Kensington 72114 Pocket USB Mouse (PC/Mac) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this mouse for my PowerBook, primarily for use when away from home. For my large hands, I have traditionally preferred large mice, such as the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer and the (no longer available) full-size Logitech MouseMan series. However, I do find this mouse to be perfectly acceptable, especially given its portable dimensions. For me, it is much more comfortable than the slightly smaller, but more expensive Pocket Mouse SE (72118). It is comfortable enough that when I get home, I pull it out of its included stuff sack and plug it into my Kensington Keyboard-in-a-Box (64350) which serves as a two-port USB hub when plugged into my PowerBook. Thus, it also makes a reasonable compact desktop mouse.
In terms of performance, it has worked on any reasonable surface. I have had no problem using it on a variety of surfaces including solid-wood desks, laminate desks, standard mouse pads, a deeply textured couch, jeans, and the comforter on my bed. The only problematic surfaces have been a shiny metal file cabinet top and a holographic mouse pad, but this is to be expected. For the price I can't complain.
As far as compatibility is concerned, I have had no problems with my Mac running OS X (10.3) or my PC running Windows XP Professional. No driver installation was required for either system.
I'd highly recommend this as carry-along mouse for most portable computer users.

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The Kensington 72114 Pocket USB Mouse is a compact travel mouse for laptop users, with optical technology that lets you take precision on the road. The perfect solution for mobile professionals who are dissatisfied with the built-in input devices on their laptops, the Kensington 72114 features a compact shape that is comfortable for both right- and left-handed use, and comes with a travel bag that eliminates the problem of tangled cords. The Kensington 72114 also features DiamondEye optical technology that allows it to respond to even your fastest movements with accurate tracking on virtually any surface, and a USB connection for universal plug-and-play installation with both PCs and Macs alike. This mouse has two buttons and a scroll wheel, a four-foot connecting cord, and comes in a stylish silver-and-black color scheme that looks good with any laptop. This Kensington optical mouse works right out of the box without even requiring a reboot, with long-lasting reliability that is backed by a one-year manufacturer's warranty. The Kensington 72114 requires a PC running Windows 98, ME, 2000, or XP, or a Macintosh running Mac OS X or later, but will work with OS 8.1 as a one-button mouse.

