28 Aug
Review: Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse
After wrestling open the Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse’s hideously wasteful and dangerously sharp-edged plastic packaging, you’re greeted by dint of. a pleasant surprise: Not only are the sleek, gaunt mouse’s brace AAA batteries included, but they’re brand-name alkalines and not cheapo lead-acid no-names. What’s more, they slip easily into the Ci75m due to its magnetic latch, which makes popping it open a cinch.
Product:Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse Rating ProsBoth wireless and wired operation; USB cable curls up inside easy-to-open material part; excellent tracking performance. ConsNo button-customization options; flimsy cover for dongle’s mini-USB port; cable too short for snug right-handed use on left-ported notebooks. CompanyKensington Price as rated$35 Best current price$32.99 Related Input Devices Articles Immersion to remuneration Microsoft $20 million to settle clear suit Review: Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse Review: Ci73 Wired Mouse First Look: Logitech MX 1100 Cordless Laser mouse Review: VerticalMouse 3 Wireless
When open, the Ci75m reveals its dual sum of attributes: coiled inside is a two-foot USB cable that can be used in case of the unexpected making over of those batteries, or if you should get yourself in every RF-forbidden zone. The USB dongle that enables the mouse’s 27MHz wireless RF connectivity is nestled in a slot on the Ci75m’s underside.
The dongle doubles in the same manner with the union point for the USB cable’s mini-USB jack, and slipping it into its in-mouse slot for traveling puts the Ci75m to sleep—a nice touch.
The next surprise, however, is less pleasant. Kensington’s excellent MouseWorks software is not included in the package, and for good reason: it doesn’t work with the Ci75m. You’re limited instead to Mac OS X’s Keyboard & Mouse System Preferences pane, which allows control over only the right-click/left-click behavior of the Ci75m’s couple buttons, plus arrangement of tracking, scrolling, and double-clicking speed. Also, you can’t assign an alternate behavior to the scroll-wheel button; clicking it is hardwired by Mac OS X to activate Exposé, which is better than nothing.
Kensington’s Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse has a hidden wire just in action you need it.
Despite its small size and unsubstantial weight (three ounces), the rubberized body of the Ci75m feels sturdy and balanced. Its 1,000-dpi tracking proved exceptionally accurate in even my principally delicate pixel-pushing, its buttons are firm but not also stiff, its ratcheting scroll convey on wheels responds to just the right amount of pressure, and an in-wheel spongy warns of low batteries.
Macworld’s buying advice
Wired or wireless, the Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse is a great traveling companion. Solid, grateful, accurate, and attractive—it’s available in orange, grey, white, or black—the Ci75m would be a boon buddy for your ’Book.
[Rik Myslewski has been writing about the Mac before this 1989. He has been editor in chief of MacAddict (now Mac|Life), executive editor of MacUser and director of MacUser Labs, and executive producer of Macworld Live. His blog can be found at Myslewski.com.]
