By: Aaron Lai
February 13, 2015
When Target Canada launched in 2013, there was a bit of excitement in the air. The store preceding it, Zellers, had sung its swan song, as it was unable to handle the competition. The first impressions I had of Target was generally a positive one. It was clean, updated, and felt fresh. However, as the months went by, the bottom line was not looking favorable for them. Worse yet, there were several clear signs targeting -- pun fully intended -- their demise. Target's entrance into Canada was done seemingly hastily; opening up well over a hundred stores within a year, rather than taking small steps into the country. While their hands were tied due to the purchase of the lease agreement, this "all-in" method generally does not work well, especially for an operation of this scale. When they were established here, their discounts were mediocre at best. The prices were not bad overall, but people had greater expectations. Finally, there was the supply chain management problem, leaving shelves half full all the time. To make it worse, Target would not modify their shelving plans, also known as plan-o-grams, to stock shelves with other products. Now of course, these reasons are not the be-all and end-all, but they played a part in the demise of Target. Thus today in 2015, Target Canada is closing their doors, and liquidating their stores. But what does this tell us? Even with a company like Target, with enough flaws and undesirables, the largest of giants will come crashing down. Rather, for a successor to be successful it must function well on its own, fixing the flaws of its predecessor, while not introducing any new ones either. While able to bring newness to the table, Target could not function well economically, and had its own share of flaws as well. As for the product in question today, the Func MS-2, it is not exactly a successor to the Func MS-3. However, I think it is still valid to ask if Func has fixed upon the flaws of the MS-3, even if they were few in number. Is the Func MS-2 at least a worthy brother to the Func MS-3? This question and more will be answered in today's review, so read on to find out!
Today's review unit arrived from home of the Stars, the Cowboys, and the Mavericks. Unlike most of our review samples that come from California, Func's offices reside in the southeastern state of Texas. Using our friends over at FedEx, this parcel arrived quickly and without any major scuffs to our APH Networks Calgary location. The corrugated cardboard box is in good condition, with zero major dents or scuff marks, so I proceeded to open up the box.
Inside you will find some packing paper, which wraps the product in question, the Func MS-2. As with all of Func's packaging, they have kept a white and orange scheme, which looks clean and minimalist. Its logo is large and placed on the top left side, with the slogan "Functionality. Perfected", underneath. The model and item description is kept short and small. The front also shows the MS-2 "creeping" in from the side, which is another nice touch. Func has always displayed attention in the packaging, and the MS-2 is another prime example of this. The front is also a flap held closed by magnets. Opening this flap reveals the mouse itself in a plastic shell, which allows you to see the size and feel it too. The other side of the flap also has many paragraphs about Func itself. The backside of the box has a few features and specifications, of which I will list below:
Specifications
MCU/Processor: MCS-51 Compatible
Main Switches: OMRON
Sensor: ADNS 3090 LED optical
Memory: Onboard 512 KB
Resolution: 4000 DPI
Frames per second: 6400
Tracking speed: 1,52 m/sec (60 ips)
Max Acceleration: 20 g
Report rate: Adjustable, up to 1000 Hz
Upgradable firmware: Yes, via software
Connection: USB 2.0, Gold plated (2 m braided cord)
Dimensions: 70x130x43 mm / 2.76x5.12x1.69 in
Weight: 0.145 kg / 0.32 lbs
System Requirements
Windows® compatible
Available USB port
10 MB free space on hard drive
Out of the box, you will find a few things. One is the mouse in question, held by a plastic shell and a white cardboard backing. There is also a small product manual for product usage and configuration, and a CD containing the utility included with the mouse. The mouse is practically a plug and play mouse, and you really do not need to see the manual, but it might be handy to have. If you are now sporting a computer without a disc drive, you can also download the executable from the internet. However, for those living in the dark ages and without internet, this CD is made for you. I would recommend downloading the file from the internet, as it may have an updated version of the software or firmware. Otherwise, there is not much else to note here.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware and Software
3. Subjective Performance Tests
4. Conclusion
