The Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000

For my Dell 11z, I was using a Logitech laser mouse because the small USB Nano receiver had such a small profile which allowed me to keep it inserted in a USB port permanently. I didn’t have to worry about breaking it off or damaging the 11z’s USB port as you would with the typical USB mouse receivers (which are about 1-inch in length). Unfortunately for me, my Labrador puppy got a hold of my Logitech mouse and chewed it to bits. Thus, I was on a search for a replacement mouse.

Now, I could have bought an identical Logitech mouse as I was using, but I wanted to find something that was a little bit smaller and easier to travel with. While on a business trip to Phoenix, I stopped in at a Target Store and found a good looking mouse made my Microsoft called the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 (a good high-tech name!). It was slightly smaller than my previous Logitech mouse and also came with a low-profile nano USB receiver. So, I decided to give it a try and purchased it for $29.99 US.

After using it for a few days, I really like. It’s very lightweight, runs on one AA battery, and is advertised to work on several different surfaces (e.g., granite table top, carpet, wood, etc). It also is suppose to have a 10 month battery life, and has a convenient on/off switch on the bottom of the device.

The precision of the mouse is pretty good, and the scroll wheel is silent. Of course, it comes with the two standard mouse buttons, a center button (the clickable scroll wheel), a left-side button and the scroll wheel can tilt left and right.

So, I think I found a perfect mouse to use with my Dell 11z. Now, if it was only dog proof I’d be all set!

Netbook accessories are huge!

I’m using a Logitech V450 Nano wireless mouse with my Dell 11z Netbook, since the USB transceiver is so small and unobtrusive. I leave it permanently connected to a USB port in the 11z and just forget about it. However, with the 11z netbook being so small and thin, it makes my Logitech mouse seem huge! I’ve got the thin netbook in one hand (carrying it like a thin book), and my mouse in my other hand which feels like I’m carrying a rock. I know there’s probably smaller mice I can get, but most of them have a much larger USB dongle transceiver. My other option is to get a Bluetooth Mouse (with no dongle), but I’ve read that these mice often have a slight delay since they need to be woken up after a period of inactivity. Nothing is perfect, I guess.

External CD-ROM for my Dell 11z

In preparation for receiving my Dell 11z, I’ve been planning what software and programs I would install on my new netbook. In most cases, I can download the relatively small installation files directly from the Interent via a WiFi connection. However, I do have some applications (such as Microsoft Office 2007 and MS Visual Studio 2005) which I need to install via a CD-ROM drive. Since the Dell 11z doesn’t have a CD Drive, I’ll need to find an alternative way of installing these CD-based applications.

One method, is to share my CD-ROM drive on my home desktop PC and access it from my Dell 11z via a network connection. Not the fastest method of installation, and I may even have a few hiccups if the network connection flakes out. Another alternative is to rip the contents of the CD to disk as an iso file, copy it to a USB drive, then mount it on the Dell 11z using mounting software (such as VirtualClone). Since that would be a hassle to do with more than one CD, I decided to search for an external USB CD-ROM drive for doing my software installation.

In search the Internet, it seems that cheapest external DVD drive I could find costs between $40 and $50 US, which is a bit pricey for me. I did find a few CD-ROM drives (note, “CD” not “DVD”) that would work for $11 US, so I decided to order one from Amazon.com since they were fairly cheap. The total cost came to $17.46 US with shipping, and it is due to arrive a few days before my Dell 11z in a few weeks.

Since this is a CD-ROM drive, I won’t be able to watch DVDs or install software that is burned to a DVD, but in most cases software is distributed as CDs not DVDs.

Dell Netbook 6-cell battery is ridiculously big!

When I put in my order for the Dell Inspiron 11z Netbook, I contemplated getting the 6-cell battery since it advertises 8+ hours of life over the 3 hours for the standard 3-cell battery. However, I decided to just go with the 3-cell since 3 hours is probably enough for me to go without charging it. I’m glad I didn’t get the 6-cell battery, because it is humongously large and hideous!

It sticks out the bottom like a big wart on this sleek and elegant system. What’s the deal with that? If I had a choice, I would rather it protruded straight out the back than down like it is currently designed. Apparently this is the same battery used in the Dell Mini 10 also.

