Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 – Graphite

First off, i’ve tried over half a dozen wireless mice in the last five years. Every new one seems to claim that they’re all lag free. That’s not the case with me. I’ve even tried wireless mice up to a hundred dollars in price and even some Bluetooth mice. They are usually fine on a small laptop screen, but when you connect them up to a 24″ LCD there is barely noticeable lag. It’s so small that 95% of people would probably not notice it at all. It only seems to occur on large screens and it’s a big enough annoyance to keep me from using a wireless mouse of any kind.

I heard about the new Blue-Track technology and just figured it was just a marketing thing and not really something new. I figured it was perhaps just an Optical mouse in disguise. After losing my receiver for my VX Revolution (which is a very good mouse) I needed a new mouse for my laptop with a small receiver. I read up about these and a almost went for the Mobile Mouse 5000 instead, but glad I didn’t. I saw these on display at a local store and they were out of stock. I checked online and most every place was out of stock of them. I waited a week and my local store only got in the white version. After another few weeks I ended up driving a half hour just to pick up this mouse in black. Yes, I actually waited just so I didn’t have to buy the ugly white version!

Instead of connecting it to my laptop I immediately hooked it up to my PC connected to a 24″ display. I immediately noticed there was no micro-lag AT ALL. I was pretty impressed to say the least. It actually tracks just as well as my Logitech G5 that I was previously using. So far I have not installed any of the software on the disc, so I can not comment on that. I usually prefer not to if I can avoid it.

In my picture viewing software the mouse scroll wheel skips by pictures too fast, so that it’s nearly impossible to scroll down one image at a time. I can fix the scroll speed in the software easily i’m sure. The scroll wheel itself is a bit too thin, but this is a laptop mouse, so it’s not a big deal. The wheel just feels cheap and i’ve always preferred the Logitech wheels due to the clicking sound it makes when you scroll it. The auto-scroll on the VX revolution is a really nice feature.

Unfortunately the entire mouse feels cheap. It IS cheap, so that’s not a big deal. It’s not bad enough to make me want to not use it though. There is a rubber grip material on both sides of the mouse and i’m not sure why this was needed, since it’s too smooth to begin with. It does however make the mouse look a bit better. It is a very well designed mouse and looks pretty nice.

I’m currently using this still on my desktop computer. As my main mouse it’s a bit small, but for a laptop it’s PERFECT. I actually liked the blue-track so much that I went out and bought the Wireless Mouse 5000 for my desktop. I didn’t like that much (too big and heavy!) so I’m going to keep this for desktop use despite it being so small.

My suggestion to Microsoft is that they should make a higher quality version of this. One with a metal scroll wheel and better buttons. Pretty much like a top of the line model like the MX revolution. This actually tracks better then that mouse, so why not?

It’s the best tracking wireless mouse i’ve ever tried and the best mouse you can get for the price!

UPDATE: 3/2/2010

I love this mouse so much that I did end up buying two of them. One for my main computer and the second for my laptop. The nice thing about it when using it on a laptop is the receiver is so small you don’t notice it. I tested the tracking on carpet, wood flooring and even glass and it was no problem. The most difficult surface for it to track on is tan leather. I often sit in my leather recliner while using my laptop and put the mouse on the arm rest (it’s pretty wide). Sounds dumb, but it works! It’s not even all that flat, but slightly curved! Occasionally after every 10 minutes the mouse starts to throw a fit and I have to switch to a different surface. Once I use it on a different surface for a few minutes and switch back, it’s fine. It’s almost as if the mouse re-learns how to track on the new surface. Very strange. I’m just amazed that it’d even work on such a surface to begin with.

The only minor negative i’ve found is that the battery doesn’t last long. It’s not even worth mentioning since batteries are so cheap. I’ve been through about two in a month. I’ve also noticed some stores charging more for some colors due to being hard to find!

CALL MICROSOFT IF YOUR RECEIVER BURNS UP!!!
I purchased the MS mouse 3500 for my daughter. It was about a month later when she had the “meltdown”. I called Microsoft and they knew about the problem, sent a replacement mouse (different color), and advised us not to purchase another one from the store because the first batch of mice have this issue. They explained that they have resolved it, but some of the retail stores have inventories from the first batch. Of course, Microsoft recommends purchasing a mouse from their website so that you can be assured that you won’t have to contend with a “meltdown”. If you had this problem, Microsoft will replace your bad mouse free of charge if you just take the time to call. Yes, it is inconvenient, but it is a great mouse!! Our replacement works perfectly and for months now. We are looking to purchase two more. (Everyone in our home wants to use my daughter’s mouse.) Why would anyone pay for the same item twice after having a problem with it? YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON A NEW MOUSE!!

I had only used Logitech mice but the scroll wheel clicking was distracting. So I tried this mouse in the store and found it to be great–quiet scroll, comfortable!

I am shocked about the quality of this mouse. I was at Staples office supplies picking up some printer ink and wanted to check out the Logitech mx wired mouse that I have been thinking about. I wasn’t too impressed, I used to love that clunky clickwheel, so I then ran across the entire lineup of mouses from all manufacturers — and this Microsoft 4000 felt stunning. So, I took it home for more testing, even though I wasn’t planning to purchase one.

Plugged it into my 2009 Mac Pro tower, worked flawlessly. The scroll wheel is smooth with the absolute perfect amount of resistance. The wireless tracking is flawless, compared to any bluetooth version I have ever tried. On the mac, there was a slight lag with the scroll wheel on small adjustments, so I finally installed the software, adjusted the settings, and that fixed it. There are four buttons, I have all windows expose (mac) for the scroll wheel, and dashboard (mac) for the thumb button.

Okay, so this purchase began after I was forced to return my Apple Magic Mouse by my wife. I basically enjoyed it but there was some Bluetooth lag when mousing over some windows, and my young daughter always had her fingers all over it, causing extra clicking and right clicking when it was not wanted. My wife told me it wasn’t worth the $70 so I returned it. Using the previous Mighty Mouse that came with the Mac Pro was also problematic, with the little scroll ball often requiring cleaning to scroll well and I often mis-click for some reason.

Finally, I’m no fan of Microsoft mice — the big ones are too large and hollow cheap, and I’m no fan of wireless mice since all I want is a wired one without a battery. But I gotta write that this is the best mouse I have ever used. The first Microsoft product I’ve ever purchased, well, since Word 97.