Customer Reviews

Microsoft Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(33)

 

 

Interestingly, I am in a very similar position to the earlier reviewer, but I have had somewhat different results, after my first day of owning this mouse. I too am something of a gadget guy, and I also have the Wireless Desktop 6000 from Microsoft (the first lighter gray color version however). While I like the keyboard from this desktop set just fine, over time I began to dislike the mouse that came with it for the following reasons:
- I used to use a Mouserug mouse pad and I found, strangely, that the laser mouse didn't track at all smoothly on this surface.
- The finish on the sides of the mouse began to look dirty and develop a very rough surface where my skin touched it after a short while.
- It wasn't ideal from a hand position perspective; I would somtimes develop pain at the base of my thumb after using it for a long time.

So, I had hopes that this mouse would solve these problems. Here's what I've found so far:
- The tracking seems identical to the Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, that is, very good indeed on any surface except the Mouserug, where it still stinks. So, no change there.
- The side surfaces of the mouse are very different. The original 6000 laser mouse had a surface with a sort of "grippy" paint. This new mouse has thick rubbery plastic (clear on the left over the MS logo and black on the right) on the sides where you touch it that seems much more rugged than the old mouse. I suppose only time will tell how it stands up under repeated use but I'm guessing it will be much better.
- The hand position seems much better. It does take getting used to for sure. But I find that when I just let my hand relax and use the mouse as intended that it is extremely comfortable. Just be sure to follow the diagram included in the box and don't try to force your hand into a position you'd use with a "regular" mouse because then you'll have hand pain guaranteed.

The areas where my experience was different than the other reviewer are:
- My Wireless Desktop 6000 came with version 3.0A of the receiver and I found that it works just fine with this mouse. I did not need to use the receiver included with the mouse. (I'm using Windows XP, for the record.)
- The base of this mouse is indeed smaller than others but I haven't experienced the tipping and scraping at all. It seems to me you'd have to push like heck on the side of the mouse for that to happen.
- The scroll wheel does indeed feel set a little farther back, but I haven't found this to be a problem.

I have pretty big hands and I find that this mouse fits me well. But my wife has small hands and she was totally unable to use this mouse. So, if you've got medium to large hands you're probably OK, but if you have small hands I wouldn't recommend this at all.


****

Here's an update after a few months of use: I still like the mouse very much -- it's the most comfortable mouse I've ever used and I never get any hand pain anymore. So that's a huge plus. But the clear plastic surface on the left side of the mouse started to turn yellowish after a few weeks of use and now the surface is starting to disintegrate. (Why can't Microsoft come up with a comfortable surface that's durable too?) But to tell you the truth, the ergonomics of this mouse are so good that I plan to buy another one.

* Positives:

This mouse helps prevent a pain in my wrist that I get when I use a standard mouse for an extended period of time. You grip this mouse at about a 45 degree angle, which is a much more normal angle for the wrist. It definitely helps me. This doesn't necessarily mean it will help you the same way, everyone's different, but it is certainly a much more natural angle for the wrist to be in for longer periods of time.

The mouse wheel of this mouse is the best I've ever used. It's effectively perfect for scrolling through web pages. Just the right speed and feel. There are no 'clicks' when you use it, but it still is precise enough to not need them, which surprised me, as my last mouse had the clicks and I was quite used to them. Scrolling is fantastic.

This mouse also has a sideways scrolling feature, if you need to scroll across wide spreadsheets or web pages. You can also reprogram this feature for other uses, if you don't need the horizontal scrolling. In fact, all the buttons are reprogrammable, not only globally, but per program.

* Neutrals:

The base of this mouse is notably narrower than the mouse itself, which while not a problem for me or my desk surface, might be for others. Something to consider.

The two thumb buttons on this mouse are way higher than any other mouse I've ever used or seen. You have to lift your thumb quite a bit to use them. I sometimes have to look at the mouse in order to find them.

Because the mouse takes 2 AA batteries, the mouse is quite heavy compared to a corded mouse. If your mouse surface is angled at all, this mouse may start to slide down it on its own.

Mouse click feel is average. It works. It's not great. Definitely not a gamer's mouse in terms of precision or feel. This may be a laser mouse, but it doesn't feel like it. I've tested it on various surfaces, from fabric to wood to glass to gaming mousepads, and the tracking is merely average - not better than my 4-year-old 'gaming' optical mouse. Nothing special here. In fact, probably slightly worse.

* Negatives:

The wireless receiver has almost no range. Like 2 feet max, with a direct line of sight. If you plan on putting the receiver where there might be stuff between it and the mouse - whether it be of wood, plastic, metal, or even a stack of paper - forget it, buy another mouse. The receiver practically has to be sitting on top of the mouse for it to work properly, and the receiver's USB cord is NOT long (maybe 4 ft) - so make sure after hooking up the receiver from your computer to your workdesk that it will still be within 2 feet direct-line-of-sight to the mouse.

