Logitech V470 Bluetooth Mouse Review
Getting rid of the USB cord/receiver is the main reason people buy a Bluetooth mouse. I was considering getting the wireless Mighty Mouse but cleaning issues with the scroll ball kept me away. So after a weekend with the Logitech V470 Bluetooth Mouse [Amazon Link]
The Feel
The V470 feels solid. It doesn’t have the plastic creakiness found in cheaper mice. The base has a comfortable matte black finish and as you can tell from the photo, the top has a nice glossy blue look.
This mouse takes 2 AA batteries and I think the extra weight further gives the Logitech a solid feel.
The V470 is meant for notebooks, so it’s much smaller than your average desktop mouse. It took a couple of days to get accustomed to this smaller form factor.
I guess I have slighter larger than average hands and after the initial training period, I now find this mouse is comfortable to use even during extended sessions with the Macbook.
The buttons make your typical mechanic clicking sound and the scroll wheel has the same feel as your average desktop mouse. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
The Setup
This part was simple. I ran Apple’s Bluetooth setup wizard and answered a few questions. After that, the mouse was all set to go.
You have the option of installing the driver software from Logitech, but I recommend using Apple’s solution first before considering the Logitech software. I find that a less complicated solution is often better.
Performance
Using the bluetooth mouse driver software that’s built into OS X Leopard, the mouse pointer tracked smoothly and using the scroll wheel felt normal.
If you leave your mouse unattended for more than 10 seconds or so, it will go into sleep mode. When you get back to using the mouse, there will be a split second where it needs to wake up. This causes the pointer to stutter for a bit. Not a big deal for me but I can also see how it can annoy certain individuals.
In another test, I wanted to see how long it would take my Macbook to recognize this mouse after I started it up from a cold boot. On average, it took only one second for the mouse to pair up with my Macbook from the time I first moved it.
Conclusion
I’m very satisfied with the performance of the Logitech V470. It feels solid and offers excellent tracking performance. If I had to be picky, it would be nice if Logitech could extend the time it takes for the mouse to sleep from 10 seconds to 1 minute or more.
If you’re tired of plugging into those few precious USB ports on the side of your Macbook, I think this mouse will work well in most situations.
[Pic from Logitech.com]
Interested in more Apple and Japan related content? Consider subscribing to Apple Otaku. You can also subscribe by email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.
Related posts:
I’m not a big fan of the blue top but it looks fine. 10 seconds to go to sleep huh, that would annoy me to no end
I’m going cordless soon too and I’ve already decided to get the Microsoft Arc. My Logitech MX500 has served me well during the past 5 years, and it’s still rock solid, and definitely one of my best purchases ever.