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Ponder the name of the $64.99 Dell Bluetooth Travel Mouse (MS700), and you might be forgiven for thinking, “Well, isn’t every mouse a travel mouse?” It’s true that most mice fit easily into a carry-on bag, but purpose-designed, compact “mobile mice” are indeed a discrete niche in the world of mice. This Dell entry, though, aims to eliminate not just the six feet of cord or wireless dongles that come with the territory, but much of the bulk, too, thanks to a twistable design that nearly flattens the mouse for storage. Virtually weightless, with a bow-like curved shape when in use, the Bluetooth Travel Mouse is a mostly dependable choice whose extreme portability could make it worth the price for some. But a few issues, notably its bad feet, may ruin the user experience for some folks. The Razer Pro Click Mini, a bit pricier, remains our favorite mobile-mouse pal.
A Tiny Travel Companion
The Dell Bluetooth Travel Mouse is made with, as the name makes clear, travel in mind, meant to be tucked away in the side pocket of your book bag or even in your back pocket. That brings us to the mouse’s primary gimmick: the twistable body. The twist mechanism bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Lenovo Yoga Mouse(Opens in a new window) released a few years ago, so the design itself, while certainly unusual, is not unique.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
The twist serves two functions: The first is to turn off the device, and the second is to make the mouse as flat and compact as possible for transport, while also fitting nicely into the palm of your hand, akin to a TV remote. In everyday use, I felt my hand was a little too big for the mouse (as I did with the Logitech Lift), but smaller hands might find the mouse a more comfy fit.
Actually twisting the mouse makes for a neat party trick—and it’s easy to do. When the mouse is in its flat, “off” position, just turn the back half of the mouse clockwise, and you’re good to go. Turn it back and you’re ready to stow it again. The whole process is smooth and reliable, and I didn’t run into any instances of the mouse getting stuck or not connecting after frequent twists.
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(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
The shape-shifting gimmick doesn’t detract from the mouse’s look and feel, either, but rather adds to the mouse’s professional look, with the upper side and underside in contrasting somber tones. Whether part of the company’s XPS or Alienware lines, Dell products often have a striking aesthetic about them, and this mouse is no exception. At a mere 1.2 by 2.3 by 4.6 inches (HWD), the Bluetooth Travel Mouse’s petite frame is much smaller than typical productivity mice like the Editors’ Choice-award-winning Logitech MX Master 3S. And at 2.01 ounces, it’s even lighter than featherweight gaming mice like the Razer Viper V2 Pro.
When rotated into use, the Bluetooth Travel Mouse takes the shape of a sleek, ambidextrous arch resembling the various models of Arc Mouse that Microsoft has sold since 2010. The thinness of the body adds a bit of aerodynamic flair to the design. Two primary buttons or clickers sit where you expect them, equipped with virtually soundless switches. Dell also swaps out the usual analog scroll wheel for a touch-scrolling strip, complete with an LED battery indicator. Touch scrolling is responsive, though you may miss the scroll wheel (and its clickable button) found in most other mice for precision scrolling.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
Flipping the mouse over reveals the housing for two AAA batteries—Dell promises up to 24 months of battery life—as well as a small button that connects the mouse to as many as three Bluetooth-equipped computers, tablets, or phones. Thanks to a technology the company calls Dell Pair, the mouse can sync effortlessly to nearby devices with just a press of the button. Toward the front of the mouse on the underside you’ll see the optical LED sensor, which supports resolutions up to 4,000 dots per inch (dpi). You adjust resolution via the Dell customization software, which we’ll get to in a moment.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
Two plastic glide pads span the front and back of the mouse. They’re nowhere near as smooth as the 100% PTFE-treated feet of a typical gaming mouse. Whether placed on a mouse pad, a wooden tabletop, or the back of a book, the Bluetooth Travel Mouse never felt smooth to use. The glide was all wrong, almost as if I were scraping the mouse along the surface. The “glide” motion was nothing of the sort and felt unpleasant on the whole, and the mouse’s small size coupled with the rough plastic feet soured my experience with an otherwise classy design.
A Simple Utility, Limited to Late-Model Windows
The Bluetooth Travel Mouse is compatible with Windows 8.1 and above, as well as the macOS, ChromeOS, Android, and Linux operating systems. But its Dell Peripheral Manager software works with Windows 10 and 11 only.
(Credit: Dell)
The software itself is bare-bones, letting you control only touch-scroll sensitivity, the DPI presets, and the ability to swap the primary buttons for lefties. (The last, at least, is a welcome addition.) You can also check on the mouse’s battery life and see the last three Bluetooth devices to which the mouse was paired. Navigation around the utility is easy enough, but that’s mostly because there’s not much to do in there.
Travel Advisory: Consider Another Mouse
The Dell Bluetooth Travel Mouse will set you back up to $64.99, which is the list price, though Dell’s site had discounted the mouse to $51.99 at this writing. But considering how light on features the mouse is apart from the rotating aspect, users looking for a mouse to boost their productivity will be better served by the full-size Logitech MX Master 3S, even if it does cost $99.99. If you specially want something mobile-size, consider the $79.99 Razer Pro Click Mini or like-priced Logitech MX Anywhere 3 Wireless Mouse.
If either of those are too pricey for your budget, other mice, such as Microsoft’s Surface Mobile Mouse and Bluetooth Ergonomic Wireless Mouse, undercut the Dell model’s list price by a lot, while offering mostly comparable functionality. They may not be quite as compact as the Dell mouse, nor will they rotate, but there’s no denying their portability.
(Credit: Zackery Cuevas)
At the end of the day, the Dell Bluetooth Travel Mouse delivers the basics but needs a new pair of shoes. Its angular design, twisting gimmick, and ease of use might attract laptop users who care about appearances, but the scratchy slide of the feet leaves a lot to be desired, and its body size will work for some hand sizes and not others. Meanwhile, the scanty customization options might dissuade users who like to tweak their mouse fundamentals. Investigate the better options above if you’re looking for a mouse to improve productivity, or hit the link following if you’re looking for improved mouse ergonomics.
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Dell’s twistable Bluetooth Travel Mouse may be spiffy-looking, but it lacks the comfort and customization offered by many of its premium competitors.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/dell-bluetooth-travel-mouse-ms700