Customer Reviews

Targus PAUM501U Full Size Optical Mouse - Black

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

I don't like using touchpads and I got this mouse for my laptop about 6 months ago. I use my laptop a lot and take it from meeting to meeting, and absolutely loved this mouse - its size and retractable cord made it really easy to take around with me.

The only issue was its short life span: it died on me last week, without warning. No LED light, nothing. By reading the other comments, it looks like I'm not the only one who experienced this issue.

It is so convenient that I would buy it again, if Targus updated this model. For now I think I'll stick with a sturdier model, even if it is bigger.

The Targus Ultra Mini Optical Mouse (TUMOM) is an amazing piece of hardware. Its convenient size and weight make it just another competitor in the laptop mouse field, but what sets it apart from the crowd is its cord. Not only is the cord extremely thin and light-weight, but you can make the length anywhere from six inches to about two feet and then retract it down to nothing for transport. It's almost like having a wireless mouse, but without the added initial cost or the ongoing cost of batteries. Having the second mouse button is a big bonus for Macintosh laptop users; the third button (depressing the scroll wheel) is great too (mine is programmed for Exposé's "view all windows" feature).

There are a couple caveats, but these are probably going to hold true for any laptop optical mouse, not just the TUMOM. When I plugged the mouse into my PowerBook (in battery power mode) it sucked about 20 minutes off the clock, which then kept dropping at an accelerated rate. Although it seems to have ergonomic styling, over use of the mini mouse will probably result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so be careful out there.

I've only had my TUMOM for a couple days, so I can't speak to its longevity (so far, so good). I've had a hard time convincing my three-year-old that it's not a toy (I've had a hard time convincing *myself* it's not a toy - it's just so fun to extend the cord ... retract the cord ... extend the cord ... etc.). The silver finish perfectly complements my Aluminum PowerBook (I briefly considered a Microsoft laptop mouse that was also silver, but, hello ... evil). I was initially concerned that the retractable widget would get in the way while moving the mouse, but that hasn't been a problem.

My previous favorite computer gadget was the Lexar 128MB USB JumpDrive, but this makes that look soooo last year (which it was). This is truly a gadget lover's dream.

I didn't think I really needed this for my laptop, since the touchpad does a decent job. But this makes navigating the desktop and surfing the web much faster and more comfortable. It's tiny, but feels just right. I don't even like using a regular sized mouse anymore. It is truly plug and play via the USB port - it doesn't require separate software or drivers, or even a system restart for that matter. I just hooked it up and was using it in less than half a minute. Both buttons and the scroll wheel perform admirably. The self-winding cord works like a charm too. It comes with its own carry bag which makes packing convenient. In essence, it's everything I was looking for in a mouse. I'm not usually terribly enthusiastic about gadgets, but this one is without flaw.

This tiny mouse is the coolest thing I've bought for my laptop. I have a Mac and it works great - not only for surfing but also doing graphic design... Its retractable cord is perfect to save on space and keep everything together. There is no battery needed and it is so lightweight. Plus the rollerball and 2 clickers add to the ease of using the mouse. Its almost too lightweight to feel like its real (kinda resembles the weight of a keychain or something.) Its a great device. So far, anyway.

Targus PAUM004U Notebook Optical Mouse (with Blue Light)

pros:
1) overall design;
2) comparatively little physical weight;

cons:
1) "blue light" feature is (IMHO) pretty irritating and there is no way to switch it off;
2) often senses double-click, when you click only once;
3) stopped working after 1 year

Bought the mouse for a Dell Inspiron 600 because of size and retractable cord. The size fits in a laptop case easily and is far less bulky than others. While very small, it works well on small tables, on the computer itself and on an airplace tray. But, the lock on the cord rewind device broke within one month and I now have to tie a knot in the cord on both sides of the rewind section to keep it from snapping back against the computer when no in use. It didn't really cost that much, but, as it turned out, it was a waste of money. I no longer use it. When it worked, I would rate it a 5; broken a 0.

This is the 4th notebook mouse I've had to buy within the last 2 years, and this one is the 4th different brand. So I have a bit of experience with this type of mouse. And because they break so easily, I only buy the cheapest ones I can find -- some of the prices they're charging for these mice are outrageous!

I don't even remember the brand names of the first two; let's face it, a mouse is a commodity item, and as long as it works as expected, who cares what brand it is?

The problem with all of the smaller notebook mice like this Targus is that the cables are flimsy and will eventually break where they enter the mouse. There's not much you can do about it; just make sure you try to always pull on the cable and not by the mouse and USB insert.

This Targus is made just like the others (indeed, I suspect they're probably all made in a single factory in China), so I expect it to break just like the others, thus I bought two when I found them at a huge discount.

The other problem with this Targus compared to my other no-name brands is that the mouse buttons take a little more pressure to click. Not something you might notice unless you had one of the smooth-working types I've used before.

The biggest issue for me when this mouse was new was that the scroll wheel jumped more than one screen length on "widescreen" 16:9 displays, like the HP dv2000 I'm using right now to type. The whole idea of a scroll wheel is to slowly scroll down, line by line but this one jumped 1.5 pages. Big problem.

The solution (for me anyway) was to go to the Targus website and download the 'Scroll Wheel Software' for this mouse and install it. It allows you to select how many lines you'd like the wheel to scroll. What's strange is that the software indicated that the mouse was indeed set to scroll 3 lines with each wheel click (it wasn't), but once I reset it using the software, it started to scroll correctly.

I could not get the generic Windows or Vista mouse driver software in the Control Panel to do this; only the Targus software worked. So keep that in mind if you have this problem.

Otherwise, it's just a cheap mouse. Yep, it's small and a bit harder to manage than a full-sized mouse, but it's a notebook mouse and that comes with the territory. Not sure I'd buy one of these again, I'll keep searching for that "perfect" (and cheap!) notebook mouse...

My husband's gone through two of these. When the mouse button on the first broke, he chalked it up to bad luck. When the second broke, he bought another brand. Fine mouse, great ergonomics, but it only lasted a couple of months.

I purchased my mouse at a RITE-AID drugstore,on impulse, @ $15.99. I've been using this for two months. It is somewhat jerky, or it "sticks", and mine is VERY picky about what's used for a mousepad, or what colors the mousepad has. Mouse works best on solid color, the darker the better and it does NOT like plastic! Works well on wood and dark jeans, though!

Does well as a stationary mouse, but it's not for those who must have super-sensitivity. It didn't do quite as well in the car or on the plane. Maybe it's just the particular mouse I bought, though.

On the POSITIVE side, it's still pretty neat, fits well in my small but clumsy hands, and IS definitely handy when space is an issue. The retractable cord works VERY smoothly and NOT ONCE did it "retract" during extensive use, even when it got jerked a little. I really like that feature. The scroll button feature works perfectly, too.

I'm keeping mine, despite the love/hate relationship...

Exactly what we were looking for, it functions as well as a full size mouse and is ideal for working in a restricted space such as on a laptop surface. The retractable cord makes it super convenient, it's perfect.