Customer Reviews

Logitech V550 Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Many of you probably are deciding between the VX nano and this V550 for your notebook (or like me own a bunch of both). My overall preference is the VX nano even though it is more expensive, because it feels better in the hand and seems to have better built quality. Here are the differences:

VX nano:
- more curved back, fits my small hands better
- AAA batteries, still lasts forever
- more buttons on the left side (never really use them)
- slightly lighter
- compact and convenient battery door

V550:
- more flat back and slightly longer
- AA batteries, thus REALLY long life
- only one extra button below the scroll wheel
- slightly heavier
- the entire bottom casing pops off, is more plastic-y and i'm afraid i may snap it in half one of these days.
- has a stick-on button so you can hang this thing from various things like your laptop

Both have the awesome nano receiver, laser tracking, and storage of the nano receiver inside the mouse itself when not in use. Both are small and notebook sized. Both have a patented flywheel which changes type when you press it. Both have a light that indicates connection and battery low.

Your choice.

I bought this model V550 in blue and gray (silver-like look), to replace my Logitech bluetooth mouse model V470, and my bluetooth Apple Mighty Mouse. The Apple mouse ended up having problems with the scroll ball that are well documented elsewhere by other reviewers. I liked the V470 bluetooth in white and silver. It was small, which I like, and a nice match with my 24 inch iMac computer and keyboard. It had no additional buttons, or switch application button for Expose', Dashboard, or Spaces. I found buttons on the side of any mouse to be uncomfortable to use any way. However, I hated waiting for it to wake up and connect with bluetooth. It seemed to take forever (maybe 8 to 10 seconds). If you didn't move the mouse for a time, it would automatically disconnect, and when you wanted to use it again, you had to wait for it to wake up again. So, I started to look for a replacement, and I found the Logitech V550 in blue (I'm a blue freak) and gray. It has about the same footprint as the V470, but height is a bit lower, which I really like. It doesn't have side buttons, a plus for me, but it does have an application button for Expose' Dashboard & Spaces. Scrolling side to side is accomplished by pushing the scroll wheel left or right. The scroll speed is adjustable from normal to super fast, by simply pushing down on the scroll wheel to set it for the speed you want. I find it great for my iTunes library that has over 6,000 songs listed....normal scrolling took forever. I bought this mouse from a third party, and paid about $10.00 more total (with S+H) than the out of stock price that Amazon was charging. The next day, they were back in stock at Amazon. Oh, well, I'm happy with my new mouse, and that's all that matters. Oh, the mini receiver is plugged into my apple keyboard, and is totally invisible to sight...it's underneath the keyboard and set in about 1/2 inch from the end. Really neat. Oh, and BTW, CNET's review of this mouse said they were unhappy that the mouse locked upwards on the peg, rather than downwards. They say that it's possible for the mouse to come loose. Well, my hands on usage, begs to differ with the review. Up, or down, the mouse solidly attaches to the peg. The possibility of it coming loose is highly unlikely.

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:
---------
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:
--------------
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.
_____________________________________

Overall, this is a 4.75 star product that easily rounds up to a 5-star.

This mouse is an oddity. While it really is an excellent little point and clicking device for those of you with Windows, I experienced some very strange issues with it on both my MacBook Pro Unibody late 2008 models running OS X Leopard...

My first V550 mouse worked great for about 3 hours. Then, after waking my system up from sleep, the mouse no longer worked. Plugging and unplugging the receiver had no effect, and the software was no longer detecting the mouse (it detected the Nano receiver just fine..). Very odd! I plugged it into my other system, and it didn't recognize the mouse either.

Fair enough, I thought. I called Logitech who were very graceful and who sent me a replacement very quickly. This second mouse lasted a day, and now it too can not be recognized on my Macs. I don't really know what's going on here, as I've used tons of Logitech input devices on my Macs, and have never had an issue...

For now at least, I'm going to recommend those of you with Macs to avoid this mouse. Judging by the overwhelmingly positive reviews of the V550, I have to assume it's ONLY a Mac incompatibility.

