If you happen to have a laptop with built-in Bluetooth, and a short supply of USB ports, Microsoft's latest portable mouse might be just what you need. Aside from the aforementioned Bluetooth, it has the solid feel and design typical of Microsoft's last few generations of mice, including that translucent plastic scroll wheel. However, this model's wheel doesn't do that fancy horizontal scroll stuff, just the straight up (and down) vertical scrolling. Also a nice touch is Microsoft's 1000 DPI "High Definition Laser Technology," to make your mousing (at least potentially) more precise.
Someone at Redmond's advertising and packaging department seems to be confused about this little mouse, though, because emblazoned not once, but twice, on the front of the package is the rather declarative statement: "Exclusively for Bluetooth Notebook PCs." Now, I know they're trying to keep you from buying this mouse if your computer doesn't have Bluetooth, but lest you be averse to picking one of these things up for your non-bootcamped Macbook, you should know it also works under OSX. It's black on-light silver color scheme even looks good next to thy typical white Mac. And, small as this mouse it, it also wouldn't be bad as a desktop mouse. Microsoft should be a little bit more careful with their use of the word "exclusive," unless they're trying to scare away potential customers.
Setting up and pairing the mouse with my Macbook was as simple could be. Insert the (included) AAA's, Turn on a tiny switch in the bottom of the mouse, hold down a similarly tiny button for a few seconds until the top battery indicator light flashes red and green, then search for the device through your computer's Bluetooth. he mouse even uses a blank keychain by default, so you won't have to enter any digits when you connect it. If pairing my Bluetooth headphones with my phone were this easy, I might actually use them more often.
The only potential nuisance I see with this mouse is the tiny on/off switch on the bottom of the mouse. The Startup guide reminds you to turn this off when you're not using it, to conserve battery power. Now, that's nice and all, but in the real world, most people tend to forget those types of things. It would be nice if Microsoft included some type of auto power-down for the 5000, so that closing your laptop, for instance, would turn off the mouse for you. After a couple times forgetting to flip that tiny switch when you're done mousing, the purported three month battery life is likely to be closer to three weeks.
But if you're good at remembering to turn things off, and are in the market for a nice compact Bluetooth mouse, you certainly could do worse than this model. It doesn't quite bring the style of Logitech's VX Nano, but then again the Nano will occupy one of those ever-occupied USB ports. The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 is available now for a suggested retail price of $49.95.
Post my Matt Safford
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October 26, 2007 6:55 PM
The bluteooth mouse auto powering off when the notebook says goodbye is a great idea :) Is there any other bluetooth mouse that does the trick?
March 15, 2008 8:14 AM
Hi,
Is the extra button on the side reprogrammable (on OSX Leopard or Tiger)?? I'd like to use that button for Expose, but I need to make sure I can program it.
May 28, 2008 10:26 PM
Yep it works with Expose, provided you're running something like USB Overdrive (freeware/shareware).
Just install that software and then go to the Expose section of System Preferences to assign that extra button ("Mouse Button 4") to perform the Expose feature.
Without a 3rd party pgm like USB Overdrive the Mac won't let you reassign buttons. This is due, I imagine, to the fact that Microsoft as yet hasn't released any drivers whatsoever for this mouse... for Windows *or* Mac OSX!
- Chris
May 28, 2008 10:37 PM
Oh and if you're using Tiger the System Preferences gadget you'd click on is called, "Dashboard & Expose" and under Leopard the gadget is, "Expose & Spaces".
- Chris
July 16, 2008 1:56 PM
Chris I don't have that program and my mouse (same reviewed here) showed up under Expose where I could set the buttons no problem. I'm using OSX Tiger.
What I'm having an issue with is that the back button doesn't seem to work for going back (using firefox or finder). I have a much older microsoft 5 button mouse where the back button works out the box no problem. Any solutions for this? That's one the reasons I got this mouse. So few bluetooth mice have more then three buttons.
August 9, 2008 2:59 PM
I have had this mouse for some months now so i think i would let you know my findings.
First of all i think this little mouse is fantstic and well worth the money. Yes it may be a little small for the bigger hand but its perfectly ok for me and my laptop and if i had a desktop pc i would still use it. It does have auto shut of if you forget as i am sure i read it somewhere. It also reminded me last night that the batteries were low with a flashing red light. As i have a battery charger that energizes all batteries it was a boon not to buy new ones and save the planet as well. It found my bluetooth laptop without a problem. Up to now i give it 10 out of 10 because its been faultless. I dont really like praising Microsoft but this does deserve it.
January 29, 2009 3:43 PM
Just wanted to add my two cents to the pile.
In the original article you speak of it being packaged for Bluetooth enabled Notebooks. When I purchased mine, the packaging said it was for Mac or Universal Bluetooth enabled Computers. There was no mention of Windows, Linux, or any other os other than MAC. Kinda funny marketing from Micro$oft.
All in all though, this mouse has been by far the best mouse I have used for anycomputing platform. It was quick to setup, and it works without a hitch.
So.. 10 out of 10 for me.
Jason
April 1, 2009 8:08 PM
NOT VERY VISTA COMPATIBLE!!!
I have owned this mouse for 5 months and have yet to have it work properly with Vista. Mac and XP work perfectly but with Vista, the scroll wheel and back button never worked until I figured out that turning my bluetooth reciever off and then on again makes it work. OK but I have to do it EVERY TIME! Great mouse but get it together Microsoft, I have yet to see a patch that fixes this. I guess the only solution for me is to BUY A MAC!
June 15, 2009 4:04 PM
Jaymz - This mouse is perfectly Vista compatible. It sounds like there is an issue with your Vista or with your hardware. I use this mouse with a Dell Latitude D830 and Vista Ultimate, and the mouse works flawlessly, including the scroll wheel and back button. I've also used it with an Inspirion 9300 with Windows 7, and it works equally as well with that configuration.
October 20, 2009 10:54 AM
I have one of these mice and use it with a MacBook Pro. I have been having NO END of trouble with it. One day it'll work perfectly, the next I CANNOT get it to link up no matter what I do. Turning it off and on, hitting the CONNECT button, trying various combinations of the connection dialog on the computer -- do nothing. Replaced the batteries; no joy. This happened a couple of weeks ago so I put it aside and went back to a regular wireless mouse. A couple of days ago I had some spare time so I tried it again and it worked. Yesterday it just stopped working again. It's like a crap-shoot. I think I'll just go but an Apple Bluetooth mouse and save myself the headaches.
November 13, 2009 10:41 PM
I recently picked up one of these mice. I like it very much. In Windows I do find that I need to connect with the bluetooth software after a reboot. With Linux it connected automatically before I even logged in. This article stated the mouse didn't auto shutdown. In my experience it seems if you do not use the mouse for an extended period of time that it will not respond until you right or left click. This seems to wake it back up. This leads me to believe that it does shutdown. Since there isn't the typical red light from the laser and no power on indicator it appears they didn't want to waste power on non-essentials.