Microsoft Optical Notebook Mouse Review - Receiver and Battery
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On the bottom you find some interesting attachments. The mouse connects to the computer with a small USB radio receiver, but when the device is not in use it snaps to the underbelly of the mouse itself. No more cord winding. The receiver also functions as an off switch, in order to keep battery use to a minimum.
While there is apparently some power saving circuitry within the mouse, it only had four modes that I noticed. These were full on, a fairly high cadence flash, then a lower power constantly on beam, and finally a low power flash. That's not quite up to the standards of other current wireless mice. In any event, it does only require one AA battery, and it doesn't kill it off immediately. I don't have any numbers on how long the battery actually will last in normal situations, as I haven't managed to cycle it yet, even while using a rather old and dodgy rechargeable battery.
To get access to the battery door, you push in the cross hair logo at the back, the part that's normally lit up in MS mice. Popping that up, you can see where the single battery goes in the compartment. It's a fairly flimsy door, but as long as you aren't dropping it on a hard floor too often, it should survive. With only one AA inside of it, as well as its diminutive dimensions, the Wireless Notebook Optical is very svelte in the weight department. Compared to real wireless mice, it's a pleasure to just port around, though as a result of its construction it does feel somewhat cheap. There is no soft rubber to touch, or sense of heft telling you that you got a lot of material for your dollar.
In use though, the mouse is a huge step up over anything integrated into a notebook. It also performs similarly to the standard cheapo Logitech optical mouse. It's not the most precise of devices, but it's certainly capable of general mouse duties. I think it's more let down by its lack of size than anything else when you attempt to do tasks requiring precision accuracy.
Next: Okay, it's Small, But... >>
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