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PocketMouse™ Optical Wireless Micro Sponsored By 03/15/05
This month we received another small laptop or mobile mouse from Kensington. The “PocketMouse Optical Wireless Micro”. This time Kensington took a great idea and made it even better. As you may remember from the other Kensington mouse we took a look at there was a USB connector that plugs in and a small receiver button to activate the mouse and the connection. It was also very small and easy to transport. That is about where the similarities are when comparing these two products. The new design, however, takes mobile to the next level. Let’s take a look as to why in this review. Specs:
$49.99
The first thing you will notice with this mouse is that it is a little bit bigger then their other models. For me, that was a big plus. I have very large hands and the first model was a little to narrow. You will also notice the USB wireless connector is smaller. The reason for this is it actually gets inserted into the mouse itself for safe travel. This feature serves two very important functions. One, it allows the mouse to take up less space in your duffel or laptop bag. Two, it makes it much easier to keep track of. I don’t know about you but it is pretty easy to lose the pen/cigar shaped drives and this connector is even smaller. To release the USB connection from the mouse there is a silver button in the center of the mouse. Once this button is pressed the USB stick just pops out.
This model takes two AAA size batteries provided by Kensington. These batteries provided are Duracel, which are a quality battery, not some generic battery that will die out a week later. Anyhow, for installation of the batteries I had to look at the instructions because this mouse appeared to not have a place to put them. The trick was you need to press down on their ”Kensington” logo on the mouse and the rear compartment pops out revealing a little space to place both batteries.
You will also notice like most optical mouse devices they put a easy to use reset switch that even the largest fingers can press. This reset will automatically look for the corresponding device. Please note that if the devices are not communicating there might be too large a distance or an object interfering with communication between the receiver and the mouse.
Usage of this mouse was very sensitive. I was amazed at the feel of such a small input device. They use a 800dpi optical laser sensor for tracking the movements made by the mouse. This mouse is a bit larger then a lot of the travel mice I have seen so it is much more comfortable to use. I was very impressed in the ease of installation and use. All that was required to get the mouse to run is plugging in the USB stick. Heck, the first time I tried it there was a mouse already in on the PC and the PC was on and the USB mouse installed the software and worked without a reboot or a prompt to click on..
There are a few other features that I feel need to be mentioned. Most important is what appears to be a battery saving option. After using the mouse for a while I noticed that when the receiver USB stick was inside the mouse the red optical LED never lit up. This is a big advantage when traveling because if this didn’t happen you would need to buy batteries every time the mouse was needed. Speaking of the batteries, I have been using this mouse at the 9 to 5 job to see how long the battery will last under normal usage and the first set is still working after almost a week and a ½ or 10 days. Another nice feature Kensington provides is the software. If you have access to the internet you can got to the Kensington website and download their “MouseWorks® Software” . This software is used in many of their products to unlock custom mouse and trackball buttons on the Pocket Mouse. This software is used to control some scroll settings and custom features. For more information check out the Kensington website @ www.kensington.com.
Pros: Easy install Battery saving option is a plus. Receiver storage is a great idea. Size is just right, a little bigger then what I am used to. BIG +! 800dpi optical sensor makes for a very accurate and sensitive mouse.. Cons: Software is not provided with the mouse but must be downloaded. Might be an issue for some folks. Conclusion: Overall, I feel very comfortable recommending this mouse to anyone using a laptop that prefers the mouse over the scroll pads. This unit is compact, easy to use and a cost effective solution, especially with the battery saving options. I am pleased to award Kensington our Blue Ribbon Seal of Approval for an overall superior product .
Rating: 5 1/2 out of 6 stars
Reviewer: pr101j (Paul) Review Date: 03/15/05 Feel free to make comments concerning this review on our message board HERE.
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Marns CDA By pr101j |
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