Microsoft’s hardware is well known for being high quality, and they continue to bring new technologies to the front with Bluetrack™. The question is if the new technology works best on a mobility oriented product or is it better suited for a full size mouse? We will find this out through reviewing the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000.

Hit the jump to see our in-depth thoughts on the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000.

 

Introduction

Microsoft’s hardware is well known for being high quality, and they continue to bring new technologies to the front with Bluetrack™. The question is if the new technology works best on a mobility oriented product or is it better suited for a full size mouse? We will find this out through reviewing the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000.

The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 is one of the better mobility mice that Microsoft have produced, not being the range topper but still a very good offering at £44.99/$49.95. The feature list is extensive as well, ranging from the mainstay of the mouse; Bluetrack™ technology to others such as reliable a 2.4GHz wireless transceiver and a ten month battery life. I’ll be sure to update on if the mouse actually lasts ten months because I’ve burned through mice batteries very quickly before. Another feature is that the mouse has 5 programmable buttons; it also includes horizontal scrolling capabilities.

Design wise, the mouse has a sleek black finish with chrome edges and rubber pads on the sides for additional grip. This makes the mouse look stylish in its small form factor. One of the most interesting design features is the thumb buttons. These sit toward the front of the mouse, on each side, meaning that both left handed and right handed people can use them with ease.

 

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Unboxing

The packaging of the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 is clear plastic, using cardboard inside to display information on the product through the plastic. This also enables the prospective customer to view the product in all its glory including the tiny transceiver that is situated on the front.

The packaging is fairly easy to open, just cut along the tape strips on the side and two plastic sections on the sides pop off and then the back has two large glued down poppers, meaning you don’t have to rip it apart with a pair of scissors, risking the loss of a finger in the process.

Inside the box there was a setup CD for IntelliPoint 6.3, the Product Guide, a Quick Start guide, a single AA battery, the transceiver and the mouse itself.

 

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A Closer Look

The mouse’s shiny black finish was the first thing that struck me; it just looks like a great quality mouse. Having been well designed from start to finish, the chrome sides add a bit of detail to it and add a second contrasting colour to the product, leading into the dark grey of the rubberised edges. The size of the mouse was the main factor though, being small in stature didn’t mean it was uncomfortable to hold. Despite the fact that I usually find other laptop mice to be too small, this felt just right. I put it alongside my Microsoft Sidewinder for comparison.

There is a small light below the scroll wheel that lights up when you turn it on. This indicator displays the amount of battery power left in the mouse. If the battery level is acceptable, the light will be green. Otherwise, it will be red. The mouse runs on AA batteries, so all you need to do is remove the panel on the bottom of the mouse and replace the battery.

The transceiver is ridiculously small; it’s a USB plug with a small end to it which has the Microsoft logo on it. The edges of this other end are slightly angled to make it easier to pull out. It fits snugly along the side of your PC so you don’t have to worry about large obtrusive sticks hanging out of your computer’s USB ports.

 

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Testing and Results

Due to the rubber edges, I found this mouse to be much more ergonomic than many others. I’m pleased with the overall feel of the mouse; it feels like the premium grade mouse we’ve come to expect from Microsoft. The scrolling on this mouse is very sensitive; I found that the scroll wheel moves very easily and scrolls great distances with ease. It will require adjusting but the way it scrolls means that in certain games you’ll easily be able to rapid fire with weapons by mapping your fire command to the scroll wheel.

Does Bluetrack™ live up to its claims? It’s supposed to be able to track on almost all surfaces except glass, so I went to test it on a variety of materials. It continued to work like a charm, and continued to track efficiently on all my test surfaces.

If you’re a gamer on the go (like myself) and need a portable mouse, I ran this through a couple of games of Team Fortress 2 to see exactly how well it fared against one of Microsoft’s gaming mice (Same Sidewinder shown earlier).

After a couple of games on 2fort, trying out numerous classes, I found that this mouse is not really suited for gaming (as you’d expect). It takes a while to get used to but I found it mighty hard to aim after using the Sidewinder.

If you plan on purchasing a versatile mouse that you can use anywhere with ease, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 definitely fills the gap, being very comfortable and easy to use. The small form factor also allows it to be transported with ease.

 

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Conclusion

Overall, this mouse is very good for the job what it’s intended to do. If you’re after a small, portable mouse that is accurate anywhere, this is the mouse for you. If you’re using any form of laptop, I would highly recommend this mouse.

As a user of standard sized mice, I didn’t feel that this was too different from a normal sized mouse, which I’ve come to expect from most mobile mice.

The design of the mouse is top quality. The only flaw is that the shiny top leads to marks appearing as soon as you pull it out the box. Luckily they’re the sort you really have to look at it long enough to see, and in the right light.

Pros

• Comfortable rubber grip
• Ambidextrous nature thanks to thumb button on both sides
• Good price
• Small, but not too small size

Cons

• Reduced size can be a big change to some
• Glossy finish does mark easily

Overall Rating: 4.5/5