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Rocketfish Bluetooth Wireless Laser Mouse for Macbook / Pc Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, let me point out that this is not exclusively for Apple computers. This mouse works great with Vista and Windows XP as well, and includes drivers for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of those operating systems, so PC users can feel confident grabbing this Bluetooth mouse.
Now, as a Mac user, I have to say this is what Mighty Mouse should be. I loved my Bluetooth Mighty Mouse, but hated the way the scroll ball would get gunked up and stop working every 3 months. When it finally stopped scrolling completely, Apple was cool and replaced it free of charge (standard Apple 1-year warranty), and I decided to sell the replacement Mighty Mouse and try something new.
I tried a few different choices. A Kensington Laser Desktop Mouse (good, but was weird about not recognizing clicks until I moved the mouse pointer off of the item I clicked), a Microsoft Sidewinder (good mouse, bad cord), and a Microsoft Wireless Notebook Mouse (great mouse, but too small for daily use).
Then I saw this Rocketfish Bluetooth mouse, and decided to give it a try. I have to say, I'm very impressed!
Pros:
Feels like the Apple Bluetooth Mighty Mouse.
Scroll Wheel has GREAT feedback clicks (I prefer that to the "smooth scroll" of MS desktop mice).
Scroll Wheel does horizontal scrolling.
Power switch allows you to save some battery power if you're going to be gone for a while.
Right and Left click buttons are clearly separated, easy to click, and responsive.
1200 DPI tracking is ultra-sensitive. (I had to turn down sensitivity all the way, so this is also a Con).
Connected easily and instantly with my MacBook with no drivers necessary.
Costs a lot less than the Apple Mighty Mouse.
1-year limited warranty.
Lightweight, good sound feedback on clicks and scrolling, solid construction.
Cons
If you leave the mouse tracking in the middle or up high, it's simply too sensitive to be useful.
Only three buttons, and I miss the Mighty Mouse "squeeze" button(s) and 5-button mice.
Windows requires driver installation (What else is new?) in order to use side-scrolling.
Who the heck is Rocketfish? I never heard of them until last year! Is their warranty good?
Uses AAA batteries, which means I can't use the AA rechargeables I was using with other mice.
No advanced features or assignable buttons as with mice that use a software/driver suite (Kensington, MS).
Overall, this gets four stars because it's a great mouse and wonderful alternative to the Mighty Mouse. It doesn't get five stars because it has only three buttons, and these days that's starting to seem kind of limited and quaint. For the asking price, I'd expect a five-button mouse.
I'm sticking with the Rocketfish Apple Bluetooth Mouse because it's a solid product that sets out what it means to do: Offer Mighty Mouse users an alternative that feels and connects the same way, but has none of Mighty Mouse's weaknesses. By NOT emulating the scroll ball, Rocketfish did the right thing and made a superior product.
If you're a Mac user who loves the way Mighty Mouse feels and connects, but hates how Mighty Mouse can act up sometimes, this may be what you're looking for. For PC users, you may be surprised how comfortable this form factor is, and you might appreciate the 1200 DPI sensitivity and solid Bluetooth performance.
UPDATE: A couple weeks later, and I had to return this mouse. While I loved the feel and shape, and was impressed with it at first, it ultimately failed to be reliable. It kept losing a solid connection via Bluetooth, and the mouse movements would become "jumpy" requiring me to remove it from my Bluetooth list and then "re-acquire" it to fix the problem. After many times doing this, I decided enough was enough and replaced it with an RF wireless mouse instead. Unfortunately Rocketfish doesn't make an RF wireless version of this mouse (Bluetooth or wired. That's all.) and so I was forced to go with another manufacturer.
Your mileage may vary. I have a lot of wireless devices in my home, and I could probably attribute my problems to one of them interfering. All I know is that the mouse became impractical because of this connection issue.

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New, open package, package may damage, In origonal box

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Targus AMW43US Wireless Mouse for Mac Review

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(More customer reviews)I really, REALLY wanted to love this mouse. I purchased it because my Bluetooth Mighty Mouse was having dirty ball issues. (That sounds bad, doesn't it.) Before I received the Targus, I read a blog post online that detailed how to disassemble and clean the scroll ball mechanism in the Mighty Mouse. I performed the procedure and all was well in scrolling up AND down land again.
When I received the Targus, I opened it up and plopped batteries in it quickly. It has a nice feature where the USB transmitter actually stows away inside the mouse.
The mouse immediately was recognized in OS X. My first impressions were that the tracking is way fast. I remedied this by adjusting the tracking speed all the way down using the Mouse preference pane in System Preferences.
Something, however, seemed off. I've been an Apple user for 3 years and have gotten used to how Apple mice track. They allow you to move the mouse slowly for super-precise mousing and then also allow you to quickly move the mouse to other areas of the screen. The problem with the Targus is that it lacks this same tracking acceleration curve. I found myself constantly overshooting where I wanted to place my cursor or mouse pointer. I tried a number of different software packages found online to attempt to remedy this and none of them worked.
I believe the key to fixing this issue is in Targus' hands. They need to write a mouse driver that allows either the default tracking (likely somethign Windows users would like) or tracking that mimics the Apple Mouse tracking as closely as possible.
If Targus can pull off Apple Mouse Tracking emulation, I would pull it back out of my storage drawer and put away my Bluetooth Mighty Mouse for good. Until then, I'll just keep disassembling my Mighty Mouse every month to clean the scroll ball rollers.

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Move about freely with the Targus for Mac Wireless Mouse. Connect quickly with the RF 2.4 GHz micro USB receiver - tiny enough to leave plugged in, or stores neatly inside the mouse when not in use.Featuring touch sensitive technology, smooth 4-way touch scroll is at your fingertips. Scroll left/right and up/down with the tip of your finger. Dual programmable buttons for individual customization add efficiency and productivity. 1200 dpi optical sensor provides accurate cursor movement.

