( 44 reviews )
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Posted: 08-12-2009
I have used mice from every manufacturer, including just about all of them made by Microsoft. The Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 is the one mouse that I will go to the ends of the Earth to be sure is the one sitting on my desk. The reviewer who said it's "damn near perfect" is exactly right. Most every attribute of the mouse has been discussed already, but I'll add my list of highlights for the record. I'll go ahead and list my singular complaint right up front: the mouse wheel gets stuck (requires more force to move) after a couple years of daily use. I would still be using my first Laser Mouse 8000 if not for the mouse wheel issue. I tried cleaning the mouse -- even taking it apart -- but it seems to just plain wear out after a while. Knowing this, I simply buy a new one when I start to feel the mouse wheel getting resistive. I figure 40 bucks for a couple years of service is not too bad. So, on to my list of highlights: 1. The mouse's tracking is as smooth as glass, as well as precise. Anyone doing pixel-by-pixel work in Photoshop (or any image app) should use this mouse. The thing has never made a tracking error in the several years I've been using it. (Actually none of the several I have owned over the years has ever made a tracking error, so quality control is excellent.) 2. The mouse wheel has completely smooth action, with no "motion stops/clicks" that most other mice have. It glides up and down effortlessly, providing precise control with no control errors, overshoots or undershoots. (At least until it stops working -- see the single complaint above.) 3. I personally use a mouse pad because I find it to be more comfortable, but the mouse works on practically every surface, if mouse pads are not your thing. 4. No annoying red or blue light underneath. 5. Perfect weight and balance. Not a cheap plastic-feeling featherweight like most mice. Feels substantial without being too large. In fact, its proportions of length, width, and height are perfect. It's not like those "ergonomic" mice that are actually more akin to a discus than a mouse. 6. It has an on/off switch! 7. Charges very quickly -- an hour or two to fully charge a depleted battery. 8. Lets you know when the battery is running low with a red light on top of the mouse that slowly fades on and off. As the mouse charges, a green light on the mouse fades on and off to let you know it's actively charging. When the charge is 100%, the green light stays on steadily until you remove the mouse from the charger. This might sound nutty or obsessive, but even the light feels/seems like quality. Not a cheap, blinking LED. 9. The charger, a flat plastic plate that is slightly wider and longer than the mouse, makes it simple to sit the mouse in the correct spot to get it charging properly. Why is this important? Because with other mice it is not so easy. Take Microsoft's new Explorer mice for example (the one with the piercing blue light underneath). The charger is a tiny little device that you have to get the tip of the mouse to sit on. Because it is so small and light it seems to flip and flop around your desk, and getting the mouse to sit on just the right spot can be a tricky two-handed job. The Laser Mouse 8000's charger has an extra rounded "bump" that centers the mouse so you can just drop it on the thing and nearly always get it right. If you do happen to mis-align the mouse on the charger, the light will let you know. With all the Laser Mouse 8000s I have purchased over the years, the charger is still labeled "Microsoft Mouse Charger 1.0" on the bottom, so I guess they got it right the first time. 10. The rechargeable battery can be easily replaced with an off-the-shelf Ni-MH AA-size battery (which I did one time). 11. Microsoft's excellent and free IntelliPoint software is simple to install, and the one software package works with every Microsoft mouse. In fact, if you have multiple Microsoft mice, you can easily configure the software back and forth between mice, and it has a nice big photograph of the mouse you're currently set up to use, with the various button actions superimposed over the photo. Furthermore, Microsoft keeps IntelliPoint (and its IntelliType software for Microsoft keyboards) constantly updated for the latest Microsoft operating system -- something they *should* do. For example, their Windows 7 versions are out right now -- two months prior to the official release date of Windows 7. Downloading and installing is aided by the nice web page that leads you to the right version based on which OS you're using -- with 64-bit OSes fully supported. 12. The Bluetooth dongle plugs into any USB port and does *not* require any mating procedure with the mouse. Just plug it in and everything "just works". In fact, because of the "hard-wired" Bluetooth mating between mouse and dongle, the mouse can be used in a pre-boot environment, as if it were a wired USB mouse. Nice! 13. The Bluetooth dongle is a fully-functional Bluetooth receiver that can be used to connect with any other Bluetooth device. For example, your mobile phone with Bluetooth support can connect with your computer once you've plugged in the dongle. In short, I would be sad if Microsoft ever discontinues or changes this mouse. I'm mystified by those who report difficulties with setting up the mouse to work with Vista (or any other OS), because it is so dead-simple to do. My guess is that they have screwed up their Bluetooth settings or something. Or maybe they previously (or later) installed another Bluetooth product that supplanted the Microsoft drivers. Or maybe they have more than one Bluetooth device installed. I have no idea, but the cause would probably be along those lines because of just how easy it is to use this mouse, with its hard-wired mating to the receiver. It may seem odd to write such a lengthy review for a mouse, but the fact is that a mouse is an essential piece of hardware that a computer user interacts with many times every day -- so it makes sense to me!
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Posted: 08-08-2009
Completely disappointed with the performance of this mouse. The pointer latency is so bad I often have problems clicking where I want. The construction is nice and solid and I like the features. As another reviewer put it the thing acts lazy and is kind of heavy as well. I can only guess it is Bluetooth as I have another cheaper Microsoft optical mouse that is of the nonbluetooth varity and costs about 1/2 the price of this one and out performs it hands down.
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Posted: 07-10-2009
I have Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit, and this mouse has never worked correctly. It has required constant reinstalls, and stopped working completely after I installed Vista SP2. I am not sure if this is specific to Vista or not, but that is the only frame of reference that I have. This is not a cheap mouse. It should work.
