A Mouse is not just for Christmas... (Packard Bell Optical Mouse)

Member Name: grahamt

Product:	Packard Bell Optical Mouse
Date:	14/01/05 (2685 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap, Replaceable rechargeable batteries, Nice to use

Disadvantages: Needs two USB ports..., ...though you can make do with one, Reconnect procedure

Where laptop computers are concerned, on one thing my wife and I are agreed, there is no real substitute for a proper mouse.

Over the years laptop computer manufacturers have experimented with many alternatives to the external mouse but none have been entirely successful. IBM and Toshiba both included the Accupoint “nipple”, which sticks up from between the keys in the middle of the keyboard. This abysmal device has to be the worst invention of all time. It uses the pressure placed on it to push it in any direction in order to move the pointer accordingly. I could never come to terms with it. Trying to use it to accurately position the pointer was always an ordeal.

Then the Touchpad was introduced. This, at least, was an improvement. I can and do use it where it is available but I still have to say that it is really only acceptable when nothing else is available. I find the touch sensitivity too unpredictable, especially the “tap” pressure, to emulate the mouse buttons.

So, for Christmas my wife requested a mouse for her old laptop (Medion Lifetec – Windows98). It has the Touchpad built-in mouse but, like me she has never liked using it. “Get me a REAL mouse” was the cry.

I have always used bog-standard mice with all of my machines but these too have limitations. It means that you really can't wander far from the machine, which is a problem if you are giving presentations. So, I looked around for a cordless mouse. I also looked for an optical mouse as, in my experience, standard ball mice always quickly clog up and have to be regularly degunged, not a chore I enjoy.

The problem with optical and cordless mice is that they are quite expensive. They also require their internal batteries to be recharged, leaving you with the problem of them running out at an inappropriate moment.

Also, many have built-in and un-replaceable batteries. All rechargeable batteries have a finite life, after which they will no longer accept a charge. Then you have to throw the whole thing away. I've found this problem also with electric shavers and toothbrushes. It becomes very expensive when this happens and is very environmentally unfriendly. You are throwing away a product that works perfectly well, just because the battery is screwed. I now refuse to buy any product that does not have replaceable rechargeable batteries.

Which brings us to the Packard Bell CCO-3U Optical Cordless Mouse. I bought this from PC World in Farnborough for the princely sum of £14.99, excellent value I'm sure you will agree.

The package comes in a clear plastic drum. Inside is the mouse itself, a USB wireless receiver, a recharger plug, a USB recharger cable (plus extension), two AAA Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries, and a software install floppy disk, a lot for your money. Of course, the USB use means that this mouse cannot be used with Windows95 or WindowsNT.

The mouse itself is black with a clear plastic cover over the front two-thirds of the body. The mouse has three buttons, with the middle button operated by pressing the scrolling wheel, pretty much like most mice these days. Underneath the body is a compartment for the batteries plus a recessed button that activates the connection with the wireless receiver. It is very comfortable to hold and pleasant to use and moves smoothly on all suitable surfaces.

On the front of the mouse there is a small socket into which the charger is plugged. You can use the mains charger when a suitable source is available. The nice touch though is that the mouse may also be recharged “on the move” through the supplied USB cable. The only drawback is that this cable does not then double as a connection to the laptop. It only recharges the batteries. You still have to also use the wireless receiver to operate the mouse. This means that your laptop must have at least two USB ports. I think Packard Bell missed a trick here.

The instructions warn that the batteries must be initially charged for at least 8 hours before use. Ni-Cad batteries are the worst for suffering “memory effect”, which eventually destroys their capability of holding a charge. Not fully charging and fully draining the batteries exacerbates this problem.

The mouse installed without any problems. The installation software isn't really necessary. The mouse is recognised immediately or, it was on my wife's machine. The software, as I said, comes on a floppy! Who has floppy drives these days? Fortunately my wife's old machine had one so I quickly copied the software onto the network file server so that it could be available for any machine on the network.

The installation software (BROWSER MOUSE 1.0) is very limited in facilities. All it does is enable you to set the command for the third button. For everything else you have to use the standard MS supplied Control Panel mouse function.

The mouse has one feature that is a good thing and also a nuisance. It switches itself off to conserve it's batteries. I haven't yet worked out how long this takes but suffice to say that I almost always have to reconnect whenever I come to “borrow” my wife's machine. This involves pressing a button on the wireless receiver, upon which a green light next to the button starts flashing. You then have to turn the mouse over and press the button on the base. Unfortunately that's when I have to start looking for a Biro as my fingers won't fit into the recess.

So, what's the overall impression? I like this mouse. It works very well. The only annoyance is the reconnect that you have to do but, I suppose it's worth it if the batteries last longer. The other thing I would have preferred is that instead of wireless it supported Bluetooth. That way, any Bluetooth enabled laptop would have worked with it without the need for a USB receiver.

Otherwise, I can recommend the Packard Bell CCO-3U Optical Cordless Mouse.

...It's for Life!!!!!!

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