- Windows 7 compatible only
- Connects using computer's Wi-Fi receiver; integrated four-way scroll wheel allows you to scroll horizontally and vertically
- High-precision laser senor allows for accurate performance on almost every surface
- Supports Windows 7 task switching with the touch of one button
- The mouse comes equipped with two high-quality Energizer batteries and is designed to provide up to 12 months of battery life depending on usage
- Unit Dimensions: 3.25L inch x 2.25 inch W x 1.0 inch H
I haven't stopped using wired mice entirely--an old Razer Diamondback is my backup whenever a wireless device goes awry, complete with cord that tangles and hangs on the corners. For laptops, I just say the less thread the better. My netbook is usually accompanied by a wireless Logitech MX-100 ambidextrous laser mouse, pretty typical device there. Then this compact little Targus Wi-Fi ambidextrous model came up in the Amazon Vine newsletter. It uses your Internet wireless network, logging on alongside your computers and printers. So I took it for a week-long test drive in the heart of a state university library, filled with Kindles and iPads and laptops and netbooks, during finals week...
Out of the box--and the box will require a bit of effort to open without damaging it--the Targus Wi-Fi is smart about power. The battery compartment fits a pair of AAA batteries instead of double-As. As my battery charger fits both types, so I appreciate the mouse for using my existing stock of rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NIMH, appropriate for mice). The power switch is also sturdier and less likely to be jostled in my trusty old laptop case. The latter is another Targus product, and it has held up since 1998, being the only piece of computer-related equipment other than CD-ROM games to have survived the Brian Ranzoni journey this long. Unfortunately, my usual Logitch MX-100 doesn't do as well in any journey, because the sensitive power button gets easily pressed.
Installation of this model, on the other hand, wasn't quite as easy as the instructions stated. My netbook could not detect the mouse until I logged the former onto a network, which is not mentioned in the manual. The manual simply states that your computer and its Wi-Fi must be turned on. Once setup is completed, the mouse will talk to the computer in the future without the need to connect with any network, obviously as long as the Wi-Fi antenna is on. Your computer may also require a virtual repeater called a "software access point" (SoftAP) to allow your OS to talk to the mouse; SoftAP is already bundled with Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or later, so all you have to do here is make sure your PC is up to date. I imagine that Mac and Linux users have a similar virtual driver, but I don't know if you can rig this mouse to work with your system. Finally, your computer will have to have an actual Internet Wi-Fi transceiver--from what I can tell, you won't be able to program this mouse to use the same USB sticks as a standard wireless mouse or keyboard.
The mouse is noticeably slower to connect than standard wireless peripherals. Especially when booting up your system, it can take several minutes before it is recognized and enabled. Anything that temporarily suspends your system, such as sleep mode or bringing up the log-in screen, will also cause a noticeable delay of 3 to 10 seconds before the mouse is useable. In contrast, the touch pad of my netbook works immediately. Because of this aspect, I do not recommend using this mouse with a desktop computer unless you have a back up device. Otherwise, the mouse did not seem to suffer any interference from other wireless devices despite being used in the middle of a major University hotspot. It generally is not necessary to hit the connect button on the bottom of the device, unlike some wireless models I've used which periodically drop out. This contrasts to my Logitech Wave devices, which occasionally cross signals or otherwise have difficulty hitting up the antenna.
The Targus Wi-Fi mouse is itself reasonable as back up or a main device. The laser reads well on various table top surfaces, even those with a distinct patina; compare this to my older optical mice, including my trusty old Razer Diamondback and my prehistoric Microsoft 5-button optical, which are confused by the sheen on my old desk.
The buttons respond right out of the box, though I didn't do any heavy gaming as a trial. It didn't seem to me to lag especially, so casual laptop gamers ought to do okay here, just don't trust it to save your life in a maddened click-fight. I'm a five-button mouse gamer myself, with the side inputs typically being used for things like Secondary Fire and Flashlight (Half-Life series), or Block/Aim and Grab (Fallout 3 and New Vegas). It seems to me that it is as tricky to hit the pinky-side button intentionally, as it is easy to hit it accidentally. That is to say, one downside here is downsize; the mouse is a touch small and too easy to accidentally hit side buttons while trying to keep my grip, while also requiring a bit of an unnatural curl to get at them when you want.
Otherwise, the rubber grips give good traction, the footpads slide well without making the mouse an accidental hockey puck, and the whole thing is sturdy. I did not perform a drop test or a bathtub test. I have also not owned the mouse long enough to tell you if it is an efficient energy user, though it certainly did not die on me during the intensive finals week.
Obviously, if you use this mouse in a public place, or logged onto a public account for your initial setup, there is a risk that somebody can detect it. Right in the library where I work, we have students who experiment with web phone apps for finding every wireless device and port in the building.
Don't let that scare you off. This is a serviceable Wi-Fi laser mouse, and a good value from a price point of 40 dollars.
