If Ferrari Were To Design a Mouse, This Would Be The Result

{mosgoogle}The Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse is without a doubt, the sleekest mobile mice I have ever laid eyes on. The stylist, ultra-thin mouse blends uncompromising performance with the ultimate in mobility. Like a high-end sport car, the V500 is loaded with innovations - an expandable chassis, a touch-sensitive solid-state scrolling panel, and 2.4GHz wireless technology - all wrapped up in a sleek design that will turn heads.

The V500 is designed for mobile professional and a fast growing notebook PC market. At 3.75 inches by 2.25 inches by 1.125 inches, and just 2.3 ounces when packed away, the Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse is small and light enough to be stow in the corner of any laptop bag. However, when opened for use, its innovative expandable chassis rises seven degrees - about 1/4 inch - and locks in place for a comfortable fit in the palm of the hand. When it's closed, the Logitech V500 returns to its original dimensions to become a nice compact traveling mouse.

The V500 chassis contains a slot to store and protect its 2.4GHz micro-receiver when not in use. This minimize the chance of misplacing or losing the receiver - something that has happen to more than a few cordless notebook mouse users. The USB receiver is one of the smallest and most powerful on the market. At just 9/16" by 2" by 1/4" in size, the micro-receiver uses Logitech's proprietary 2.4GHz technology to eliminate interference with other mice or wireless devices. This is especially useful when multiple mobile users work in close proximity.

Where To Buy It

The V500 is available for purchase direct from Logitech for $69.95. However, nearly all of Logitech's dealer sell it for less. At the time of this review the average street price was about $57.00 to $58.00. That's still quite a bit of money. However, for the mobile professional who want style as well as performance, the V500 is worth a good look.

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All Packed Up & Ready To Go

{mosgoogle}The Logitech V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse is a very sleek looking mouse and comes with an equally sleek zippered carrying case. The case protects the mouse when you're on the move. Because of how good looking the V500 is, the carrying case is a welcome option to protect the mouse from scratching against other items that maybe inside your laptop bag.

Look Mom! No Scroll Wheel!

Instead of the traditional scroll wheel, the V500 uses a 4-Way Scroll Panel. With this neat little invention, Logitech has redefined the scrolling experience.

Instead of a wheel, a touch-sensitive panel, similar to those used in the Apple iPod MP3 player , responds to a finger as it slides up and down and left and right across the surface. This sliding along the surface translate into horizontal and vertical scrolling on the laptop screen. The panel includes a continuous scrolling feature, allowing people to scroll at a continuous rate in any direction. Because it contains no moving parts, the solid-state scrolling panel contributes to the mouse's durability during travel

The system is remarkably simple to use - to scroll vertically or horizontally, just place your finger on the scroll panel and slide in the direction you want to scroll. To scroll continuously, place your finger on the scroll panel, slide it in the direction you want to scroll, and once your finger reaches the edge of the panel hold it there to keep scrolling in that direction. To stop, simply lift your finger. No software is require for vertical scrolling. The included Logitech V500 software must be installed to enable horizontal scrolling however. The software is worth installing as it adjust many features of the V500, like defining button functions and pointer speed.

Where To Buy It

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The Expandable Chassis

{mosgoogle}One of the most useful feature of the V500 is the expandable chassis that raises the mouse up 1/4" for a more comfortable mouse position. The chassis is also used to house the 2.4GHz USB receiver. Closing the chassis not only hides and protects the receiver but it also turns off the mouse.

The entire design of the V500 is extremely elegant. Its fused aluminum base and shock-resistant bodywork are executed with the detail and quality of a premium automobile. Subtly sculpted finger grips provide precise control and greater comfort - as well as additional elegance to the overall design.

The underside of the V500 holds the optical engine, a reset button to reconnect to the USB receiver, a battery cover and a switch to expand the chassis. The V500 is powered by two AAA batteries (they are installed one on top of each other) and Logitech claims a battery life up to 3 months before replacements are required. The switch that expands the chassis doubles as an on/off switch.

To use the V500, just turn the mouse to its expanded position - the mouse will turn on. Then push down on the spring loaded USB receiver to pop it out of the chassis. The receiver is one of the smallest units I've seen (just 9/16" x 2" x 1/4") and it has very good range as well. Logitech claims you can use the mouse up to 30 feet away from the receiver with virtually no interference or latency.

Where To Buy It

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Logitech V500 Setup & Testing

Setting up the Logitech V500 is no harder than any other mice. Just pop the USB receiver out of the mouse and into your laptop USB port. If you're running Windows XP you don't need to install any software as the Windows will load the needed USB and mouse drivers. I didn't even need to hit the connect/reset button on the mouse as Windows found it right away. To take maximum advantage of all the V500 features, you should load up the included SetPoint software. Without the software, you'll be missing features like horizontal scrolling and pointer speed adjustment.

{mosgoogle}It's a good thing the chassis of the V500 expands and tilts up, otherwise it would have been very uncomfortable in my hand. Having the chassis expand up 1/4" made a world of difference and helps to create the feeling that you're using a desktop size mouse instead of a small notebook device. Most notebook mice feel small because they're too short. Making the mouse taller creates a more comfortable and less fatiguing mouse experience. The problem with making a notebook mouse taller is it makes it more bulky. Logitech solved that problem with the expanding chassis.

Conclusion

The V500 optical LED was able to cope with every mouse surface I tried. The sleek plastic base on the underside of the mouse provided a nice smooth gliding surface on my Ulti-Mat mouse pad . Because it uses two batteries, the V500 has a more weighted feel than the single AA powered MS Wireless Optical Notebook Mouse . Unlike the MS mouse, the V500 includes a low battery indicator to tell you when it's time to change the batteries.

Overall, I'm very impressed with what Logitech has done with the V500 cordless optical notebook mouse. This is the best looking notebook mouse I have ever seen. Every other mice likes like a Pacer next to this Ferrari. And unlike other products I've used, the V500 doesn't kill substance for style - the V500 works as good as it looks.

At $69.95 direct from Logitech the V500 is on the high end of mobile mice pricing. As a matter of fact, it's among the most expensive laptop mouse you can buy. However, the old saying "you get what you pay for" applies here.

Where To Buy It