{"id":31069,"date":"2012-08-06T20:29:38","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T19:29:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=31069"},"modified":"2013-12-11T18:08:08","modified_gmt":"2013-12-11T18:08:08","slug":"microsoft-wireless-laser-mouse-7000-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/microsoft-wireless-laser-mouse-7000-review\/","title":{"rendered":"A Tale of Two Wireless Mice &#8211; Microsoft 7000 and Genius ECO"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote>\n<h6><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">The following evaluations are\u00a0individually written by Mario Vasquez \u00a0(MS 7000) and Mark Poppin (Genius ECO).\u00a0 Taken together they\u00a0are a tale of two mice <\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\"><span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">\u2013Mark Poppin,<\/span> <span style=\"color: #00ccff;\">ABT Senior Editor<\/span><\/span><\/strong><strong> <\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n                                        google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"http:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[<\/p>\n<p>\/\/ ]]><\/p>\n<p><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/IMAG0210.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"IMAG0210\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/IMAG0210_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"IMAG0210\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The Microsoft Wireless Mouse 7000 is an older mouse that has recently dropped from $70 to $20 and we wonder if it is still a valid choice compared to newer tech.\u00a0 When searching for an inexpensive wireless mouse, one should look for basic features at a good price. The 7000 has features that may instantly attract a buyer: a sleek design, an unintrusive charging stand, and the promise of a 3 week battery life<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Specifications: <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Rechargeable: 1 AAA 1000mAh NiMh battery<br \/>\nWireless: 2.4GHz Mini USB receiver<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><br \/>\nMicrosoft High Definition Laser Technology with\u00a0tracking at 1000dpi and 6,000 frames per second<br \/>\n3 Year Warranty<br \/>\nRetail Price: $69.99, now around <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Microsoft-Wireless-Rechargeable-Laser-Windows\/dp\/B0011FCV8W\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343623830&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=microsoft+wireless+mouse+7000\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Microsoft-Wireless-Rechargeable-Laser-Windows\/dp\/B0011FCV8W\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343623830&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=microsoft+wireless+mouse+7000', '$19.95 (Amazon)']);\" ><span style=\"font-size: small;\">$19.95 (Amazon)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/IMAG0209.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"IMAG0209\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/IMAG0209_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"IMAG0209\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Design<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The mouse is very \u201cbusiness\u201d black with silver metal accenting the mouse. This is centered around a design\u00a0intended to ergonomically\u00a0fit a right hand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This\u00a0design\u00a0tilts your wrist to the right with the intention of creating a comfortable experience while your fingers rest in the notches and curves in the design. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Those who are left-handed will not be able to use this mouse comfortably at all, rendering\u00a0the mouse\u00a0useless to those who are not right-handed. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">With that being said, after spending a month with the mouse it feels very comfortable and going back to a \u201cclassic\u201d mouse feels awkward. The 7000 easily lends itself to your hand. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-11.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor;\" title=\"photo (1)\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-1_thumb1.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"photo (1)\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The 7000\u00a0features a notchless wheel. This is one that scrolls effortlessly and with no real feedback. This could be good for those long pages that require a ton of scrolling, but if you need the mouse to be precise and only scroll to a line or two, it can be frustratingly loose. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">There are better alternatives out there &#8211; l<\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">ike the clickable fly wheel in the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/reviews.cnet.com\/mice\/logitech-mx-revolution\/4505-3148_7-32036707.html\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/reviews.cnet.com\/mice\/logitech-mx-revolution\/4505-3148_7-32036707.html', 'Logitech MX Revolution']);\" ><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Logitech MX Revolution<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> that lets you toggle between free and stepped scrolling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">One thing we did love with the wheel was\u00a0its 4-way scrolling capability. The mouse also features three\u00a0configurable\u00a0buttons\u00a0which we\u00a0will cover in detail later on. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The USB dongle cannot be directly attached to the mouse. This may be a downside to those traveling a lot who like to keep the components together and secured. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Battery Life<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"photo (1)\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-1_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"photo (1)\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The mouse comes with a pre-packaged AAA rechargeable battery. We opened up the packaging, plugged the stand into the wall, inserted the included battery and left the mouse charging for one hour. When we returned, the mouse had retained absolutely\u00a0NO charge. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">After reading a couple of complaints on Amazon\u2019s product page we decided to do some trouble-shooting instead of just immediately shipping the mouse back. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">This mouse still has the \u201cReady for Vista\u201d logo on it and we are nearing Windows 8. This indicated the packaging and the\u00a0battery may be old.\u00a0 Microsoft may have shipped more of these mice than they actually sold or the factory stock\u00a0may have also been\u00a0old. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">We bought our own rechargeable battery and voila, the mouse worked flawlessly. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_20120804_124215.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"IMG_20120804_124215\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/IMG_20120804_124215_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"IMG_20120804_124215\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">We don\u2019t know if this battery issue is the same for every mouse, or even if it&#8217;s related to the shipping center that we received our product from, but according to other recent customer reviews this\u00a0may be\u00a0an issue. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">With a healthy battery inserted, the only complaint we have is that the first charge took much longer than expected, about 2-3 hours. This is bearable because once the mouse is fully charged and ready to be used, it has lasted us close to an entire month on a single charge. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Microsoft claims a 3 week life and we experienced just a little over that. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Microsoft\u2019s Wireless Mouse 7000 also features an LED indicator that allows you to gauge the remaining battery\u00a0life. The included software will also alert you when the battery is getting low. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The included stand is easy to use and once you are done with the mouse, it is very simple to just put it on charge until it is needed again.\u00a0\u00a0This means\u00a0if you are mainly using the 7000 at home, you will most likely never completely lose the charge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Features<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The mouse\u00a0is very\u00a0accurate with tracking at 1000dpi and 6,000 frames per second. While this is not the best on the market, especially for games that require extreme precision, in our use the mouse is extremely easy to use and works well with a lot of modern games like <em>The Walking Dead<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The notchless wheel also features a 4-way scrolling feature. You tend to forget it is there, and once you realize you have such a convenient feature it\u2019s hard to go back to the antiquated windows scrolling. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"photo\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"photo\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The wheel is also clickable which\u00a0is pre-set to\u00a0Flip-3D. The mouse also has two buttons on the left side, the front of which will bring up a magnified look to the window you are on, the back button is the back (in\u00a0an\u00a0window or browser)\u00a0feature.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">These two buttons are where we also have some small complaints. We don\u2019t use the back button often because the way the mouse is designed, your thumb has to go up further than is natural in order to click it ruining the whole point of an ergonomic feel. The front button is much easier to use. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The thing we do love with these three buttons is using\u00a0Microsoft\u2019s Intellipoint Software. This\u00a0allows us to map different functions to each button. A total of 36\u00a0include copy and paste, magnify, forward\u00a0and back. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The USB 2.4GHz dongle that is included gave us a range of up to 30 feet, and even at those distances the mouse was very accurate and responsive. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-4.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"border: 0px currentColor; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; display: block; background-image: none;\" title=\"photo (4)\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/photo-4_thumb.jpg?resize=400%2C300\" alt=\"photo (4)\" border=\"0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ABT Verdict<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">If you are the type of person that is looking for a cheap, reliable and long-lasting wireless mouse, then the Microsoft Wireless Mouse 7000 is a good choice. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Be aware that the included battery may be a dud and\u00a0be prepared to purchase your own. This may\u00a0possibly be an issue due to the age of the product. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">At\u00a0its original price,\u00a0the Wireless Mouse 7000\u00a0would have been hard to recommend as there are better alternatives in that price\u00a0range.\u00a0At <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Microsoft-Wireless-Rechargeable-Laser-Windows\/dp\/B0011FCV8W\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343623830&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=microsoft+wireless+mouse+7000\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Microsoft-Wireless-Rechargeable-Laser-Windows\/dp\/B0011FCV8W\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343623830&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=microsoft+wireless+mouse+7000', '$19.95 (Amazon)']);\" >$19.95 (Amazon)<\/a> the mouse receives an easy recommendation from ABT. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Pros<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">&#8211; Charging stand, 3 week long battery life, and LED indicator<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">&#8211; Intellipoint software for 36 different button options<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">&#8211; Precise tracking at 1000dpi and 6,000 frames per second<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">-Sleek design, lightweight, cheap price.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">Cons<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">-Left handed people are left out<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">-Included battery did not hold a charge<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">-Notchless wheel is hard to get used to; \u201cBack\u201d button isn\u2019t very ergonomic<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">-Portability may be an issue for some<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--pagetitle: Microsoft 7000 Wireless Mouse--><!--nextpage--><!--pagetitle: Genius ECO Blue-Eye Wireless Mouse--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/\/ < ![CDATA[\n                                        google_ad_client = \"pub-7021221536180758\"; \/* 468x60, created 11\/11\/09 *\/ google_ad_slot = \"1949837292\"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60;\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">One of the most annoying things about using a wireless mouse is having to change the batteries. A one-battery mouse has to be changed pretty often and a two-battery mouse tends to be heavy. The laws of probability always seems to go awry when you are in the middle of something important that you can&#8217;t tear yourself away from &#8230; and then the mouse cursor starts to act unresponsive. Most of us will struggle on for awhile to finally tear ourselves away from what we are engrossed in to go and hunt for batteries.