A very odd aspect of this mouse is that it tracks slightly differently than any other mouse I've ever used. If you drag the mouse perfectly horizontally from left to right, the mouse will creep slightly lower as you move right. It's almost like the mouse needs a front-end alignment. So you will probably need to relearn how to drag this mouse in order to get the pointer to go where you want it to go. It's X / Y axis seem to be rotated about 15 degrees off from normal. Unfortunately, I've found no way to modify this in the software. Quite odd. Other people have mentioned it, and it is indeed true. It's unlikely this mouse will feel "familiar" to you as soon as you use it. The shape already takes some getting used to, but this additional tracking 'error' makes it quite a bizarre relearning experience.

* Final Verdict:

I'm keeping it because it helps with the wrist pain. I'm not loving it, though. If you really have serious wrist pain, this mouse might help you out. But that's about all it's going to do. Don't buy it for anything other than it's ergonomic features. If Logitech comes out with a mouse similar to this, I'll be buying that one quickly.

MOUSE ERGONOMICS

I'm on the computer 12 hours a day and my wrist has been bothering me. When using most mice, your wrist is on the table, and hand is cranked up at an angle over the mouse. This completely changes your mouse posture. It is a massively tall mouse that completely angles your hand when using it.


Here's what the mouse instructions recommends:
The pinky edge of your hand is on the table, and your hand wraps the side of the 2.5" tall mouse, so your hand is almost sideways the whole time. Takes some getting use to, but at least all presure is off your wrist.

Here's what I prefer:
I use a mouse pad with a thickly padded wrist rest. The part of my forearm right before the wrist is on the wrist rest, and the hand is on the tall, (right-hand) slanted mouse, so my wrist is hanging in mid-air. This feels pretty natural for me and no more wrist pains.


MOUSE PERFORMANCE

It performs very well, as well as any other MS laser mouse. Laser works on most surfaces, but not on glass or glossy surfaces. It's been 2 months and I haven't had to change the batteries yet.

Pros:
All of the above.

Cons:
Sometimes I do get inconsistent velocity when I move the mouse at constant speed but the cursor does'nt. Smoother table surfaces seem to help. This is not for gaming.

I had high hopes for this new natural mouse from Microsoft. I was using a Microsoft wireless laser 6000 mouse which frequently hurt my hand due to the uncomfortable angle forced on the wrist. Being an early adopter, I purchased this new "natural" mouse online before it was available in stores. Upon receiving, the first thing I was disapointed in was that it would not work with my existing wireless receiver from Microsoft. I have a very new wireless desktop 6000 v2.0 keyboard and mouse with a version 3.1 wireless receiver. This new natual mouse came with a version 1.0 receiver and seems to be required to communicate. I'm guessing they're shipping the older 1.0 receiver due to problems with the newer receiver and Windows Vista screen saver (a separate issue I won't go into here). After plugging in the 1.0 receiver (along with my 3.1 receiver required for my keyboard), the mouse came to life. I liked the angle of the mouse and the height - it's taller and puts your hand at a more comfortable angle. However, when using the mouse I noticed that it frequently wanted to tilt slightly to the left or right, causing the bottom edges to scrape slightly against my mouse pad. This scraping I'm sure is due to the increased height of the mouse and also the very small size of the base of the mouse. The mouse tapers down to a smaller size where it contacts the mouse pad. I also felt it wasn't quite long enough, putting the scroll wheel too far behind my finger tip (and I have fairly small hands). I think Microsoft's a step in the right direction with making a more ergonomic mouse, however I feel this mouse is just not right for me. I wish the base was larger so that it would remain flat during use and that it was a little longer. Better yet, it would be nice if they came in different sizes or maybe different interchangeable shells for different hand sizes. I would highly recommend that you try this mouse before purchasing.

I feel like the ergonomics of this mouse will be a love or hate relationship for most people.

The tall, side-sloping design is a real departure from the lower and longer designs we have become accustomed to of late. In the store, I had mixed feelings, but decided I would take a chance.

As someone who, unfortunately, spends 10-12 hours in front of a computer daily, I have found this mouse to be a relief to my aging wrists. With low-slung mice I find myself holding the mouse and pivoting my wrist from side to side for movement. With this mouse, I find that I actually rest my hand on the mouse and move my entire arm. I use the laser 6000 at the office and another mouse at home. I've found that switching between them has helped my wrist to feel a little better at the end of the day.

Pro: The design is unique and if it works for you is a welcome change. The mouse tracks well, the thumb rest is a nice touch and the scroll wheel works well.

Con: The design won't work for some people. The mouse is very short from front to back. I have long hands and could benefit from another couple of inches in length. The rubber thumb pad has started to discolor a little. Not a big deal for me. One or twice a week, I get a mildly annoying popup about low signal strength.

Finally, using this mouse I discovered that I had developed a habit of picking the mouse up to reposition it slightly. Due to the weight of this mouse and the hand position this is an awkward task. It's not a problem, the weight just surprised me a little the first couple of times I did it. I've since mostly broken myself of the habit.

