{"id":121,"date":"2008-12-26T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-26T04:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/?p=121"},"modified":"2021-01-14T14:49:01","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T04:49:01","slug":"mini-review-microsoft-bluetooth-notebook-mouse-5000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/2008\/12\/26\/mini-review-microsoft-bluetooth-notebook-mouse-5000\/","title":{"rendered":"Mini-Review: Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Well, it\u2019s post-Xmas sales time again and vendors everywhere are struggling to get rid of their stock in readiness for 2009. Whilst I wasn\u2019t in any specific need for something, I found JB Hi-Fi selling Microsoft\u2019s Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 series for AUD$45. This isn\u2019t the cheapest I\u2019ve seen it, mind you, only a few months ago Officeworks sold them for a brief period for only $35 in conjunction with a Microsoft promo, but I digress \u2013 I decided to purchase one of these mice for my EeePC 701 since they\u2019re some 35% cheaper than its nearest rivals such as Logitech. But does that cheaper price come at a cost?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why would you want a Bluetooth mouse? Well, the obvious reason is the convenience of no cables. This mouse is primarily targeted at the notebook market where people cannot easily use, or just plain don\u2019t like, the mouse touchpad or joystick. Being Bluetooth, you can connect it to any device that also has Bluetooth capability (which these days is just about every modern notebook, or desktop with a USB Bluetooth adapter). The only real con is having to charge or replace batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 comes packaged in one of those annoying difficult-to-open hard plastic packages \u2013 you know, the kind that usually draws blood. Thankfully, I think Microsoft have heeded the baying masses and have neatly provided little holes in the backside of the packaging for you to easily get a pair of scissors into as indicated by a couple of printed scissor icons, but then I discovered I didn\u2019t even need to do that either \u2013 the plastic is perforated, allowing you to get a finger in and simply rip the packaging open \u2013 with no blood being drawn \u2013 extra points there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123206if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Packaging.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Product packaging<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So once you have playfully ripped into the packaging like a 10 year old on Xmas morning, this is what comes inside the retail package:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123209if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Content.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>What&#8217;s in the box<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You get:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The mouse<\/li><li>A trendy neoprene rubber carry pouch<\/li><li>Two AAA batteries<\/li><li>A quickstart guide, battery disposal disclaimer and a full instruction manual, neatly crushed into a triangle by the top side of the box packaging<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The mouse is very lightweight and looks pretty stylish with an attractive combination of black underside and sideskirts, white top and a spine of gun-metal grey. The mouse wheel is transparent. The top side features a Bluetooth logo and a battery indicator. There are four buttons \u2013 two traditional left &amp; right mouse buttons, wheel button in the middle and a thumb button that is designed with right-handed users in mind. The wheel does not feature left &amp; right movement, but has a fairly notchy ratchet when rotating the wheel, but does not require much pressure to rotate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123216if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Front.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The front<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rear end resembles a Renault Megane \u2013 with a big arse and a star-zappy logo thing which is not a button and appears to be for decorative purposes only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123220if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Back.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The back<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The underside features the battery compartment, the laser unit, Bluetooth pairing button, a two-position sliding on-off switch, usual array of skidpads and a Gnuine Microsoft sticker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123224if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Underside.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The bottom<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, this mouse is roughly two-thirds the size of a regular adult desktop mouse. It\u2019s even smaller than a CD-ROM disc! The size is deliberate, however \u2013 it makes for a more portable package in your laptop bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123228if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Size.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The top &#8211; CD-ROM for size<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The neoprene rubber pouch provided is a snug fit for the mouse, but makes a good home for it when stashing it away in your bag. The pouch features a simple hook-tape seal and does the job. If you are an EeePC user, you will already be familiar with the good protection the neoprene rubber sleeve provides, so this mouse pouch will look right at home next to it. The pouch also has a red Microsoft logo tag on it to satisfy brand-toting users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123235if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Pouch.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>The neat carry pouch<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Inserting the batteries is a very straight-forward exercise without any difficulty. The battery is cover is easily removed by finger without needing a tool and the battery compartments are spacious and feature pull-up tabs to remove the batteries easily when they eventually need replacement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123239if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_Batteries.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Not often you get batteries included these days<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Upon switching on the mouse, the battery indicator on top of the mouse turned green for a few seconds, then went out and started alternating between green and red flashes at a rate of one flash per second. It had immediately entered pairing mode without me having to manually trigger it. The Bluetooth logo does not light up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123245if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_GreenLight.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Mouse goes green<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123249if_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/~hyrax\/pics\/msbluetoothmouse5000\/MSBTMouse_RedLight.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Mouse goes red<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Pairing the mouse with Ubuntu Intrepid is an incredibly simple four-step process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>EDIT August 2009: The Bluetooth stack in Ubuntu Jaunty changed such that the mouse will pair, but the mouse will not acknowledge the connection nor will the mouse ever work. As of August 2009, the latest version of the Bluez Bluetooth stack and the Blueman applet fix this problem. Refer to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123302\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/2009\/08\/howto-get-a-microsoft-bluetooth-notebook-5000-mouse-working-under-ubuntu-jaunty\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">this article<\/a>&nbsp;for more information.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Do a single right-mouse click on the Bluetooth icon in your system tray and choose \u201cSetup new device\u2026\u201d.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123352im_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/bluetooth_setupnewdevice.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li>The Bluetooth Device Wizard will appear. Click \u201cForward\u201d.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123355im_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/bluetooth_wizardstart.