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Microsoft Optical Mouse Blue

Microsoft Optical Mouse Blue

List Price: $29.99
Your Price: $18.89
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Just an okay mouse... I can't recommend it
Review: After using it at work for a few hours, my hand began to hurt a bit. I have medium (men's) hands, but not sure if hand size matters. I think the high arch is the cause of the discomfort. Note that I also own the Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse Blue, and it does NOT have the same problem - I can actually recommend that one.

The mouse feels cheaper than other Logitech and Microsoft mice I've owned, but is certainly sturdy enough to last. Also, the scroll wheel is too loose making it easy to scroll accidentally while trying to only press the wheel (center) button. Most people probably won't care about that feature (I happen to need the middle mouse button for my Unix applications at work).

I've been using the mouse as a travel mouse and it does it's job. This mouse is still better than any non-optical mouse since I can use it on any surface (I don't need to carry around a mouse pad).

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Poor design
Review: Although I like the feel of the buttons and especially the wheel, the mouse does not sit comfortably in my hand for longer periods. It is too narrow in the middle (as well as to high), forcing the thumb and ring finger to hold it in an unnatural and strained way. Instead, I recommend a wider and flatter mouse, such as Logitech's optical mouse (which is also cheaper).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Works with my KVM.
Review: Appearance/Aesthetic: The mouse is a neutral-ish blue and grey that fits well in a cozy home office. Good fit for a comfortable workstation with a layed-back atmosphere. Not a good fit for a LAN party, someone who likes sexy high-tech looking toys, or a workstation with an ultra-contemporary style.

When the mouse is not moving, a barely-noticeable red glow emerges from its underside. The mouse responds to movement by substantially brightening this glow. Yes, this mouse is equipped with ground effects. I don't understand it either. There is a small "bull's-eye" logo that glows in red on the tail end of the mouse.

If you like the reddish glow emerging from beneath the mouse, you may be more pleased with the Logitech 3-button optical mouse (B0000659A7). The bottom and both sides of this Logitech mouse glow bright red. If you prefer _no_ light emerging from beneath the mouse, consider the Logitech MX310 (B0000A1GOF). The MX310 side panels have no transparency, and none of the underside light is visible unless the mouse is raised off the mousing surface.


Ergonomic/Functional: The mouse is not as light as the el-cheapo bargain basement mice, but not as heavy as a "performance" mouse (you know the kind; it has 15 buttons and looks like the remote control to the BattleStar Gallactica).

The click pressure on the first and second buttons is moderate.
The scroll wheel movement is _very_ light, which makes pressing down on the scroll wheel (actuating the middle button) slightly awkward. The scroll wheel material is hard plastic with a corrugated surface for traction (I found the smooth surface of Logitech's "rubbery" scroll wheel to be more comfortable).

As the shape of your hand is a huge ergonomic factor, the best check of this is a trip to your local CompUSA/Office Depot/Best Buy/Whatever to test drive the floor models.


Pros:

Works with my KVM (Iogear MiniView Plus 2 port PS/2 + audio: ASIN B0000512HI).
Overall impression of quality is high. The mouse isn't as light as the bargain-basement optical mice.

Cons:

Doesn't glide as easily as I prefer (the four corner-positioned glide pads seem a bit on the sticky side).
The packaged "Getting Started" card suggests using PS/2 over the USB connection, but offers no explanatory details. While this cryptic comment isn't a direct criticism of the mouse, it does make you wonder why Microsoft suggests the PS/2 connection superior.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Solves one problem, introduces another
Review: I bought the Microsoft optical mouse because the ball mouse skipped and stuck sometimes, especially after it got used for a few months. My XP system found and used the new mouse without any user interface required. It's smooth and soft to use. The shape fits my hand well. The one problem is location stability. Every now and then the pointer jumps to some far corner of your screen (or to the other screen if you have two). That's especially irritting when you thought you were going to click on one place and you click on something you had no intention of clicking. Random clicks are bad enough on web sites, but in a word processing applciation they can delete your last ten minutes work. You end up being watchful before clicking to make sure the pointer is where you left it. I give it 4 stars because otherwise it works well and is priced reasonable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works fine with my iMac
Review: I bought this mouse because I was sick of having a one button mouse, but I didn't want to spend exorbitant amounts of money on a mouse. This mouse works just fine. There are no problems with the scroll wheel, and tracking is nice and smooth. All I had to do and my iMac recognized it (it's running 10.3.3). If there is one complaint I have is that it feels cheap. In terms of use, that is no problem, but if you lift it up and shake it a little it feels like it was made out of some cheap plastic (which of course, it was). This complaint is minor, because the product still works fine.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simple and Works Perfectly! ^_^
Review: I bought this to replace my Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer for my art projects. The accuracy for this mouse is far better than the wireless mouse I use for surfing the net! It's very simple to use and for someone with large or small hands, it's comfortable for both. I have small hands but my dad has larger hands, we both use the same computer (unfortunately...=P) and have no problems.

The scroll-wheel is GREAT! Unlike the wireless mouse, the grip texture is easier and gel-like. It's very comfortable to scroll up and down with.

The glowing red bottom, is a neat feature. I don't pay too much attention to it as I still use my black gel-mouse pad to support my wrist. You do not need to have a mouse for optical mouses as they do not have that ball inside but old habits die hard. =P If you are worried that the red-light will both you, do not worry because it is very discrete.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It's great- until it breaks
Review: I don't know what I did to deserve this. This mouse was comfortable, scrolled well, and worked very well in video games. Just yesterday, however, the wheel started acting funny- when I scrolled down, it would scroll up, then down, then random text would be highlighted. Now, it's worse- Even a left click will mean that the arrow is stuck to some scrollbar somewhere, more text gets highlighted, icons are flying across the screen because the button release isn't registered properly. I guess I do exaggerate a bit, but seriously, folks, this mouse, after half a year, has ceased to be functional in a normal sense. For the record, I have never abused this mouse. I am certain that the problem was not software related, as it does the same thing on my other computer. Both the USB and PS/2 adapter do the same thing.

I do not recommend this mouse to the mentally unstable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Purchased for a Mac TiBook
Review: I got this as an alternative to my Mac's touchpad. Plugged it into the USB port on the back and it worked without incident. The mouse flawlessly works on my desk, couch, kitchen counter and jeans. The MS mice have good action on the wheel which is why I chose it over the logitech one.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good solid no frills mouse
Review: I like this mouse. It replaced my factory Dell mouse that kept screwing up. It feels pretty nice, the buttons have a nice feel to them and the scroll wheel has a got a nice movement to it. It also has an attractive appearance. Most importantly, the mouse moves the pointer where I want it to go without any hassle. Probably not the absolute best mouse out there, but if you just want a good solid reliable mouse for a reasonable price and that's a little nicer looking than appliance white I'd get this one.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I love it but . . .
Review: I love this mouse, but, it goes thru batteries quickly.


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