*Because every good boy deserves lasers*

My current laptop has been on the go for almost three years and when I first purchased it I made the decision to purchase a very good mouse for it. I'm an avid fan of PC gaming and while I tend to stick to what I like, I've always found a decent mouse to be essential to the enjoyment of a good gaming session. There's nothing more annoying for a gamer than the irritation caused by a 'sticky' or unresponsive mouse.

Although I considered a few brands, the Razer Copperhead was the only real contender, with its mantastic looks and advanced design.

The main claim to fame of this mouse was that at the time of release it was the only available mouse that used a laser to track movement, which allowed for incredible accuracy.

*Lasers? LEDs? Nerd dreams do come true!*

I certainly wouldn't class myself as a pro gamer. In fact, anyone who does is probably incredibly sad! That said, my inner nerd was crying out to purchase this mouse as it looks very, very cool.

The matte black plastic exterior has a sleek, sculpted form and the ergonomics are great. Even after several hours of intensive gaming my mouse hand doesn't hurt (even if my eyes, neck and shoulders do). It's very easy to keep clean and I try and give it a wipe with a screen wipe or similar once a month.

The mouse features a lot of glowing green LEDs and this sort of thing is very appealing to us men - maybe glowing lights are the new fire? These all glow an eerie, sinister green and while it doesn't add anything to the usability of the mouse, it's certainly fun to use. My particular favourite is the light on the back of the mouse behind the Razer symbol, which blinks on and off in a particularly malevolent way.

*Pinpoint precision*

I don't have a bad word to say about the quality of the mouse in day to day use. The level of precision is unparalleled in my experience and I always feel that my onscreen movements are a very faithful representation of what my hand is doing. Compare this to say, using a Wii, and the difference between good motion tracking and poor is painfully obvious.

The mouse features seven buttons (I tend to use the same three or four for gaming, but it's easy enough to program the others for use). The buttons are also responsive and have a solid enough 'click' during use. The scroll wheel is also extremely reliable, although it can occasionally feel as if it's resting a little more than is normal.

In addition to the basics, the mouse features 32KB of memory (fairly unusual for a mouse). This allows it to better track your movements and to offer more accurate feedback to your computer.

*An investment in quality*

This mouse certainly isn't cheap and if you're comfortable using a £10 Logitech number, by all means continue to do so. If, however, you're a fan of PC gaming, or just want a really comfortable mouse this may be one for you. Prices can vary, although Amazon is currently selling it for £36.39. My mouse was purchased from Play.com for a slightly more expensive £39.99.

*Getting started*

The mouse comes with a quick start guide, a manual and the installation CD. It is a plug and play peripheral and most users won't need to use the CD. I would recommend hanging on to it though, in case you decide to explore the more advanced functionality in future.

You get what you pay for with this solid and effective mouse, a 5 star product in every way.