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/ecx.images-amazon.com\/images\/I\/819a5Lt-y8L._AA1500_.jpg?resize=324%2C324\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Well, this hunting for batteries appears to be now a thing of the past. Genius has come up with some pretty innovate products that we have evaluated, and their new ECO Blue-Eye Wireless Mouse package as pictured from their web site promises to be &#8220;battery free&#8221;. How is this even possible?<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31186\" title=\"mouse-package-obv\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-package-obv.jpg?resize=384%2C685\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-package-obv.jpg?resize=384%2C685 480w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-package-obv-168x300.jpg 168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The Genius ECO Mouse uses a fast-charging &#8220;gold&#8221; double-layer super-capacitor in place of batteries and to recharge it. The end user plugs a supplied USB cable into the PC and a micro-USB plug into the mouse. Charging time is about three minutes and the practical use time between recharges is 6 hours. Is this really an advantage over using a regular wireless mouse with rechargable batteries?<\/p>\n<p>The Genius ECO mouse was originally priced at $49.99 but at time of writing you can buy one at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826179079\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.newegg.com\/Product\/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826179079', 'Newegg for $28.99 plus $2.99 shipping']);\" >Newegg for $28.99 plus $2.99 shipping<\/a>. Is it a good value considering a decent wireless mouse can be bought for twenty dollars? Well, we put this mouse to the test for months and found it was actually was very convenient but it may have one potentially fatal flaw. <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31181\" title=\"Contents-instr\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Contents-instr.jpg?resize=480%2C402\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Contents-instr.jpg?resize=480%2C402 1000w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Contents-instr-300x251.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The ECO mouse comes with instructions, a mini-CD with drivers, the USB transmitter, and the mouse whose shell opens to store the transmitter when it is being transported or not in use for a long time. The drivers are not necessary for excellent functionality as Windows 7 supplies the necessary drivers automatically.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31187\" title=\"mouse-plusChgpts\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-plusChgpts.jpg?resize=480%2C269\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-plusChgpts.jpg?resize=480%2C269 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-plusChgpts-300x168.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Besides the mini USB transmitter, you get a USB mouse cord for recharging that uses a mini-USB plug to charge your mouse in about 3 minutes. The shell easily detatches to reveal what is under the cover and it is where you can safetly store your mini-transmitter.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31182\" title=\"mouse-lidoff\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-lidoff.jpg?resize=480%2C291\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-lidoff.jpg?resize=480%2C291 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-lidoff-300x181.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>This seven-button ECO mouse looks very similar to the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 and sports the same classic black and silver business professional look. The mouse is built for a right hander and there are also a couple of buttons the thumb can easily find and use &#8211; maybe it is too easy to click them both at the same time. There is rubber on the thumb side for a better grip. It is very comfortable for this editor to use as a daily-use mouse.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31183\" title=\"mouse-Lview\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Lview.jpg?resize=384%2C274\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Lview.jpg?resize=384%2C274 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Lview-300x213.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On top is the scroll wheel and two buttons &#8211; one for dpi adjustment and the other for &#8220;free wheel&#8221; scrolling. The right side is plain and the scroll wheel is accurate. It is a comfortable mouse and is designed for an average to larger hand. Using the mouse felt natural in a short time and although it was a very good &#8220;every day&#8221; mouse, it is not particularly suited for demanding 3D shooters.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31188\" title=\"mouse-Rview\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Rview.jpg?resize=384%2C254\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Rview.jpg?resize=384%2C254 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-Rview-300x198.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Four hot keys are used including previous\/next page, flying scroll and dpi can be adjusted between 800 and 1600 dpi. The bottom of the mouse does not open and there is only an On-Off switch to turn it off. The latch opens the top shell of the ECO mouse.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31184\" title=\"mouse-obv\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-obv.jpg?resize=346%2C360\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-obv.jpg?resize=346%2C360 480w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/mouse-obv-288x300.jpg 288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Above is a good view of the micro-USB plug and the source of a potential fatal issue for us.<\/p>\n<p>The laser is blue which means that it is quite tolerant and forgiving of the surface over which it tracks. We had no issues using this mouse on many varied surfaces although it did not like one particular hard plastic mouse pad that we use.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31178\" title=\"blu-eye\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/blu-eye.jpg?resize=288%2C202\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/blu-eye.jpg?resize=288%2C202 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/blu-eye-300x210.