The Basics:

The Cougar 700M has a design that could be described as futuristic or industrial, but it is definitely unique. When my young son first saw the new mouse on our desk he cutely asked if it was broken since it looked nothing like any of the other mice he had used. It clearly was not broken, but it doesn't feature just one smooth, curved surface so I could understand how his young mind was working when he asked that question about the 700M.



As seen in the below left image, the mouse doesn't have the smooth somewhat domed shape of a typical mouse, but has plenty of individual surfaces and features that are accentuated with different colors and textures. Additionally, it features a very substantial, 1.8 meter long USB cable which is sheathed in a high quality braided material. The below right image shows the gold plated USB connector found at the end of the cable.



The images below provide an overview of the mouse from its left side. You can see part of the Aluminum frame sticking up around the scroll wheel and extending back toward the DPI adjustment button.



The mouse features some familiar features, like a left and right mouse button and a scroll wheel, but there is plenty more. The left mouse button features something of a wing sticking out which they call the fire button. It is a nice little feature that provides a comfortable position to get your trigger finger working quickly in FPS games (or whatever) in order to get off quick shots without slipping off the mouse). Just to the aft of this button are two of the eight programmable buttons on board, but I find that this position is difficult to actuate during the heat of battle, but are OK for triggering activities that don't require quick and nimble finger movements. Down low on the mouse's side is another cool feature, this time highlighted with a red bulls eye. This is the Sniper button, intended to provide stable aiming and accurate shooting in FPS games. What is especially nice about this button is that it is flared out at 45 degrees, and not flush with the side of the mouse. Other mice may have a similar button, but they are hard to press since you have to press in on the side of the mouse, and not downward, which feels way more natural to me.

The below left image shows a close up of the Sniper button. The below right image shows a close up of the connection between the braided USB cable and the mouse body. At first I thought this was a plug, and that the USB cable could be removed - a fetaure I have seen on other mice before. But, what we really have is a strain relief mechanism that Cougar calls "Muzzle Brake SR", which simply serves to "extend the durability of the cable during violent play and provide the better flexibility of the cable for smoother motion".