Twice the mousey power from OCZ
There's a lot to like about the Eclipse, from its hyper-frictionless feet to the toggle switch for changing DPI around, but at the same time... it's kinda hard to feel drawn to this mousing effort from OCZ.
It's hard not to look at the name of this mouse without thinking of the Double-Meat Palace from the later seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer - or perhaps that's just us. There's a link though - this is one of the slickest mice we've ever used, practically sliding across a surface without any outside intervention; perhaps it's exuding greasy goodness? Regardless, for twitch-gaming on even an average mousing surface, this mouse performs well.
The DPI level, of which there are four, can be programmed, along with an array of macros and other custom, game-based settings. This is done via the included software, but the actual data is stored in onboard memory on the mouse. Once set up to your liking, you can take the Eclipse anywhere. It'll make a great LAN tool. You can even edit the USB report levels - there's a lot to customise, here.
It's a little short on buttons, but that's not too much of a bad thing - too many things to press, switch or rock can sometimes be distracting. The scroll-wheel is rubbery and reasonably responsive, and the rubbery overall coating ensures a tight grip at all times. Well, it would, were it not for how narrow this mouse is.
We're not a bunch of fat-handed twats here at Atomic by any means, but this mouse is still too narrow for any but the smallest of hands. Gripping the Eclipse by thumb and ring finger requires a just too-uncomfortable level of pressure, translating as slightly depressed performance in-game. In many ways it feels more like a laptop mouse than a fully-fledged gaming device. As to the Double-laser angle, OCZ claims it makes a hella difference, but we couldn't discern any extra accuracy or response increase.
As we often say, mice are hard to judge objectively. The Eclipse is a perfect illustration of this; if you're looking for a smaller mouse, with good features and reasonable price, this is your puppy. But for most gamers, it's just a touch too small.
Issue: 111 | April, 2010