If you like ASUS’ ProArt Keyboard KD300 — see our review here — you might consider its companion accessory: the US$99.99 ProArt Mouse MD301.
It complements it with a SmartShift scroll wheel that automatically switches between precise scrolling and free-spin navigation. It also features six programmable buttons, dual scroll wheels, and user-replaceable switches to extend the mouse’s lifespan. And the mouse’s Bluetooth connectivity supports up to five devices, which makes it a breeze to switch between them
The ASUS ProArt Mouse MD301 has a comfortable ergonomic shape, a nice textured grip, and precise 8,000 DPI sensor. The high-end sensor tracks smoothly across varying surfaces, even glass. This makes it an easy accessory to use when traveling when you may use it on an airplane tray, hotel desk, or laptop pad.
The main scroll wheel provides a comfortable tactile feel, while the horizontal thumb wheel offers intuitive timeline scrubbing or volume control. Plus, the ProArt Mouse MD301 lets you easily swap out the switches for both left and right buttons, which offers some customization. Plus, this means the device should last a long time.
I didn’t find it a drawback, but I’ve read that some users feel the mouse’s companion software needs advanced features like deep app-specific profiles, HyperShift layers, or reliable onboard memory for complex macros. Some users have pointed out a “sleep” quirk where the side scroll wheel goes into battery-saving mode after about 15 seconds, sometimes ignoring the very first scroll input after waking up. However, I never experienced this.
A 190cm USB-C cable handles both wired connectivity and charging. This is a convenient feature as you don’t need a separate power adapter.
ASUS says the ProArt Mouse MD301 runs up to 180 days on a full charge. However, I can’t vouch for that as I’ve only been using it for a week. Still, fast charging provides three hours of heavy use from one minute of USB-C charging, or eight hours of lighter work.
If you don’t like Apple’s Magic Mouse and its ridiculous design (a charging port placement on the bottom!), consider the ProArt Mouse MD301.
Apple World Today rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
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