I Gave My Son A Cherry That Had No Stone (Cherry Junior Corded Optical Mobile Mouse M-T1000)

Member Name: cmh4135

Product:	Cherry Junior Corded Optical Mobile Mouse M-T1000
Date:	23/07/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple, accurate, easy to use

Disadvantages: "Junior" branding might put some folk off

When I acquired the Cherry Junior Mouse I was actually looking for one of those small tiny mice that you can get, you know the ones that are about 2" in length. My son had started to show a great interest in how a mouse can be used to operate the computer but I found that due to the size of our regular mouse he had difficulty holding it properly to enable good use of the buttons.

Bought online from Amazon I must say I didn't get quite what I expected but, having said that, I'm not that disappointed either.

The Cherry Junior Mouse is designed for small hands and for those who would rather use a mouse with a notebook or laptop whilst out and about. It is an optical mouse (rather than a trackerball) and is very simple to use and operate.

The mouse is described as being "plug and play" and this is certainly the case. No software, no connect/disconnect procedure, just plug in the USB connector and away you go. In fact, mine is taken in and out over the course of the day, dependent on where I am working and the change from tracker pad to mouse is seamless. I have used it with a laptop and desktop (Windows XP and Vista) but understand that it is also compatible with Macs.

The mouse itself is very, very simple and it is this, rather than just its size which makes it ideal for younger users. There are the standard left and right buttons although, rather than having to hit an actual button there is a continuous piece of plastic on each side of the top, the front third of which operates as the button (see the white portions on the picture above). The fact that the button is so large compared to the size of the mouse makes it very, very easy to use. It's not so sensitive that you end up making selections when you don't want to but not so hard to operate that it takes any effort at all. The third button is in a wheel situated in the centre of the mouse. This works accurately (and neither too fast nor too slow) and can be used to scroll or, with a click of the button, make scroll wheel selections.

The mouse is smooth in operation and offers seemless tracking over a variety of surfaces. I've not found there to be an issue tracking over patterned surfaces (such as books, pictures or magazines) and it copes well with textured surfaces (such as fabric place mats).

The mouse does not, on first inspection, look to be that ergonomic but in use it is very comfortable, sitting neatly in the palm of your hand. My husband has even commented that it is comfortable to use and he has very large hands. My three year old can use it easily. I suspect that the simplicity of the design is what makes it so good - you don't have to be a particular size or shape in order to benefit from the simple features. That the mouse is symmetrical would also suggest that it is fine for right or left-handed use.

The cable length is just shy of 1m which provides plenty of length for most uses (although perhaps makes it more suitable to laptop/notebook use as opposed to desktop use (where connectors can often be found at the rear of units)). The cable is particularly flexible and so you don't suffer from tangled or twisted cord issues that can be apparent when the flex is thicker.

Due to the lack of obvious buttons the mouse is very easy to clean with a damp cloth and, I think, looks stylish and modern for any setting.

Retailing at under £10 from Amazon (as of July 2009) I think this mouse offers good value for money and should appeal to a wider market than that to which it is aimed.

Recommended.

Summary: A superb simple mouse suited to more than just the juniors.

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