Ask Engadget: Best Bluetooth mouse out there?
By Darren Murph 
posted Jul 2nd 2009 9:03PM
posted Jul 2nd 2009 9:03PM
"I'm heading to university next year, and I've purchased a MacBook. I'm also taking my four year old desktop, just in case I'm left with no computers when the MacBook is being repaired or whatnot. With only two USB ports on a MacBook, I want a Bluetooth mouse. Budget is about $100, and of course, it needs OS X support. Thanks for the help!"Alright folks, it's time to get serious. Do you own a Bluetooth mouse that you can recommend? Recommend against? Be sure to spill your thoughts in comments below, and feel free to send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.
I don't have any recommendations, but i would advise AGAINST the wireless mighty mouse. that thing sucks after about 2+ months use.
Ya, dont buy the mighty mouse.. it is not that great.
At least it lasts that long... stay away from Microsoft bluetooth mice :/
I recommend Logitech for heavy users.
I agree. The might mouse is cool at first but then the scroll wheel stops responding sometimes because it so small and dirt gets trapped. And then I've had disconnects both under Windows and OS X.
I disagree, but agree with the folks below, the mighty mouse is great after 1 year of use. I don't know why people dislike it so much. The scroll ball and button versatility is something I really miss at work everday.
I've been using The Mircosoft Bluetooth 5000 for almost a year. It has great battery life & connects everytime coming out of sleep mode and booting up!
Not to mention how when using the mighty mouse, the cursor will randomly jump to the corner of the screen. I can't stand that.
in defense for the mighty mouse,
All you have to do is put the mouse up-side down and start scrolling that ball as fast as you can with the palm of your hand for a while.
grime free again.
What the mighty mouse needs improving on though is a more sensitive right click button. i have to slightly push the mouse towards the right with my hand to activate it.
I've been using a wired Mighty Mouse for about a year and half and I haven't had any problems with it yet. Maybe I got lucky.
I agree with Jason.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=099&active_tab=systemRequirements
I use the microsoft Bluetooth 5000 with my mac book pro and i love it. It is meant to use with built in blue tooth so it doesn't use a dongle
http://www.newtonperipherals.com/mogo_mouseX54.html
The best.
Logitech's new M555b
http://www.newtonperipherals.com/mogo_mouseX54.html
There is no better mouse. IF macbook has the x54 slot, this is it.
Jeff puts out a pretty good mouse with blue tooth, and it's totally compatible with a mac.
http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/4/4c/Thepowerbook_img_2.jpg
Logitech V470 is the best by miles
once you try it there is no other option
its very accurate too even for gaming never failed me
Get the wireless Mighty Mouse duh! If you have a Mac that's the only way to go.
while I own a mac, i would recommend AGAINST getting a Mighty Mouse - i personally think it's one of the the most unusable mouse out there and was a big mistake by apple. People only buy it because it's made by Apple and it 'looks' good...thats my opinion though!
DO NOT get the Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse unless you do not want a reliable right-click function (if you are OK with the old skool Control+Click to invoke a contextual menu then the Wireless Mighty Mouse is quite nice). There's a reasonable bit to like about the Mighty Mouse (I likes the scroll ball, the feel of it in the hand and the click action) but the thing is fundamentally flawed if you want a right-click because it only works about 90% of the time; the other 10% of the time will be so annoying that you want to throw the thing across the room.
While I don't have one (I'm still on my VX Revolution that replaced the Wireless Mighty Mouse), I tend to agree that the new Logitech M555b looks like a good bet because it has the fly-wheel style scroll wheel found on some of the Logitech mice, such as my VX Revolution. Once you have used it for scrolling quickly through a document I very much doubt you'll accept anything else.
Oh, if you go with a Logitech mouse then you might want to consider using a 3rd party driver for it. The Logitech Control Center (LCC) drivers are awful and have been known to cause my MBP to kernel panic, or fail completely to recognise the mouse connected to the system. It is possible that the drivers are now better (I doubt they could get much worse) but I've been using SteerMouse now for the past 3-years for my VX Revolution and it does the business (supports wired and bluetooth mice, even those without Mac OS X drivers):
http://plentycom.jp/en/steermouse/index.html
I use the Logitech V270 (m-rbb93) on my macbook pro. It works flawlessly and I have no complaints. You can get it for around $20 online.
