Performance -
To test the performance of the Level 10M Hybrid we stacked it up against a Logitech G5 laser gaming mouse, the original Sentinel, the CM Storm Spawn and, of course, the original Level 10M. I played through several levels of Batman Arkham Asylum, Modern Warfare 3, and Call of Duty Black Ops 2 and BioShock Infinite. I played each of these for one hour using each mouse to gauge hand and wrist fatigue and also accuracy and ease of use. I then sat down for some detailed Photoshop CS5 editing. These tests would be using the eraser tool and the cloning tool to edit and clean up small details in images. Unfortunately as these tests are all subjective I can only offer you my experience with it at this time.
Gaming -
As with the original Level 10 M the hybrid took a little bit of time to get used to. Right out of the box the Level 10M hybrid was not exactly right for my hand and style of use, just like the original. Many people will need to spend a couple of minutes adjusting the height and tilt before it is comfortable. The placement of the buttons is great. On many multiple button mice these can be put in the way and cause you to accidentally activate a button when you did not want to. This was not the case on the Level 10M or the hybrid; the buttons are within easy reach, but not in accidental reach (right under your fingers). Our gaming time was very enjoyable, we setup a few macros for Black Ops 2 and for Arkham Asylum and found them simple to use.
As the Level 10M Hybrid has both a wired and a wireless mode we wanted to test both of these during our gaming. The wireless mode was fairly responsive and provided a solid gaming experience although we did run into a few times when the mouse would just seem to slow down for no reason. Picking up the Level 10M and putting it back on the mousing surface would quickly correct this though.
The larger Teflon pads also gave the Level 10 M hybrid a smoother feel on both normal surfaces and mouse pads even over the original Level 10M.
Photoshop Editing and Day-to-Day Use -
Photo and video editing require precise movement and good controls. It is not enough just to have a high DPI laser on your mouse; you must also make sure that the movements of the mouse are controlled and feel natural. We have run more than a few mice through our outline test (we use a mouse to outline a complex image and crop out the background) and most of them are not up to the task. Sure you can do it, but the results are not as good and you end up with cramps just to keep things controlled. Once again the Level 10M works very well for photo and video editing. You can really dial in the accuracy to gain control over the movement of whatever tool you are using. We had solid performance in both wired and wireless modes although we did see the same lag in wireless mode we saw in gaming.
Like the original Level 10M the Hybrid is also great for Day-to-Day use the, you can setup the air through buttons to launch commonly used applications or establish macros to complete simple tasks with ease. It is probably one of the best mice that I have ever used.
Comfort -
Although the Level 10M Hybrid can be adjusted to fit your hand it does not have the same height range as the original Level 10m. This makes it a little less customizable than the original. It does not make it any less comfortable though. Once I had everything dialed in it was like an extension of my hand and not something that I had to push around my desk. I was very pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to use and how comfortable it was even after long periods of use.
