By
Jeffery Roberts Senior Hardware Editor
91
A
Belkin
has been producing high quality USB products for several years now and I have
been impressed with most of the offerings.
Unfortunately, input devices like mice, have never quite been their
forte. Most Belkin mice were solid enough pieces of equipment but very, very
ordinary. When the new Belkin Optical mouse arrived on my doorstep, I
was interested but skeptical. Opening
the box I found a sleek looking, 5-button device that resembled the Microsoft
IntelliMouse Optical , looked a lot like the Kensington
Optical Pro and seems to be an exact duplicate of the Dexxa
Optical Mouse. My interest peaked as
I have had favorable experiences with input devices from all three
manufacturers. If the new Belkin mouse performed as well as the Microsoft,
Kensington and Dexxa mice the new Belkin mouse had the potential to be the start of
something very good. Click Mouse Image for Large View.
Like
all Optical mice, the Belkin Optical Mouse does NOT need a mouse pad, has no
moving parts to clean or maintain and works on practically any surface.
Features
- Digital
Optical Sensor scans almost any surface at 1,500 frames per second.
- Auto-scroll
wheel: start with one-touch zoom action; then use the instant menus to
customize single-click functions.
- 5
button with scroll wheel
- 3
programmable buttons
- Ambidextrous
design for both left and right handed users
- Easy
to clean
- Scrolling
and Zoom control
- Multiple
browsing speeds
- Plug
and Play connectivity
- USB
and PS/2 compatible
- Windows
95, 98, NT 4.0 or 2000 (for PS/2 connection)
- Windows
98 or 2000 (for USB connection)
- Limited
Lifetime Warranty
Installation
The
Belkin Optical Mouse is Plug and Play via USB and was immediately recognized
as a HID-compliant mouse by Win98Se, WinMe and Win2000 operating systems.
The Belkin Optical
Mouse, F8E850-OPT passed all tests on all
systems.
Conclusion
The
Belkin Optical Mouse is a solid, well-made piece of hardware that glides
effortlessly across the desktop. The
buttons offer just the right resistance and produce a noticeable click when
depressed. The firm scrolling
wheel has an, “I’m in charge” feel, that provides excellent control
over page movement in desktop and browser applications .
The additional programmable buttons are a real bonus for surfing,
gaming and/or desktop needs.
The
F8E850 is comfortable, solid, accurate, programmable, and easy to use.
Throw in maintenance free, works on almost any surface and warranted
for life and you’ve got a winning combination.
Although,
the included software is not as fancy as the Microsoft IntelliPoint
software, the relatively simple software controls do not produce any noticeable conflicts.
I
like the Belkin F8E850-OPT.
If
you are looking for a new rodent for your desktop, the Belkin Optical
deserves consideration.
I
can hardly wait to see the new Belkin USB Ergo Keyboard....Hint Hint.
Belkin Part Number: F8E850-OPT
Belkin
On-Line Price: $47.99
Find
the Real Best Price at PriceGrabber.com
Belkin
Web Site
Belkin
Optical Mouse Product Page
Other Mouse Reviews
Microsoft
IntelliMouse with IntelliEye
Microsoft
Explorer Pro
USBMan
12/18/2000