Kelmon, the mighty mouse has a reliable right click. I've used multiple mighty mice regularly (both in a work and home environment) since they debuted a couple of years ago. The drawback is that you need to lift your index finger (assuming you're right handed) when pressing the right button.
I agree, the Mighty Mouse from Apple is terrible. It's got cool design, but the little ball gums up quickly from regular normal use and once it's dirty there's no RELIABLE way to get it's performance back.
I like the Best Buy Rocketfish Bluetooth Mouse. It's a nice plain white two button mouse with scroll and tilt... and it's bluetooth, and it doesn't even have that annoying red light.
+1 for Mighty Mouse.
For me, it works very nicely, and it looks very put-together, and matches my MacBook (although my Mac-matchiness has gone down since I got a black iPod, Dell monitor, Logitech speakers, and a Logitech keyboard). I have no problem with the right-click, although my friends always get frustrated using it, so maybe it's just me who likes it. My scroll ball has been fine, and it hasn't gummed up at all (yet). The only bad part about it, for me, is that the whiteness makes it look sorta dirty all the time, especially around the edges, and the glossiness makes it show scratches and scuffs.
New engadget logo?
nah its just an Ask Engadget logo... but [cue Turk talking to Carla in Scrubs voice] looks pretty snazzy to me, baby!
Swell brand new ol' logo!
AGAINST the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000
Against? Not me. The Presenter Mouse 8000 is fantastic. I use it for presentations all the time, and it's my primary mouse on gigs. It has NEVER failed me.
yeah, the presenter mouse is awesome.
The drivers on OSX are awful. Even with third party drivers, the cursor is jumpy.
For the Mac I'd have to agree. I've found that mouse to be picky about surfaces for one thing, but also on my Macbook I have to turn up the pointer speed all the way to get even close to a decent speed and I find there to be problems with accuracy.
The Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 and the presenter mouse are 2 completly different mice. Get it right.
i love the wireless mighty mouse, really good, really nice, and works.
wait a few months, you will change your mind
I have been using mine for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 4 months and it still works great.
I agree! The scroll ball is so useful for panning around images.
I've had it for like a year and it still is working perfect.
I've been using the BT Mighty Mouse for about 16 months now. I absolutely love it and would never get any other mouse.
I agree, the mighty mouse is a very sturdy and easy to use mouse, definitely worth the price. Personally I go for ones with more buttons for adjusting the brightness or volume, but they generally cost more than they're worth (there seems to be a direct correlation between build quality and fewer buttons).
I was having the classic trackball problem where the trackball needed to be cleaned or it wouldn't work. I cleaned it and it worked, but I just got tired of cleaning it. I recommend something third party, logitech's a great brand (I posted somewheres below too)
We used the mighty mouse for the imacs in the school library i worked tech support for. After about 6 months of use the scrolling basically just stops working and they are a BITCH to clean out..took about half an hour per mouse. And this was about 5 out of the 8 we had. Just not really worth the headache in my mind
+1 Another Bluetooth Mighty Mouse user. 1 year and still loving it. Get one.
Yeah! Apple Mighty Mouse is very reliable. Pairing and connectivity is very easy. I have it for 1 year and a half. Works for me. I still use the same battery that came with it. I think it save energy when not it use.
@ all the people who have trouble cleaning the trackball,
1. take a sheet of clean plain paper
2. turn your mighty mouse upside down
3. roll the trackball on the paper
also +1 for mighty mouse
I used for for like two years before the scroll stopped working (but only in one direction). Googled it (learned to be better with the keyboard while doing so), and got something: Just disconnect the mouse, take a blank piece of regular paper (the printing, non-glossy, kind of thick kind works well), turn the mouse over, and squeeze the scrollball against the paper (don't worry, it won't break), and slowly roll it around (the paper). When I first did it, loads of black grime and dust came out, spent about 3 minutes doing so (until nothing would come out again), reconnected, and, voila! It worked just as if it were new again! I haven't had to clean it again yet. Plus, it took less than five minutes to get the paper, disconnect the mouse, clean it, and reconnect it.
