It seems as though Mad Catz only operates between extremes. Both the
R.A.T. 8+ ADV and
R.A.T. Pro X3 Supreme offer extensive customization options in hardware and software, but suffer from high weight, stiff cables, and being supremely expensive. With the M.O.J.O. M1, Mad Catz opted for the opposite approach: less customization, low weight, a somewhat flexible cable, and fairly competitive pricing. While cutting down on some of the customization options surely wasn't a bad idea, the M.O.J.O. M1 still misses the mark.
Originally, there was no software for the M.O.J.O. M1, but this has changed. However, not only is the software fairly buggy, it and and the new firmware coming with it introduce new issues. First, CPI deviation is outrageously high out of the box, which wasn't the case before. Second, even though it now is possible to select polling rates other than 1000 Hz, they all are just as broken as 1000 Hz always has been. In short, more than a year after release, the issues originally present not only have not been fixed, but instead new issues added which weren't there before.
On the bright side, the M.O.J.O. M1 does come out at an appreciably low weight of just 66 g. On the other hand, the fairly large triangular holes tend to be significantly more irritating than the less intrusively shaped ones found on most other lightweight mice. Furthermore, the M.O.J.O. M1 has the worst side buttons I've ever seen on a gaming mouse. They are completely loose, leading to a clearly audible rattle at all times, and more so to huge pre-travel, along with an unshakeable semblance of low quality. It's beyond me how this design ever made it past the concept stage, especially when looking at the main buttons, which provide a pleasantly snappy click response, or the scroll wheel, which is nothing short of excellent. The main button excellency is further underlined by the advertised "Dakota" switches, which actually are regular Zippy DF3-P1 switches, but do provide exceptionally low latency of +0.8 ms (relatively). Progress has also been made with the cable: Instead of the ultra-stiff, braided cables used on previous Mad Catz mice, the M.O.J.O. M1 adopts a significantly more flexible model, though it still isn't on par with what the competition has to offer. Lastly, the mouse feet are pretty decent, but nothing to write home about, either.
So, what's the verdict then? I don't think it would be fair to call the M.O.J.O. M1 a bad mouse, but it's not particularly good, either. Those wanting proper sensor performance should look elsewhere, and those preferring side buttons that are not utterly horrible should look elsewhere too. The exceptionally low click delay is surely a unique selling point, and although I found the shape a bit restrictive, those wanting a thumb rest on a medium-sized, lightweight mouse may find the M.O.J.O. M1 pleasing as well. Mad Catz is making progress, but I'd definitely like to see them strike a better balance with their next release.