Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac review: Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac

MacBook users (and desktop Mac users as well) are often as enamored of their hardware's look as its performance, so a healthy side industry has popped up for accessories that share Apple's basic design cues. Accessory maker Targus has a new line of Mac-flavored devices, including this one, called simply the Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac.

7.5

Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac

The Good

Mac-like design stands out from the crowd; optical sensor instead of scroll wheel is an interesting innovation; curved, ergonomic shape.

The Bad

A bit big for mobile MacBook users; optical scroll sensor isn't the best for super-accurate scrolling.

The Bottom Line

Targus' new Bluetooth Laser Mouse for Mac replaces the scroll wheels and trackballs found on other mice with a clever optical sensor. It takes some getting used to, but is great for four-way scrolling.

This $69 mouse has a white body on a gray base, and even though the latest MacBooks are all aluminum, white is still the universal Mac color in many minds. There are large left and right mouse buttons, plus two small programmable thumb buttons on the left side of the base. The mouse is powered by two AA batteries, and since it's a Bluetooth device, it doesn't require a USB dongle.

At 4.6 inches by 2.5 inches by 1.5 inches (at its highest point), it's a bit big for travel, although the body design, which curves up in the middle and tapers at either end, is comfortable even for long stretches.

The most striking aspect of the Targus Bluetooth Laser Mouse is the small dime-sized round optical sensor that sits between the two mouse buttons in place of a traditional scroll wheel. Targus calls the concept "four-way touch scroll," and its functionality is similar to that of a trackball. The scroll zone is very sensitive, which makes scrolling up and down long Web pages a snap, but makes precision scrolling nearly impossible.

Since the optical sensor has no moving parts, the lack of any tactile feedback under your finger makes it hard to, for example, scroll up or down just a line of two in a document. Still, it's an intriguing idea, and with practice, becomes easier to use. It also works well for zipping through wide spreadsheets.

Targus also makes a non-Bluetooth version of this mouse, which includes a small USB dongle tucked inside the battery compartment.