THE QUICK EVALUATION
The V550 offers the convenience of cordless mouse operation to any computer (laptop OR desktop) that can spare a USB port. It performs flawlessly on any solid surface I've tested it so far. Its size is a little smaller than what I would consider a 'regular' size mouse.
Other notable features include: quick and easy plug-and-play setup (no disk), 1 year+ claimed battery life, the ability to mount a hook on a laptop lid to dock the mouse, extended features and customization can be achieved by downloading and installing Logitech software.
If what you need is a cordless mouse, it can't get much better than this.
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THE EXTENDED EVALUATION
Contents:
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What you get is the mouse itself, the small receiver that plugs into a USB port, a customized USB extension wire that allows you to have the receiver on the desk if the mouse is used with a desktop computer, 2 AA batteries, a mouse docking kit so that the mouse can be carried with the laptop and a glossy, multiple-languages setup/troubleshooting/dock mounting-removing quick reference sheet. There's also a small tin case that includes the mouse dock mounting/removal kit.
Mechanics/ergonomics:
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As I stated above, the mouse is a bit smaller than 'normal' size. It feels smallish in my hands (I am 6'2") but it may feel just right to most users. Form-wise, it's as perfect as it can be for a 2-button/wheeled mouse.
A plastic overlay (the black part in the silver and black mouse) can be easily removed to allow for batteries insertion and, surprisingly, to allow for the storage of the small USB receiver inside the mouse body when not plugged into the computer.
The mouse is expected to turn itself off when 'on the hook'. I did not install the dock and I can't tell whether it would reliably turn itself back on when off the hook. For those like me who don't care about the docking option, there is an on/off button on the bottom of the mouse. A small LED shows when the mouse is on by turning itself on.
The scroll wheel should offer the capability of adjusting the scrolling speed. I confess that I could not tell the difference. The up/down scrolling seemed to be 'quick' before and after pressing down on the wheel.
I tested the wireless capabilities with the mouse up to 20 feet away from the computer and the mouse operated as expected. Given that the mouse communicates with the USB receiver through radio waves (line of sight not needed) it is not clear to me why the USB extension cord is provided.
Logitech is very proud for providing the ability to dock the mouse on a laptop's lid. I did not take advantage of this feature and I am not planning to do so in the future. If interested in this feature, I suggest that you check other reviews that discuss it.
Customization:
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I STRONGLY recommend that all who purchased this mouse goes to the Logitech site (it's Logitech dot com slash download) and install the SetPoint software. SetPoint adds A LOT of functionality. By the way, anyone can download the software - no need to actually have a mouse - so, if you want to see what you can do with your mouse before actually buying it, do install SetPoint and see what's available. Briefly, these are the advantages of SetPoint running on your computer - again, I am using the mouse on a Vista Enterprise laptop and some features may be specific to this operating system.
- Swap the 2 buttons
- The little button behind the scroll wheel that's inactive without SetPoint can be used to switch applications (see the image I posted for Vista), as a third button, zoom, auto-scroll, play/pause, mute, a specific keystroke assignment...
- Tilting the scroll wheel right/left would do left/right scroll by default but it can be set to back/forward, previous/next, cruise up/down, even to specific keystroke assignments. Oh, and these can be done for 'all apps' or specific settings can be applied to an expandable list of specific applications - i posted an image showing the buttons setup first screen.
- Mouse movement can be customized for speed, acceleration, pointer trails and so on.
- A special 'gaming' setup is available and there is a 'game detection' option that can be activated - see the image I posted, showing the 'gaming' setup screen.
- Scrolling can be customized for acceleration on the vertical and horizontal AND for specific applications, if desired.
- SetPoint can also show the battery charge level. Right now, it claims that my battery is going to last for another 547 days. We shall see.
One note for Vista users. Once installed, SetPoint does NOT run by simply clicking on it. To run it, you must right-click and pick 'run as administrator'.
Conclusion:
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This is a wireless mouse well-suited for either a laptop or a desktop computer. I am VERY happy with it and, in fact, I'm not the only one in our household who feels this way :) - it may end up with one of my kids, eventually. The positives for this mouse are:
- Trouble-free operation.
- Easy initial setup.
- Customizable and feature-rich.
- Well designed.
As far as 'concerns' - and they are not necessarily 'negatives':
- It should be understood that this is NOT a Bluetooth device. Not being a Bluetooth device makes the setup and moving from one computer to another a lot easier (no need for pairing) but the receiver WILL take over a USB port so one should be mindful of this.
- The USB receiver small size makes it convenient for using it with laptops but it also increases the risks that one might lose it. The 'storage inside the mouse' when not in use is 'a solution' and it may reduce the risks of losing it but not everyone may feel comfortable with taking their mouse apart repeatedly.
- The on/off button on the bottom of the mouse is an interesting solution but, I bet, I will not always remember to turn off my mouse after done with using it - in fact, I just realized that I've had the mouse on since this morning.
- I still don't understand the need for the USB extension chord but, it's just an extra. It does not hurt anything.
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Note: I do understand the need for the USB extension chord now. As esanta notes - see the third comment to this review - this is a good thing. If someone wants to use the mouse on a laptop AND on a desktop and the desktop's USB ports are located at the back of the desktop, the extension chord provides the convenience of easily moving the little radio receiver from the desktop to the laptop without having to crawl under the desk every time one wants to move it. This is VERY useful, absent a USB port multiplexer and it was very thoughtful of Logitech to provide it.
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Overall, this is a 4.75 star product that easily rounds up to a 5-star.