Last week I gave the MicroSoft BlueTooth Mouse a "Thumbs Down" review for use with my Sager 8890. This week, I'm downgrading that to a Do Not Buy Under Any Circumstances. Actually, read item (1) below - the warning should probably read: DO NOT BUY THE MS BLUETOOTH MOUSE IF YOU EVER WANT TO RUN A NON-MICROSOFT POINTING OR BLUETOOTH DEVICE ON YOUR MACHINE AGAIN. This specifically includes the built-in Bluetooth cards on 5780s and 8890s.
Why?
1) If you happen to install the MicroSoft Mouse and Bluetooth drivers for use with the MicroSoft Bluetooth dongle, you will never again be able to upgrade your Billionton Bluetooth Drivers at any point in the future. Why? Because the Billionton Drivers require you to uninstall all previous BT drivers prior to installing them, a quite reasonable requirement. But MicroSoft, in accordance with their Big Brother monopolistic ways, installs Bluetooth drivers with their mouse that cannot be uninstalled.
Neither can their Mouse drivers for that matter. To wit: I have uninstalled all Bluetooth and Pointing Device drivers of any kind whatsoever from my laptop, yet my MicroSoft Bluetooth mouse still functions perfectly with my 8890, inlcuding the default settings of all 6 button functions. However, I now cannot install any software, such as my Billionton Drivers, that requires the uninstallation of previous Bluetooth or Mouse drivers, as such unistallation has been made completely impossible by Microsoft.
This un-removable driver software from MicroSoft should serve as a stern warning to stay as far away from MS products as feasably possible.
2) The product does not function as advertised. They say "customizable" buttons. To me, that means what it did with Intellimouse 3.2, released back in 2000, or versions 4.2.1 or 5.0, both available today - you enter a keystroke, including an F-key or Ctrl-key, and the mouse will emulate that keystroke when you press the button. Intellimouse 4.9, required with the MS BT mouse, does not support this, and instead only supports a rather short drop-down list of keystrokes to choose from, which I would call "configurable" buttons, rather than "customizable".
Anyways, word of warning to anyone looking for a BT mouse to use with your Sager laptop out there - avoid the Microsoft product at all costs, and if you do happen to get it, crack the CD that comes with it in half before letting it near your machine. The drivers on it are poison, if you install them, you'll just need to reinstall your OS.
-phubar
Why?
1) If you happen to install the MicroSoft Mouse and Bluetooth drivers for use with the MicroSoft Bluetooth dongle, you will never again be able to upgrade your Billionton Bluetooth Drivers at any point in the future. Why? Because the Billionton Drivers require you to uninstall all previous BT drivers prior to installing them, a quite reasonable requirement. But MicroSoft, in accordance with their Big Brother monopolistic ways, installs Bluetooth drivers with their mouse that cannot be uninstalled.
Neither can their Mouse drivers for that matter. To wit: I have uninstalled all Bluetooth and Pointing Device drivers of any kind whatsoever from my laptop, yet my MicroSoft Bluetooth mouse still functions perfectly with my 8890, inlcuding the default settings of all 6 button functions. However, I now cannot install any software, such as my Billionton Drivers, that requires the uninstallation of previous Bluetooth or Mouse drivers, as such unistallation has been made completely impossible by Microsoft.
This un-removable driver software from MicroSoft should serve as a stern warning to stay as far away from MS products as feasably possible.
2) The product does not function as advertised. They say "customizable" buttons. To me, that means what it did with Intellimouse 3.2, released back in 2000, or versions 4.2.1 or 5.0, both available today - you enter a keystroke, including an F-key or Ctrl-key, and the mouse will emulate that keystroke when you press the button. Intellimouse 4.9, required with the MS BT mouse, does not support this, and instead only supports a rather short drop-down list of keystrokes to choose from, which I would call "configurable" buttons, rather than "customizable".
Anyways, word of warning to anyone looking for a BT mouse to use with your Sager laptop out there - avoid the Microsoft product at all costs, and if you do happen to get it, crack the CD that comes with it in half before letting it near your machine. The drivers on it are poison, if you install them, you'll just need to reinstall your OS.
-phubar
