Logitech Drops The Ball
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Logitech enjoys a position in the field of computer mice similar to the position Microsoft has in the software world. Oh, not as all-encompassing, perhaps, but there are an awful lot of Logitech mice out there and it forms the only serious presence in that area besides Microsoft. Our brother-in-arms Furo had some frustrations with Logitech drivers, but at least the company didn’t try to blow him off.
That’s why I feel that it has a more-than-usual responsibility to keep its mice from annoying the heck out of me. This is a tale of a mouse driver gone bad. Specifically its SetPoint drivers. This situation has probably been going on for some time, but I’ve never seen mention of it elsewhere.
Let’s get down to business: The current drivers for the MX1000 laser mouse are buggy. When you’re using the mouse and you have Outlook 2003 open, pane scrolling goes haywire. In Outlook, when you hover the mouse over the reading pane, for instance, and roll the scroll wheel, that pane should scroll. Same for when you hold the mouse pointer over the mail list pane. The problem with the Logitech drivers is that BOTH panes scroll at once when your pointer is over the reading pane. Not good.
The real gripe I have here is not that there is a bug that Logitech needs to fix as soon as possible, but its response to my reporting this problem. To put it simply, it resorted to the ancient ‘Not me! It’s THEIR problem!’ defense. Well, folks, it just doesn’t fly. Companies have been trying to duck responsibility for many years by pointing fingers at the other camp and it’s about time that it STOPS. Grow up! If your hardware drivers aren’t working in a major software application, then don’t tell me that it’s the software publisher’s fault!
Here’s an edited copy of the e-mail I got from Logitech “tech” support on the issue:
Dear Jeff,
Thank you for your recent inquiry about your Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Mouse. I understand that the scrolling of Logitech MX1000 mouse is not working properly. If you are experiencing issues with the Logitech device in a particular application, test the device in another application to confirm if the issue is specific to that application. If the Logitech device functions properly in the
other application, then the issue may be directly related to the application that you are using the device in. If so, please contact the manufacturer of that software for application specific troubleshooting.
And my response to Logitech:
As far as I can tell, the problem is confined to Microsoft Outlook 2003. Now, if YOU would like to call Microsoft and tell it that it is responsible for the problem with YOUR hardware, please do so. Personally, I have enough people laugh at me in the course of a day. From my point of view, it’s YOUR hardware and YOUR driver that isn’t working right. Either you people made an error while
coding the driver or the application has changed (due to updates, etc.) and you people haven’t kept pace. Somehow, I can’t quite see me telling MICROSOFT that it’s responsible for keeping your drivers working. Can you? In either case, I have no intention of telling Microsoft to fix its application when it isn’t broken.
Let’s hope Logitech will stand up and simply say ‘Oh, we goofed. We’ll fix it as as soon as possible.’ Anything less is (as the Super Nanny says) unacceptable.
14 Comments
Samuel Barkbåt
October 17th, 2006
at 5:16pm
Hi, I have the same problem with my Logitech G5 (corded) mouse, used with Outlook 2003. Yes, scrolling more than you ask for just doesn’t fly. A company that you deem serious, like Logitech, ought to be able to fix such a problem. If not, other products probably will take its place. No matter how good Logitech’s mice are in other respects.
J Ash
January 24th, 2007
at 8:40am
Same here - running a new Logitech MX400 corded laser mouse and Outlook 2002. Bah….
Leo
March 20th, 2007
at 12:42pm
I have the same problem with the latest MX Revolution mouse, and the latest drivers… ridiculous!
S Lawler
April 19th, 2007
at 2:05am
Hmmm. Just curious but has anyone had a non-Logitech mouse do this?
Pol
April 19th, 2007
at 8:00am
Huh - I’ve got a DiNovo and an MX1000, and I’m using OFfice 2007, and I don’t have any of those problems. Maybe Logitech’s actually right, maybe Office 2003 is incorrectly interpreting the non-microsoft mouse driver stuff in 2003? It wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft didn’t follow their own coding guidelines and people who did got messed with.
Chris
June 27th, 2007
at 8:08pm
Fixed this problem by un-installing the Logitech software from Add/Remove programs
crom
August 22nd, 2007
at 5:13am
This is really annoying. It should be an easy fix for logitech..
Greg T.
October 15th, 2007
at 5:13pm
I had the same problems with both panes scrolling in Outlook. I reported it to Logitech support forums and emails. Each response was that it was a Microsoft problem. I have a MX610. I solved the problem by getting a Microsoft Presenter 8000 mouse. I was really miffed that Logitech did not acknowledge that their Setpoint software has a problem. I have used Logitech mice for years but no more.
You can search the Logitech forum for user NeverOutofTune to find my history of the case and copies of emails. I am surprised they left them intact but they did remove the support person’s name who was replying to my emails.
Kevin
November 12th, 2007
at 1:01pm
This is a logitech bug and it’s not limited to outlook. I’ve had it cause problems with, among other apps, jEdit and Adobe Acrobat Reader.
I’ve found that if you remove the driver (and all XML files related to it) and reinstall, it works for a while, but eventually something fouls it up (Acroread always does) and once that happens, nothing will fix it other than uninstalling and reinstalling (or perhaps restoring from a back up of the XML files.
I only use this at work, so it’s tough to trouble shoot it…and if I bring it home, I’ll forget it ad have to use the crappy dell mouse the work computer came with……so I live iwith it :(
jr
November 13th, 2007
at 1:51pm
I’m having the same issue with a Logitech MX Revolution. I submitted a tech. support ticket on the logitech site and this was their response…
Thank you for contacting Logitech Online Support, my name is Sukarno and I will be assisting you in your issue. I am very sorry not able to reply back to you sooner due to some technical issue at our end.
I understand that when scrolling in Outlook it scrolls both panes. If this is not correct please let me know.
====
With regards to your issue, this is a very isolated issue, which may be resulted to hardware problem with the mouse. Therefore I would like to offer you a replacement.
Please complete all of the requirements below and I will forward your case to the Warranty/Replacement Department.
* All details requested in this email are meant to use to verify your product warranty status. Therefore your replacement will only be honored if the product is still covered under the warranty period.
====
Classic response from a typical corporation.
Bobby T.
March 25th, 2008
at 12:58pm
I actually figured out a way to pin it specifically on the drivers…
I have an older Logitech Dual-Optical mouse which uses a different set of drivers than the setpoint drivers.
This problem does NOT occur with it (it didn’t occur until I upgraded my mouse and to the setpoint software)…
This would mean the SetPoint drivers do in fact play a role in this problem…
rdelia
March 28th, 2008
at 1:41pm
I’m experiencing the problem described above with a Logitech VX Nano revolution using Outlook 2002. I can’t believe that Logitech didn’t fix it. …that’s ridiculous For a $90 mouse
gz
May 2nd, 2008
at 1:15pm
Confirmed with multiple Logitech MX 110 cordless kb/mouse sets. This problem affects my home PC, work PC and two customer PCs. Multiple panes scrolling in outlook — yet sometimes if you switch to the browser or Foobar 2000 Outlook will keep scrolling EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN’T HAVE THE FOCUS!
In every case removing SetPoint fixes the problem.
erikmoore
June 18th, 2008
at 7:16am
Had this problem with a Dell wireless Mouse (probably cobranded from logitech) that used SetPoint software. Removing SetPoint fixed it.