Microsoft didn’t take great pains in making this mouse Mac friendly.

It may seem contradictory to use a Microsoft mouse with a Mac, but since Apple offers only one wireless mouse (the Mighty Mouse), the pickings are slim. The Notebook Mouse for Mac is smaller than the Mighty Mouse, making it ideal for stashing in a bag.

The Notebook Mouse is actually a Mac version of the Notebook Mouse 5000 for Windows. When you set up a Bluetooth connection (after loading a pair of AAA batteries), the mouse appears with the 5000 moniker. You can use the Keyboard & Mouse system preference to adjust the tracking, double-click speed, primary button, and scroll speed.

Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t put much effort into making the Notebook Mouse a true Mac mouse. The four buttons can’t be customized, and though you probably would leave the primary and secondary buttons alone, you might want to customize the Scroll button (opens Dashboard), or the Back button (it opens Exposé; why it’s called the Back button, we don’t know) to your liking. Microsoft doesn’t include any software to tweak the mouse.

That’s a shame, too, because it’s designed nicely, feels solid, and our fingers fell naturally onto the buttons. The laser sensor is located toward the rear of the mouse, instead of the front, which isn’t much of a problem—because the mouse is so small, you tend to move the whole thing, not just the front of it.

The bottom line. We can only recommend this mouse if you never go beyond using two buttons, or you like the fixed functions of the Scroll and Back buttons. If only Microsoft took the time to release software for the mouse, it might have been a great product.

COMPANY: Microsoft

CONTACT: www.microsoft.com/hardware

PRICE: $49.99

REQUIREMENTS: Bluetooth, 2 AAA batteries

Small size good for travel.

Can’t configure buttons