Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 Halo Limited Edition: The Master Chief

I prefer computer mice that are intended for use with notebook and other portable computers (mobile mouse), because they are a bit smaller and I think more comfortable to use than the full size models. I use both Microsoft and Logitech mobile mice, an in recent years these are all wireless AND optical. I dont have any use for the extra side paddles that some larger mice have, so the tendency of mobile mice to not have these paddles does not bother me. I have two computers that use an older version of this Microsoft 3500, and they are my favorite mice now. With a new computer added to my stable of actively used machines, I needed another mouse but the older model I likes was discontinued and replaced by this 3500 model. Those who still had the older ones wanted lots of money for them, so I went with the 3500. This mouse does indeed seems to be a bit lighter than the older version, but I am not sure if this is a technical improvement to reduce weight of a portable product, or just a cost-saving move to cheapen the product. Maybe both! Certainly this mouse as a plainer appearance, having one fewer colors in the plastic finish, and I suppose this makes it less expensive to manufacture. But in operation, the feel of the 3500 closely matches the older version, so I am please by that. The older one has a roller with a smooth, yet grippy surface. This 3500, on the other hand, has a roller with a knurled surface. My preference is for the way it was done on the older mouse, simply because the knurls will tend to collect finger oils and dirt over time. Still, a good looking, ergonomic, and well functioning wireless optical mouse. Note that this mouse does NOT use Bluetooth to directly communicate with the portable computers built-in Bluetooth receiver. It comes with, and requires the use of, a tiny USB dongle which will fit into, and permanently occupy, one of your computers USB ports. The dongle is small enough to leave attached to a notebook computer, even while it is in your bag or backpack for transit. However, I find that this dongle sticks out just a bit more on my new computer than I would like, so to prevent damage I always place the computer in my backpack with dongle side up.

Show more

For those deciding on a new mouse, both of these are pretty popular and in same price range. I ended up getting this Microsoft 3500 and the Logitech M325 for two different computers. After having used both for a couple of months, both are great mouses but the M325 wins out. However if If one of these were on sale, I would just get the one on sale. Look and Feel - The 3500 has a sleek design with a glossy finish, and a nice feeling grippy rubber area around where the thumbs and and fingers grip the mouse. The M325 has a similar grippy rubber area, but I personally like the feel of the 3500 slightly better. - The 3500 has a smoother slide on over a mouse pad vs the M325 which has slightly grainy slide - The 3500 is harder to keep clean, its glossy exterior attracts finger prints and gap around the top of the mouse where the buttons meets the mouse is larger then on the M325 which also attracts grime over time. The M325 has a brushed/textured exterior Usability +Both mouses are equally sensitive. +The scroll wheel on the 3500 is a slower feeling scroll that has a distinct "click" with each movement, great if you are scrolling down slow or one page at time, but annoying if you need to get to the bottom of something fast. The opposite is true for the M325 which as a very smooth scrolling wheel with almost no click. This is great for games or instances where you may need to scroll fast, but its almost too sensitive if youre not careful +The M325 scroll wheel has two additional functions over the 3500, you can click the actual scroll wheel left and right, acting by default as a page back and page forward in a browser. Battery Life +The 3500 battery life was disappointing for me, it died after 6 weeks with daily heavy use. The M325 may last longer but I havent use it as much. I do notice the blue track light on the bottom of the 3500 mouse seems to stay bright all the time, whereas on the M325, I cant even notice its on at all by looking at the track light. If youre planning on getting a wireless keyboard also, the M325 has another big plus with its unifying usb receiver allowing you to use the same USB receiver for both the keyboard and mouse instead of taking up two separate usb ports. This is true as long as you get a Logitech wireless keyboard that supports the unifying function. ****Update 7/6/14****** - 8+ Months in, both mouses are still working fine but I would recommend the Logitech M325 over the Microsoft 3500 mouse for one simple reason: Battery Life! Ive had 3 battery changes on 3500, the M325 has had one battery change, and it wasnt for the lack of use either.

Show more

I wanted a mobile or miniature mouse to carry in my laptop case. As far as "meeses" are concerned, Im normally a Logitech fan. So I originally purchased the Logitech M187: absolute garbage, failed after a month of minimal use. In desperation, I tried this Microsoft 3500 and Ive been pleasantly surprised. For a mobile mouse, it functions very smoothly on most surfaces and is fairly comfortable for a non-full-sized mouse. Convenient on/off switch. Doesnt work on glass, of course. Only two negatives: (1) I wish this mouse was thinner, so it would fit better in a laptop case and (2) I wish it used AAA batteries, so the spares take up less space. But overall, this is very good mobile mouse for the price.

Show more

I bought this mouse because Ive been getting frustrated with wired mice and keyboards for a while, always catching on something or getting tangled up with headphones or something else, it was time to invest in a new wireless set up and for just regular personal use, this seems to get the job done fairly well. I cant say I would recommend this for pc gaming, I havent tried it out yet but the pointer does seem a little slow at times, according to anywhere I check it states it has 1000 dpi, which isnt what you want for games really, of course thats also a personal preference. The only thing Ill have to get used to was my old wired gaming mouse had a button to switch the dpi of the pointer from average (slower), mid range and fast which was really useful for switching from your game to desktop or another program and being ready with the click of a button. If I really had to include one, that would be my only con for this product but thats just because my previous mouse offered this feature and I had been using it for a long time now, so that isnt the product or companys fault which is why I dont consider it as really being a con. So not ideal for gaming, however this is still a very useful device if youre just looking for something to use with your pc and arent a hardcore pc gamer. I really like it and would definitely recommend it.

Show more