I still have two MX518 and I hate myself for not having one on my gaming PC. I have some generic ass logitech wireless mouse at the moment. I still need to buy a new mechanical keyboard then probably another MX518 off eBay.
You have no idea how obsessed I am with these mice. I have 4 NIB
pre 2009 revision mx518s.
(pre-2009 SKUs don't have the cable issue), and 2 NIB post-2009 mx518s with spare new in bag 501 cables which are better than the OEM). And 1 g400s that I used for a week before my spoiled ass couldn't do it any more. It's just off in many ways and has cheap feeling switches all around.
I'm ready for the mouse apocalypse bitch! I've learned from the IBM Model-M keyboard discontinuation(I only have one spare, and a unicomp reproduction, which IMO are actually better). Although I'm good with a number of Cherry switches which also rock.
You'll need to pry these things from my cold dead hands before I switch to these BS mice and membrane keyboards.
I also think the mx518 could slightly evolve in both form and with trackers and switches. I really love the coating roccat uses around the hands. I love a number of braided cables, and I also love the tracking switches steelseries uses. I love corsairs switches. And I love Razers scroll wheels. I also like how Roccat Kones are very close to the same shape, but not quite right. The one part about the Kone housing that I would adapt to the mx518, is the cable end of the mouse, with a slightly flatter angle.
Here's an early draft mockup I made a while back with that Kone front quarter. I wont revise or draft a real one until I get a better 3D printer.
As soon as a good USB 3.0 controller in mouse comes out with a tracker I like, I'm going to 3D print my housing and build my dream mouse. While USB 3.0 is redundant for mice. I also want to use some of the non-bandwidth related power(and power saving) features in USB 3.0 that aren't available in USB 2 which reduces the laser or optical efficiency significantly, as well as support higher native DPI with a much lower CPU impact(not that mice really hurt on 2.0, I'm just all about pinching performance drains everywhere). This is my OCD.