Million Dollar Body, 10 Cent Face
Written: Apr 05 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: It works...sometimes
Cons: It doesn't work...most of the time
The Bottom Line: If Microsoft uses this technology for possible Xbox controllers, we should be allowed to smack Gates upside his fat head.
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| awoolcott's Full Review: Microsoft Wireless Optical Blue (K80-00002) Mouse |
Now that the era when optical mice were something new and cutting edge has passed, the latest trend in the computer hardware world is wireless devices. Wireless networking, wireless keyboards, and of course, wireless mice are now the hottest trend for the desktop PC market.
With that in mind, I decided, even though I didn't actually need any wireless devices (everything is nice and close, so it's just a luxury item), to jump in and pick up a new wireless optical mouse to replace my 2 year old Microsoft optical mouse that was still working well, but not knowing when it might die on me, as my original MS Intellimouse Explorer did just a few months into owning one. So when roaming the aisles of OfficeMax, I stumbled across the newest of the Microsoft wireless mice - this particular blue, wireless, and optical mouse. Given that my previous MS mice worked well despite the first one busting on me almost immediately, I assumed this one would maintain the same level of quality. And since it was on sale for $30, it was a pretty worthwhile deal - at the time anyway.
Unfortunately, while the mouse is very attractive and works quite well in theory, the poor performance is quite irritating, and just simply didn't work well enough to keep it plugged into my computer.
The package itself for the mouse contains all the necessary items needed to get up and running - the mouse, the wireless receiver (with both USB and PS/2 connections), 2 AA batteries to run the mouse itself (what else would it possibly run on?), and the latest Intellipoint software drivers, version 4.1.
Setting it up is automatic, and I didn't even have to adjust the receiver or the mouse to run on the right frequency in order for the mouse and the receiver to communicate - it was done automatically. You don't even have to have the receiver up against the mouse to get it to work - I could push it back away from sight on my computer desk and it would move and click like a regular mouse. So far, so good. I then installed the driver disc (it's not necessary, as Windows recognizes and installs the required driver without prompting for a CD), and from there I thought I was set for wireless point & click bliss.
So I thought.
For a couple days, the mouse worked perfectly, without even a second thought of imagining it not working. But one night, when I was doing my usual surfing, things started going weird. While the pointer moved around perfectly without a hitch, the "click" part of point & click started to act strange. Clicking on links or icons would result in nothing at all right away, requiring multiple clicks to get the damn thing to recognize that I wanted to do something. The rest of this night, I struggled with it - adjusting the placement of the receiver, changing the connection from PS/2 to USB and back, even changing the batteries, but it only seemed to produce positive results for a few minutes before going back to these tricks. I even tried resetting the mouse and receiver to see if that fixed the problem, but to no avail.
The next morning I checked again, and for a little while, it worked fine and I figured that perhaps it was just my computer pulling some trickery on me. Unfortunately, right when I figured all was well, it again stopped responding to clicks immediately, requiring mad left-clicking to get something done.
This whole process went back and forth for a couple days, testing different troubleshooting methods and experimenting with my own tricks. After I figured out exactly nothing as to why the mouse didn't want to work, I just unhooked it, brought back my old mouse, and things went back to normal. I then just put the wireless mouse into storage, just to see what possibly could happen if I tested it out a couple months later, to see the difference, if any.
That time came this week. I put some batteries back in the device, hooked it up (this is of course the Plug & Pray part of the computer business), and hoped for the best. And for just a little while, it worked again, but my hopes were dashed as once again, the mouse just didn't want to respond to clicks right away. Eventually I uninstalled the Intellipoint drivers so it could go it alone, but that didn't make a drop of difference. Given I have no patience for a piece of hardware that expects me to take a number before accepting a click, the mouse once again has gone back into storage, like a lab experiment gone wrong.
I still plan on keeping this mouse to test out, as the time is coming for my yearly computer cleaning, which might result in a jump to Windows XP soon. Who knows, perhaps this mouse has some issues with Windows 2000, even though it's deemed compatible on the box. You just never know with these wacky computer devices. If it winds up working on a different OS, this review might be moot, but for now, I just can't recommend a mouse that doesn't want to work for me.
It's a shame, too, as this is one of Microsoft's most attractive and comfortable mice in their collection. It works great both right and left handed, and the look itself is quite nice, resembling a high-end PC device. It's hard to not take a look at this mouse and want to add it to your own line of devices as it's quite the looker. Unfortunately, since the mouse has to actually work properly, its design is the only good thing about it. I, and hopefully anyone else looking into a wireless mouse, actually want to use it, and not keep it as a decoration for your computer area.
The Bottom Line
Looks aren't everything - and this Microsoft wireless optical mouse is exhibit A at the moment. It looks nice and is very comfortable, but when it responds as poorly as those old wireless Nintendo controllers, it means nothing. There's always a chance it will work better on someone else's computer, but for my money, you're better off investing in a Logitech wireless mouse, as from my experience, they actually work, instead of being perfect as a pretty decoration. The old adage applies here - don't judge a book by its cover.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
awoolcott
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Location: Arizona
Reviews written: 409
Trusted by: 401 members
About Me:
Okay, scratch that...Uncharted 2 - Game of the Year.
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