Truly Portable, Small and Responsive. Microsoft Has a Real Ace Here!
Pros:
Fully wireless, small but comfortable, inexpensive and responsive.
Cons:
None that I have encountered.
The Bottom Line:
A fine value and a perfect alternative to the built-in touch pads on modern laptops.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
For those of us who prefer mouse to touch pad control on our laptop computers, the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse Model 3000 does the trick!
These days, all laptop computers come equipped with touch-pad controls by which the user controls the curser and various other functions by learning to move his/her finger tips around on a small touch-sensitive area usually located at the bottom center, under the keypad. For many laptop users, a mouse is the preferred method of curser manipulation and there are a good many types and designs on the market to satisfy this preference. The Microsoft Model 3000 makes mouse action easy, portable and accurate for the average computer user.
My first laptop was an HP Omnibook which had a small built-in mouse that popped out of the side of the computer. This was in the pre-touchpad days and that laptop seemed fully useful with its .5 Gigabite hard drive and minuscule available RAM! When it was rendered obsolete by the space requirements of newer software, I was surprised to discover that the touch pad revolution had happened in the years that I had used it. Laptops, including HP's, no longer came with a mouse - pop-out or otherwise. I didn't care for the change.
A bit later, I replaced the wired mouse on my desktop with a wireless mouse that required an antenna plug in to the back of the CPU. This seemed like progress to me. It still involved wires, but not one that connected the mouse itself to the computer.
With my newest computer, an HP dv6500t, I discovered what many others had known for a long time - That a truly wireless mouse that connected via a small USB port plug in would do the job perfectly. After a good bit of shopping around, I settled on this Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 and have never regretted it - Not even for a single moment!
The mouse itself is smaller than a regular desktop mouse as one would expect. After all, it is designed to go portably with a laptop - A computer smaller than a desktop. This particular mouse is a simple two-part affair. The USB plug in antenna inserts into any available USB port on the laptop. When not in use, it stores in a molded compartment on the underside of the mouse. Conveniently, inserting the plug into its home under the mouse shuts the mouse off and saves battery power. Inside the mouse itself are two standard Alkaline AA batteries which have lasted me for nearly a year now and show no signs of weakening yet!
Ergonomically shaped and sculpted, there are the customary left and right buttons as well as a tilting scroll wheel. It can be programmed to control the specific navigation and choice functions you select. I prefer the 'standard' ones of Left to select, Right to drop down options and the wheel to scroll text - But it can be programmed to do just about anything you like.
Unlike many other USB connected devices, the computer accepts the Microsoft 3000 Mouse immediately and it can be plugged in and removed without having to use the 'remove USB device' feature so often necessary when using flash drives or other USB driven devices. I tested this mouse with both Windows XP and Vista with the same results.
Due to its optical nature, I have found it to me most sensitive to my touch using a dark mouse pad which I carry around in the laptop case with me. This doesn't take up any appreciable space and improves the overall functioning of the mouse.
In standard gray and silver tones, the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 does the job reliably and economically. Available through many electronics stores and on line outlets for under $30, it is an extraordinary value. I would feel crippled without it. I have often been a critic of the monopolistic empire based in Redmond, WA. Even so, I must admit that in this instance, they got it just right!
Some day, after a lot of practice, I may get comfortable enough with the touch pad to not feel that the mouse is necessary. Until then, I think I'll stick with this Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000.
