Logitech MouseMan Traveler and Cordless Optical Mouse Reviews

Optical Accuracy for Frequent Fliers and Penny-Pinchers

Once you go optical, you never go back. Compared to a conventional mechanical or rolling-ball mouse, an optical mouse -- which uses a digital-camera-style sensor to detect motion by taking hundreds of snapshots of your desk surface per second -- is dust-proof and maintenance-free; you never need to clean out accumulated dust, or scrape gunk off its rollers. It also works on any surface (glass or mirrored desktops aside), so you needn't bother with a mouse pad.

You probably knew all that, since optical mice aren't new. Nor, even, is the combination of optical and convenient cordless technology, since Logitech introduced its Cordless MouseMan Optical seven months ago.

What's new are Logitech's variations on the optical theme. One, called simply the Cordless Optical Mouse, is an ambidextrous, more affordable cousin to the Cordless MouseMan Optical -- it's more symmetrically shaped and, at $50, priced $20 below its progenitor or $25 below Microsoft's new Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer.

The other, MouseMan Traveler, is also $50 but fits a specific niche: it's a mini-mouse for notebook users seeking a more familiar alternative to their laptops' touchpads or pointing sticks. Its small size; short, skinny cord; and supplied pocket carrying case are all designed for maximum mobility, while its optical design makes it ideal for pants legs, airline tray tables, or hotel-room desks where there's no pad to be had.

Logitech's Cordless Optical Mouse is a comfortable, conventionally oval shape with left and right buttons flanking a scroll wheel which you can click to serve as a third button. By default (or with no driver installed), the last toggles an auto-scroll function that moves through long documents as you move the mouse, but Logitech's MouseWare software lets you assign another function such as undo, a mini-menu of editing commands, or the company's WebWheel pop-up menu of browsing functions and bookmarks or favorites.

You can't, however, assign the same button to different functions in different applications as you can with Microsoft's mouse driver. And if you've been using the Cordless MouseMan or another of Logitech's or Microsoft's four- or five-button mice, you'll miss having a browser Back button or other function under your thumb.

Still, the extra buttons are the only sacrifice the Cordless Optical Mouse makes; it glides smoothly, responds to the lightest of button clicks, and is generally pleasant to use. And since its radio receiver (which plugs into either a USB or PS/2 port) can be up to six feet from the mouse, there's no cord to tangle amid papers or coffee cups. Logitech rates the two AA batteries in the mouse's belly for up to three months' use, with a handy power gauge in the MouseWare tray icon.

The MouseMan Traveler is a different breed of rodent. It has a cord, for one -- like most recent mice (or the Cordless Optical receiver), a USB cord with PS/2 adapter plug. But the wire-like cord is noticeably thinner and lighter than your current mouse's (bends or loops shake right out instead of having "memory"), and shorter -- just three feet, so it's less likely to get in the way in cramped spaces. A supplied extension cord adds another three feet for office use.

At 2 by 3.3 inches by 1 inch high, the Traveler is also much smaller -- think bar of hotel soap versus bar of soap -- so you can't rest your hand on it as you can a desktop mouse. And it takes a precise hand: Its top is a single, stylish piece of brushed aluminum, which you tap to press the left and right buttons hidden beneath, and its scroll wheel (also clickable as a third button) is tiny.

Between holding the dainty mouse with your fingertips (it has rectangular edges, not comfy curves) and giving the buttons the required firm push, you find yourself maneuvering the Traveler with more precision or conscious thought than your average mouse. Add the same basic-three-buttons design or lack of a thumb button mentioned above, and this is a negative review, right?

Surprisingly, no. While it demands more attention than the mouse you're used to, odds are the MouseMan Traveler will still feel more natural or intuitive than twiddling a pointing stick or touch pad, and its almost frictionless, gliding optical motion enhances the feel of precise control. We like the supplied pocket slipcase, with a snap on the flap to secure the cord. And since we made fun of it in an April review, we like that Logitech has made its desktop-icon ad for eBay an optional instead of mandatory part of MouseWare setup.

The MouseMan Traveler's audience will be fairly small -- folks who both travel often enough and dislike their notebooks' built-in pointers strongly enough to spend $50 for a mobile mouse. The Cordless Optical Mouse will appeal to lefties, or to anyone seeking optical and cordless control on a budget, though we rate both its shape and software a step behind Microsoft's more costly Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer. But both new Logitech opticals are worthy additions to mouse shoppers' selections.

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