Product: Microsoft Mobile Mouse 4000
Manufacturer: Microsoft
MSRP: $39.95     Find Lowest Price @ PriceGrabber
Author: Nick
Date: November 1, 2009

With the the recent flood of smaller, cheaper laptops and netbooks hitting the market, it only makes sense that companies would want to make mobile accessories smaller as well. Today we will be taking a look at one of Microsoft’s newest products, the Mobile Mouse 4000. Like most newer mobile mice, it sports a cropped form factor as well as a very small “nano transceiver.”

Features / Specifications

• “BlueTrack Technology”
• “Plug-And-Go Nano Transceiver”
• 2.4GHz “Reliable Wireless”
• 10-Month Battery Life
• 4-way Scrolling
• 4 Customized Buttons

Packaging Contents

Included with Microsoft’s Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is the mouse itself, a single battery, the nano transceiver, and the usual paperwork. I received the graphite color, but the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is also available in teal blue, berry pink, lime green, and white.

First Impressions

Unlike a lot of Microsoft’s new products which feature a glossy finish, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 features a flat black finish on the top and rubberized grips on the side. This type of finish makes more sense to me on a device that is going to be handled as much as a mouse, because it does not show finger prints. Also, the rubberized side grips gave the mouse a softer, more comfortable feel than what could have been obtained with the use of hard plastic alone.

Since the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is meant to be used while on the move with a laptop or netbook, it sports a cropped form factor. With a footprint of 2.4 in x 4 in, it is roughly 2/3 the size of a regular sized desktop mouse. Some people may find this to be a major downfall but I personally will take a more compact mouse over a laptop track pad any day.

Microsoft claims the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 has 10 months of battery life. While testing this claim during the brief review period would be impossible, I can say that I used the mouse every day for 4 – 6 hours for 1 month without any problems.

The Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 only has 1 side button instead of the standard 2. While not a major deal, it was a feature I missed as I usually use both side buttons while navigating web sites.

Tracking abilities of the Wireless Mobile Mouse are on par with the other BlueTrack mice we have tested and is very similar to the tracking ability of a standard red LED optical mouse. The only surface the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 did not work well on was mirrored surfaces.

Conclusions

Overall, Microsoft’s Mobile Mouse 4000 is decent mouse. It works well and I had no problems in terms of its functionality. Really, the only downfall to the mouse is the missing second side button. The $39.99 MSRP for a mobile mouse that features a nano transceiver also makes this mouse a bargain. However, like any mouse, I would recommend trying one out at a local retail store if possible before buying.

Pros

+ Rubberized side grips
+ Nano transceiver less susceptible to damage in mobile environments
+ Available in multiple colors

Cons

- Only 1 side button instead of the usual 2

Tags: 4000, BlueTrack, Microsoft, Mobile, mouse, wireless