| Product: Cordless MouseMan Optical |
Company: Logitech |
| Web: www.logitech.com |
Phone: 510-795-8500 |
| Platform: Win95 - XP |
SRP: US$70
Street Price: $40-45 |
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When optical mice first scurried onto the market, they were definitely the gadget "must-have" of the moment. What could be better than not ever having to pick the lint out off the rollers behind your mouse marble again? But there was one remaining 20th century problem with optical mice: just like their analog cousins, their tails still got stuck under or around every object on your desktop. The canny folks at Logitech went to work combining their two previous "big hits:" the corded optical mouse and the wireless mechanical mouse. The result is the MouseMan.
I got my MouseMan about three months ago. It wasn't a big investment -- I found it at a salvage store at a deep discount. My only regret is that I didn't buy several.
A lone software CD was included with the mouse, along with the receiver and batteries. As I opened the package, I was nearly giddy with excitement. I would soon be able to move my mouse around untethered and would NEVER again have to clean that dreaded mouse marble -- or even have to deal with analog mouse skipping.
Set-up was nearly instantaneous. Install the CD, plug in the USB cable to the included USB-to-PS2 adapter, plug the adapter into the PS2 port. Done! I didn't even have to restart my computer. Accustomed as I was to many boring and unsuccessful driver installs, I was astonished at how the MouseMan worked right out of the box. I then decided to see if using the USB port (instead of the PS2) made a difference in performance. I found that mouse performance didn't seem as stable, so I switched back to the USB-to-PS2 adapter.
One of the main selling features of the MouseMan is the fourth "thumb" button on the side of the unit. This customizable button can be anything you want it to be, within the constraints of the Logitech software. Many functions are possible, such as instant execution of a designated program, an Internet "back" or "forward" button, a program save command, etc. When I installed the software, my old 200MHz Pentium MMX was rather slow and mouse action was erratic. I programmed the fourth button and then restarted as instructed. The computer's actions were still choppy and the software seemed to choke on such a slow computer. Since the mouse had worked fine with just the Windows Mouse Drivers, I decided to uninstall the Logitech software -- I could do without the fourth button. After the uninstall, the mouse worked like a charm. (BTW: You'll be happy to hear that I have since heavily upgraded my machine and finally entered the 21st century).
Your hand fits perfectly and comfortably over the smooth, round ergonomic case of the MouseMan. The Logitech "jewel" shines from the silver palm-rest on the top of the unit. The blue scroll wheel is a useful addition and is now the only way I browse through pages on the Internet. To maximize battery life, the optical sensor goes into a lower power mode when idle. The sensor light changes state as it moves from full-on mode (bright) to idle mode (dim glow) to sleep mode (slow strobe). When the batteries are low, the sensor light flashes twice a second. Rechargeable AA batteries can be used in the unit, and are recommended as they will help keep your final cost down. Batteries seem to wear rather quickly.
For corporate presenters, this mouse may be exactly what you need. Logitech advertises that the mouse will work within six feet of the receiver, but I tested it and had screen response to the mouse from across the room (about 15 feet). Quite a nice feature for those who are doing a presentation with an LCD projector.
Logitech's retail price for the mouse is US$70, but most retailers sell it for around $40-45. At this price, it is definitely worth the money. With its ease of use, well thought out design and optical and cordless innovations, the MouseMan is another Logitech home run.
- Tim Foran [3/13/02]
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