Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Review

I received this as a gift from my wife about a month ago. My old bluetooth mouse was slowly dying, and she chose this model *partly* as a gag (and based on some reviews) because I have a geeky love of lasers.

I have hands that are probably average for a man, and although I wasn't concerned about the overall size of the mouse (my other mouse was travel sized as well), the shallow shape where it fits your palm worried me a bit.

It was a bit of adjustment from the more bulbous mouse it was replacing, but it's easily as comfortable as that one. It feels very secure in the hand, although for overall tactile enjoyment I prefer the side surface on my wife's Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 by a large margin -- if the feel of the surface of the mouse is a high priority factor for you, that one is a must-try.

So generally the mouse is more comfortable than it looks, and I have no complaints.

Also, it does indeed work on just about any surface. I haven't tried it on glass, but it works without drama on our bed, our couch, and every table or other surface I've used it on. It's noticeably better on many of these surfaces than other bluetooth mice I've used.

Like my wife's mouse, the scroll wheel has no perceptible resistance when scrolling. I don't find that this is a problem, but if I hadn't already experienced it with her mouse I'd have wondered if it was broken based on the feel. It does take some getting used to.

I have not found that middle clicking is a problem as others have mentioned.

Another problem that others have mentioned is the battery compartment door -- I have *not* found it to be loose or poorly functioning as others have. However, there is a small protrusion inside the door that I suspect could be slightly bent to improve the security of the door if required.

The best part -- Linux compatibility, and specifically Ubuntu 10.04:

I was able to pair this with my laptop's integrated bluetooth straight out of the box -- though I did have to tell tell Ubuntu to provide a pin of 0000. I have not had ANY issues with maintaining the pairing after a restart, after a logout, when resuming from suspend, etc. (Others had mentioned this, even under Windows.)

Under Ubuntu 10.04, the buttons in their default mapping mostly work -- the following bullets all describe functionality under ubuntu 10.04

* The side buttons provide fwd/back browser functionality (but I find them to be awkwardly placed for this purpose -- they'd be better mapped to less common activities -- more on that in a minute)

* The side-clicks on the wheel (tilting the wheel left and right) do not appear to do be mapped to any action.

EDIT: Actually, side-clicks work out of the box for horizontal scrolling. The horizontal scrolling occurs more slowly and in smaller increments than I would like, and isn't especially smooth, but I've only tested it with firefox -- this may be a firefox issue, not an indication of how the horizontal scrolling works. This is not an important feature to me at all though -- I'm planning to remap the function of the side clicks as soon as I get around to it anyway.

* After using the rearmost button to shift to presenter mode, the bottom buttons do work as follows: play/pause works in Totem and Rhythmbox, the volume up/down buttons also work, and the arrow buttons provide track fwd and back in either of those apps. This is all pretty handy if you tend to use your computer for media functions from across the room or etc.

* I suspect that remapping the buttons within the Compiz settings (if you use compiz) such that the side buttons can be used for expo and scale (or whatever functions you prefer) and the side-clicks of the wheel become browser fwd and back would not be that hard to do, but I haven't taken the time to do it.

I'm giving this 4 stars only because while I think it's a *great* mouse, I would reserve 5 stars for a perfect mouse. If the sides felt like my wife's mouse, and the scroll wheel had resistance (apparently unlikely on a MS mouse), the side buttons were ever so slightly relocated, and the body just a tad fuller at the palm, it would probably squeak into 5 star territory for me.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Feature

• Handle rotation
• Zoom wheel
• Laser pointer
• Scrolling 4-way button
• High Definition Laser Technology

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Overview

Do more and carry less with the first ever Notebook Mouse with integrated slide presenter, laser pointer, and media remote control. It's an all-in-one super tool for the office, road, and home - the only input device you need.

Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 Specifications

Amazon.com Product Description Do more and carry less with the first ever notebook mouse with an integrated slide presenter, laser pointer, and media remote control. It's an all-in-one super tool for the office, road, and home--the only input device you need.

Presentation controls Media remote Battery life indicator 2.4 GHz Bluetooth with First Connect technology High definition laser technology Laser pointer

Designed for use by people on the go, the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 is compact and comfortable, with a focus on convenience and mobility. Plus, it has a sleek and stylish design that looks great on any desktop in your home or office. Customizable buttons help you get quick access to the media, programs, and files you use most often, while 4-way scrolling takes advantage of Microsoft's Tilt Wheel technology, letting you scroll four ways for greater efficiency and comfort. Meanwhile, the Instant Viewer function allows you to click the scroll wheel button to instantly display your open windows. Then you just point and click to select the window you want. Another feature, the Magnifier, lets you point and click to enlarge and edit details on your screen.

The Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000's presentation controls allow you to smoothly navigate through Microsoft Office PowerPoint and other presentations from up to 30 feet away from your PC. Using the integrated Digital Ink technology, you can give your presentations more impact by highlighting vital information on screen. You can also use the device as a media remote for multimedia presentations, or to control digital entertainment from the comfort of your living room sofa.

And don't worry, thanks to a built-in battery life indicator, you won't get caught with a dead battery--the Battery Status LED Indicator glows red when the battery is running low. An on/off switch lets you turn your three-in-one device off to extend battery life even longer.

The Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 features 2.4 GHz Bluetooth connectivity with First Connect technology that makes it easy to connect wirelessly right out of the box. This wireless mouse technology also lets you work without worrying about tangled wires. Meanwhile, high definition laser technology offers more precision, more response, and smoother tracking during use.

What's in the Box
Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000, carrying case, software CD-ROM, AAA battery, and Microsoft Mini Bluetooth Transceiver.

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 10, 2010 04:26:04