| Sunbeamtech Fireline and Blue Flame Optical Mice - Page 2 of 2 |
Feel and Performance:
How a mouse feels is going to be highly subjective, and we will all have our own opinions on what feels good and what feels bad. That being said, both of these mice feel very solid and well constructed. There is no squeaking, cracking, or flexing like you feel with some inexpensive mice. Both the Fireline and Blue Flame feel very solid in your hands. In my opinion they both feel a little on the small side, almost like they were getting lost in my hand.
Button feel was sharp and crisp, and the scroll wheel moved easily with a slight ratcheting feel to it, just enough to keep it from feeling like it was free wheeling. The scroll wheel also acts as a third button. When depressed it makes up and down mouse movement scroll pages up and down, like what has become pretty much standard on most mice these days.
I tested the mice on surfaces ranging from the Maxtill G-Pad I normally use, to an old fashion rubber and cloth mouse pad, to the bare desk top, and they both moved smoothly on all surfaces I tested them on. The Fireline has two crescent shaped Teflon strips the mouse rides on while the Blue Flame has 4 small Teflon feet that it rides on.
 
Probably the biggest concern with mice, especially if you are a gamer, is how well they track. This is where both the Fireline and Blue Flame seemed to excel. Due to the 800 dpi engine, both mice tracked flawlessly. I used both mice in several first person shooter games such as Counter Strike, Unreal Tournament 2004, and Far Cry, and never once experienced any tracking issues of any kind. Movement was very precise and accurate with both mice.
Conclusion:
Are either the Fireline or Blue Flame going to replace my beloved 8 button Logitech MX 500? The answer to that is no. However, they were not intended to fill the same high end niche as the Logitech. With Xoxide offering the Fireline for the bargain price of $9.99 and the Blue Flame for only $15.99 these mice are obviously not going after the high end mouse market where mice regularly cost $50 and up. Instead they are targeted toward someone on a budget, but still wants good performance and sharp looks. Or perhaps they may appeal to someone who is just not comfortable with multiple programmable buttons, but still wants top notch optical mouse tracking performance. Any one falling into either of those two categories would be hard pressed to find a better deal than either of these fine mice from Sunbeamtech and Xoxide.
Personally I liked the look and feel of the Fireline better than the Blue Flame, but both performed identically and it really boils down to which feels better and appeals to the individual user.
Taking into consideration the niche these mice are meant to fill, and not comparing them to high end mice costing many times more, I give both the Fireline and Blue Flame 4 out of 5 Stars... "Recommended".
Final Rating (4 out of 5 stars): 
Pros:
• Sturdy feel
• Great price and value
• Excellent performance and tracking
Cons:
• Lack of any programmable buttons
• At 53” cords are a little on the short side
• No PS2 adaptor
Special thanks to Xoxide for providing the Sunbeamtech Fireline and Blue Flame Mice to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to discuss this review.
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