[nextpage title=”Introduction”]

Logitech currently has the “Ferrari of notebook mice” – the VX Revolution – to which we’ve given a stellar review. It’s a great product, but sports a hefty price tag and it’s a little too big considering it’s a laptop mouse. There’s now a viable alternative from Logitech in terms of size and price: the V220 cordless optical mouse. It has some cool features (rubber grip, programmable scroll wheel) and some cost-effective solutions, like having an optical sensor instead of a laser. But this doesn’t mean it’s any less precise than its laser-based counterparts, as we’ll see further along in this review.

Figure 1: The Logitech V220 mouse.

[nextpage title=”The V220 Mouse”]

The mouse works through a radio frequency (RF) transmitter that can be connect to a USB port on either a laptop or a desktop PC. The unit slides into the bottom of the mouse turning if off to avoid battery waste. It requires only one AA battery that goes into the mouse body. Thank God we didn’t read the manual (who does it, anyway?) prior to put the device through test, as the diagram misleads the user when installing the battery. The negative end should go first – and not the positive end as the manual suggests. It’s not the end of the world but still it shouldn’t have happened.

Figure 2: the transmitter slide.

The bottom of the mouse houses the button to open the battery compartment and also the on/off switch. The V220 can be manually turned off if the user is about to spend a lot of time not using the mouse without having to reinsert the RF device. You can leave it plugged on the laptop and turn off the mouse to spare the AA battery. A LED just bellow the scroll wheel goes from green to red to let the user know if the battery is either good or low. The wheel in itself is made from rugged rubber and allows for a smooth vertical and horizontal scroll.

Figure 3: The battery compartment.

[nextpage title=”Using the V220″]

The V220 is a plug-and-play device but if you want to reprogram the button set-up you need to download Logitech’s proprietary software, SetPoint. Their mice usually ship with the application CD but this time the user has to get it from the company website. It’s a good thing since it means one less dust gathering CD on your desk. The software allows the user to reprogram the horizontal scroll to act like a web browser’s back/forward button, for instance. Besides that the SetPoint is not that useful as the V220 has fewer customizable functions than a regular or gaming mouse (it lacks thumb buttons).

Figure 4: SetPoint software.

We’ve mentioned that the V220 is an optical mouse, and not a laser one. This doesn’t compromise its precision. The 1000 dpi optical sensor works in such surfaces as a naked leg and a vertical wall without missing a beat. The mouse kept working even though we let the laptop rest two meters away from us.

As we are gaming aficionados we plugged the V220 on our desktop machine to play Team Fortress 2. The performance, of course, didn’t hold a candle to using a gaming mouse like Logitech’s G9. Still, the V220 held its own even though some precision issues cost us a few “digital lives.” But as optical mice go it delivered a good enough experience.

The rubber grip provided a good rest for the thumb and the ergonomic design is good for such a small device. Fingers got a little tired only after hours of working, but no big deal. The V220 is best suited for travel due to its compact size and wireless function. Unfortunately it lacks thumb buttons for more navigation features and the transmitter can’t be inserted into the mouse like the bigger V450 model.

[nextpage title=”Specifications”]

• Cordless Optical Mouse for Laptops
• Tracking resolution: 1000 dpi
• Radio frequency transmitter with USB plug
• Battery: single AA
• Four adjustable functions
• Right- and left-handed usage
• Depth: 3.7 in. (9,5 cm)
• Width: 2.3 in. (6 cm)
• Height: 1.7 in. (4,5 cm)
• More information: https://www.logitech.com
• MRSP: USD 29.99

[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]

Strong Points

• Compact size.
• Rubber grip.
• Smooth scroll wheel and precise buttons.
• Very precise sensor.
• Single battery operated.
• Radio frequency transmitter turns off the mouse when slid in.

Weak Points

• No internal compartment for the RF transmitter.
• Lacks thumb buttons.
• Manual misleads battery insertion.