Quick Version: The V550 Nano from Logitech is by no means the first cordless mouse to be produced, nor will it be the last. But it is one of the better ones that have come out in recent years.
The setup is as simple as it gets. Plug the tiny receiver into your USB port, put the two double-A batteries in the mouse, turn it on, and you’re up and running. It’s interesting to note that the packaging boasts up to 18 months of battery life. When you leave the mouse idle for just a minute, it shuts off, saving battery power. You only need to move it an inch to re-activate it.
My first impression of the mouse was its shape. It’s closer to a rectangle than most mice, and while this would likely be a problem for conventional devices, the fact that the two buttons are actually an extension of the body allows for easy clicking no matter how you hold it. The responsiveness is very crisp, both in movement and clicking. The middle scroll bar works side-to-side as well as up-and-down.
Another unique feature is the docking station. This is a simple square of metal that measures about one inch with a round peg in the center. You peel off the sticker from the back and place it on an appropriate spot on the surface of your laptop. They say to wait three minutes for it to “really” stick, so I did. I was then able to slide my mouse onto the peg, and it stayed there. Depending on how you travel with your laptop, this could be pretty useful.
You can always use this with a desktop as well. You’ll get a separate USB connector with a 2-foot cord that you can plug your receiver into. This might be useful if you will be switching computers often, but this part probably won’t get much use. You’ll actually get two of the docking stations, one silver, one black. This is nice because when you don’t have the mouse connected to it, a black-on-silver combo would stand out too much. They also include a small tin for carrying your tiny USB receiver, extra docking station, and a tool to remove the dock if you need to do so (note: the docking station cannot be re-used, so be careful where you stick it).
My overall impression of this mouse that it’s very solid. I don’t know how much more progress can be made with regard to the basic functionality a cordless mouse should have. The docking station and side-scrolling are bonuses that make it worth a try.
10/10