That said, I really like the mouse when it works! Very comfortable (even more so than the VX Nano), matches the aluminum on my MacBook Pro, and has very speedy responses, especially in comparison to Bluetooth mice.

I can't give this a high review based on my issues, but if you have a Windows system, I can't help but think you'd be impressed!

3/5


***EDIT June 3, 2009***

Since Apple updated OS X to 10.5.7, this V550 has been working well again on the MacBook Pros. After doing some reading on the Internet, it seems other Logitech devices are working better, too, including webcams:

[...]

So, my review has now been changed to a 4.5/5, since I can finally enjoy this mouse!

I bought this model V550 in blue and gray (silver-like look), to replace my Logitech bluetooth mouse model V470, and my bluetooth Apple Mighty Mouse. The Apple mouse ended up having problems with the scroll ball that are well documented elsewhere by other reviewers. I liked the V470 bluetooth in white and silver. It was small, which I like, and a nice match with my 24 inch iMac computer and keyboard. It had no additional buttons, or switch application button for Expose', Dashboard, or Spaces. I found buttons on the side of any mouse to be uncomfortable to use any way. However, I hated waiting for it to wake up and connect with bluetooth. It seemed to take forever (maybe 8 to 10 seconds). If you didn't move the mouse for a time, it would automatically disconnect, and when you wanted to use it again, you had to wait for it to wake up again. So, I started to look for a replacement, and I found the Logitech V550 in blue (I'm a blue freak) and gray. It has about the same footprint as the V470, but height is a bit lower, which I really like. It doesn't have side buttons, a plus for me, but it does have an application button for Expose' Dashboard & Spaces. Scrolling side to side is accomplished by pushing the scroll wheel left or right. The scroll speed is adjustable from normal to super fast, by simply pushing down on the scroll wheel to set it for the speed you want. I find it great for my iTunes library that has over 6,000 songs listed....normal scrolling took forever. I bought this mouse from a third party, and paid about $10.00 more total (with S+H) than the out of stock price that Amazon was charging. The next day, they were back in stock at Amazon. Oh, well, I'm happy with my new mouse, and that's all that matters. Oh, the mini receiver is plugged into my apple keyboard, and is totally invisible to sight...it's underneath the keyboard and set in about 1/2 inch from the end. Really neat. Oh, and BTW, CNET's review of this mouse said they were unhappy that the mouse locked upwards on the peg, rather than downwards. They say that it's possible for the mouse to come loose. Well, my hands on usage, begs to differ with the review. Up, or down, the mouse solidly attaches to the peg. The possibility of it coming loose is highly unlikely.

Edited 03/30/2009 - I was contacted by Logitech shortly after posting this review, offering to send me a new unit to try out. Major kudos to a company for monitoring AND acting on feedback. I just tried out the replacement, and it works like a charm. Perfect size, hooks to the lid of my netbook, and it does everything I wanted it to do when I originally requested it for review through Amazon Vine. I'd change the rating to a 5 if I was allowed to, but the review system doesn't allow me to change the rating, only the review text. So, if you're wondering why I rated it a 1 before, it's because the first one was DOA. This replacement (and the company's response) is pure 5.

I received this through the Amazon Vine program, and I was really looking forward to it. I just got a new Acer netbook, and I was happy that I would have a mini-mouse for it, along with a cool way to secure it to my netbook so I wouldn't lose it. Unfortunately, the unit was completely dead-on-arrival...

I changed batteries, tried a different computer, nothing. Now I'm left with the tab attachment on the lid of my netbook with no mouse to hook on it.

Nice idea, and I'm sure I got that 1 in 1000 unit that didn't work. Disappointing nonetheless...

