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Laptop Trouble Tips
The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 is a very simple mobile bluetooth mouse that works on both Windows and Mac. It has been around for quite a while, but we decided to review it in our quest to find the perfect Bluetooth mouse for your notebook computer. Sadly, this entry falls short due to problems with comfort and accuracy.
The two top buttons are shaped so that your fingers rest nicely on them. However, the length of the mouse from the front to the back means that you cannot really rest your hand on the mouse while using it unless you have very small hands. I found myself having to grip the mouse between my thumb and ring finger to move it around. This is fine for short mousing stints. After more than fifteen to twenty minutes I found myself subconsciously using the trackpad on my MacBook Pro or MacBook Air instead of reaching for the mouse.
The weight of the mouse is also a problem. For precision mousing a heavy mouse makes it hard to move to just the right spot. A light mouse makes it too easy to accidentally mouse past the button you want to click or the edge of the window you want to drag. This mouse is just too light. You can fix this by adjusting the speed of the cursor in the settings of the computer, but that slows things down too much the rest of the time. I like my cursor to dart across the screen. A properly weighted mouse makes this possible while still hitting the target.
Because there is only one side button, it would be a little awkward for left-handed users. Ultimately the mouse would be better if there was a button on both sides.
The scroll wheel works well and is not too stiff or loose. We prefer a smooth scrolling wheel, but for a clicking scroll wheel it is not bad. The wheel can also serve as another button. The problem is, without a supported software driver it cannot be configured. On a Mac there is no special driver. The Microsoft web site has a link to a special Mac driver but the link leads to a Japanese language site with a “not found” 404 error page.
The Windows software is adequate and can be used to configure the buttons. We turned off the thumb button and made the scroll wheel also behave as a double click button. You cannot do this on Mac.
The mouse has an indicator light which will glow red when the batteries are drained. It will flash green and red when the mouse is ready to be paired with your Bluetooth enabled computer. It turns off when it is connected.
If you don’t have Bluetooth on your computer, then you will have to either buy a USB Bluetooth dongle or find a different mouse. Microsoft doesn’t provide a USB dongle with this mouse.
The mouse can be turned off via the switch on the bottom to save battery life. The pairing button is also on the bottom.
Design and Comfort
The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 is a small mouse designed to not take up too much room in a computer bag. It is small enough that you could just carry it in your pocket if you keep your notebook in a sleeve instead of a computer bag. Unfortunately, because of the size, it is not the most comfortable or accurate mouse to use.The two top buttons are shaped so that your fingers rest nicely on them. However, the length of the mouse from the front to the back means that you cannot really rest your hand on the mouse while using it unless you have very small hands. I found myself having to grip the mouse between my thumb and ring finger to move it around. This is fine for short mousing stints. After more than fifteen to twenty minutes I found myself subconsciously using the trackpad on my MacBook Pro or MacBook Air instead of reaching for the mouse.
The weight of the mouse is also a problem. For precision mousing a heavy mouse makes it hard to move to just the right spot. A light mouse makes it too easy to accidentally mouse past the button you want to click or the edge of the window you want to drag. This mouse is just too light. You can fix this by adjusting the speed of the cursor in the settings of the computer, but that slows things down too much the rest of the time. I like my cursor to dart across the screen. A properly weighted mouse makes this possible while still hitting the target.
Buttons and Features
This mouse has the basic right and left click buttons, but there is also a side button the left side that your thumb can hit. It is a back button for use in a browser or in Windows it goes back in your Windows Explorer history. This function is unavailable in Mac OS X Finder windows. The button is also easy to accidentally click while mousing.Because there is only one side button, it would be a little awkward for left-handed users. Ultimately the mouse would be better if there was a button on both sides.
The scroll wheel works well and is not too stiff or loose. We prefer a smooth scrolling wheel, but for a clicking scroll wheel it is not bad. The wheel can also serve as another button. The problem is, without a supported software driver it cannot be configured. On a Mac there is no special driver. The Microsoft web site has a link to a special Mac driver but the link leads to a Japanese language site with a “not found” 404 error page.
The Windows software is adequate and can be used to configure the buttons. We turned off the thumb button and made the scroll wheel also behave as a double click button. You cannot do this on Mac.
The mouse has an indicator light which will glow red when the batteries are drained. It will flash green and red when the mouse is ready to be paired with your Bluetooth enabled computer. It turns off when it is connected.
If you don’t have Bluetooth on your computer, then you will have to either buy a USB Bluetooth dongle or find a different mouse. Microsoft doesn’t provide a USB dongle with this mouse.
The mouse can be turned off via the switch on the bottom to save battery life. The pairing button is also on the bottom.
Pricing
The retail price is $49.99, but you can find this mouse much cheaper if you search around the web. We bought ours from an Amazon third-party seller for under $20. At that price it is a pretty good deal, if you are going to be using it only occasionally. For $50 it is overpriced and we cannot recommend it. If you spend that much, add a little more and get the great Razer Orochi. Logitech’s v470 Bluetooth mouse is also a better deal for under $40.Pros
- Takes little room in a bag or your pocket
- Good scrolling wheel
- Connects well to Bluetooth
Cons
- Uncomfortable
- Not suitable for left-handed people
- Too light for precision mousing
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