Microsoft Notebook Mouse 5000

(Review) - Microsoft's latest mobile mouse has at least one good thing going for it, the wireless connectivity option through Bluetooth. Unlike other wireless mice that use wireless USB to marry the mouse to the PC, seeing Bluetooth was a bit surprising, but it didn't take long for us to get used to it. While having Bluetooth is nice and hasslefree, do take note that all notebooks don't have built-in support for Bluetooth. In that case, you are out of luck unless you purchase a separate Bluetooth dongle to connect the two. If you are going to do that, you might as well get a USB wireless mouse.

Microsoft's 5000 is decently shaped and sized, which is a common issue for nearly all mobile mice. A lot of us can't comfortably work with them for hours on end, thanks to their tiny size and uncomfortable ergonomics, and the 5000 is no different in that regard. Pity! However, the silver and black color scheme will match well with the rest of your components, which is always nice.

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Although Microsoft insists in having you install custom drivers for the mouse, it works just fine without it. There's Microsoft being Microsoft for you with unnecessary installs. The 5000 has 5x programmable buttons, a 4-way scroll wheel and a decent performance engine with good precision capabilities. We wouldn't try to play First Person Shooters with it, though. Thankfully, the buttons are strategically integrated and two of them (Back and Forward for browsers) can be accessed with a thumb. Then there's the on/off switch under the unit to preserve battery life (2x AA), which, according to Microsoft, will run for 6-months.

In our performance tests, the mouse met our expectations. Of course, it's an average mouse from all angles, and we wouldn't expect for it to compete against a dedicated desktop gaming mouse. Precision is fine, and we are taking Microsoft's word on battery life. 6-months is not too shabby at all. However, the ergonomics continue to be a major hurdle in us recommending mobile mice, and the 5000 is plagued with that.

For $43.95, the price tag is decent, and this could be one option for you to look at if you are in the market for a mobile mouse. We would recommend looking at other choices, too, however.

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