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li>Your PC will query for local unpaired Bluetooth devices. After a brief delay, you will see the Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000\u2019s MAC address followed shortly by its actual name. Simply click on the name in the list and click \u201cForward\u201d.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123358im_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/bluetooth_addmsmouse.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\" start=\"2\"><li>Your PC will commence pairing with the mouse. You don\u2019t have to do anything except wait a couple of seconds. Once the pairing is complete, the wizard will finish.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160315123404im_\/http:\/\/www.serenux.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/bluetooth_wizardfinish.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The mouse is now immediately usable and you can also keep using your original mouse at the same time as well (if you like fighting over one mouse pointer, that is). At this time, the indicator on the top of the mouse switches off as well. The only time I should see it next illuminate is during power-on self-test or when the battery starts running low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In operation, the mouse feels reasonably comfortable and is easy to maneuver. Button clicks are clear and responsive, although the fourth thumb button was technically non-functional, though pressing it brought focus upon whatever you were hovering over without actually performing a left-mouse click.&nbsp; It\u2019s not too heavy but not too light either, though with prolonged use, I suspect those with relatively big hands will find the apparent gap underneath the palm of your hand to get annoying and the mouse is a good third smaller than a regular sized mouse (remember it\u2019s intended to be carried by notebook users, not used on a desktop). Those with smaller hands such as most female adults and early-teen children, may probably find this mouse to be more comfortable than a regularly-sized mouse for western adult hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I found that the mouse was quite sensitive compared to my regular desktop mouse, as though mouse-acceleration had been increased by a small percentage in my system\u2019s configuration. If this proves annoying, you would have to adjust your desktop mouse preferences a bit to compensate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather interestingly, the laser is completely invisible. There is no red glow emanating from the mouse at all, even if you lift the mouse slightly off the table. There are no blingy glowy bits on the top side of the mouse to waste battery either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately I cannot gauge the expected battery life until I\u2019ve made prolonged use of the mouse, and the manual provided does not provide any indication as to the expected battery life nor does it mention any potential power-saving features of the mouse such as power-down due to in activity, etc (however the quick-start guide makes reference to switching off the mouse when in transit). In fact, I found it amusing to read in the manual protective advisories not to \u201cwalk on power cords\u201d in relation to the mouse \u2013 it appears this is a generic peripheral manual that Microsoft supply with all their gear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, I went on to test the reconnection speed of the mouse now that it was paired. I switched off the mouse for a few seconds and then turned it back on and started moving the mouse until I saw the mouse pointer moving on-screen. Disappointingly, Ubuntu did not reconnect with the mouse. In fact, I wasn\u2019t able to reconnect to it until I had deleted the pairing and re-paired it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A system restart after having successfully paired the mouse earlier also failed to reconnect it when the desktop reappeared again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>EDIT August 2009: The latest version of the Bluez Bluetooth stack and the Blueman applet fixes this re-connection problem under Ubuntu Intrepid and Ubuntu Jaunty without the need to do the manual fix below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is contrary to previous versions of Ubuntu where reconnection occurred without a problem. As it turns out, the HIDD application and corresponding hcid.conf file are not employed anymore by Ubuntu Intrepid, having been replaced by the Bluetooth applet we\u2019re using today. It appears Intrepid does not actively scan for Bluetooth devices to \u201cre-activate\u201d them upon a restart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So with that in mind, I tried issuing the following command in a terminal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">$ sudo hciconfig hci0 pscan<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026which tells my Bluetooth adapter at hci0 to switch to \u201cscanning\u201d mode. Within about 10 seconds, the mouse pointer started moving again!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another reboot still failed to have the mouse reconnect automatically again, so I decided to add the command into my \/etc\/rc.local file which is executed every time the system reboots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Edit it with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">$ sudo gedit \/etc\/rc.local<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2026and in the editor, add it anywhere BEFORE the last&nbsp;<em>exit 0<\/em>&nbsp;line, eg:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">#!\/bin\/sh -e\n#\n# rc.local\n#\n# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.\n# Make sure that the script will \"exit 0\" on success or any other\n# value on error.\n#\n# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution\n# bits.\n#\n# By default this script does nothing.\n\nsudo hciconfig hci0 pscan\nexit 0<\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Save your changes and reboot. When the system restarted, the mouse still failed to move, however turning the mouse off and then on again without another reboot did make the mouse start moving again within 10 seconds, so the reconnection process relies on the rodent\u2019s current connection status to be \u201cdeleted\u201d before Ubuntu will reconnect to it. This is annoying, but for the moment switching the mouse off and then on is a helluva lot less painful than having to delete and re-pair the mouse manually every reboot. A number of bug reports have already been listed on Launchpad in relation to this problem, so no doubt it will be rectified in due course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a reasonably comfortable, sturdy mouse with a robust feel to it that I believe would survive being knocked about a few times. It is compact and does not have unnecessary design features that would waste battery life. It meets the requirements to be portable and is simple to use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The manual is generic and not very helpful in relation to the nature of the product (with the exception of the quick-start guide), however I think in this day and age most people have a good basic understanding of mouse concepts to not need a manual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d have liked to have been given a written reference to the expected battery life, and it would have been nice to have a plug-in USB recharge feature or a docking station of some sort, however such features would have increased the cost of the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While not a feature-rich mouse in general given the target audience for a simple \u201cit just works\u201d device, this is a great value-for-money product and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to prospective users. At AUD$45, it\u2019s a bargain compared to its nearest rivals who list for AUD$65 or more for the same featureset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Review score: 8 out of 10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well, it\u2019s post-Xmas sales time again and vendors everywhere are struggling to get rid of their stock in readiness for 2009. Whilst I wasn\u2019t in any specific need for something, I found JB Hi-Fi selling Microsoft\u2019s Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 series for AUD$45. This isn\u2019t the cheapest I\u2019ve seen it, mind you, only a few [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=121"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":122,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/121\/revisions\/122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.serenux.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}