Buy Targus Targus Wi-Fi Laser Mouse - Black (AMW58US) Now
This mouse is good, IF, and ONLY "IF", you have good Wi-Fi... if you have slow internet connection (such as I do) It will glitch/lag as it becomes EXTREMELY sensitive for about 5 seconds then it goes back to normal. All the buttons work fine (when it is not lagging), is very portable (but it might be a little too small for some people with big hands), and it is relatively easy to set up. Let me do a little breakdown on the pros vs. the cons.
Pros:
1. It is very portable.
2. Has nice grips on the sides so it won't slip out of your hand.
3. Easy setup.
4. Nice for web browsing with its "back page/forward page" buttons on both sides of the mouse.
5. It feels sturdy.
6. It is affordable.
Cons:
1. It lags/glitches if you have bad WI-FI.
2. It is a tad on the small side if you have large hands like my GIGANTOR son who is a 6'2" Moose!
So in the end... IF don't have good internet (like me) & if you have an usb port to spare, you should go with a wireless Bluetooth mouse instead of this one.
I would have given this 4 stars if it didn't keep lagging on me every few minutes. (And I do have REALLY bad WI-FI, so if you have average or above WI FI this mouse will be fine for you.)
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Mixed reaction on this wireless mouse. I love the idea of a wireless mouse, however, there's been some unexpected issues.
Pros:
Love the idea of a wireless mouse: very portable with a nice, compact design.
Once connected, it works really well very accurate with very smooth controls.
Nice features with the 4 way scroll button. Extra side buttons allow back/forward browsing.
Cons:
Must use the software to detect and turn on the mouse every time. It's not automatic or as seamless as most products are now.
If the mouse is turned off or loses connection, control doesn't automatically return to the touch pad. After many tries, I couldn't get this to work the way my usb mouse does. This is a deal breaker for me as it causes unnecessary reboots to regain access to my touch pad. Don't know if this is a design flaw or a specific issue with my set up.
Overall, this wireless mouse is a great idea but a bit short on execution.
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My complaint with the Targus Wi-Fi Laser mouse is not so much this device itself as it works almost exactly as describedmore on that later, but more so on the theory of a wi-fi mouse itself. Firstly your computer must obviously have wi-fi as an option and whilst that's almost certainly going to be the case with a laptop it's probably less likely with a desktop PC (having said that my wife just bought a HP desktop which has wifi built in so perhaps it's becoming more common). So this device is aimed at laptops then? For the most part, but that's the inherent problem; to use this mouse at all you'll need wifi enabled on your lappie and that of course drains the battery much more than say a USB dongle would. If you're working in an environment where you wouldn't need wifi on, say on a plane or in a deadspot then you're needlessly draining your battery by having wifi on, all just to use a mouse! I almost wished it had a secondary wired option as a back up for this scenarios.
Your own laptop usage will dictate whether the above is going to be a deal-breaker. My laptop is generally plugged into an outlet most of the time so for me it is actually less of an issue but one I thought mentioning all the same.
The mouse itself comes with installation software, something kind of unusual in this day and age, and will require SoftAP which windows 7 has (this mouse will not work with XP, Vista and probably other OSes) and then syncs via your wifi connection. It's not a 'clean' way of getting a mouse connected frankly but once done it's done. There's a delay coming out of sleep mode but my aging Logitech MX700 suffers from the same problem. I did see lag similar to when older ball mice would stick and I really don't like that. In fact out of all my criticisms that would be my biggest. I could live with all other quirks if it performed like silk but lagging at any point is not acceptable especially with the laser aspect of the peripheral. Because of that this mouse has not replaced the existing one I use on my laptop.
So it's not worthy of a purchase? No, I wouldn't say that. I think you need specific needs perhaps your USB connections are all filled up for example, and I probably need a faster laptop to fix the lag. With the right set up and the right situation a wi-fi mouse may be just what you're looking for and for the current low price point and extensive features 12 month claimed battery life, four-way scroll button, ambidextrous styling etc this could be just perfect. If I could give it 3.5 stars I would... as it stands 3 out of 5.
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I think that, in theory, this was a great idea. After all, it frees up a USB port on your notbook computer, a precious commodity indeed in a world of portable mice, external wifi dongles, and flash drives, all clammoring for space in your computer's ports. So this mouse was something I really wanted to work, especially since I only have one free open port on my notebook. The installation went according to expectations and the device worked for a day or two. Then, after booting up my notebook, the mouse wouldn't work. I re-mated the mouse to the computer and it worked fine until the next time I had to wake my computer up from sleep. After that, it didn't work at all. I kept receiving the error that the application no longer worked. I attempted to reinstall the driver, but to no avail. Very disappointing in the end.
Pros:
*It's a great idea to save on USB space in your computer
*It was easy to install (the first time)
*The device does work for a little while...
Cons:
*...but quickly stopped working at all. That's a pretty fatal flaw.
*The user guide was really shallow, without any troublesoooting tips. I would have at least expected a better guide on the installation disc.
*Once it's dead, it's dead, and there's no coming back that I can find.
All in all, this would have been an OK product had it not died on me after three days. Those interested in the item may want to look for a wifi mouse solution elsewhere...I know I will be.
