Mouse Reviews

Performed exactly as I hoped for. That is no small vote of confidence in today's world.

I purchased this a while ago from a local software store and am very happy with it. It is not great, but for the price, it is a good bargain.

I've had this mouse for a while now and its never given me any problems. It's optical eye is top notch and the reader/writer functions are flawless. If you want a deviced to help you transfer memory stick files and doubles as a mouse, this is it. If you're looking for a universal flash reader, this is not for you or if you're looking for a super mouse with extra buttons for web browsing, this isn't it either. It's just a great basic mouse and memory stick device, for bells and whistles--you'll need to look elsewhere.

This product is comparable to the Targus product PAUM01U. Both are about half the dimensions of a conventional mouse. The optical input means no more cleaning a track ball, making it ideal for travel and spontaneous use on any encountered surface. The retractable cable is a move of genius, long overdue, and works like a charm. And the USB connection is a snap, with no software needed.

Only two cons: The carrying bag is functionally protective, though could perhaps be a bit more padded. And, to put the mouse into that bag, the wire has to bend just between the retracting device and the mouse itself; over time, that seems to risk breakage.

But on balance? Fantastic. And for the price? Bravo!

I was very pleasantly surprised by the RF range of this product. After you work out all of the settings, you can do what you need to do from a good distance away, unlike many of those lousy IR Keyboards and mice. No messy or clunky transmitter either. All you need is a USB port on your computer to use a small dongle-sized USB transmitter. If you are running an 802.11b/g wireless network, you have no worries either as these devices run on a totally different frequency band.
The keyboard is solid and easy to use, with some nice one-touch buttons that, sadly, don't seem to be customizable.
The wireless optical scrolling mouse, although functional, is a little small for my tastes. You may run into problems getting the mouse to work but, once you fix that issue (by using a pen or paper clip to synchronize the channels on the transmitter and the mouse) it is a nice item. To save battery power, the mouse will go to sleep/power-off when you're not using it, so I typically just roll the wheel or move it around to "wake it up".
The communicator remote is a really nice bonus as it is an almost seamlessly integrated product with Microsoft PowerPoint, and is a great little tool for doing a presentation. For the money, this is an excellent product to have, even with it's little imperfections.

I have used this product in about 10 presentations since I bought it. I couldn't be more satisfied.

The major difference between this remote and (most) others is that this is NOT a mouse, it is a keyboard emulation. The advantage is that you can actually go back (reverse your presentation), which is something that is very cumbersome with a mouse (right-click, then choose Previous menu option).

The most used buttons are obviously forward and reverse, but I certainly do appreciate the "Hide slide" button. The hide slide effectively blanks out the screen, which is good if you want your audience not to see your slide when they walk in the room, or for an intermission, or when you draw something on a board, etc. Unfortunately, I have experienced some minor problems with the Hide slide button in PowerPoint 2003. No problems in earlier versions.

The only downside I have experienced is some interference from computer speakers. If your computer speakers are positioned between the remote and your receiver in the USB port, you may have to click twice to actually get the signal through. (NOTE: no, this is not infrared and doesn't require line-of-sight; it is RF).

No infrared pointer on this model, but Interlink has another model that does have a pointer.

Overall, this is probably one of the most useful peripherals I have ever bought!

Nobody just makes a keyboard any more. I don't need multimedia and webbrowsing buttons. I don't need my keyboard to not have a wire. I just need something with buttons that are pleasant to push.

The Viewsonic Viewmate fits this profile fairly well. It has a row of multimedia buttons across the top that are small and unobtrusive. The spacebar bows forward slightly, a feature I could either take or leave.

The keys are soft and responsive. The shift keys press nicely even if you only catch the corner with your fingertip instead of the center. The keypresses are quiet.

The three 'Windows' buttons are present, but the 'Win98' power/sleep buttons are not. This doesn't matter to me, since I've never had a USB keyboard where those buttons worked properly anyway. As a programmer, the location of the |\ button disturbs me a little - since the keyboard has a full size enter as well as a full-size backspace key, the |\ key is to the right of the right-hand shift. You can still hit it with your pinky, but you have to remember to go right, not up.

The arrow keys are in the standard place, and are pleasantly distant from Del/End/Pgdn. There is a full numberpad. Numlock/Capslock lights are bright and easy to see even from an angle.

The box contains only the keyboard, and maybe a registration card. Installation is simple - plug it in and go.

In these days where you can hardly just buy a simple keyboard any more, Viewsonic makes a good offering. If you just want to type on your keyboard, this may very well be the one for you.

Intuos buyers, make sure your tools/accessories are compatible with the model of your tablet.

Several months ago I bought an Intuos airbrush at a bargain price, in anticipation of getting an Intuos tablet. Now that I finally have bought an Intuos2 tablet, I find that the airbrush (GP-400E) will not work with it. Intuos support says that my airbrush is an original Intuos, or "Intuos1" (it only says Intuos on the box), and that "Intuos1" tools and tablets run on a different radio frequency than the Intuos2 series.

Just make sure to check carefully which model you are buying.

Got this wired keyboard because I have had some trouble with the Logitech brand wireless keyboards and I didn't want to have to fork down a LOT of money for a keyboard with the advanced features. This keyboard is a great purchase for the money. It so far has given me NO trouble whatsoever and looks to do everything the more expensive keyboards do. A row of buttons above the normal keyboard give access to such things as the internet browser, email client, & the favorites list, etc. To the left of these buttons, one touch access to your word processor, spreadsheet, power point, & calender program are accessible with one touch. On the far right is a media control area with stop, play/pause, forward, previous. Also a one touch power off button for the computer. On the far left, a scroll button for scrolling up & down and clipboard tools. BONUS: All the buttons can be remapped to launch any program you want. The keys are sturdy and feel great when pressed (although the space bar being pressed feels a little weird). This keyboard has everything you could possibly need on a keyboard at a fraction of the cost of other wired keyboards. So far no complaints and am very pleased with the purchase!

The mouse moves and handles like a beauty and is great overall, but you may have problems if you previously used a similar mouse, such as the MS Explorer.