Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse Review
In today’s review I’m taking a look at the Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks. I’m looking for a new cordless mouse as an accessory for my HP G60 DX-235 laptop and I had the opportunity to try out this mouse with it. I’m kind of picky about the mouse I use and I’ve already returned one ’store brand’ generic wireless mouse. Will this one be a ‘keeper’ or will I keep looking…
Review continued below…
Like usually, let’s start with the basic specs for the Logitech V450 Nano. It uses the standard 2.4GHz RF technology for wireless communication. It uses a laser rather than a red LED which improves the accuracy and tracking on more surfaces. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries and there’s a dedicated on/off switch to help you conserve battery power as well as a power status light. For the computer side there’s a mini sized USB receiver. It’s compatible with XP and Vista as well as Mac OS X.
Connectivity is something to consider with any wireless device and it was one of the first things I checked with the Logitech V450. My home office has 6 to 8 wireless devices operating there so if a device has a problem with interference it will show up there. The V450 worked great with no connectivity issues. One consideration for some people might be that it uses 2.4GHz and not Bluetooth. For me, since I swap hardware around a lot for testing, I like the ability to do quick switches without pairing.
One thing I really liked about the Logitech V450 Nano was the USB receiver’s size. It is quite small and only sticks out about a quarter of an inch (about 7-8mm) unlike the other wireless mouse I tried where the USB dongle stuck out the typical 2 inches (50mm) or so. Having the receiver almost flat against the laptop makes it easier to use in tight situations, like when traveling or using it on a laptop desk. This is a big selling point to me. Another neat feature is that the receiver will fit in a slot in the mouse itself. This action turns off the mouse plus it makes it easy not to lose it accidentally.
Another thing I look for in a wireless mouse is responsiveness and tracking. In this department the V450 Nano also worked very well. I found the laser tracking to work very well on surfaces that a regular red LED optical mouse would tend to skip or fail entirely. This is quite handy for the traveler who may be working on a variety of surfaces. While I’m not a hard core gamer, I did appreciate the responsiveness of this mouse on the games I do play.
While I haven’t used the V450 long, I’ve been pleased with other Logitech products I’ve bought in terms of durability and battery life. This mouse seems to be constructed well and I suspect the battery life will be about the same as other’s I’ve tried, about 3-4 months, maybe longer if the on/off switch is used. The mouse I tested was a customer return but there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with it.
Now, let’s get to the comfort factor of the V450 Nano. I like a flat, well contoured, mouse. I really liked the sculpted buttons and rubber sides on this mouse and the wheel felt comfortable and responsive as well. However, I thought the rear end of the mouse was rather fat and heavy. Over time, felt a little uncomfortable to me. I suppose this bulk is due to the AA batteries. Another consideration with the flatness is how well it fits in a laptop bag. I thought it tended to bulge out a bit in our case.
My bottom line on the Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks is that it’s a very good mouse for laptops. The rear end bulk and lack of flatness were the only things I didn’t like about it. It’s pretty close to what I’m looking for so I may end up keeping it, a little more time will tell. If you’re in the market for a new laptop mouse, remember that you can get great deals on a laptop mouse if you take the time to check out returns, refurbs and such from local and online discounters as long as they have a good return policy so that you don’t get stuck with a high tech ‘brick’.
I’ve been looking for something like Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks - but I wonder do they drain much power from the netbook -that’s an issue for those of us who travel a lot
Hi Mary,
The V450 mouse itself uses it’s own AA batteries so the only power usage is the very tiny amount of power the nano transmitter uses.
I used to carry a seperate mouse for my laptop, but an emergency forced me to live without one for a few days and I actually mastered the touchpad! Yay! So no more mouses for me!
I got really fed up using my touch pad on my laptop (it even gave me a sore hand), that I just had to buy a mouse. First of all I bought a cheap Tecknika one from Tesco, but as expected, it broke within a few weeks. I then bought a Logitek mouse and it works brilliantly. I would say that the mouse is a little too big for my small hands, but it works well and it was reasonably priced as well
This mouse is a must if you travel a lot on business trip. Helps you a lot when you are surfing the net or working while waiting for your exchange flight.
Hrmm, i sure could use a new mouse… im tired of this one that is always squeaking, like a real mouse!
-Jack
Hi, I am using logitech mouse since many years. I am really happy with quality. Now V450 is my new mouse.
Are there any mouse’s that you would recommend, or that are really popular?
-Jack
I would pass on this simply because the heel is so fat. I’m getting serious joint problems in my right thumb joint from too much computer work over the years and I need a skinny mouse. I’m also wondering whether a trackball would solve my problems or make them worse.
I have given up on cordless mice. It is just too much hassles to deal with batteries and recharging. Unless you really need cordless, just stick with a regular cord mouse.
Nice review! I’m looking for a good mouse.
I’m looking to replace my Mighty Mouse with something a bit more ergonomic. Do you recommend the V450 over the mighty mouse?
has anyone ever tried the trackman wheel? it is a mouse with a trackball on it that you control with your thumb! i have been using the same style since 1999 and only bought 3! they are the best i will never go back to normal mice ever again. But when you first switch, it is hard to get used to but then you will hate other mice
SirNicolaus
Logitech V450 cordless laser mouse is really cool feature of switch on/off and it’s save batteries life.
As you described this Logitech mouse is perfect for laptops and even general office use but do you have a favourite mouse for gaming? That is of course if you are a gamer. My personal favourite is the Razer Mamba, it’s awesome but not too cheap.
This mouse is ok taking into consideration that i have a normal notebook mouse. I think i will search for some more models and i will make my final decision then. Anyway thanks for this topic.
Ah, this post reminds me that I need a new mouse. the one I have now is malfunctioning.
I may look into this mouse to see if it caters to my needs. I’m used to bulky mice.
I should probably give cordless mice another try. Back when they originally came out, most of them had lousy battery life that made them very inconvenient. I remember playing computer games and having to quickly change the battery on the fly in the middle of the game. 3-4 months battery life would be great.
Hi ATV,
Mine is still running on the original batteries as of today. That’s about 3 months.
From what I’ve read, this device seems to be a great piece of invention. My mouse is still in good working conditions otherwise I would have tried this one. Am looking forward to it though.