O.K. after purchasing and using a Microsoft wireless notebook mouse for several weeks....I realized that I had to have a smaller receiver, better control on soft surfaces, an easier way to turn the mouse on and off, and was hoping for a longer battery life. This mouse advertised all of these things...I'll have to let you know in a few months about the battery life. All the other things are really great. I love the nano receiver and believe it is a must have for actual laptop use. The receiver is a tiny little thing and just barely sticks out of the side of my laptop. This is a major improvement than the other receiver type that stick out so far and for me were constantly bumped into everything (this happened enough that I became afraid that I was gonna mess up my USB port). This mouse works on all the the surfaces I have tried (including on top of the blanket that I keep covering my oversize chair and the large rounded arm of same chair. I also like the fact that I can keep it plugged in all the time, instead of plugging and unplugging the other one. Turning it off/on is super easy and should help me conserve battery. The only thing I don't totally love, is the basic form...I wished it was better molded to my hand in stead of quite so flat, but it's still comfortable, just not as comfortable to me as some of the more molded mice are. I haven't tried the dock yet...but it should be a plus not to wonder where to put my mouse when my laptop is not in use. Overall, this was more expensive than my first mouse..by double...though you can probably get a better price if you shop around and buy it here...but totally worth it. I would confidently suggest this to anyone. Other couch/bed/chair lap users...whatever mouse you buy...you MUST have a nano receiver...don't waste your money on a mouse with a regular sized receiver like I did. Happy Shopping

I spent a couple hours perusing Amazon and Googling around, aiming to get a top-of-the line mouse to ease use of my new Mac Air.

In the end, I got this less pricy one because of its relatively superlative reviews.

In order to program the buttons, I had to download the driver from Logitech, and play around a bit to get the right mapping, but since then it's sweet.

Advantages:
Battery life is nearly infinite.
Connection via RF is rock solid, simple to set up, and with no lag.
Laptop peg for mounting is convenient to carry it mouse with laptop around town.
Looks good, matches the Mac Air aluminum finish.
A bonus is that it starts conversations when I pop the mouse off the exterior peg for use, (or maybe that's a nuisance).

Disadvantages:
I don't like the action of pressing the wheel to toggle between fast and slow scrolling - too often it moves the cursor an inconvenient amount.
RF connection takes a USB port, although there is also a bluetooth and wired option.
With time, the peg for the mouse loosens, so the mouse can pivot around, and sometimes falls off in my bag.

Now I can left-, middle-, and right-click, plus scroll, precisely, and without programming and memorizing some 4-finger secret code for the mousepad.

I bought this mouse for travel to go along with a netbook but found it 33% heavier than a microsoft mouse I bought three years ago. I like the very small USB interface but the mouse itself is too heavy.

Popped in the included 2 AA batteries into the mouse, plugged in the miniscule USB receiver into the side of my MacBook Pro (using 10.5.8), and the mouse was recognized and working immediately. Sweet.

Without any extra software, only the basic functions -- left/right buttons and the up/down scroll wheel motion -- are recognized. The mouse also has a "Switch Application" button just below the scroll wheel, and you can also tilt the scroll wheel to left and right. To access those extra functions, you'll have to go to Logitech website and download Logitech Control Center. The installation is simple, but it does require a reboot. It's all worth it though.

The software is accessed via System Preferences, and it allows you to configure just about everything you can think of. Buttons can be assigned different functions or keystrokes (I have the "Switch Application" button assigned to Exposé -- very useful), and same with tilting scroll wheel left or right. Even the scroll wheel itself can be configured to, say, change volume instead of scrolling up or down. Scroll wheel's scrolling speed can be adjusted too.

And all of that can be configured on a per-application basis. For example, when I'm using my web browser, I set the scroll wheel to scroll faster than usual, and configured the scroll wheel tilt to send to back/forward keystrokes.

For a mouse with only one extra button, the extra functionality of wheel tilt and the flexible configuration was a very pleasant surprise for me.

The software also shows you the remaining battery life. Mine says 544 days left. Wow.

Physically, the mouse is definitely on a smaller side. Before this one, I was using a much bigger mouse which I could comfortably rest my hand on. (I have moderate-sized hands -- measuring about 7-1/2 inches from the wrist to the tip of my middle finger) At first, V550's small size felt a bit awkward, but after a day's use, I found myself using it very comfortably.

Also, I have to mention that I *love* the tactile feel of the scroll wheel. It's hard to explain, but it has just the right amount of resistance. I'm sure this is all very subjective, and others may not feel the same, but I still felt it warranted a mention.

All in all, I'm extremely satisfied with my new V550. If I ever lose it somehow, I won't hesitate to buy it again.