Microsoft Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 7000 Mac/Win USB Review

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(More customer reviews)This is my third MS wireless notebook mouse (see my uploaded product images). I also have the optical 3000 (original version with the 2 piece adjustable USB receiver that rotates - a design flaw in my opinion, as I will explain), and the laser 6000. I will briefly go over the differences between the three models.
Disclaimer: I am not a gamer; I use my laptop primarily for web browsing and office apps. I also have not installed the Microsoft drivers as I didn't want to interfere with the trackpad & trackpoint functionality on my laptop, so I cannot comment on the software or extra features that are available with the 4-way scroll wheel and additional buttons (on the 6000 and 7000).
The 3000 was a great wireless notebook mouse for its time, with long battery life, good ergonomics (for a portable mouse), and decent accuracy. After two years of use, it still works fine except the left and right buttons sometimes fail to register on light clicks, and require repeated forceful clicks to be acknowledged. The only other problem I have is with the 2 piece "J" shaped USB receiver design. While it seems like a good idea to be able to rotate the receiver for optimal reception, the design makes the receiver just flexible enough that it doesn't always stay put when snapped into the bottom of the mouse. It often becomes loose enough so that it stops engaging the "off" switch at the bottom of the mouse, causing the mouse to turn on and waste precious battery life. (Note: Microsoft later came out with a design revision that changed the USB receiver to a single fixed piece like in the 6000.)
Due to the problem with the USB receiver on the 3000, I relegated it to home use only and purchased the 6000 over a year ago to carry around with me. It adds: laser tracking, horizontal scrolling capabilities with the 4-way (now smooth) scroll wheel, and a (tiny) additional button on the left side of the mouse. However I felt that there was a reduction in ergonomics due to the flatter profile of the mouse, and the larger scroll wheel housing forces my fingers to spread apart more, resulting in a less comfortable feel. I was extremely impressed with the improved laser tracking though, so much so that I also upgraded my desktop mouse to a laser model. It's just much more sensitive than the LED optical pickup, and requires less movement to drag the pointer across the screen while retaining pinpoint accuracy.
I recently purchased the 7000 to replace the dying 3000, and it is an improvement over the 6000 in terms of ergonomics. It is slightly longer than the 3000 and 6000 (but has a smaller USB receiver than comes with either), and the scroll wheel housing takes minimal space now, so it feels better in my hand because I don't have to spread my fingers apart as much, and there is more surface area to rest my palm on.
The 7000 also adds a new right side button, and both side buttons are integrated into the smooth curve of the mouse making them easier to click than the tiny left side-only button on the 6000. There is a battery indicator light on the mouse now, which illuminates briefly after the USB receiver is detached from the mouse. In addition, the LED on the USB receiver now lights up whenever it detects motion from the mouse (it remains constantly on in the 6000). The 7000 retains the other great features of the 6000, making it a winning design in my opinion.
If you're a light mouse user, any of Microsoft's wireless notebook mice products will work fine for you. If you are a heavy mouse user though, you will appreciate the slight refinements Microsoft has added in the 7000.
P.S., Microsoft touts the 2.4GHz frequency of this mouse as an advantage over the older 27MHz technology, but it's probably more of a gimmick than anything as I've never had range problems with this or the older wireless mice. The good news is that this mouse doesn't appear to interfere with other 2.4GHz wireless devices in my house, and it works fine even though the USB receiver is on the other side of my laptop. I'm also running a Microsoft wireless laser desktop 6000 on my PC, an 802.11 router in my office, and various 2.4GHz/5.8GHz/DECT cordless phones throughout my house. I have yet to experience any sort of connectivity or interference issues with my wired and wireless electronics.

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