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It’s nice to be writing about a Microsoft product that’s a) good and b) something you weren’t more or less forced to buy.
Let’s face it; with the exception of Apple Mac users and those stalwarts who have seen the delights of Linux, ... Read review
Decorate your desktop with wireless freedom. This fun mouse features the revolutionary ... more
Tilt Wheel Technology, and wireless technology so you can roll and scroll free of clutter. And with longer battery life many users average more than six months
Postage & Packaging:
Free Delivery Availability:
3-7 days
Decorate your desktop with wireless freedom. This fun mouse features the revolutionary ... more
Tilt Wheel Technology, and wireless technology so you can roll and scroll free of clutter. And with longer battery life many users average more than six months
Postage & Packaging: see site for shipping costs Availability: 3-7 days
This optical mouse from Microsoft offers great functionality and supreme ease of use. No ... more
more tangled wires with its wireless technology (connect to a USB receiver that you can store out the way and never move). It has an incredible battery life of 6 months or more, and impressively for a wireless mouse - high 1000dpi resolution tracking for smoother and more accurate motion.
Postage & Packaging:£3.95 Availability:In stock. 3 working days
Advantages: Smart , comfortable, gives the freedom to roam, yea, even unto your trouser leg. Good build-quality Disadvantages: Needs batteries. Means more money for Gatesy
...to be writing about a Microsoft product that’s a) good and b) something you weren’t more or less forced to buy.
Let’s face it; with the exception of Apple Mac users and those stalwarts who have seen the delights of Linux, Microsoft have more or less got a de facto monopoly of the operating systems market.
However much I dislike this situation, I have to admit that in the hardware field, where more obvious competition ... ...is where www.dabs.com and The Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0 come in. Priced at £33.48 including p/p, it fulfilled my two main criteria. It cost a bit more without being outrageous it and had a three year warranty, promising or at least hinting at better reliability.
The mouse is available in three ‘colourways’, Blue Moon, Steel Blue and Metallic Red. I really didn’t mind, but www.dabs.com’s stock situation steered me towards ... more
October 2004 - I'm updating this review because I now have some more information about battery life, which, if you use a cordless mouse a lot, could be critical in your decision.
It’s nice to be writing about a Microsoft product that’s a) good and b) something you weren’t more or less forced to buy.
Let’s face it; with the exception of Apple Mac users and those stalwarts who have seen the delights of Linux, Microsoft have more or less got a de facto monopoly of the operating systems market.
However much I dislike this situation, I have to admit that in the hardware field, where more obvious competition exists, they also have very good products, in this case, a ‘wireless optical mouse’.
I’ve been a user and proponent of optical mice (as opposed to the ‘Three Blind’ variety) for quite some time now. The advantage of never having to de-fluff any balls and the ability to use most smooth surfaces instead of the confines of a mouse mat make them very useful bits of kit.
There are limits however. Despite being able to work on a litter and blueberry muffin crumb-strewn table on an Inter-City train, they don't like flat plain glass - it seems they need either a physical or at least visible texture to lock on to.
They are perhaps the mountain bike of the pointing-device world - I can see it now, "Unlikely Surfaces - One Man And His Mouse, The Movie"
I’ve also dabbled with wireless rodents too, although my first purchase kept locking up after about 30 minutes use. Perhaps the £14 price tag was something to do with it!
Just recently, my wife has been having to have ‘physio’ on her right shoulder which the doctor thinks might be down to years of writing on chalkboards as a teacher, and more recently, years of using a mouse at arms length.
Remembering that the optical mice I’ve had have always seemed to work even on your own trouser leg, being only constrained by the length of the lead, I set about replacing our long-binned wireless optical mouse, resolving maybe to spend a bit more on it this time. After all, it's much more natural when sitting upright to have your hands on your own lap, and there's no strain on arm muscles or elbows then.
This is where www.dabs.com and The Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0 come in. Priced at £33.48 including p/p, it fulfilled my two main criteria. It cost a bit more without being outrageous it and had a three year warranty, promising or at least hinting at better reliability.
The mouse is available in three ‘colourways’, Blue Moon, Steel Blue and Metallic Red. I really didn’t mind, but www.dabs.com’s stock situation steered me towards Moon Blue, and having received it, I’m quite glad about that.
APPEARANCE
The mouse itself is two-tone, with a dark metallic blue central panel in that ‘fish scale’ pattern that’s supposed to make you think it’s carbon-fibre, like those various dashboard bits that sports cars are sprouting these days. The two main buttons are the same colour without the scales. The scrolling wheel is grey and the rest, including the shaped side panels, is either a very dark blue, or it’s actually black; I can’t decide.
The body of the mouse is symmetrical about its centre line so it’s not biased towards right-handers (or ‘south paws’).
The transmitter is all black with just one green LED for relief, which shows if it has established a link with the mouse.
