Customer Reviews

Macally BTMicro Portable Bluetooth Optical Mouse

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

MacAlly Portable Bluetooth Optical Mouse
Company: MacAlly
Price: $50
(...)

I have mixed feelings regarding Bluetooth (BT), based on varying rates of success with devices that use this new wireless technology. But when BT works correctly, the results are impressive, although sometimes requiring a bit of fiddling.

Such is the case with MacAlly's attractive, versatile Portable Bluetooth Optical Mouse (PBOM). You should use rechargeable AAA batteries, like the pair that is included in the package (or throwaway non-rechargeables when charging is not an option). Then you need to recharge PBOM in its custom cradle for several hours until its green light goes away. Then you have to use OS X's BT Setup Assistant to get the mouse to communicate with your Macintosh, and press a little button on the bottom of PBOM to activate the connection. Fortunately, everything works as advertised, and, battery-charging time aside; the process is straightforward, if not intuitive.

Bonus: several pairs of AAA rechargeables can be handy in briefcase or backpack, thanks to MacAlly's included charging cradle.

Note: each time a Bluetooth mouse kicks into gear following sleep or restart, it's normal to experience a one-second delay from initial mouse movement to screen cursor action.

My heavyweight G5 doesn't have a built-in BT module, (...) Good news: ignore the included CD that is in the UBA package, because OS X Panther activates BT simply upon insertion of this adapter into your Mac's USB port or powered USB hub.

Speaking of packaging, here is an observation, not a complaint. MacAlly, in their retail wisdom, chooses to encase both mouse and adapter in nearly bulletproof plastic. The overkill factor is not the worst I've encountered, but it's a close second. Can package designers contend with possible theft without having to drain the Alaska Wildlife Refuge or the nation of Quatar of their remaining precious few zillion barrels of crude oil?

With adapter plugged in and charged mouse operative, I'm using PBOM exclusively during this evaluation period. Compared to my G5's basic white Apple mouse, tracking is a bit less smooth, but just as accurate. The more I use PBOM the more accustomed to it I am, so that after a few hours I'm not conscious of any deviation from the norm.

Being a full-sized mouse person, PBOM's compact size (approximately 2/3) is not my first choice, but it will come in handy when traveling or tutoring a person with a more petite hand than mine. Children and people with smaller hands will probably think this mouse is just right, without any hesitation.

MacAlly's three-year warranty is generous, and the $50 price tag is consistent with other comparable products. The UBA costs an additional $40, and must be ordered separately when computers don't already have BT capability.

This is a two-button mouse plus scroll-wheel, adding enhanced function to ordinary mousing. Once you get into the right-click and/or finger-scroll habit, you'll be hooked, I predict. PBOM has cushioned pads on either side, for extra comfort. Altogether, it's a well-engineered, full-service portable USB wireless mouse that will provide years of service under ordinary conditions. Whether PBOM is "the ultimate mouse for working professional" is to be determined after I take it on the road for a month, so please check back with me in May if you want an update.

I'm very happy (size notwithstanding) with competitor Iogear's pre-Bluetooth USB Portable Mini Mouse, and I see Iogear now has a BT equivalent. If size matters (it does), will I switch over to MacAlly's larger portable mouse on my workhorse iBook, leaving my year-old loyal Iogear mouse lonesome in my backpack? We'll see, won't we! (Be aware that wireless USB mice typically work immediately with both Mac OS 9.x and 10.x, and often with Windows XP, without any installed software - Bluetooth is non-functional in OS 9.)

Bluetooth has a distance advantage over portable USB devices, and PBOM does its magic from across the room. Additionally, only one built-in or accessory BT module is required to communicate with multiple BT devices, unlike USB wireless peripherals that usually each come with a unique transceiver. If this feature or any of the others mentioned above are important, you'll agree with our favorable rating of 4 out of 5.

As Apple computer laptops are almost all Bluetooth capable as a default, having a Bluetooth mouse seems logical. I should not need to defend internal bluetooth connections as opposed to proprietary wireless mouses with USB adapters. Bluetooth rocks!

The BT Micro proved to be the correct Bluetooth choice from the beginning. The 10 meter range (printed in some places as 33 feet) is excellent, and works better than the microsoft mouse at my office. [I am lucky to get 2 feet at work with the microsoft mouse and it eats batteries in two weeks.]