If Microsoft does anything really well, it's mice. It feels almost perfect. My only gripe is that it very slightly angles my hand upward. Not enough to cause discomfort but there seems to be something a little bit wrong about the angle. Regardless, I love the feel and performance. It tracks smoothly over all surfaces and the software is actually useful. Virtually all software I've used that comes with a mouse is crapware in my experience. In this case, there are two particularly useful software features: the magnifier and instant viewer. I use both a lot but use the instant viewer constantly. With a click, the instant viewer opens all windows, displays them all on your desktop, lets you click and choose what you want. This is particularly useful for those of us that often bounce from window to window a lot and have a number of programs open at any given time. The magnifier is good too. With a click, what is basically a magnifying glass opens up and lets you zoom in. I use this at work quite a bit. All told, a really good effort from MS. I wish they would have made Vista as well as this mouse.

I bought this mouse in a vain attempt to keep my wrist and thumb from hurting. While it might be designed for comfort, it isn't designed to actually track like every other mouse on the planet. You move the mouse horizontally to the left and the cursor goes and a pretty good angle up and to the left! There's no way this mouse can be used with any great efficiency in Photoshop or Illustrator or any other application that requires "normal" cursor movement.

What a complete disappointment.

I have been using this as my primary mouse for about a month, and am generally happy. I plan to continue using it for a long time. The mouse is very comfortable to use and the batteries seem to last longer than I expected (still on the original batteries after a month of daily use).

I do find a couple of things kind of annoying about this mouse:
* The scroll wheel is hard to press down as a middle click. Because the wheel is not centered in its opening, sometimes I end up pulling the wheel to the left (side scroll) instead of pressing it straight down.
* Horizontal wheel scrolling is mostly worthless, and there is no way to remap horizontal scrolling to any other function.
* The scroll wheel is very smooth scrolling, it does not have notches like my old Microsoft Optical mouse. This works fine for scrolling a scrollbar in an application, but is very annoying for scrolling by page in a PDF file, or zooming in Google Maps because moving the scroll wheel a tiny bit can throw you hundreds of pages away, or zoom you out completely. It would also making any game that uses the scroll wheel (for changing weapons, for instance) very hard to play.
* The default setup for the buttons is not what I had expected. I had to change the function of the buttons using the provided Microsoft software to get middle clicking to work (the default was "Instant Viewer") with the scroll wheel. Back is the default for the large thumb button, and Magnify was the default for the small thumb button.

I had to change the way I used a couple applications (like viewing PDFs in "Single Page Continuous" instead of "Single Page" view), but overall this is an extremely comfortable mouse, and I would recommend it to anyone who won't have major problems with the annoyances listed above.

Let me start off my saying that I am a Mac user. There are very few Microsoft products in my house. But this mouse has completely exceeded my expectations. I concur with the reviewer who said that if there is anything that Microsoft is really good at, it's mice. I sit at the computer over 12 hours a day so you can imagine that hand and wrist strain is a major issue for me. When my Apple studio mouse finally started to die (one of the older ones) I tried a few things: the new Apple mice (hated them) a Kensington trackball (liked it but it's not that precise and it is super clunky) a lesser priced Logitech mouse, and this one. This one outperformed them all - very precise, takes up very little space on my desk, and best of all...it FEELS good in your hand. After using it for a few days my hand and wrist started feeling a lot better and stopped throbbing at the end of the work day. I can honestly say in over 25 years of computing, this is the most comfortable mouse I have ever used.

Another surprise was how well the software worked on a Mac. It was a completely effortless installation.

I would strongly recommend it for the comfort factor alone.

This mouse has been great for me and it may be great for you as well. A month ago I was struggling to hold my four month old baby (12 lbs) without cringing in pain. What a huge disappointment and fear for me. I couldn't help but picture her getting older and Daddy not being able to hold her up at all. My issue was mild carpal tunnel and the beginning of wrist strain (tendinitis). I talked to a physician who gave me options and literature. My options are use it less ... a whole lot less, and learn to do things differently and give it a break more often. I started to learn to be left handed ... I was frustrated after three days ... so I decided to bite the built and shop for the best ergonomic peripherals I could find. I saw the joystick mice and such, but this mouse seemed the easiest to learn to use without drastically changing what I was used to. I also replaced my keyboard for a MS natural keyboard. My pain has disappeared, I can hold my girl and all is well ... almost. I have to use these ... I used a regular mouse for two while out at a client and the pain began to return. This mouse has been great ... it is ergonomic because it helps you keep your hand in a much better position.

Pros:
- Excellent mouse for ergonomics ... have solved my wrist pains (with keyboard help too)
- Additional features with the extras buttons (you can specify th actions they trigger)
- The wireless capability is superb. I have nothing but great things to say about the wireless performance.
- Battery life has been surprising. Only mice with "off" switches have ever lasted me this long.

Cons:
- The mouse is different and it will take a little to get used to.
- The 4-way wheel has yet to add value (I haven't used it except as a normal scroll)
- Scroll button ... harder to click because of the 4-way feature ... this takes the longest to get used to.

Neutral:
-Bulky ... this is by design and it is part of the ergonomics ... it keep your hand where it should be. If you have an issue with this, you are not really looking for this ergonomic mouse. For me, it has been worth every discomfort it brought because my hand is pain free and fully functional again.

Hope this helps, cheers!