FEATURES
Despite appearing to be only a two-button mouse with a central scrolling wheel, the wheel performs three other button functions. A downward pressure gives the third button function, and clicking it from side to side give ‘sideways scrolling’, which to me sounds a little erroneous, like having hair that recedes forwards.
Terminology aside, it really is versatile, especially once you’ve set up the Intellipoint v 5.0 software that comes on CD-ROM with the mouse. Here you can customise speed of movement to suit yourself and your screen size. This software also provides for alternative ‘themes’ for the look of your cursor etc, and you can arrange to leave a fading trail of cursors; useful if you’ve got a particularly slow laptop screen where the cursor is prone to ‘submarining’, i.e. disappearing only to surface once your hand comes to rest.
I've never really bothered with MS's Intellipoint software before, since it seemed to do little extra beyond the capabilities of Windows XP anyway, but this is version worth loading if only for its ability to check the signal quality of the radio link and the battery health of the mouse itself.
SET UP
There’s not really much to say. You unpack it, and put batteries in it (two alkaline AAs supplied). You plug the transmitter in where you’d normal plug a mouse. This caters for either the little 6-pin PS/2 socket or an increasingly more common USB port. The adapter is a little bulky for those using a PS/2 plug as it sits on the end of the USB plug, but since it will probably be out of sight around the back of the PC, appearance is not that important. However, since the plug is quite long in this configuration, make sure you don’t ram it against a wall, when putting the PC back into position.
Oh yes, THEN you bother to read the instructions!
Fortunately, the instinctive approach is not a million miles from the party line either. In fact the daunting manual can be stripped down to a few pages in your own language.
If, on rebooting your PC, the mouse doesn’t seem to work, you can prod the radio link into life with a button on the transmitter, followed by a recessed button under the mouse which causes it to experiment with radio frequencies and locks onto the first successful one. One small point – theses waves carry about 6-8 feet, so don’t operate in close proximity to another mouse of the same type - you might get very confused!
IN USE
I took to this like a duck to water. Well, actually, there’s very little to get used to. Its speed of movement across the screen was entirely what I was expecting, needing no adjustment. The two main buttons seem to have just the right amount of resistive pressure before yielding to a click. The scroll wheel feels a little odd, in that its utterly smooth with no sound or clicking sensation. Its movement is pleasantly damped, like the focussing ring on a camera lens. The sideways clicks are…well, they’re sideways clicks, needing very little pressure, which is just as well as this is not a natural motion for the index finger.
I can’t yet comment on battery life in the mouse, and my previous foray into cordless mice led me to expect rechargeable batteries, but as long as they last quite a while, then alkaline AAs are fine by me; after all I can buy four for £1 in Poundland! I've now been using this for over a week now, and the software's battery strength indicator has only just moved off 'full'.
UPDATE: Mid May 2004 - After 8 weeks, the battery life indicator is still showing the same, so early thoughts about making a heavy commitment to batteries look wildly pessimistic!
On a cautionary note, don't throw away the old mouse just yet - *Murphy's Law clearly states that the batteries WILL run out on a wet Sunday evening; either that or keep some spares handy!
*Not Jill, the other one!
Incidentally, I noticed whilst putting the first set in, that the mouse seems to work with only one battery fitted, so the second one is possibly only there to extend life between battery changes rather than to double the voltage.
FINAL UPDATE OCT 2004 - Well I finally got the 'battery low' warning from the monitoring software, that in the mean time, I've had absolutely no need to visit. Even then, it was only a warning to have some batteries handy, so even Microsoft have heard of Murphy's Law too. So there we are - after seven months of daily use, they still have some life left in them.
As I suspected, changing them one at a time leaves you with a working mouse, which is nice, although the monitor still shows 'low battery' until you reboot the PC
Summing up, I’m impressed. I just wish that other Microsoft products didn’t leave me feeling that I’d been ripped off – nearly 400 quid for Office, what’s that all about then? Of course, you can't make illegal copies at home of a mouse, maybe that's something to do with it!
Advantages: No rollerball, no cable, simple to install, Alerts when low battery or interference, Very comfortable to use. Disadvantages: Limited to recent Windows and Mac Operating systems only, Some may find it a little large or heavy.
...I ended up with the Microsoft wireless optical mouse. Love them or loath them Microsoft do produce some decent hardware although they do tend to carry a price premium. The RRP of this mouse is around £40 which does seem a little expensive. However Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) are currently selling it for £25 which makes it much more attractive. On opening up the packaging you get a quick set-up booklet, a CD containing the software, a two-pack of AA ... ...within the operating range, which Microsoft claim is 6ft (1.8 m) away from the receiver. The one aspect I've yet to test is the lifespan of the unit. Microsoft claim one set of batteries can last over six months based on average use, whatever that is, although I'm willing to bet I fall into the above average use category. To save on batteries the mouse powers itself down after a period of inactivity and re-activates as soon as it's moved. One very ...
Nomad1970 28.11.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse
Advantages: Great response, no ball to get dirty, wheel is invaluable Disadvantages: A bit on the pricey side
...use the mouse.