The size is truly a mini and is small. I was concerned with having a place to rest my hand having never used a small mouse before, but the small size is friendly. It slides smoothly and the optical sensor functions flawlessly.

The rechargeable base is a great addition and the mouse comes with NiMH batteries. Definitely made to eliminate battery costs for the life of the mouse. The base stays home and the small mouse travels extremely well with long life. I have yet to drain the first charge over several days use.

The scroll wheel has been dependable. It scrolls on my Mac OSX in any window under the cursor. If a window has a scroll window, the wheel properly switches if the cursor is moved over the new desired window. I have yet to have a microsoft scroll which works as desired. The right button opens sub-menus properly which is a definite improvement over the single button mousepad Apple keeps pushing on people. Mac OSX is the best and most elegant operating system ever created but someone at Apply must eventually give up on the single button mouse and provide a right button and scroll wheel on all hardware. Come on already!

The mouse paired with my laptop on the first attempt without concern. The mouse goes to sleep if not used, and also immediately when I close my laptop lid. It appears to see the laptop go into suspend mode and reacts immediately. When I wake up the laptop, simply clicking the mouse re-establishes the Bluetooth pairing and function is resumed. It even has a true on/off switch to you can turn it off when dropping in a bag or if you want to look at the bottom for any reason and desire to avoid blinding yourself with the laser.

I would recommend this to anyone with a bluetooth link on any computer. I haven't figured out how program the buttons for different functions yet but so far the defaults are everything I need and I don't really know what I would change if I could.

Great job. Purchase with confidence. Hopefully they will sell enough to lower the price eventually, but the $43 price at the time of this writing is satisfactory and it is worth every penny.

I have a BT-enabled iMac, and was looking for a wheel mouse to match the style of the supplied Apple keyboard/mouse combo for BlueTooth. Among those I found in a local store (Fry's), this came the closest, so despite its small size, I ended up at home with it.

The good: It is surprisingly comfortable. In fact, more so than much larger mice, like the Logitech MX 1000 for BlueTooth (included with the Logitech DiNovo Desktop Laser combo).

The charging cradle allows you to avoid replacing the batteries every week (they do run out this fast; I tried).

The not so good: Without recharging, the battery life is pretty short.

Out of the box, the tracking speed is pretty fast - and the movement is a bit jerky. Both of these can be fixed (in Mac OS X) by going to the Keyboard/Mouse panel in System Preferences and reducing the tracking speed there.

It is notably slower to come alive than other BT mice, including Apple's. Also, if your Mac is asleep, waking it up will not automatically wake the mouse (again, unlike a couple of other mice, like Apple's). You have to click one of the mouse keys (or scroll the wheel).

Also, it frequently happens that only the buttons and the scroll wheel wake up, not the optical sensor that allows the mouse to move. The only way I found to get around this is to turn off the mouse, wait a few seconds, turn it on again, click a button, and wait for it to pair with the computer.

I ended up getting another BT wheel mouse online to replace it - one that is even more in line with the Apple style:
[...]

This one, I am happy to say, is quite an improvement over the BTMicro mouse in all these areas.

-tor

This is a very good product for the price. It's incredibly straightforward to use, and to switch from computer to computer. It's very compact, while still feeling natural to my hand. The on/off switch, while tiny, is an essential feature.

A couple of minor problems:

The mouse must be pressed down firmly after being "clicked" into the cradle, or it may not be charging. You have to check for the light. A little wiggle, and the light goes out, but the mouse is still in the dock.

Strangely, the dock's AC adapter plug does not easily fit under the lip on the dock itself. (Perhaps they changed suppliers.) You really have to jam it in there, and this puts a lot sideways pressure on the plug. Such things can cause problems over time. I may shave mine down to create a flat spot and get a good fit.

Excellent mouse (appearance/feel/utility) and the battery life is just fine. The charging cradle can be tricky--if you don't press the mouse down, it won't charge. Otherwise it works as advertised. I have not experienced any bluetooth disconnect issues and the mouse does not wake my Apple IBook from sleep. Been using it daily for two months without any issues...a very fine product!

