Microsoft Wireless Mobil Mouse 3500 w/ Intellipoint

Hey all,

After learning that I would be receiving a very nice laptop as part of my employment benefits (of course I'll be reviewing that when it's in my hands!), I decided to go and look for a wireless mouse. I've never really liked the "mobile mice" only because of the size of the mouse vs. the size of my hands. Well after selling this type of equipment at my previous employer and learning some of the actual benefits associated with them, I decided to dive in.

Naturally, being a bit of a nerd at heart, I am drawn to anything with a name branded like Microsoft, HP, or Dell. While it is not always the case, I've still been known to subconsciously associate a brand name item with some inherent level of quality.

After playing with a few different choices, i began to examine the financial aspect of the equipment and was very surprised by the $50.00 + price tag on some of these mice. Granted, some have Bluetooth, and some have fake diamonds (really? lol) and some even have cool looking graphics "tattooed" on them, but $79.99 for a mouse? Yeah right.

This retailer does carry a wide variety of wireless accessories and while there is a high range, there is also mids and lows and being that they are all Logitech and Microsoft products, lets give it a whirl.

The Microsoft Mobil Mouse line has a great feel, very ergonomic and at right around 15 bucks, it's a steal! Using a technology called BlueTrack, the limits of the old laser mouse are gone and here is the dawn of the any surface mouse. I've tried it on lace, on my pants leg, on a hard wooden table, a reflective surface, near and far, and it never missed a beat!! Its as responsive as any CAD mouse I've ever used and much more attractive and light. Boasting an 8 month battery life, this little guy only uses one AA.

Another great thing i think, is the fact that the wireless usb reciever (which by the way is the same size as my thumbnail) actually tucks into the mouse where it is safe inside of your laptop bag.

So lets review

Microsoft Wireless Mobil Mouse 3500 w/ Intellipoint Technology
1. Small, ergonomic and professional looking
2. Very responsive and able to work on "any" surface
3. Economy friendly
4. Very portable

I give this mouse a solid five stars.



Stay tuned. As previously mentioned, I should be receiving my custom built laptop in the coming week so more reviews are coming!!! Tell your friends and stay tuned!!

Google Chrome OS Beta

Well, here we are in the middle of February.  Snow up to the windows, sub zero temperatures.  Lucky for us, there may be something on the horizon that will bring a little warmth into our lives. 

While recently scouring through Craigslist's "computer" classifieds, I came across an interesting gentleman that was seeking payment for something he called a "Chrome Beta Netbook."  Apparently, like many other government sized companies, Google is looking for beta testers for it's new technology.  You see, someone at Google decided that we should take a(n) _________________ (insert your favorite smartphone platform here) and expand the screen to the size of a netbook.  What you end up with is a small portable computer, much like the little netbooks we all recognize now, minus the headaches of service packs, and ram upgrades etc, etc...  The Google Chrome operating system is actually like a small program that directly connects you to the internet.  Imagine for a second, a world without windows or walls.  There is no restriction of physical time or space.  This tiny little machine acts like a doorway rather than a workstation, allowing the user to go directly to the web where they can do proprietary things like Google Docs, Google Buzz, GMail, Google maps...you get the idea.  One feature I am very interested in however, is the use of these "smart applets."  Want to chat?  You are already connected.  Check your facebook?  It's right here ready to go. 

Now that is just some of the fun things.  Lets look at the commercial market now.  Mobile workers without the headache of burned hard drives and insufficient RAM.  With the Chromebook, there is just enough hardware to run a web browser.  This opens up amazing potential for web collaboration, meetings, correspondance, and even remote IT systems management.





Needless to say, I have already applied to be a Beta Tester so keep your fingers crossed and hopefully very soon, we will be doing a live review!

Thanks for reading,
Paul Netlock