Verbatim Wireless Desktop Laser Mouse

The first mouse we review in 2009 is not from Microsoft, Logitech, or even Razer. No, no, no, we're not boycotting the Big Three this year; we just want to test out products from companies a bit low on the radar. Verbatim, a company known more for their storage media products, releases their aptly titled "Wireless Desktop Laser Mouse." It goes without saying that this is a wireless rodent powered by a laser engine. But what else?

click on image for full viewThe top is dominated by a smooth, silver finish, while grey, textured sides enhance grip. The rubberized scroll wheel ensures a non-slip surface. Belly up, the mouse reveals four Teflon pads for smooth traction, and there's even an on/off switch so that the mouse doesn't turn on accidentally—say if you shoved it in a backpack. Also there's a button that opens up the battery compartment. This is where a pair of AA batteries comes in handy (included).
The Wireless Desktop Laser Mouse boasts a symmetrical design, aptly suitable for lefties and righties equally. Its inclusion of two side buttons (both on the left) makes it slightly more beneficial for the righty than the leftie, but everything else is perfectly symmetrical. In fact, its shape and color reminded us of the Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 which is among our favorite ambidextrous mice today.
In addition to its two thumb buttons, the scroll wheel can be clicked three ways—down the middle, and nudged to the left or right for horizontal scrolling. Though we admit that we have not yet channeled side-to-side scrolling into our mousing habits, some people may find it helpful, especially with wide documents or pictures. Vertical scrolling registers clicky detents, a feature essential for gaming, yet not required for more generic tasks—though we like clicky feedback for more accurate line-by-line scrolling.
About an inch below the scroll wheel is an on-the-fly dpi button capable of toggling between three different speeds (800, 1200, 1600). The dpi button lights up when the mouse is plugged in—signaling 1600 at its brightest, 1200 dimmed, and 800 with no light.
Available online for prices ranging around $30–35, the Wireless Desktop Laser Mouse is among the most inexpensive mice of its category, especially compared with those that come out of Microsoft and Logitech. Is "inexpensive" just a kind word for "cheap?" Or is this truly a bargain? Let's find out Mouse Breakdown
Two side buttons and on-the-fly dpi switching, sure sounds like the qualifications for a gaming mouse. Though classified as more of a desktop mouse, we'll still fire up a game or two to see how it handles gaming tasks—just for fun. For the most part, we'll judge the mouse more on design, buttons, precision, and software.
ErgonomicsGiven that the mouse is ambidextrous, hence making it equally suitable for lefties and righties, you can't match the form fitting design of a right-handed or left-handed specific mouse. Our hands didn't naturally fall into place—perhaps that is because of our preference for larger mice. The narrow shape encouraged more of a fingertip approach when moving the mouse around, which is where you lift your wrist from the mouse and move with only the fingers. This is also called a "precision grip," since you're more likely to make subtle movements with the fingers rather than with the wrist.
DPI and PrecisionOn-the-fly dpi switching is a handy feature to have with any mouse—especially when gaming. For more common tasks, we switched dpi when editing an image in Photoshop, dipping the dpi to its lowest setting when using the eraser and lasso tools.
In our laser tracking stress test, the mouse did pretty well on rough and hard-to-track surfaces. It held its own on marble, but crippled under granite. Only one mouse has been able to stand up to virtually any surface: theMicrosoft Explorer Mouse.
The laser sensor is still a few notches below other more high-end sensors, however, because of two features: its power saving sleep mode and its high lift-off distance. The sensor has a tendency to "fall asleep" and stay asleep when not in use for a few minutes, causing the cursor to disappear and only reappear when you click one of the buttons—as opposed to just moving the mouse around like other wireless mice.
This is likely intentional, giving that Verbatim mentions their "intelligent power saving" technology. Sure, it may help save some battery life in the long run, but the lag and requirement of clicking a button to wake the mouse up is a bit inconvenient.
Also, we weren't' impressed with the sensor's high lift-off distance. Now, this is often times a metric we measure with gaming mice only, but in this case the lift-off distance was pretty high and apparent even with normal computing tasks.
The lift-off distance is how far you can lift a mouse off the mousepad until the sensor stops calculating movement. So if you reach the end of your mousing surface and still have to move in that same direction, you'll have to lift the mouse and reposition it at the center of the surface. Doing so, some mice with high lift-off distances will cause the cursor to jump or continue moving even when lifted off the surface. Ideally, you'll want a very short lift-off distance so that you don't make unwanted movements.
In this case, our mouse would continue tracking well above the normal lift-off distance compared with other mice, causing some erratic cursor behavior.
Buttons and Scroll WheelUsers can reprogram up to three buttons—the two side buttons and the scroll wheel (middle click). That's goes well beyond the call of duty for your average two-buttons-and-a-scroll-wheel mouse you can pick up at the local computer shop. The two thumb buttons are up and out of the way from accidental presses, yet still within easy reach. Pressing them is effortless and they provide firm tactile and aural feedback when executed.
The on-the-fly dpi button, also, is easily accessible but out of the way from accidental presses. Its three-way lighting helps remind users what dpi mode they're on, so that helps.
The scroll wheel registers clicky detents for accurate line-by-line scrolling and weapon selection in gaming. We didn't encounter issues clicking the wheel down the middle and accidentally nudging the wheel to the left or right. Some Microsoft and Logitech mice with four-way scrolling have this issue. But not Verbatim's.
SoftwareThere's nothing really impressive about the software interface or controls. It meets the basic needs of the user, such as adjusting scrolling modes and remapping buttons. We would have liked to have the option to adjust different dpi modes just for a little flexibility Final Thoughts—A Good Value?
Our favorite thing about Verbatim's Wireless Desktop Laser Mouse is its price. The mouse itself really didn't impress us; you can leave that up to high-end mice that cost twice, or even three times as much. But for its price, you get a whole lot at a low price. At around $30–35 online, Verbatim's mouse is one of the most inexpensive wireless laser mice you can find.
Lefties will appreciate its symmetrical design, but we wish that there were one button on each side of the mouse, not both on the left side. This is something we don't understand. Why design a mouse that fits perfectly in the hands of righties and lefties, but with a button placement that benefits righties only? Make one half of the mouse an exact reflection of the other half.
What's interesting about this desktop mouse is that it has features commonly seen in most gaming mice: clicky scroll wheel, side buttons, and on-the-fly dpi switching. Even its highest setting of 1600 dpi is fast enough for most gamers, at least for us. So its versatility to handle things big and small gives it an even stronger selling pitch.
But it's not without its faults. Our main gripes involve the laser sensor. The mouse has an annoying power-saving "feature" where the mouse falls asleep and only awakens when you click a mouse button—not when you move the mouse. Also, the high lift-off distance added to some cursor instability when the mouse was lifted off the mousepad.
Overall, this is a decent mouse for a great price. It's a step down from more high-end mice coming out of the Big Three mouse manufacturers, but it makes up ground with its tempting price tag.