With a price tag of $150 US, I’ll go looking for a power outlet every 3 hours than pay that amount for the giant wart battery!

An extra 3-cell battery is going for $130 on the Dell web site, but since it is the same battery as used on the Dell Mini 10 you can get one for $43 on eBay.com. Carrying two small batteries has got to be a better deal  than one giant battery that makes the 11z or Mini 10 look so junky!

Bluetooth Mouse — Which model to get?

I’ve avoided getting a Bluetooth mouse in the past because of intermittent connection issues. The mouse “goes to sleep” if you don’t move it after 10 seconds and then takes 1-2 seconds to wake up again. That would certainly frustrate me. But the reason why I ordered my Dell 11z with the bluetooth module is so I can use a bluetooth mouse and keep all of my USB ports free. I also don’t want to have an RF dongle sticking out the side of my netbook while it’s on my lap and accidently break it off or damage the USB port. Even with the very small and slim Logitech RF receivers, I’d rather not have a dongle receiver if possible. Thus, my search for a good Bluetooth mouse.

In doing a online search on Amazon.com, Newegg.com, and Dell.com, it seems that a lot of user feedback and comments indicate that most bluetooth mice are prone to the “sleep-and-wake” delay issue. I like the looks and cost of the Dell bluetooth mouse, but I’m hesitant to getting it because of the reported sleep-wake delay. The same goes for the Microsoft and Logitech mice as reported by users.

Now I understand that I have to take these user comments with a grain of salt because I don’t know how they’ve configured their computer systems or if their particular mouse is defective. So I’m asking for recommendations on bluetooth mice. If you have one that works without such sleep-wake issues, please let me know!

Accessories Received from DealExtreme.com

The online store at www.dealextreme.com seems to have some really good deals on computer accessories and hardware, especially slip covers and cases that fit the available Netbook computers. Since the prices were so low, I decided to purchase three slip cover cases that would fit a Dell Mini 9. The total price for the three different covers was $14.00 US, and the shipping was free. Now, the products were being shipped from Hong Kong, so I was expecting some long delivery times (not the usual 3-day FedEx Air that we’re all so use to). But, for the low cost of the products I was willing to wait. So to let everyone know, I got two of the covers about 3-weeks after I had ordered them online. The third cover was out-of-stock at the time of the order, but they shipped it separately once they replenished their stock a week later.

FYI, the two covers that I did receive do look of high quality, so I certainly would order from www.dealextreme.com again for such low-priced items. Unfortunately, I no longer own my Dell Mini 9 so I don’t have an immediate need for these covers. When I have some time, I’ll probably make them available on one of the popular Dell Mini Forums (along with the 16 GB SDHC card and 2 GB RAM Module that I order).

I Love Buying from Newegg.com

For the last several years I’ve built my own computer systems from scratch, buying parts such as the motherboard, memory, hard drives, CD drives, etc. and assembling them in a case. I like doing this (as opposed to buying read-made systems from HP, Dell, Compaq, etc.) because I can create a system to my exact specifications. A few years ago I was going bonkers with my main desktop PC making so much noise with the whirling disk drives and CPU and power supply fans, I decided to build a new system using all “quiet” components. I succeeded, and now have a silent PC running in my home office.

I started out buying all of my computer components from local electonic and computer stores, but over the years found that buy online was cheaper and more convenient. Newgg.com is a wonderful site that I’ve used over the last 8 years ordering everything for my custom PCs with no problems.

Recently, I needed a 16 GB Flash Drive and 16 GB SDHC card, so I put in my online order on Friday at 10:30 am PST and later that afternoon I got a confirmation email that my order was processed and sent out! Now, you really can’t beat the same-day turnaround, along with the free 3-7 days shipping. Note, that I made my payment using my PayPal account, so that may have sped up the payment authorization (verses using a Credit Card or eCheck method).

In addition to the fast order processing and shipping, Newegg.com seems to have the best prices online for computer components. Only on some rare occassions I’ll find a better deal at a local brick store (when they have a big sale), so I definitely recommend you check out Newegg.com for your computer supplies.