Let me cut straight to the chase: the charging cradle is crappy. Once you manage to get the mouse charged up, it works okay but:
-the tracking speed is way faster than normal for a mouse, at least on my 12" Powerbook G4. You can slow it down in system preferences, but then when I'm using a different mouse (I have seperate setups for my Powerbook in various locations) I have to change the speed back. Wish there were a way to automate this.
-after it shuts down for inactivity, you must click a button to wake it up. Problem is, this actually registers on the computer as a click! Better point your cursor at something harmless before you walk away for any length of time.
-jerky motion; very difficult for me to acheive fine control. Perhaps this is related to the tracking speed?

I'm not gonna throw the mouse out (I rather like the way it feels and the size is right for tossing into my very small bag), but it won't take much to convince me to replace it, either. I'm not gonna tell you not to buy it; it is one of the least expensive options for a bluetooth mouse out there, but don't expect to be impressed and don't be surprised if you have to do a little fiddling with it to convince the cradle it needs to charge the dumb thing. I initially had the hardest time getting the charge light to stay on for more than 5 minutes at a time.

I'll keep this short. The Macally BT mouse is small, but complements my MacMini nicely, being white white in color (same as the Mac) and trimmed in silver (similar to the MacMini). I liked the buttons (right and left; you choose which one will be your primary button) and the scroll wheel, which can be pressed to click, duplicating the function of the primary button. The mouse pairs easily with the MacMini. When I start up the computer, it finds the paired mouse with no problems and works perfectly.

The range appears adequate for my use (on the desktop only), but I haven't tried to push it to its limits.

Other users have reported difficulty with the charging cradle. Mine works fine, but if I'm not careful to seat the mouse carefully, the LED lights will remain red instead of turning green and yellow (and the mouse won't charge).

The problems arise when putting the computer to sleep. I've had a host of problems with the mouse, including
(1) Mouse sends out signals immediately after the computer goes to sleep, which wakes the computer back up (so I have to tell the computer to go back to sleep)
(2) Mouse sends out random signals a few minutes after the computer goes to sleep, again waking the computer up. Note that I've tested this and been careful not to bump the mouse, keyboard, or desk during the sleep period.
(3) If I let the computer and mouse sleep for longer than a short period of time (eg 1 hour or more), then go to wake them, the computer wakes fine, but the mouse is cataleptic. The red laser light won't turn on, and the mouse won't respond, no matter how many times you press the buttons, how long you hold the buttons, how vigorously you move the mouse around, or how often you switch the mouse on/off.
(4) In situation (3), if I try to salvage the situation by reaching for my USB mouse (which was already plugged in and working fine side-by-side with the BT mouse), I find that the USB mouse has been deactivated -- as if the catalepsy of the BT mouse were contagious!

I've already tried to upgrade the Bluetooth software on the Mac (turns out Mac OS X.4 already incorporates Bluetooth Update 1.2, the current version offered by Apple). At this point I'm giving up on the mouse and will contact Macally for a replacement. From the other reviews that I've now seen on this device, though, I'm not optimistic that a replacement will help.

I purchased this product because of the bluetooth connectivity. I like the design of the mouse itself and the fact that it comes with a charging cradle. However, since the product malfunctioned within aobut a week, I had to send it back to the company (at my expense) for replacement or repair. I'm still waiting to get it back.

The charging cradle didn't work, I think because of poor design and the laser light eventually stopped working.

Well I thought this would be a pretty nice mouse (price and looks) for my Dell Inspiron 9300. It sync'd up quite easily to my integrated Bluetooth laptop with no major hangups. Good battery life (assuming you remember to turn it off.) Rechargable batteries included! Nice apple-ish looks.

Now for the bad...
The included charger cradle will not properly charge the mouse because it won't seat right! Thank God I already have a battery charger. The button clicks are loud and the 'feel' of the click is to long-of-a-throw and 'spongy'. I know that last comment sounds pretty petty over a notebook mouse, but when you realize that you use a notebook for travel and you are sometimes in quiet places... you'll notice how loud the clicks are when others are glaring.

Read many reviews of BT mice and had developed all sorts of worries.
Thankfully, none of the worries came true with the Macally. Everything works great, easy, no problems.
Range is great, size is small yet comfortable. I've been using it for many long hours with no ill effects. Goes to sleep and awakes with little effort, just press both buttons. Scroll wheel works well. There's no lag reported about other BT mice, this one acts as if it were wired in.
I'm very happy with the choice so far. Its great that it includes rechargable batteries, a seperate recharging dock so I don't have to be tired to the laptop while charging.
All in all a great choice.