Hope this helps!
Woops! Rosstard beat me to it be less than a minute, maybe because I spent a lot of time perfecting my comment. Anyways, glad to see other people are using this method!
I have found the Apple's mighty mouse to be fantastic. Truly great mouse.
It's a great little mouse... operative word being little. Anyone with hands bigger than a little girl's will soon start getting cramps in their mouse hand. Fine for limited work but trying to use it all day every day for a few weeks and you'll want a change.
@rosstard
you don't understand. I don't want to have to clean my mouse for it to work. I want it to work. I also want a mouse that puts function (in this case, ergonomics) over form. That's why I bought my Logitech VX Nano.
+1 for Apple wireless Mighty Mouse. I got it around 14 months ago and use it 8-10 hours a day. My big hands don't cramp up at all.
The last few months I've been cleaning it every few weeks with the screen-cleaner cloth from the iPhone, but thank you to those above who mentioned the sheet of paper, much easier!
Also wanted to say, the scrollball is the best part of the Mighty Mouse. 4-way scrolling rules, press for dashboard. Squeeze the mouse for expose (or set it up to do whatever you like).
@ lawyer bird - Wow! 2 1/2 hours cleaning 5 Mighty Mouse scroll
balls? You tech support guys must get paid by the hour. It took me 2
minutes to find the upside down mouse technique at Apple Support:
http://www.info.apple.com/images/kbase/302417/302417_1.mov
I use an even easier method that takes about 30 seconds. Just get a
box of alcohol swabs from your local drug store and whenever the
trackball starts skipping (about once a month... I use it a lot!)
cover the trackball with one of the swabs, press down firmly and roll
away. I like to turn the mouse off first to keep it from clicking on
the screen. I've never held it upside down but I'll try that the next
time to see if it works even faster.
-1 for the Mighty Mouse. It has some great features but the right-click function is fundamentally flawed and does not work consistently. If you are happy with Ctrl+Click then it's a great little mouse.
apple mighty mouse maybe?
Apple Mighty mouse, uses built in Bluetooth and of course it has OS X support! Thats what I use for work with my MacBook Pro at a web design company.
I have a MacBook Pro and my blue Logitech V470 has been pretty good. A few hiccups, but nothing to complain about. I would buy another.
For the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000
as a fellow macbook owner, the mighty mouse is one of the worst ways i've ever spent my money
Is this bluetooth?
Logitech G7
Best wireless mouse by far.
Definitely. Great comfort, doesn't make you want to chop off your hand like the mighty mouse does.
no, not bluetooth
not bluetooth and it eats batteries for breakfast.
i still find it funny that Logitech is trying to sell the G7 as a gaming mouse. no wires means no buy for real gamers
i vote Razer Pro|Click for Bluetooth mouse. good little mouse with that fantastic Razer precision. runs you about $50.
I beg to differ
I've got a Sidewinder G8, and it's just as repsonsive as my Razer Lacrosa
fair enough but you just butchered the names of both mice. its the Sidewinder X8 and Razer Lycosa
Kensington Si670m works OK but really clunky and doesn't move well on most surfaces. Negative vote
Amazon + Apple Wireless Mighty Mouse = Crazy Delicious
The (blue coloured) Intellimouse Bluetooth had all the lovely side buttons and felt lovely in the hand. Took AAs and lasted forever. Would occasionally disconnect itself leaving you to faff around trying to remember which keyboard shortcuts do what, but I suspect most do that.
Only you can't seem to buy it anymore, I can't find any of the (good more-than-three-buttoned) MS Mice anywhere now that are normal sized too. Few lurking on eBay still.
