Product Reviews

These new mice from Microsoft are sleek and ergonomic, fitting perfectly into the right hand. They're similar in design and functionality, the 6000 V2 being more suited to mobile use while the 7000 is intended for the desktop. Replacement batteries aren't needed with the 7000, which takes a single rechargeable AAA cell. An LED flashes when the battery is low, and the mouse drops easily onto its slim docking station to charge up.

The USB wireless receiver for the 6000 fits snugly into the underside of the mouse when not in use, handy for carrying, and this also turns it off, preserving battery life. Microsoft reckon it'll work up to six months on

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one set of batteries.

Setup just meant plugging in the receiver and pressing the connect buttons on the mice and dongles. Supplied software optionally lets you allocate various functions to the buttons on the mice.

Both mice use a mini 2.4GHz wireless receiver and work up to 30 feet from the PC. The high definition laser technology makes for accurate operation, with 1000dpi resolution, and both units responded well on all the surfaces we tested.

There are two buttons on the side of each mouse. The front button initiates zoom by default; the level and size of the magnified area can be controlled by moving the mouse and using the scroll wheel. A pop-up diagram appears on screen when this is used. The default function of the second button is to click on Back in your web browser.

The scroll wheels have a nice smooth feel, though they won't suit users who like their scrolling clicky. They scroll all four ways, and pressing triggers Windows Vista's Flip 3D function.

These are well designed and effective mice.The 7000's cabled dock is arguably more hassle than swapping batteries, but at least it's compact. However, around £45 for the 6000, or £55 for the 7000, is quite a lot to pay for a mouse.