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Apple Magic Trackpad Review

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(More customer reviews)I have a strong preference for touchpads over mice so I was pretty delighted upon hearing about this being released by Apple. I have another touchpad made by Adesso that I use with desktops, but it is wired and not nearly as nice or large as the Apple one.
This trackpad works exactly like the built-in one on the macbook pro. It's slim and very elegant looking. There is no lag like you get with wireless optical mice. The glass surface, however, has a bit of 'texture' to it unlike the macbook's trackpad which is shiny. It's almost like a matte finish to it which is ok as a perfectly shiny glass surface can stick a bit if your fingers are a little sweaty. (But if your fingers are dry, the shiny feels a little better :)
It's well constructed and seems sturdy. The top part that holds the battery feels cool like aluminum though I'm not sure if it is. But it's not cheap plastic. It has a nice solid feel and I'm extremely happy with it. I visited the local Apple store to try it out before buying, but they did not have it in yet. But I'm glad I went ahead and ordered it from Apple because it's exactly what I wanted. I will never use another mouse again!
When you get it, make sure that you update your OS software to get the trackpad drivers. It will work without the update but you won't be able to adjust it and features will be missing. You might have your computer on auto update in which case you don't need to worry about this. But if you're a weirdo like me and prefer to manually update, then keep this in mind. When the batteries die, I'll update this review to give a sense of how long the batteries last.

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The first Multi-Touch Trackpad designed to work with your Mac desktop computer, the Apple Magic Trackpad lets your fingers do the clicking, scrolling, and swiping. The Apple Magic uses the same Multi-Touch technology found on the MacBook Pro, giving you a whole new way to control and interact with what's on your screen. Swiping through pages online feels just like flipping through pages in a book or magazine. Inertial scrolling makes moving up and down a page more natural than ever. And users can press down anywhere on the Multi-Touch surface to physically click or double-click on an item--no clumsy buttons involved.

The Largest Multi-Touch Trackpad EverThe Magic Trackpad is just like the trackpad on the MacBook Pro--but bigger. It's made with the same advanced touch-friendly and wear-resistant glass surface, but with nearly 80 percent more area. This gives you even more room to scroll, swipe, pinch, and rotate to your fingers' content. And because the entire surface is a button that clicks, you can use it in place of a mouse without losing a hint of functionality. The Magic Trackpad's full set of gestures includes two-finger scrolling, pinching to zoom, rotating with your fingertips, three-finger swiping, and activating Expose or switching between applications with four fingers.
Plus, the trackpad is customizable. Simply access the Magic Trackpad pane in System Preferences to enable gestures you want and disable those you don't.
Seamless Wireless Design The Magic Trackpad fits in perfectly with your Mac desktop, with the same sculpted aluminum design as the Apple Wireless Keyboard. In fact, side by side the two sit flush at the same angle and height. This lets you go from trackpad to keyboard in a single motion, or do both at the same time. How perfect is that?
The Magic Trackpad connects to your Mac via Bluetooth wireless technology, so you don't have to deal with an annoying cable that dictates where you place it. Once you pair the Magic Trackpad with your Bluetooth-enabled Mac, you'll enjoy a reliable, secure connection up to 33 feet away. In addition, the Magic Trackpad detects periods of inactivity, with an automatic shutoff feature that saves battery life. As an alternative, you can turn it off yourself. Both options keep you gesturing for months at a time.
The Magic Trackpad--which can work in place of a mouse or in conjunction with the mouse on any Mac computer (even a notebook)--requires a Bluetooth-enabled Mac computer, two AA batteries (included), Mac OS X Snow Leopard v 10.6.4, and the latest software update.