So, Microsoft being the innovative and creative (ha!) people that they are, they have come up with the Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical, available almost everywhere for about 25 quid. OK, lets looks at some of the mouse’s good points (well there are quite a few actually!). Firstly, and I guess where most of your money goes to, is the optical sensor that replaces the archaic mouse ball. This is quite simply a fantastic improvement on ... ...my left hand with the Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical. This is so that I have my right hand free to write things down (this is actually very useful when you need to take down notes from a web site, for example). The mouse can connect to the standard PS/2 socket, and it also has a USB connection if you would prefer. One thing I should mention at this point is that if you use the PS/2 connection then the bright red light that is part of the optical sensor ...
Jaxle 25.01.2003 (01.03.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse
Advantages: Surpreme control, Good price, Appealing Disadvantages: : None that I can think of
...“one-balled” mice, the bigwigs at Microsoft have given their new fleet, the FULL CHOP! They call their new babies “optical” mice, no, it’s not a medical term, as you will discover later. Seen as this is a product that has opened a new era in “mice-building”, I think it’s a good time to introduce my new style of opinion – the A-to-Z. Having read a few opinions in the past, in this form, I have ... ...of the product. The new Microsoft “cheese-nibbler” is very appealing and looks swish even on the most fancy of desktops. Aim – Just put your pointer where you want it, no more humping your mouse half way across your desk. The advance in control is both immediate and refreshing. Ambidextrous – Both left and right-handed people can use this device. Although this may seem a little obvious, there are several mice on the market ...
dolphin_style 05.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse
Advantages: No cleaning needed, and a smoother motion of the cursor across the screen. Disadvantages: More expensive than a traditional 'balled' mouse.
...decided to go with the Microsoft Wheel mouse Optical.
Looks:
This is quite a good sized mouse, well rounded along the back, with a slight waist around it’s middle. It has two buttons, and a central wheel (I’ll explain why in a minute!). It is a pale grey colour with the word Microsoft along the front. At the back it has its cable tail, which can be plugged into either USB or PS/2 ports (they even provide the little adapter in the box so you don’t ... ...Basically because this is a Microsoft mouse and because (like most people) I have a windows operating system running, my system automatically recognises this mouse. If I choose to however, I could use the software CD provided which would allow me to install this mouse properly, and give me access to one or two extra features which I otherwise miss out on. For example, this software provides me with the ability to set my right mouse button up to do ...
vialdana 11.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse
Advantages: Freedom of movement, fast, can be personalised. Disadvantages: Easy to lose!
...much deliberation, it was the Microsoft Cordless Optical WheelMouse that took my fancy. So, I feel it only right to let you out there know how it has turned out.
**THIS IS AN OP FOR THE CORDLESS VERION**
What made me choose this mouse?
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Of all the mice on offer, this one seemed to be the most down-to-earth! It was a cordless mouse, meaning there would be more freedom when using it, and it was one of the new optical types….no ... ...the other reasons, well, please read on!
What do you get for your money?
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This mouse was priced at £39.99, which to me seemed reasonable when compared to the price of many others on offer. For that, you get your Mouse, the Installation CD, the Receiver with a USB connection, a USB/PS-2 adaptor, 2xAA batteries and an instruction book.
The Mouse and Receiver
==================
The Mouse itself is nothing special to look ...
dan916 10.02.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse
Responsiveness
Robustness & durability
Look & feel
Ease of use
Value For Money
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Advantages: no wires, great connection, no charging anything Disadvantages: can't find any yet.
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Advantages: responsive, can be used by left/right handed people, easy to install software Disadvantages: batteries drain quickly
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Windows XP/2000 or Windows Vista
Pentium 233 MHz or higher processor
128MB RAM
60MB hard disk space
An available USB port
CD-ROM drive
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Advantages: Effortless movement of the cursor on the screen with excellent shape for hands Disadvantages: Nothing except that you have extra AA battery after 5-6 months of using it
the 'optical' wirelessmouse which I am using now for my notebook. I know a lot of people are using it in varying models and brands; and I am perfectly happy of having one of them - the MicrosoftWirelessOpticalMouse 3000!
Listed below are the basic but important facts about the MicrosoftWirelessOpticalMouse 3000 which always my sony viao laptop best mate since last year. Hope it will be your mate too as I listed down its salient features compared to other brands available in the market.
1. The Package/Content
This Microsoft product is considered as the number one best selling opticalmouse in the US (NPD Group/NPD Techworld, 2004-05). The package is a well-sealed plastic pack containing the wirelessmouse (gray), the notebook receiver/connector version, one 'AA' alkaline 'energizer' battery, and the getting started manual. The battery ...
Product Information for "Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse mouse" »
Manufacturer's product description
Decorate your desktop with wireless freedom. This fun mouse features the revolutionary Tilt Wheel Technology, and wireless technology so you can roll and scroll free of clutter. And with longer battery life many users average more than six months without changing batteries!
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