Microsoft - Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000

Microsoft

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000: a low-cost wireless mobile mouse

Aprox. 19€ - see price -

See specifications

Although the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is no longer young, it remains firmly rooted in the Microsoft mouse catalog. With its BlueTrack sensor, it is supposed to work on the most exotic surfaces.

Positive points

Discrete main click buttons.

Satisfactory handling.

Long autonomy.

Bad points

Recognition of perfectible surfaces: the sensor does not work on glass.

One slice button.

Free scroll wheel only, no possibility of notching.

A single 2.4 GHz wireless mode, no Bluetooth as an alternative (USB dongle required).

Not intended for left-handers despite a symmetrical shape.

No adjustment of the sensor sensitivity.

Our review

Presentation

Now sold for less than € 30, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 from Microsoft rubs shoulders with the many nomad mice sold at low prices in stores. It can nevertheless count on a slice button which is often lacking in many of its competitors, while its BlueTrack optical sensor must in principle give it an advantage in terms of surface recognition.


Presentation

Ergonomics

Nomadic mouse obliges, the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 wants to be quite compact. With 102.5 mm long, 60.8 mm wide and 39 mm high, it is however more like a Logitech MX Anywhere than a Logitech Wireless Mini Mouse with even smaller dimensions, for example. Large hands will always have no choice but to grasp it with their fingertips, despite its height which could give hope for putting a tip of the palm; a privilege reserved for smaller hands, therefore.

If left-handers can handle the mouse without problem, the presence of a button only on the left edge rather reserves for right-handers, which is unfortunate. The very forward positioning of this button can however cause involuntary activations with the ring finger, and that is why we cannot really recommend this model to left-handers.

The grip is nevertheless satisfactory in all cases, thanks to curved edges and coated with non-slip textured elastomer. We can easily pinch the mouse between our fingers to lift it naturally, its mass of 95 g allowing manipulation without great effort. We could have hoped for a few grams less, but operation with an AA battery (LR06) rather than a Li-Ion battery limits the possibilities of lightening.

The low price of the Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 does not prevent it from displaying an honorable finish, although we obviously do not reach the quality of more high-end models such as the MX Anywhere or the Cherry MW 8 Advanced, for example, sold at least twice as much.

As for the buttons, we appreciate the flexibility and discretion of the two main ones, much quieter than those of Logitech mice, for example - apart from the Silent models, of course. A definite asset when it comes to using your mouse in transport (train in particular), but also at home or at work so as not to disturb our surroundings. That of the wheel is unfortunately much more firm and audible. A fourth button finds its place on the edge and is used by default to return to the previous page. Indispensable for browsing the Internet or even in the explorer. We regret, however, that Microsoft has not added a second button on this slice, for the "next page" function. All the buttons are also programmable via this same software.

The wheel, for its part, is devoid of notches. It is not really annoying in office automation, but certain users can need a regular scrolling and these notches can thus miss them. To take into account before the purchase, therefore. We are here far from the versatility and quality of a disengageable Logitech wheel as we find on the manufacturer's MX models, or even the beautiful metal wheel of a Microsoft Precision Mouse - mice which evolve however in another category.

In terms of sliding, no complaints, the two PTFE pads ensure fluid movements and not too noisy.

Finally on autonomy, Microsoft indicates up to 10 months of operation, which we unfortunately could not verify during our test period, fatally much shorter. This should still provide sufficient peace of mind, especially since an AA battery is enough to use the mouse.


Precision

The BlueTrack sensor used in this Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 is not a lightning bolt, but it performs well in office automation. We did not have to undergo stall nor of jumps of pixels, the precision is satisfactory for this use. It will of course be avoided for video games, it is not its vocation, especially since it is impossible to change the sensitivity of the sensor! You just have to change the pointer speed in the Windows settings.

As for the wireless link, the use of a 2.4 GHz radio transceiver ensures good behavior for the mouse, which is quite reactive despite its office use; in any case much more than most Bluetooth models which can give an impression of heaviness because of an often higher latency. It will nevertheless be necessary to plan to use a USB port on the computer, which will not suit users of modern ultraportables who have less and less connectivity available.

Microsoft highlights the all-terrain or rather all-surface nature of the BlueTrack sensor used in this Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000. If it can actually be used without worry on fabrics, a satin desk or other more exotic surfaces like the famous "living room rug "that Microsoft quotes in the presentation of its mouse, we are still hungry. For good reason, this sensor is unable to ensure proper operation on glass surfaces or surfaces that are too shiny. Only newer BlueTrack sensors can do this, such as those used in the latest Precision Mouse and Classic IntelliMouse. No wonder for a mouse released a decade ago, but we could have hoped that Microsoft revises its copy to improve the versatility of its little nomadic mouse. For this, we will probably have to wait for a new model that will completely replace it.


Conclusion

Despite its age, the Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000 exhibits good general behavior. Its BlueTrack optical sensor is however not as efficient as those of more recent mice and unfortunately does not work on glass, which limits its versatility.


Specifications