****A spin off of Kensington’s popular Si750m Wireless Notebook Mouse, the Si750m LE takes the best qualities of the Si750m and reinvents it with a new feminine style that includes pink accents and sleek curves designed for a woman’s hand. And even though the additional pink makes the Si750m LElook feminine, they aren’t overkill like a pink Hello Kitty Mouse might be for some women. In fact, the mouse looks professional enough for a business woman to be carrying around.
Set-Up:
Setting up the Si750m LE was as simple as plugging the receiver in to my laptops USB port in my Macbook. Windows Vista, Windows XP, and the Mac OS picked up the mouse instantly.
Performance:
The sensitivity and range on the mouse is outstanding for a notebook mouse. I’ve been using the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000 which has been very solid, but the Si750m LE can work at a further range then Microsoft’s Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000 and it also feels more responsive. Kensington claims a range of 30 feet, and while I have no need to work that far away from my laptop, the mouse has worked very well even when it’s a few feet away from its receiver. The mouse has also worked superbly well on several surfaces including wood, leather, plastic and cardboard. I’ve even used it on a pillow while working in bed and it held up pretty well. The mouse’s laser however would not work on the glass top of my desk, but most laser and optical mice are not powerful enough to work on glass.
Ergonomics/ Comfort:
The is designed with sleek curves that make it relatively comfortable to use, as a matter of fact it has been designed to fit the contours of a woman’s hand. However it’s weakest point is that it is not quite an ergonomically designed mouse. Thus, some people will have a hard time using it for prolonged periods of time. I myself have used it for several hours a time without experiencing any cramping. However, a colleague of mine borrowed it and complained about her hand cramping up after a few hours of usage. The good news is that both right handed and left handed users will be able to use it, unlike the situation with most ergonomic mice which are molded for right handed people.
Battery Life:
The mouse has a claimed battery life of up to 6 months on one AA battery. Unfortunately I’ve only been using it for 2 weeks, and all i can report is that so far it hasn’t run out of battery power. If it really can last anywhere near 6 months that is awesome.
Portability:
In the photo below the Si750m LE situated next to Microsoft’s Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000. TheSi750m LE measures 3.25″d x 2.0″w x 1.25″h. As you can tell, the Si750m LE is very small, even smaller than Microsoft’s Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 4000. That means that it’s great for portability, and indeed it has been a real pleasure to throw into my bag and carry around. Unfortunately, its small size means that people with big hands might have a more difficult time using it. However, I have pretty big hands and as long as I position my palm over the base of the mouse I don’t feel any discomfort. At home, I want to use a mouse that my whole hand can rest on. But on the road I’m willing to sacrifice some aspects for portability. Kensington also includes a suede drawstring case to protect the mouse in while traveling, and that is the first time we’ve ever seen a mouse come with a case and it’s certainly welcome.
The USB Receiver:
The Si750m LE’s USB receiver hides inside of it, not on the underside like Microsoft’s mouse and many other notebook mice. This is good because you don’t have to worry about the receiver falling out. The mouse also has a neat little pop out mechanism for opening its cover where both the battery and receiver is stored. Just squeeze both sides of the rubber edge of the mouse at the same time and the cover comes open. Thus there is no hastle involved, and it’s also fun to play with.
**Conclusion:
**The Si750m LE MRSP is $59.99 and comes with a very generous 5 year warranty with free technical support, so that even though $59.99 is a bit pricey, you’re getting a good value with it. However, just in time for Valentine’s Day, you can pick one of these up exclusively at Circuit City for just $39.99, making it a great gift for the geeky girl in your life. Also, in an effort to raise funds and awareness to help fight heart disease, Kensington has designed the mouse keeping in mind their support for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women’s movement which they have generously donated $125,000 too, so that you are literally clicking for a cause when you use the Si750m LE.