I’m really reserved when it comes to laptops. I could use one, but then again I’m not into touchpads at all. Of course, I can get a laptop mouse. The question is which one is more suitable. We haven’t yet looked at what Microsoft has to offer.

Let’s see… Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 seems nice. It has an interesting design and some handy features. First of all it’s a transceiver-free device which relies on the Bluetooth technology that any new laptop should integrate. It’s a High Definition Laser mouse, so you know it works with your favorite games too. With the integrated battery life indicator you won’t be taken by surprise with a dead battery—the Battery Status LED Indicator glows red when the battery is running low. The battery usually lasts for about three months. Moreover, if you want to extend the battery life, you can turn the mouse off when you’re not using it.

Additional features such as the back Button give you more freedom, so you can easily navigate between folders and Web pages, or press the wheel for auto-scroll. Speaking of the scroll wheel, you also get a tilt function for it and that practically eliminates the need to deal with scroll bars on the Web pages.

I thought that this kind of mouse was supposed to cost a little less. Guess I was wrong, it’s $50 alright.

Is that your mouse? Give us a break! And you’re a gamer, too? No way are you using that puny optical rodent for fps games. What are you playing? Zuma.. Luxor? Time to evolve, buddy! OK, you might not afford the ultimate laser mouse, but you can try the G3 Laser from Logitech.

Although a cheaper model in the Gx Laser mice family, the G3 manages to keep up with today’s standards in a fair way. Being a gaming-grade mouse, you know Logitech doesn’t screw around when it comes to precision. For what it’s worth, the G3 itegrates a 2000 dpi Laser Engine that provides high performance and allows you to pull some lightning-fast moves on your opponents. The full-speed USB capabilities enable a transfer of 500 reports/second, which means it’s precise no matter the chosen dpi setting. With the plug&play technology you also get two on-the-fly dpi settings (800 and 1600) and that’s even before you install the driver that enables the 2000 dpi resolution.

Comfort-wise, the G3 is nothing short of its bigger rodent brothers: it has a ambidextrous design, the Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Feet make for a super-smooth glide and the inclusion of DryGrip technology prevents gamers from getting sweaty hands.

Additional specs include:
o Image Processing: 6.4 megapixels/second
o Max. Acceleration: 20G
o Max. Speed: 45—65 inches/second (depending on surface)
o USB Data Format: 16 bits/axis
o Dynamic Coefficient of friction - Mu (k): 0.09 (tested on wood-veneer desktop)
o Static Coefficient of friction - Mu (s): 0.15 (tested on wood-veneer desktop)
o Buttons (Left/Right): 8 million clicks
o Feet: 250 kilometers

It’s only $39.99 and I don’t want to hear any more excuses for your sloppy mice! Get over optical stuff and try the real deal.

Genius can’t usually stand competition. Why would that be? Remember the Microsoft Sidewinder mouse with a small LCD display? Genius says LCD’s are too power-hungry and they included an OLED display that is power-friendly with their latest Ergo 555 Laser.

This is a gaming-grade mouse and it’s claimed to be world’s first OLED gaming laser rodent. It features Doppler laser technology, making the Ergo 555 Laser more advanced than any other gaming mouse device. It has a resolution of 3200dpi and it can cover more surface than any other rodent. Like 100 times more. It is specifically designed for gamers who want to adjust the X and Y axis independently in order to get instant game reaction . It also comes with seven macro keys, which can be customized into five individual game profiles (G1-G5). This allows gamers to simplify multiple game actions or movements under any gaming environment with game setting displaying on the OLED panel for instant notification. At the end of the day you have instant access for all types of shooting, fighting, flying or racing games creating the ultimate gaming performer. Hey Genius, are you actually recommending this mouse for fighting and racing games?

Anyway, gamers will sure enjoy the low price: only $50.

Here’s another gaming-grade mouse from Saitek. It’s not a revolutionary mouse by any means, but it’s got some unique features of its own. Tossing the eye at the GM3200 Laser mouse we find that it features Saitek’s proprietary Speedglide system. This allows gamers to fine-tune the mouse momentum with adjustable weights and it comes with interchangeable Teflon feet to suit the majority of surfaces. Not that unique, for now, right? Hold on, there’s more.

It’s a gaming-grade mouse so it can’t come without the sensitivity switcher. You have 4 stages (800/1600/2400/3200 dpi) that allow you to modify the resolution on-the-fly in order to match mouse speed to whatever game would demand it. You also get a total of 6 programmable buttons and the dpi toggle is connected to a LED status indicator.

For a more comfortable gaming experience, Saitek included soft-touch mouse buttons and a rubberized scroll wheel. A special SST software is responsible with the programming of each mouse button, saving settings as game-specific profiles. In this respect you get a profile button that allows for instantly switching between 2 pre-configured profiles during games. Standard stuff all the way. Where’s that unique stuff, Saitek? Oh, you mean the super-cool, pulsating lighting effects? Right…

Anyway, it’s affordable alright. Only £25.96.

Sometimes I wish I could operate my computer only with my mind, or at least with the mouse. No more multimedia keyboard for me! Well, mine’s wireless, but I could use some sort of keyboard mouse for a change. While Belkin’s hybrid controlling device for gamers could be an interesting idea, the closest thing to all-in-one mouse seems to be the 11 button multimedia mouse.

This is some sort of Swiss army mouse that gives you plenty of advantages over that redundant pesky keyboard. Why put all those multimedia buttons on the keyboard when you can squeeze them all on a nifty mouse? Here are the buttons you’ll find on this feature-packed rodent:

- Play and Pause
- Internet
- Speed Switch (800 / 1200 / 1600 / 2000 dpi)
- Page Forward / Page Backward
- Volume Up
- Volume Down
- Double Click
- LED Indication (Yellow for 800 / Blue for 1200 / Green for 1600 / Red 2000 dpi)
- Left Button
- Right Button

Now you can master most multi-media functions with your mouse solely. I’m not too sure about the ergonomics, but hey, it’s USB 2.0/1.1 compatible, it’s got an optical sensor and knows how to deal with Windows 2000/XP and Vista in an elegant manner. And all this for just $14.99. You can find it here.