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In designing the Habu, Microsoft teamed up with a leader in the gaming mice scene like Razer (from whom we are also reviewing a product in this same round-up). In terms of general aesthetics, you can clearly see Razer's influence in the overall shape and size of the Habu.

The left and right mouse click buttons have nothing out of the ordinary. Between these we find a blue LED-lit scroll wheel. The wheel does not tilt but is clickable and does not require excess force to do so. Behind the scroll wheel are two buttons used to adjust DPI settings on the fly. The default is 800 DPI but you can adjust from 400, 800, 1600 and 2000. There is no LED or LCD display on the mouse to indicate which setting you are currently using however.

The Habu has two interchangeable thumb button panels, each having a slightly different button layout (moves the buttons further away or closer to your palm) to best fit your hand size. The upper surface of the mouse uses a soft, velvet-like rubber material which is really comfortable during extended use. Underneath, Microsoft uses one large and two small Teflon feet that produced a nice gentle glide across my mouse pad. An eject button can also be found under the mouse, used to remove the interchangeable side button panel.

I was a bit disappointed to learn that I needed to update the firmware in order to take advantage of the on-board profile memory feature. If memory profiles aren't important to you, there is no need to install this new firmware. Otherwise, an update is in order.

   

   

I have worked with other Razer mice in the past, and while I found they worked great, most of them seemed to be a bit too large or just uncomfortable under my palm. The Habu, however, has a great feel to it and perfectly contours to my hand. I experienced no wrist pain, even after hours of intense gaming. Subtle blue LED lighting lines the corners of the Habu and gives it a nice look compared to LEDs used under the mouse. Tracking was accurate and overall, this was a pleasant mouse to work with.

Price as of writing: 49.99

Pros:

- Adjustable on-the-fly DPI
- Interchangeable Thumb Button Panels
- Very Comfortable
- On-board Memory for Storing Profiles
- Relatively Low Price

Cons:

- Firmware Updated Needed For Profiler
- No weight adjustments