend the time to get this setup right and it shows. The same is true of the integrated battery that is end user replaceable. This too is a nice upgrade over having to use AA batteries – as a charge last about as long as a set of AA batteries. Equally important you only have to plug the MX Ergo Trackball in for a couple hours to fully charge it and as long as the battery life is not zero you can still use it while it charges. Brilliant stuff.

Unfortunately, the customization offered with the MX ERGO series is an ‘all or nothing’ affair and Logitech may want to think about making it even more customizable. We personally stick a little wedge underneath the meal rocking plate so that the tilt is about 10 degrees. For our wrist, hands, and user environment that is pretty much perfect. So as it stands this mouse is indeed customizable but not as much as the marketing would lead you to believe. The options really are only zero degrees, 20 degrees or 30 degrees. We have a sneaking suspicion that a ‘MX ERGO double plus’ or ‘MX ERGO Plus 2.0’ will solve this at some point, but in the meantime the MX ERGO series is indeed a worthy upgrade from the M570… just one that may leave you wanting even more.

With that being said we would not be in a great rush to replace our existing M570s with MX ERGO trackballs until they die. This new series is a touch expensive for what it offers and if you own a M570 the differences are not really enough to warrant the cost of upgrade – what you have works ‘good enough’. This is especially true if you like to actually customize the mouse via the software. The new software really is the weak link for the new MX ERGO series. It will royally annoy faithful Logitech M570 users with its poor options and ‘still in Beta testing’ feel. But for those who can afford it, don’t care much about less than optimal software, or simply are an experienced trackball user whose trackball is on its way out, get the MX ERGO Plus it is worth the extra dollars over a new M570 – software warts and all.

For first time users who have never used a trackball things are not quite as clear cut. $100 to spend on a device that may or may not ‘work’ for you is a rather big risk. Trackballs do come with a steep learning curve and it does take about 2-3 weeks to get used their unique way of doing things. Many simply don’t have the patience to reap the rewards they offer and give up after only a few days of using one. As such the even less expensive M-XT3 series does have a lot to offer. It too is a great trackball, with an even more ‘mouse’ feel to it than Logitech, that will allow you to understand what trackballs are all about… and with an asking price of only 30-40 dollars it really is not that big a risk.

In summary the MX ERGO series is indeed a welcome update to a design that has not changed much in the many years the M570 has been around. It however is not perfect and may not be right for everyone, especially first-time users. It still however is a great trackball and we are pretty sure that Logitech will be updating their software to remove the rough edges. At which point we will be sorely tempted to replace our existing M570’s. Until then however the M570 is still ‘good enough’ and Logitech are a bit of victim of their own previous success.