Comments on: Verbatim 96991 Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse- Silver and Black

By: M. Haddad

M. Haddad — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:58:22 +0000

Review by M. Haddad for Verbatim 96991 Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse- Silver and Black Rating: This is the perfect mouse for a media center or even a notebook that is masquerading as a media center. Its range is very good (I tried it at about 25 feet and it was perfect) and its accuracy is excellent. The installation was very quick and painless. The mouse is very compact and light and can be turned off to conserve the battery power. It is also stylish enough to fit in the family room next to the other gadgets and remotes.

By: A. M. Kini

A. M. Kini — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:55:32 +0000

Review by A. M. Kini for Verbatim 96991 Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse- Silver and Black Rating: This is an excellent bluetooth mouse that feels comfortable and precise. Although I had some apprehensions about compatibility issues based on other's reviews/experiences, I am glad to report that this thing was up and running in no time without much fuss on my hp laptop with windows 7. Highly recommend it.

By: A. Tegtmeier

A. Tegtmeier — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:31:51 +0000

Review by A. Tegtmeier for Verbatim 96991 Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse- Silver and Black Rating: The Bluetooth setup was extremely easy - I pressed and held a button on the bottom of the mouse for a few seconds and it connected automatically to my (Bluetooth ready)Asus Eee 1000 Netbook.
It comes with a CD that has a very rudimentary settings-tool on it, but you do not need to install that at all. It only gives you the choice of having one click of the scroll wheel advance x number of lines or a whole page. Also, you can chose what action the middle button (aka scroll wheel) should perform when you press it.
I left everything on the default and de-installed the tool.

Ergonomically the mouse is one of the better ones I've had. It is truly ambidextrous (I am a lefty) and is big enough for my XXL-hand to have a comfortable grip. It is, however, not exactly a mouse I would choose for a truly mobile task - for this the size is just too big. Size-wise, I would characterize it in between one of those shrunken mobile mouses and a fully fledged desktop mouse.

It has a somewhat strange mechanism that allows the upper side to lift at the end, which then gives the mouse some kind of a wedge shape. It does not contribute to the ergonomics, but is merely a gimmick in my point of view, because it also does not decrease the size of the mouse (because I only use it in the "closed" position anyway).

The accuracy is good, however I find the running pads a bit too slippery - a bit more resistance would be better for my taste. On my table, the mouse slides kind of like a hockey puck.

The two buttons have a very nicely defined "click" point, which needs a bit more force to activate than other mouses. But I like that, it prevents me from accidentally hitting the wrong spot, as it happens occasionally to me with mouses that have easier action buttons.

The scroll wheel is kind of broad in width, which is very comfortable for my kind of broad index finger. It has a defined "click" action, which has a nice strong resistance - it is not turned easily but needs a determined (though not to great) force.

It is powered by two AAA batteries - well, one AA would be better (it is easier to find one fresh battery than two ...).

The color - black and silver - is kind of blah ... so what, it is a tool, not a lifestyle statement (at least for me).

To sum it up: Bluetooth works fine, ergonomics are good, ambidextrous design, buttons and scroll wheel have very nicely defined "click" points, accuracy is good, though it runs a bit too easy on a smooth table surface.
It is not very suitable for true mobile use, but for my netbook (quite stationary inside the house) it is the perfect solution.

Update 26 April: One nice, undocumented feature just popped up - you are notified when the battery has less than 7% power left.

By: Bailey Z. Rose

Bailey Z. Rose — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:43:22 +0000

Review by Bailey Z. Rose for Verbatim 96991 Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse- Silver and Black Rating: I'm using this mouse with the ASUS USB-BT21 - USB Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter - EDR (3Mbps), and both the adapter and mouse were super-easy to setup. I simply plugged the bluetooth adapter into my computer and it was automatically recognized and loaded within a few seconds. I popped a pair of Sanyo Eneloop AAA batteries (the only rechargeables I use these days) into the mouse, clicked the 'Connect' button on the mouse, and ran the 'Bluetooth' setup menu on my computer... within a few seconds, the mouse was up and running without any need for additional setup or installation.

The mouse itself has a pleasing aesthetic; it's fairly low-profile as befits a notebook mouse, but wide/long enough that it's not awkwardly small as many other notebook mice are. Has a nice clean silver / black look.

Mouse tracking is much more sensitive with this mouse than with the wireless Logitech one I also use... just something to note.

I'm not sure about battery life yet, but haven't had to recharge yet.

The mousewheel is nice; low profile with a rubberized texture for traction. The action is very quiet; no loud clicking like with many other mice I've used at home/work.

I tried the riser function and didn't notice much of a difference. Maybe if you have small hands you'll be able to tell, but the mouse felt small/low to me at both settings... but not too small. I could comfortably use this as my desktop mouse if I desired.

All in all, a decent bluetooth mouse -- good connectivity, pleasing appearance, and is a snap to setup on any bluetooth enabled computer.