Mini 9 Accessories on eBay

I’m not a big ebay user, as I have only purchased one or two items over the last several years. However, on a lark I decided to do a quick search on the ebay site for the phrase “Dell Mini 9″ and found 13 pages of items available for purchase. There were a lot of Dell Mini systems for sale (previously owned and refurbs) but they all seemed somewhat overpriced to me considering the current prices on the Dell Outlet site for similar products. RAM memory modules and SDHC storage cards were also available, but again they seemed overpriced compared to new products you could purchase from online vendors such NewEgg.com. Other items that were available included: Batteries, external USB CD/DVD drives, cases and slip covers, and chargers.

Of the available items for sale, these three caught my eye as good purchases:

Wall Outlet Charger – There were several wall chargers available on ebay for the Dell Mini 9, some claiming to be OEM ($27 US) and others being somewhat generic “brick” chargers ($30 US). This is one item I would consider purchasing as an accessory, since it’s quite easy to lose your charger by oversight (I’ve done this before, leaving my charger in a hotel room). Also, if you routinely use your Mini 9 at two different locations (e.g., at home and the office), having an extra charger can make life easier.

Car Charger – Normally, I wouldn’t think of charging my traditional laptop in my car while I’m driving (too much of a hassle), however, with the extreme portability of the Netbook systems, it does make sense to me to use such a car charger. I can envision myself charging up my Netbook while I’m driving to a customer site, or from the airport to the hotel so I have a freshly charged Mini when I arrive at my destination. Ebay seemed to have several such chargers going for around $10 US.

Cases – I found lots of different cases and covers available for the Mini 9 consisting of neoprene, cloth, and leather materials. Definitely a worthwhile investment for your Mini 9.

One thing to note, is to check the shipping prices for the ebay items. For example a $10 car charger that I came across also had a $10 shipping fee, making the charger effectively priced at $20. A lot of sellers will sell the product at a low price and jack up the shipping cost, since ebay charges commission only on the item price (not shipping fee). So, don’t be alarmed over the shipping price, just take it into consideration when comparing the overall price of the product.

Logitech V450 Nano On Sale at Staples

I noticed in today’s Sunday newpaper that Staples is selling the Logitech V450 Nano Laser Notebook mouse for $29.99 US (list price $52.99). This is a pretty good price, considering I couldn’t find it any cheaper online. Here’s the ad that I scanned from the paper:

The nice thing about this wireless mouse, is that the USB reciever is extremely low-profile and unobtrusive (thus, minimal chance of breaking off the USB dongle or damaging the internal USB port).

This offer is only valid “at the store”, so you can’t buy it online for this price. Although the ad picture shows a black and pink mouse, there are also blue and red colors. I decided to head down to Staples after seeing this ad and bought the red version (to match the cherry red Dell Mini 9 I ordered).

The Perfect Mouse for my Mini 9

As I am still waiting for my Dell Mini 9 to arrive, I’m in the process of finding suitable accessories for my new Netbook. I’m not a fan of using touchpads, so I’ll definitely need to get a compact, cordless mouse. I currently own a standard Logitech and Microsoft wireless mouse (RF) which work fine, but the physical length of the RF Receiver dongle for both devices is a bit too long for me (I’m afraid that the dongle will break off or damage the USB port if I accidentally hit it with my leg, table, etc.). So, I only see three possible options to get around this issue:

1. Get a basic wired mouse (don’t like this option)
2. Get a RF wireless mouse with a small dongle
3. get a Bluetooth wireless mouse

Since my Mini 9 doesn’t have a Bluetooth transceiver built-in, I’ll have to buy one to use a Bluetooth mouse with my Mini. I can either buy an external USB Bluetooth transceiver or install an internal Bluetooth Module (ordered from Dell for $30 US). For travel convenience it would be nice to have the internal Bluetooth module, but that’s an extra $30 and I’ll have to go through the hassle of ordering it from Dell’s parts dept (which from what I hear, isn’t the easiest thing to do). Fortunately, www.dealextreme.com has a minature USB Bluetooth device selling for $3.00 US that is very tiny and unobtrusive (and does work, as reported by some Mini owners) as shown below:

Also, Bluetooth mice are fairly expensive, where the cheapest I’ve found is online at Dell starting at $20 and going up to $43 US. Below are two Bluetooth mice available from Dell.com: