Macopinion

The Road Warrior Review - Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse

Getting right down to business, I like the Kensington Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse better than any other wireless mouse I’ve used to date. I’m especially smitten with its thin profile - up to 30% thinner than is the norm with computer mice. It is also a smoooooth customer, gliding near-effortlessly and silkily across my mouse pad.

The Ci75m is also relatively light in weight for a wireless mouse, thanks to using the smaller AAA rather than AA batteries. The AA’s won’t offer as long a battery life, but the lighter weight is worth it. Of course the mouse is even lighter with its batteries removed and connected to the the USB transceiver via the hideaway cord.

I found the Ci75m very comfortable to use, and the low profile contributes to keeping your wrist angle flat as well as looking cool and contemporary. The sides of the mouse housing are clad in a rubbery traction material for a positive grip.

The light action and relatively short travel of the mouse buttons are appreciated as well. The mouse’s split top panel flexes for the left/right button click functions, and have a positive feel. I also like the scroll wheel, which is clickable for a third-button function and likewise has a positive, high-quality feel, with about the right resistance to rolling and good response.

The Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse is not a Bluetooth device, but operates on the 27 MHz frequency with a nominal range of up to 30 feet, and its own dedicated receiver that plugs into a USB port on the computer or a USB hub. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, you don’t have to be bothered with the tedium of Bluetooth pairing and wake-up lag; on the other, it eats up a precious USB port, and the little receiver module is another loose bit with the potential to get lost.

Actually, that latter issue has been addressed by Kensington in the form of a receptacle in the bottom of the mouse itself in which to store the USB wireless receiver when it’s not in use, and inserting the receiver in its slot also automatically powers the mouse down to conserve battery charge. This really is a mouse designed for use with portable computers.

Happily, the Wireless Notebook Mouse requires no driver installation or other software, and is supported by OS X.

As for wireless performance, the mouse is instantly recognized by the system without having to muck around with pairing connections like you have to do with Bluetooth mice. Unfortunately, this mouse, like all wireless mice I’ve ever used, is afflicted with a degree latency in response to user-input. I’m happy to report that there seems to be some progress on this issue, and the Ci75m is the least troubled by this symptom of any I’ve sampled to date, but it is still there. Just a tiny micro-millisecond lag between the time you move the mouse and when the movement registers with the cursor, as opposed to the right NOW response you get with wired mice. The most significant aggravation associated with this is that it causes me to overshoot onscreen targets.

Since this mouse also features a “wired” mode, I was interested to see if the latency would be present when the cord is connected. Disappointingly, it is, I guess because the Ci75m’s cord plugs into the wireless receiver rather than into a USB port directly. Still, as I said, this is the best wireless mouse (along with the quite similar mouse of the Kensington Ci70 Wireless Desktop Set) I’ve used yet in the context of latency.

Actually, after a few days of using the Ci75m mouse, I began to reflexively compensate, which rendered it only a minor annoyance.

If you prefer a hard-wired mouse for maximum precision, Kensington makes a notebook mouse with a retractable USB cord, the aforementioned Ci25m Notebook Optical Mouse, which sells for a modest $19.99, looks great, and about which you can find out more here:
http://us.kensington.com/html/11194.html

The Ci75m is a very cleverly designed little rodent, one of its coolest features being the magnetic closure clamshell housing, which opens to reveal the battery bay and hideaway cord storage by simply pulling the cover and bottom modules apart with no screws to remove or latches to manipulate for literally instant access.. The cord coils into a channel around the inner case periphery, with a fitted receptacle for the plug. Very slick and neat.

Kensington says that the mouse is suitable for use in wireless-restricted areas when in corded mode, and it works just fine with the cord connected and the batteries removed. The cord plugs into a socket in the outer end of the USB receiver plug, which has a neat closure plug when the cord is not in use. The cord wire itself is quite thin gauge, which is nice for flexibility, but less so for durability under rough treatment, but in fairness, it’s intended for occasional use in the case of dead batteries or where wireless RF signals are not welcome such as aboard aircraft or in hospitals.

The mouse features a sleep mode for power conservation that is entered manually when you store the receiver module in its storage slot in the mouse base, or automatically after a few minutes of inactivity.

Speaking of sleep, one minor glitch I experienced is that the mouse drops its connection when the computer goes through a sleep-wake-up cycle. The drill to restore the connection is simply to hold the left button down for a second or two.

Less minor is the fact that sometimes I have to unplug the wireless receiver in order to get my PowerBook to stay asleep. The machine will go to sleep, but then spontaneously wake up a few seconds later. Removing the receiver solves the immediate problem, and this is a erratic occurrence. Sometimes the ‘Book will sleep just fine with the receiver plugged in.

The Ci75m mouse has a 1,000 dpi sensor, and I expected it to feel “nervous” with that high a resolution, but it doesn’t. Other than the aforementioned wireless latency issue, the mouse is nicely responsive and precise.

Overall, this mouse has a high standard of finish and the feel of quality about it, and a five year warranty to back up the impression. And after using it for a few days, going back to a regular-profile mouse felt a bit like switching from a sports car to a family sedan. I also missed the sleek feel and ultra-smooth response.

The Ci75m also also fulfills its promise as a notebook mouse; its slim profile and light weight make it easy to take along on the road in one self-contained package with the wireless receiver and cord stowed in the mouse body. Good stuff!

Features in summary:

* Up to 30% thinner than a standard notebook mouse to eliminate bulk from your travel bag
* Back-up power for wireless or USB powered operation
* Automatic sleep state conserves power and protects the optical sensor
* Sleek, ergonomic design provides comfort and mobility
* Performance Optical Sensor

Specifications
* PC and Mac compatible
* 27 MHz wireless
* Performance Optical sensor (1000 dpi)
* Low battery indicator on scroll wheel

Dimensions
Mouse dimensions 4.25”L X 0.65”H X 2.5”W
Cord length 25.5” 25.5”L
USB receiver 2.75”L X 0.25”H X 0.75”W

Ci75m Wireless Notebook Mouse is backed by the Kensington 5-Year warranty, and available in either black or orange livery. Either way, it’s extremely sleek and attractive.

The suggested retail price is $34.99.

For additional information, visit:
http://us.kensington.com/html/13313.html
or
http://www.kensington.com

*** cmoore@macopinion.com

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