Zowie S2 Black

[pzogel]

Zowie finally released the acclaimed S series with their signature black matte coating. In this review, we'll see what else may have changed under the hood, and whether this PixArt PMW3360-equipped mouse is worth your money in today's market.

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[TheLostSwede]

@pzogel this should be the MCU.

https://www.cypress.com/part/cy7c64356-48ltxc

Not cheap for what it is. Over $2 for 1k quantities for an 8-bit MCU is actually kind of crazy.

 

[pzogel]

@pzogel this should be the MCU.

https://www.cypress.com/part/cy7c64356-48ltxc

Not cheap for what it is. Over $2 for 1k quantities for an 8-bit MCU is actually kind of crazy.

Good catch, I'll correct it in the review.
It's a curious choice for an MCU for sure, as you don't need 32Kb of memory to store four pre-defined CPI levels. Remarkably, Zowie's go-to MCU during the 3310 era (16Kb) is even more expensive: https://www.cypress.com/part/cy7c64215-28pvxc

 

[Vario]

Nice review, I appreciate the comparison to other Zowie mice. I have tried most of these mice and prefer the EC2A. I am glad you provided the comparable measurements between the smaller Zowie models. The S2 doesn't seem like it would work as well for me as the EC2A as I like the ergo shape, but the S2 seems like a pretty good shape for those with the proper hand for it. I personally wouldn't mind if Zowie released a 9/10 scale version of the EC2A, just a bit smaller, just call it the "EC3A".

 

[TheLostSwede]

Good catch, I'll correct it in the review.
It's a curious choice for an MCU for sure, as you don't need 32Kb of memory to store four pre-defined CPI levels. Remarkably, Zowie's go-to MCU during the 3310 era (16Kb) is even more expensive: https://www.cypress.com/part/cy7c64215-28pvxc

I know a company that does 32-bit MCUs with wireless for well under $1 that is used in a lot of mice...

 

[cellar door]

For everyone reading the cons 'poor scroll wheel' - I actually really like it, so it's more of a personal preference thing. If you are considering this mouse, don't let this stop you.

 

[ogharaei]

For everyone reading the cons 'poor scroll wheel' - I actually really like it, so it's more of a personal preference thing. If you are considering this mouse, don't let this stop you.

For gaming and office work? Just curious.

 

[cellar door]

For gaming and office work? Just curious.

Yep for both - it is something you have to obviously try yourself. It is a different feel as compared to the generic wheels - for some reason many reviewers see this as a con. I really like it myself.

 

[Vario]

I found that in the previous generation (EC2A et al) the buttons and scroll wheels seemed to vary a lot between seemingly identical Zowie/BenQ, if you get one with unusable buttons or wheel, try exchanging it, the replacement might be better.