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Monday October 13, 2008
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The Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse, one of the peripherals in the company's new Targus for Mac line of products, brings Windows familiarity to the Mac, offering two external programmable buttons, left- and right-click buttons, and a four-way laser Touch Scroll. The programmable buttons can be configured to control forward and backward actions in a Web browser, launch applications, or activate an AppleScript. Shipping in November, the Targus mouse ($69.99 list) will be priced comparably to its Apple-branded counterpart ($69).
The Targus mouse doesn't sacrifice simplicity in an effort to appeal to both longtime Mac users and recent switchers. My favorite feature is the device's four-way Touch Scroll: In addition to offering consistent scrolling, the Touch Scroll has no moving parts, thus preventing interference and damage from dust and dirt.
Installation is simple, though configuration of the two programmable buttons requires you to install a separate application (included) and restart your computer. Adjusting to the intuitive design of the Bluetooth Laser Mouse took me only a few minutes. Overall, the mouse worked as described, though the device lost its connection with my Mac Pro several times after a few minutes of inactivity. Usually, moving the mouse restored the connection immediately, though twice I had to flip the power switch before the computer recognized the mouse again.
UPDATE: Targus says it has fixed this problem in shipping mice; it showed up in preproduction units such as the one we tested.
The Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse would be a useful holiday gift for new Mac users, since a two-button mouse can help ease the transition from Windows. You'll find everything in the box that you need to get started, including a pair of AA batteries. The Bluetooth mouse will be available in early November for $69.99. An RF-based version ($49.99), offering similar functionality, will also be shipping; it comes with a micro USB transceiver.
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