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Expert Review
iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse

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Stores Selling: 2
$57.00 - $79.00


Expert Rating:  3  (what's this?)

Expert Review

iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse

Date Published: 1/8/07

The iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse doesn't take up much room in a travel bag, and since it's Bluetooth, there's no long cord to worry about. iGo includes a carrying case for when you're on the road.

Manipulating your PDA via stylus or touchscreen can be a pain, especially when it's sitting in its docking cradle. The iGo (formerly Think Outside) Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse gives you another option. This input device automatically connects to many Bluetooth-capable PDAs, and it lets you maneuver the on-screen cursor in a way that feels much more natural.

As a mouse, this PDA accessory functions well. It looks and feels about the same as the more compact notebook mice you may have seen, and the rubberized exterior makes it easy to grip even with its smaller size. It will also function with your Bluetooth-capable portable or desktop computer, so you can make the mouse serve double duty.

Using the Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse for document editing is a great improvement over pecking with a stylus. There's even a scroll wheel for rapidly moving through office documents. If you have a keyboard as well, you feel that you're sitting right in front of your notebook PC instead of a PDA.

Installing the Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse involves pairing it with your PDA, and you have to load a driver. After the initial installation, the mouse is automatically recognized by its Bluetooth signal once it's turned on and enabled.

Unfortunately, the Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse doesn't work with the Palm OS, so you need to have a Pocket PC to use it. The mouse is powered by two AAA batteries that will need to be replaced from time to time.

At a list price of $80, this is one of the more expensive input devices on the market. However, we found the Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse for less than $50 from some vendors, so be sure and shop around. You may not need a mouse to control the on-screen cursor, but if you often use your PDA while it sits in its cradle, the iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse can be a handy accessory.


Pros: Cordless Bluetooth, compact and comfortable
Cons: Pricey, doesn't work with Palm OS



Warranty
1 year



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Magic Debugger

release: 8.4.3-qa1
content_id: 264575
type: review
category: l4-cp-pda-accessories

brws title: iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse Review: Powered by ConsumerGuide and HowStuffWorks

meta d: The handy iGo Stowaway Bluetooth Travel Mouse makes a great gift for that person on your list who always uses his or her PDA on the go. Read the full Consumer Guide review.

url: http://shopproducts.howstuffworks.com/Palm-P10942U-for-Tungsten-E-for-Palm-Palm-Tungsten/SF-1/PID-21264640