ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse Review – Awesomely Sleek ambidextrous mouse that means business

ASUS isn’t exactly a brand name that you’d immediately associate with manufacturing mouse devices but their emphasis on enterprise related offerings of late including their ExpertBook series now has another logical addition in the form of a slim, wireless mouse dubbed the ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse .

No price or launch details have been announced as yet save for a November 2021 launch date and the nature of its construction implies that it likely isn’t going to be exorbitantly priced but is it worth waiting for? Here’s our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review where we put it to the test!

What is the ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse  

The ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse  is an ambidextrous mouse that relies on Bluetooth connectivity or a 2.4GHz wireless dongle to connect to devices and which is powered by a single AA battery with endurance that’s rated to last a year of use.

Astute readers will probably wonder at its quaint name but where the MD100 draws its name from isn’t its appearance which doesn’t resemble the confectionery in any way but more on account of its almost whisper-silent buttons and scroll wheel that are rated to last over 1 million clicks while offering a slightly springy and absolutely quiet click response that’s less than 20dB. That’s the equivalent of the sound of rustling leaves in a breeze.

Out of the box, our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample came in a dark shade of Quiet Blue, a 2.4GHz RF dongle recessed within the mouse itself, a free AA battery and a swappable Solar Blue top cover that is a very pale robin’s egg blue verging on white.

Our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample comes with a swappable top cover, a free AA battery and a 2.4GHz RF dongle.

When viewed from the side, our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample is  relatively flat though it does have a slightly raised base that gently slopes down to the mouse buttons. ASUS has opted for a minimalistic touch here and the MD100 only has left and right mouse buttons as well as a scroll wheel for control inputs though it’s all sleek and efficiently designed.

Rather than being secured by the usual snap-in pegs seen in other designs, the mouse uses magnets to keep the housing battened down.

Gaining access to the battery bay is simply the matter of wedging a fingernail into a groove in the rear of the mouse and giving it a gentle nudge. Fortunately, the magnets are sturdy enough that the top cover is kept secured in an extremely secure fashion and will not wobble or fall off even with aggressive mousing.

Popping the top cover open reveals the battery bay and ASUS has thoughtfully provided a single AA battery to get you started. You also gain access to a recessed port with a 2.4GHz RF  wireless dongle as well as a neatly folded in fabric carrying strap for easy transport.

The underside of the mouse features a set of PTFE coated feet to offer a smooth glide along with a slider to turn the mouse off as well as to turn on Bluetooth or to pair up with the wireless dongle. It also has buttons that let you modify the DPI in 800, 1000 and 1,600dpi increments.

Overall build quality for our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample was excellent without sharp edges or nubs that would indicate inferior plastic moulding while the matte finish is hard wearing and fingerprint resistant.

The MD100 mouse also has a bacterial resistant coating as well which has been rated to resist 99% of the typical bacteria in the environment when tested over a 24 hour period which is handy in the new normal.

ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review – Performance

Getting the mouse paired, up and running was a doddle. Straight out of the box, ASUS has included the AA battery within the MD100 mouse itself and it was simply a matter of pulling the arming tag on the side to power it up and flipping the Bluetooth switch on the underside of the mouse to get it to pair up instantly with a laptop.

If your Bluetooth connection is wonky, you can still use the 2.4GHz RF dongle to pair up with devices. Pairing took seconds and it was off to the races. 

The underside features PTFE coated feet and a set of slider controls for pairing, to control DPI and to turn it on or off.

Our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample performed wonderfully, with the whisper silent buttons and scroll wheel proving to be both responsive and silent which makes this mouse ideal for scenarios like libraries or working late at night at home.

When field tested in a gauntlet of tasks, our ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse review sample proved to be better at general tasks than gaming.

The nature of its design predisposes it to be better at the former rather than the latter as it only has three buttons though none are customisable which means that all the typical macros that a gamer would expect are not available. The fact that there are only 3 DPI settings also means that you can only tweak its responsiveness in wide swaths which can be irksome at times.

The nature of its design also means that it works best with a palm grip as fingertip and claw grip users don’t have much space to perch their hands on. 

On the bright side, the symmetrical nature of its design means that it’s one of the few ambidextrous wireless mice that can be used with equal effectiveness by both left and right handed users. The fact that it’s exceptionally slim and flat with the ability to last for a year on a single AA battery means that  it’s absolutely ideal for work scenarios and road warriors as it’s easily transportable without taking up too much space.

Should you buy the ASUS Marshmallow MD100 mouse?

The ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse is a highly focused design optimised for general usage and paperwork. Where its strengths lie is its silent switches, slim and portable design as well as its exceptional portability and durability.

Unfortunately, the lack of customisability in terms of its DPI and its inability to be used in different grip styles means that it’s a design that is best appreciated by road warriors and desk jockeys rather than ardent gamers. It’s hard to assess its value as ASUS has not released its exact price yet bar a mention that it’ll be reasonably priced but we’ll update this post when they do.

[UPDATE] ASUS Malaysia has just released the price of the mouse and it’s RM145. This price point still marks it below what the average gaming mouse would cost and above a  generic work mouse you can get off the shelf but you’re getting insanely long battery life, a highly compact form factor and whisper silent buttons, all features of exceptional value for road warriors and desk jockeys alike.

ASUS Marshmallow MD100 Mouse Review sample courtesy of ASUS Malaysia. For more details follow https://www.asus.com/my/