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The range of the mouse is good &#8211; plenty for any large room and Genius claims with its 2.4GHz wireless technology, the ECO mouse is useable up to 15 meters away from the transmitter. We did not test this extreme distance out.<\/p>\n<p>Here is a picture of the mouse with the charging plug visible at the bottom of the picture. The gold capacitor is rated to 100,000 charges which means the mouse should last for years. The Genius warranty covers the ECO mouse for 1 year, parts and labor.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31180\" title=\"chargingPort-UNplugged\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-UNplugged.jpg?resize=432%2C301\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-UNplugged.jpg?resize=432%2C301 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-UNplugged-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Below we see it with the charging cord plugged into the mouse. About three minutes is all you need for a full charge from any PC or USB outlet. If you are using a notebook PC, you will need two open USB ports &#8211; one for the ECO mouse transmitter and one for the cable. A later iteration of this mouse should be able to plug into the same port as the transmitter for real convenience.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31179\" title=\"chargingPort-plugged\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-plugged.jpg?resize=432%2C338\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-plugged.jpg?resize=432%2C338 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/chargingPort-plugged-300x234.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Below is the ECO mouse recharging. The LED first flashes to let you know that the charge is low although you almost never tend to see it as your hand covers it. The red LED becomes solid when it is plugged in and then goes out after about 3 minutes when the capacitor is fully charged. In about 4-6 hours you will need to plug it in again for another 3 minutes. Fortunately, it can be used as a corded mouse while it is recharging immediately after being plugged in so the only time you lose working is the few seconds it takes to plug in the USB charging cable.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31190\" title=\"red-led-1\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/red-led-1.jpg?resize=307%2C370\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/red-led-1.jpg?resize=307%2C370 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/red-led-1-248x300.jpg 248w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 307px) 100vw, 307px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>We loved this mouse and took it with us when we visited San Francisco for Nvidia&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=28910\">Kepler Editors Day<\/a> and to their <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=29692\">GTC 2012<\/a> the next month in San Jose. The only minor irritation is that the charge lasts for only about 6 hours and that means charging twice a day for us.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Possibly Fatal Flaw<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>However, after using the mouse daily and not being particularly careful with it, the mini-plug inside the mouse broke rendering it useless as it cannot be charged again.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mouse-broken.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-31194\" title=\"mouse-broken\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mouse-broken.jpg?resize=288%2C259\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mouse-broken.jpg?resize=288%2C259 800w, http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mouse-broken-300x270.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As you can see from the above picture, the plug can break through much use. Although we like the ECO mouse and the innovation it brings to a wireless mouse, we cannot recommend it for heavy daily use, except perhaps to a casual user or to one who is very careful each time the plug is inserted. We made Genius aware of the issue and hopefully the ECO II will address this important issue.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that is a tale of two mice. Expect a EVGA Z77 FTW motherboard evaluation this week as we pursue our goal of 5.0GHz for Core i7-3770K using the Thermaltake Water2.0 Pro. We are also looking forward to returning to regular driver evaluations this month with a special article and have made ABT news a regular feature. Make sure you check ABT&#8217;s forum to keep up with the latest.<\/p>\n<p>-Mark Poppin<\/p>\n<p>ABT Senior Editor<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Please join us in our <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/abt\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Forums<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Become a Fan on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/AlienBabelTech\/123268467142', 'Facebook']);\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/twitter.com\/alienbabeltech', 'Twitter']);\" target=\"_blank\">Twitter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the latest updates from ABT, please <a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?feed=rss2\" target=\"_blank\">join our RSS News Feed<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Join our Distributed Computing teams<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Folding@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 164304<\/li>\n<li>SETI@Home &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech &#8211; 138705<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1\" onclick=\"_gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'outbound-article', 'http:\/\/www.worldcommunitygrid.org\/reg\/viewRegister.do?teamID=3P39R3SRV1', 'World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech']);\" target=\"_blank\">World Community Grid &#8211; Team AlienBabelTech<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/?p=31069\"><img decoding=\"async\" align=top title=\"Author: Mark Poppin\" src=\"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Genius-MS-IMAGELINK.jpg\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2053,"featured_media":31224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2533,7814,5,4454],"tags":[5517,5516,5519,4427,5518,370,5520],"class_list":["post-31069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abt-news","category-articles","category-gaming","category-mini-reviews","tag-battery-free","tag-dx-eco","tag-eco-blue-eye-wireless-mouse","tag-genius","tag-intellpoint-software","tag-microsoft","tag-wireless-laser-mouse-7000"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2053"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31069"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31069\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/alienbabeltech.com\/main\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}