Product: Verbatim Go Nano Wireless Mouse
Manufacturer: Verbatim
MSRP: $39.99     Find Lowest Price with PriceGrabber
Author: Bill
Date: August 12, 2009

I use my laptop as a primary computer, and have become quite accustomed to using a trackpad full-time. It’s become a bit of a necessity, as I don’t feel like carrying a mouse with me. Newer offerings such as the Go Nano from Verbatim are designed to walk a line between being portable and comfortable platforms. In terms of mice, I’m a fan of large platforms that support my wrist with adequate height, so carrying one around has been out of the question. Because I use a Mac, I’ve found that the trackpad is more than adequate in terms of gestured input and overall feel. Until now, I had never seriously used a portable laptop mouse as some of my colleagues do. We’ll see if I can be convinced to carry one with me!

Packaging

The Go Nano is packaged in a needlessly complicated plastic and paper contraption that protects the device while showing it off. It’s designed to be hung in an aisle display, which necessitates good looks, but loses points on eco-friendly and easy-to-use packaging.

Inside are the mouse, driver disks, and USB receiver unit.

Go Nano

Verbatim’s mouse is powered by two AAA batteries (included), and houses the USB receiver inside its body. This serves as an on/off function, disabling the device when inserted into the mouse. The mouse is very spartan in its offering of features. A typical red-glow optical sensor captures movement, and there are no buttons beyond left/right click and a clickable scroll wheel.

The mouse is essentially driverless when using it on Mac OSX or Windows XP (and higher). Initially the mouse movement is jittery, but smoothes out within a few minutes. It tracked well on desk surfaces, mouse pads, and khaki trousers. Two oversized skids offer a smooth gliding feel that is light to the touch.

Using the mouse for extended periods of time was uncomfortable for me because the mouse is so short. While this saves space in a laptop bag, I’d rather use something else, unless I really needed to play a quick round of Unreal™. The mouse has enough height, but this keeps my hand resting on the desk behind the mouse while my fingers articulate it. It’s not terribly uncomfortable for occasional use, but as a mobile desktop replacement mouse it falls short.

Conclusions

For $40 I’d like to see some more functionality than my original Microsoft Intellimouse Optical. The wireless performance is more than acceptable, but the lack of extraneous functionality and cropped form factor might make it more of a burden than blessing for some people. I would highly recommend trying the mouse in a big-box store first as your mileage may vary.

Pros

+ Small receiver tucks into the mouse and disables the device
+ Good mouse performance on a variety of surfaces
+Comes in a variety of pastel and traditional colors

Cons

-  Little functionality beyond basic conventions
- Cropped form-factor may not be comfortable for everyone

Tags: Go, Mobile, mouse, nano, optical, Verbatim, wireless