I'm also a student with a macbook, and a couple weeks ago I got the Logitech VX Nano. I decided not to get a bluetooth because, despite using 1 less usb port than the RF I'm using now, I hated having to deal with pairing and the reception was flaky. I didn't find it reliable or enjoyable, so I switched to this RF mouse. The VX Nano has a super tiny receiver (leave-it-in-24-7-style) and is super comfortable for a travel mouse. Fully recommended. But it's not bluetooth, and that's all I've used except for mighty mouse, several of which (both in wired and unwired varieties) which have all crapped out on me. The scroll ball sucks, the mouse is heavy, and it's just not very nice. Logitech makes good stuff though.
I'm with you on this one.
I recently bought an RF mouse to replace a BlueTooth one, so far I have nothing to complain about!
Seconded. The VX Nano is a great mouse. And, there's a reason why there are so few bluetooth mice out there: they suck.
Thirded. The VX Nano is the best notebook mouse, worth using up a USB port with it's micro dongle.
If you absolutely must have bluetooth, get the Microsoft Presenter 8000. That would be my second-place pick.
Yup. VX Nano, the best. They also have the M555B, with bluetooth. I think that might be my next mouse when I get a MBP.
now i disagree, maybe they are just hit or miss. ive been using a wireless mighty nouse for over 2 and a half years(the same one) and have never had a problem with it.
Same here. About 3 years... never had any problems with pairing, with the track ball or anything. I love how the track ball is 360 degrees too. I don't need to go sideways very often when scrolling but when i do it's really quite nice to have that.
its a little bit older, and im not 100% about OSX support, but the logitech mx revolution is the best mouse ive ever own by far. i use it for gaming, photoshop and everyday work and it never skips or lags
I totally agree with you. The MX Revolution is by far the best mouse I have ever used (and I went through a lot). The weight, the shape, and the button placements are excellent. It's not exactly portable, so I leave it home and keep a VX Nano in my backpack. The VX Nano is BTW another great mouse, albeit not Bluetooth. The only complain about the MX Revolution it is that Logitech sells only as part of the Cordless Desktop MX 5500 combo, so you can't buy the mouse alone.
Also agree with the commenter above advising against the Mighty Mouse. The stupid tiny ball on top would start failing every other week and cleaning it is a bitch. The worst is when your scrolling through a long document and suddenly the ball stops scrolling, and when you try harder is ends up scrolling 20 pages in one shot. I had the Apple Store replace it twice with no problem. But then one day it really got on my nerve and I just smashed it against a wall... Fun little experiment indeed.
The revolution is the best mouse I've ever owned. The only drawback it has is the integrated battery.
Yea I like the MX 5500 mouse too, tho as it comes as a desktop package it might slightly exceed your price limit im not sure, RRP here in NZ is 349$ so prob about 170$ ur USD. but an awesome set, I use them for my macbook pro & PS3, works fine with both machines tho you cant do any fancy setup with them as Logitech hasn't released drivers for any OS other than windows. But yea an awesome set, mouse is rechargeable too comes with charging dock batts last awhile between charges & it can be turned off to prolong times between charges.
I currently use a Rocketfish Bluetooth Laser Mouse for my Macbook Pro. I can't speak for how it works on Windows, but on the Mac OS its plug and play, taking only a few seconds to recognize the computer after its been turned on.
I use the rocketfish too. It's fullsized, has a real scroll wheel with click. Looks like th eMighty Mouse but I like it better. I also have a Targus Mac specific Bluetooth mouse that has instead of a scroll wheel a small optical sensor. It is even bigger, but the sensor is incredibly sensitive. I had to turn scroll speed all the way down and it is still too fast. I wish there were more full sized bluetooth mice. they all seem to be notebook sized.
I also have the rocketfish and it's the best bt mouse I ever used, and it's cheaper than the mighty mouse and it's smoother than the mighty mouse.
