by Charles Fawkes

Created on: November 14, 2009

I recently purchased the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 to go with my MacBook. It is a wireless notebook mouse that uses the bluetooth protocol to connect to your computer. I bought the mouse from BestBuy.com, where it is priced at $49.99.

If there is one thing that Microsoft can do right, it is making a great computer mouse. This is the second Microsoft mouse that I have purchased and I love them both.

I bought the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 for one reason: it has no cord. This means I can use the mouse with my laptop and not worry about getting a cord tangled up with anything. I can also sit much further away from my laptop and still control it. I can even use my laptop by connecting it to my TV (with a VGA cable) and still be able to control it with the mouse from across the room.

The 5000 feels like it is very high quality. So far, it has worked perfectly and only took about 2 minutes to set up with my MacBook. The mouse connects to the MacBooks internal bluetooth receiver. This means I do not even have to use a dongle, so all of my USB ports are still free. However, if your PC doesn't have an internal bluetooth receiver, you can still use a a bluetooth dongle to connect the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000.

The mouse uses 2 AAA batteries for power. It has an on/off switch to help conserve battery life. It also has a battery life indicator to warn you of when the batteries are failing. The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 has four buttons and a scroll wheel. I would say it is medium-sized, not as large as a desktop mouse, but not as small as many notebook mice. SInce it is a "Notebook" mouse I think its form factor is meant to be portable. Microsoft hit the sweet spot between a mouse that is too big and one that makes your hand cramp after using it for an hour.

I would recommend the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 to anyone looking for a high-quality mouse for their bluetooth enable computer. The 5000 garnered many good reviews at BestBuy.com, with a rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for a good bluetooth mouse for your notebook or desktop, this is it.

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