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Apple Magic Mouse Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, I will say I'm very partial to this mouse, but I'm going to try and write an objective review here for kicks. I'm going to break this down into topical sections for easy digestion.
=== Tracking ===
Tracking is, surprisingly for a Bluetooth mouse, superbly smooth in everyday use. (I'm not an FPS gamer, so I can't comment on the performance for twitch gaming.) Pointer movement is very smooth and consistent, as with the best corded and non-BT cordless mice. Also, in my tests, the mouse tracked perfectly on a white laminate table and a brushed aluminum table -- both difficult surfaces for many laser and optical mice.
Many reviewers have complained that the tracking is too slow, even at the highest speed setting. Although I haven't experienced this problem, I believe it is real for those people; but I think it must be a problem that is specific to their particular software and/or hardware environment, by no means a universal problem. (The Magic Mice at the Apple Stores I've been to have not manifested it.) These users may find relief with a new third-party freeware called BetterTouchTool, which has a greater range of mouse speed adjustment than Apple's prefpane -- more on BetterTouchTool below.
=== Scrolling ===
The touch-based scrolling is a revelation. I leave the momentum option on, and scrolling through long web pages is a dream. So smooth! The scrolling action is similar to dragging the slider on a scroll bar, rather than clicking the up/down scroll buttons as it is with most other mice. After having used the Magic Mouse and its amazing scrolling talents for a couple of weeks, when I'm now forced to use conventional mice, the scrolling feels jumpy and crude. That said, I do sometimes miss the feel of turning a physical scroll wheel. I'd say that a physical wheel might provide more predictable scrolling. But the nearly pixel-precise scrolling action of the Magic Mouse just feels really luxurious. The only thing I would ask Apple to improve is to let users adjust the "friction" of the momentum scrolling with a slider in the prefpane. I would reduce the friction a bit.
=== Buttons/Configurability ===
As you will know already, this is a one-button mouse that can be used as a two-button mouse thanks to smart software. I have experienced zero problems with the mouse distinguishing between left and right clicks. It is true that the mouse does not recognize right clicks when your index finger is resting on the mouse. This hasn't been a problem for me at all, because for some reason I naturally lift my index finger slightly when I start pushing down with my middle finger. The other thing that is widely known is that there is no provision for middle clicks or other actions besides the ones mentioned in the product literature. Apple really has a lot of room for improvement in the device driver in this area.
But what is perhaps less known is that there is an excellent little freeware third-party app called BetterTouchTool (for OS X only) that addresses these shortcomings very well. For example, you can map a three-finger tap to Expose or any key combination. It is an absolute must. The app is still in a very early development phase and is frequently updated (sometimes several times in one day), and there are several features yet to be fully implemented, but already it has removed all cause for complaint about lack of configurability, as far as I'm concerned.
=== Ergonomics ===
The mouse's shape takes some getting used to. It's very low, which discourages resting your palm on it (or wrapping your whole hand around it). The sharp edges also detract from holding this mouse as you would rounder ones. The optimum way I've found to hold this mouse is to lightly grip its sides, with my thumb on one side, my ring finger and pinkie on the other, and my palm making no contact with the top. This is easy to do because the sides curve inward from top to bottom, providing a sure grip. It's a sort of dainty way to hold the mouse, but it works, and it also minimizes accidental scrolling, which happens sometimes when you inadvertently touch the top. As a bonus, the aluminum sides provide a nice, cool sensation to the fingertips when you grab it again after letting it rest for a while.
Another ergonomic quibble I have is that the smooth plastic top of the mouse produces too much friction when my fingers are not perfectly dry. The textured glass of Apple's latest trackpads is much better in this regard. As a workaround, I have taken to putting a little light oil on the mouse top to reduce this friction and make scrolling easier.
=== Conclusion ===
This is an unusual and innovative mouse that unfortunately demands some adjustment in usage habits to get the best results, but then rewards you with superior functionality -- especially with an assist from some third-party software.

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It began with iPhone. Then came iPod touch. Then MacBook Pro. Intuitive, smart, dynamic. Multi-Touch technology introduced a remarkably better way to interact with your portable devices - all using gestures. Now we've reached another milestone by bringing gestures to the desktop with a mouse that's unlike anything ever before. It's called Magic Mouse. It's the world's first Multi-Touch mouse. And while it comes standard with every new iMac, you can also add it to any Bluetooth-enabled Mac for a Multi-Touch makeover.

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