CORDLESS NOTEBOOK MOUSE RIVALS DESKTOP MODELS
Just about every portable computer in the laptop and notebook
category has some kind of built-in device to move the mouse pointer.
Most have the ubiquitous trackpad. Others such as the IBM Thinkpad
models for example offer an additional cursor control such as the
TrackPoint. That's the little red nub found at the center of the
keyboard you operate like a tiny pressure-sensitive joystick using a
fingertip. And while there's quite a number of these mouse
alternatives out there for the mobile crowd, I like many still
prefer using a mouse with my laptop.
 Of
course when it comes to mobility, size is of great importance. There
are a number of portable mice available but I want to tell you about
a new model that really blows the others out of the water. The
Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse is an amazing little piece of
technology that rivals not only the portable mice in its class, but
gives most desktop models a run for the money.
The V500 begins with what I feel are the two most important
features in any mouse these days. The V500 is cordless and it uses
optical tracking. It also uses Logitech's newest "All-Terrain
Optical Engine" which the company claims is their
highest-performance compact tracking solution available. This
technology lets the V500 accurately track the mouse's movements on
the widest variety of surfaces. That's important since portable mice
tend to find themselves operating on a wider variety of surfaces as
opposed to desktop models that sit around all day on the same desk,
usually on a comfortable mouse pad.
All of that is certainly nice but this little mouse had three
other really cool features. The first is that the V500 offers window
scrolling without the conventional mechanical scroll wheel that's
normally located between the left and right buttons. Instead you'll
find a 4-way solid state scroll panel. You simply slide your index
finger up and down or left and right to move the selected window in
the corresponding direction.
Secondly, the body of the mouse expands. By moving a small slide
switch underneath the V500, you release a small wedge that protrudes
from the bottom and angles the entire mouse an additional seven
degrees. This articulation makes the mouse fit more naturally in the
cup of the hand when it is in use. Returning the chassis to its
collapsed state lets it fold flat for packing.
And thirdly, when you first release the expanding portion of the
chassis, it also ejects a built-in 2.4 gigahertz micro-receiver.
Just plug the tiny receiver into any available USB port and you're
ready to use the mouse. When finished, just return the
micro-receiver back into the V500's chassis and collapse it flat.
This is a clever answer to the problem of trying to find yet another
place to pack the receiver that too often gets easily misplaced or
lost. This solution truly makes the V500 an all-in-one package.
The V500's fused aluminum skin give the mouse a cool, solid
feeling of quality and comes in a limited edition black and silver
Midnight Accent, and a limited edition Mandarin which is an orange
and silver model. The standard model is a silver body edged in a
light blue.
The V500 works on two AAA batteries, is compatible with both PC
and Macintosh platforms, comes with a carrying case, includes the
Setpoint software to take advantage of the V500's features and sells
for $69.95.
If you have a portable computer and are considering a mouse, you
should definitely be checking out the V500 from Logitech.
www.logitech.com |
