Belkin Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse - mouse review: Belkin Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse - mouse

Belkin has jumped right on the Bluetooth input-device bandwagon along with Microsoft and Logitech. Unfortunately, the $80 Belkin Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse doesn't maintain Belkin's reputation as an inexpensive input-device manufacturer; we found Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth for as little as $65.

Pricing aside, the Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse performs adequately. Due to the Bluetooth software's installation, setup is a bit sluggish (our test routine took 20 minutes), but the step-by-step guide is clear and simple. Once set up, our test unit interfered with our CPU's restart process, but tech support immediately remedied the problem. Thereafter, the mouse operated with no trouble.

This mouse looks sleek, too, with its smooth, metallic design. It could, however, use some ergonomic improvements. We would have appreciated more of an indent in the casing on the right side, for example; our pinkie fingers tended to slide off. And we wish it had a longer battery life; this is estimated at a paltry 25 days, compared to an average of 90 days with most other wireless mice and the standard-setting six months with Microsoft's new wireless devices.

If you want your PC to be Bluetooth enabled but are seeking something a bit more functional than a Bluetooth adapter, this mouse will do the trick. The mouse's Bluetooth capabilities withstood our tests, flawlessly transferring files between our computer and other Bluetooth devices, such as phones and PDAs. But figuring out how to do so was a bit confusing. Although the mouse conveniently transferred contacts and business cards directly into our desktop's main address book, image files ended up in an obscure folder rather than the more logical Bluetooth Exchange Folder, which Belkin's software automatically installs during setup.

In the end, the Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse is an acceptable choice, but you'd be wise to first consider the ambidextrous Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer for Bluetooth.