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HOLIDAY 2008
ROAD WARRIOR'S GIFT GUIDE
Mice
Next, let's take a look
at some accessories. First, we need a good
mouse. This pointing device has to be small,
comfy, and convenient. There are numerous
Bluetooth and RF wireless mice on the market, but
perhaps a wired unit with a retractable cable would
be less of a hassle considering there are no
batteries to die out in the middle of a trip.
So here are two great mice with retractable cables:
Portable Mouse with Retractable Cable:
Kensington
Ci25m and
Targus Stow-N-Go
 
The surface of the Kensington mouse has a rubbery
textured feel while the Targus has a 3" length of
its cable covered with hard plastic. Note that
the Targus also has a button behind the wheel, and
its wheel also tilts sideways too.
Underneath, the Kensington's contact surfaces are
larger than the Targus mouse. Increased
contact surface area usually means smoother
movement.
 
There is also a notch
on the underside of the Targus mouse wherein the
cable spool clips into.
Pretty much both mice
are constructed performed equally well in terms of
tracking, button force, and convenience of the cable
retraction mechanism. However, we prefer the
Kensington due to its texturized surface over Targus'
smooth veneer, and the larger contact patches
reduces the effort required to move the mouse.
Now for that roadwarrior
that does a lot of presentations, we would like to
recommend the following:
Presentation Pointing Device:
Logitech MX Air
Image from Logitech marketing materials.
Obviously this is a rendering...
Actual unit photo showing fingerprints, dust, etc.
Underside of the MX Air showing the laser sensor,
power switch, and charging contacts.
Although a spectacularly
awesome mouse, this is not the ideal device for
traveling. But don't misunderstand - this is
still a preferred pointing device for presentations.
It is just inconvenient because of its charging
base. Using it takes a bit of getting used to,
but once you get a feel for its accelerometer,
mousing without surfaces becomes second nature.
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