A MOUSE THAT WON'T DIE. (Trust Ami Mouse 250S Optical)

Member Name: thingywhatsit

Product:	Trust Ami Mouse 250S Optical
Date:	20/08/06 (127 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everlasting qualities.

Disadvantages: Not as stylish as some.

I don't know why, but I seem to kill mice. During the last year, I have managed to kill 3, two cordless ones (one that woke me in the middle of the night and got throttled, and the other two that just didn't do what a mouse is supposed to do and were too sluggish to be considered viable any more). Every time this happens, what do I do ? I revert to this Trust mouse that I put in the cupboard in favour of fancy ones. Why ? Well it never dies. It is always there, and although it has hand marks on it and looks worn at the edges, it still gives perfect function.

When I bought this mouse, it was because it was within my price range at the time. I wanted a mouse that works and didn't really care much about the styling. It's a dark grey with a purple scrolling button and silver right and left click buttons. It is basic but at a price tag of 8.00 GBP, it was worthy of a try, and believe me, has proven its' worth since buying it, because it really does not wear out like other ones, regardless of being chucked in a cupboard and neglected in favour of more fashionable ones like the Targus. Targus died a quick death, and although it had the looks and recharged itself in a neat little stand, it really was a pain in the neck and kept beeping.

What do you use a mouse for and does it have to be so modern and new-fangled ? Well, after having fished the faithful Trust out of the cupboard once more, I have decided that reliability means more to me that all the bells and whistles. I am sick to death of being conned into buying the latest technology and being disappointed by the fact that the looks are what sell it rather than the reliability.

This mouse is solidly built and the nice thing about it is that it is optical, and therefore does not have the silly little ball underneath it that gets clogged with dirt. It has a flat bottom that lights up when you lift it, and I find it comforting to know it is working well. It only has the three buttons mentioned above but the right and left click are so responsive, much more so than the Targus ones. Using the smooth desk surface is great for the mouse too and preferable to a mouse mat which have now become dated and take up space on the desk. The nice thing about this one as well is that it can be adapted to be used by left or right handers, as I found out one day when there was no room on the right hand side of the keyboard, and believe me it is every bit as responsive with the left hand, even for those who are right handed.

I like the scrolling button on this mouse as well. It is responsive and pressed in moves the work or webpage that you are browsing at a speed that you can read. It's a very easy button compared to the BlueSky mouse, and more responsive than the Targus. I tend to scroll with the button held in because I like that style of scrolling better than simply turning the button, and if anything, the scroll button turning is this mouse's weak spot, though it never affects my use of it.

Programming the buttons is easy and is done on screen so that you can personalise the sensitivity of the mouse to your own speed and touch. It actually works very well with the Microsoft software for the Intellimouse so you don't need to add software, although it is provided with it. Installing is a doddle and the mouse attaches with a PS/2 connection and was found and installed automatically which was great for me, and would be great for people that don't know what they are doing. It's a fully plug and play, and changing from my fancier ones to this one really is just a matter of plugging it in.

The user manual that comes with it is multi-language, though I lost mine ages ago, and you can download a copy if you need it from Trust's site, although it's hardly likely that you will because it's so self explanatory.

System requirements for the Mouse :

PS/2 connection of course
All Windows from 98 onwards.
Pentium or equivalent CPU.

Guarantee : A staggering two years which is some life for a mouse.
CE Conforming.

It's not the smallest of mice at a height of 1 and a quarter inches, width of 2 and a half inches (which incidentally sits nicely in the hand), and a length of 5 inches, but weighed against the very pretty BlueSky Ergonomic mouse that I bought on a whim at a more expensive price, this one is more responsive, and the right click wore out on the BlueSky.

It would be mean not to recommend this mouse. Okay it's not as stylish as some, but by goodness, it's been a good standby for years, and has been superceded by newer styles even by the makers, although I trust it and until such time as it dies, have given up on the gimmicky and am sticking to the reliable. If the styling doesn't suit you, I would advise you to look at what Trust are doing these days, because if they are based on the same technology and design, they really are worth considering.

Long live the mouse.

Rachel

Summary: Good, solid reliability.

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