Technology Review: Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse 3000

I love having a wireless mouse for my laptop and my desktop computers. It's just so handy to have one around. A couple of years ago, I purchased a wireless mouse that had many problems functioning correctly. I was a little leery about purchasing another one, but my fears were brushed aside when I purchased the Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse 3000.

I purchased this mouse for about $20 at a Staples store. It is also available in a variety of colors at Amazon.com for people who want more fun than the standard gray and black mouse. I was pleased to see that this Microsoft mouse takes one AA battery instead of those irritating small circular batteries like the other wireless mouse I had before. The battery is easy to put in and take out with the push of a button. This is another nice feature as many of these products have the backs screwed on, requiring a screw driver just to change a simple battery.

The Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 plugs in to a USB opening on the back or side of the computer. This mouse has no problem getting the connection going, which can be a problem with other wireless mouse products. When I plug in the device, it almost instantaneously starts working. I rarely have to push the connector buttons, but if I do, it works very quickly.

Every so often, the mouse will get stuck and have to be reset. For the most part, I rarely have any trouble with the mouse, and when I do, I can hit the reset button and it works again.

This mouse functions at a high level and it doesn't even have to be set on a mouse pad to function effectively. A nice feature with the computer is that the speed the mouse moves around on the screen can actually be changed based on an individual user's preferences. I personally do not like the mouse cursor to fly all over the screen when I barely touch it, so I set my mouse to move a little slower. To change the settings, go to the computer's control panel and double click on the "Mouse" icon to make changes.

A nice feature about purchasing the Microsoft wireless mouse at a Staples store was that I got a free warranty. Offhand, I think the warranty covered the device for a year, but I don't remember for sure.

I would definitely buy this product again and I recommend it highly. I rate it five out of five stars because it is easily portable, functions at a high level, and was inexpensive to purchase.