+1 rocketfish is great. 7 months and I have dropped it in the water two or three times and it always works after it dries out again.
i use a Razer Pro Click Mobile Notebook Mouse (worst mouse name ever) with my macbook. i've had it for a year and it works fine. the range is kind of shoddy sometimes when i hook the macbook up to the tv and i'm sitting on the couch, but if you're using it on a desk you'll be fine. battery life on 2 AAs is pretty great; i've changed them twice in the year i've had it. oh, and you can get 'em pretty cheap:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=razer+mouse+bluetooth&cid=5751950962711007406&sa=button#p
it's got an annoying blue led squiggle on the top of it. i've read about people finding ways to disable it, so if you hate it as much as they did, there are solutions available.
not the best, but reasonably priced and certainly better than the mighty mouse, imho.
I have the same mouse and love it as well! I have had the same two AA batteries in the thing for over a year and they still work fine!
I have a Logitech V470, I really like it. It comes in Blue or White (harder to find nowadays). It's small and compact. Haven"t had any problems using it with my MacBook (Late 2008).
Hmmm... The VX Nano is an extremely good choice, a usb hub may be what you need.
Although they are bulky,
I can't imagine you using more than 1 peripheral on the go and THE TRACKPAD IS HUGE on a mac.
Also, the USB hub allows you to use up to 4 or 5 peripherals at the same time. I personally use a Microsoft (yes, it works with mac :P) mouse and a usb hub.
Pretty good combo to me.
Fujitsu Siemens WI500
If you're willing to clean the ball once a month with duct tape then I would say the Mighty Mouse
My Logitech v470 is fine but, I prefer my non-Bluetooth VX nano for it's steel scroll wheel.
Fortunately, Logitech should release the M555b any day now.
I like its non-Bluetooth predecessor, again, for the slick steel scroll wheel.
Another vote for the V470.
Speaking strictly as a person who puts their entire priority on gaming: None.
I use the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000. The mouse isn't terrible, but I certainly don't think it's worth them money I spent on it. I use it on a ThinkPad T61 with Windows XP and it's kind of laggy when I run heavier apps like Photoshop and InDesign. I've used it long enough that I'm personally used to it, but when I first got it, I found it quite annoying. Additionally, the tracker is centered and found towards the bottom of the device. This is different than most mice I've used, and it will take a little getting used to when you pick your mouse up to recenter the cursor. While I'm a big fan of Microsoft hardware, overall I would have to suggest a different mouse.
I thought I'd add that while I've never seriously used the Mighty Mouse, when I've picked one up, it's seemed quite heavy. Granted it's a full sized mouse, but it seems a little too bulky for me.
What drains more battery power from a notebook: Bluetooth or a wired USB mouse?
Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac is the best. Nothing to clean. Hands down.
I had a terrible time finding a normal-sized (not notebook) Bluetooth mouse for the $50 I was willing to spend, so I ended up settling for a Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000. It's a nice little mouse, with three buttons plus the scroll wheel. I'd prefer it to be a bit bigger, but it works fine. It uses AAA batteries, but I use rechargbles.
+1
I picked up the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 last weekend and find it's great: not too expensive, terrific accuracy, and good battery life. The rechargeable AAA batteries I've got will help keep the cost of ownership down, too.
At home and office I stay wired (watch it, buster...), but when travelling I use a Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000, usually only for AutoCAD and spreadsheet work. It functions well, but the form factor is appreciably smaller than a "full sized" mouse. Thus, even my pretty normal sized hands get cramped after a few hours. Sure, not as cramped as with Apple's puck-shaped mouse that came with the original iMac, but close. Why oh why do manufacturers think a "notebook mouse" needs to be smaller than a normal mouse? Like, saving 2 ounces in my bag is gonna matter?
i have the wireless mighty mouse. had the same problem with the scroll wheel. NO it doesn't take 30 minutes to clean. I googled a really simple solution. take a clean sheet of printer paper, turn the mouse upside down and run the track ball up and down/ sideways....you'll see the dirt/grime come off on the paper. time it takes? 15 seconds max and it's good again for another couple of months.
razer proclick mobile! got mine as a gift actually...had it for a year and have only shut it off a few times, which means its gone almost a non stop year without a battery change
I have a Logitech MX Revolution. Overall it's a good mouse. But it has a few problems. The feet on the bottom seem to leave marks on my desk. Also I have periodic disconnects. But it's pretty good for a wireless mouse.