Targus Ultralife Wireless Mouse

The Targus Ultralife Wireless Mouse ($49.99 direct) attempts to fuse fashion and technology and, to a certain extent, succeeds on both levels. It definitely makes a loud, albeit curious, stylistic statement, sporting a sleek, bronze-finished chassis with a circular hole piercing the body. On the "technology" side of the equation, though, that loud statement is reduced to a soft whimper. Its low profile fits awkwardly in the hand, and, for an otherwise ordinary mouse with standard functionality, its $50 price tag is difficult to justify in the face of equally versatile, more affordable mice.

Design and Features
The Ultralife's sleek, low profile body is tastefully minimalist in appearance, though not pared down as dramatically as the Manhattan Stealth Touch Mouse . The left- and right- click buttons are integrated into the handsome bronze-finished chassis, and lends an overall streamlined look to the Ultralife. Aside from the tiny scroll wheel and an etched Targus insignia, the face of the Ultralife is entirely unadorned. A battery indicator life beneath the scroll wheel flashes red whenever the battery levels dip too low, but it's only visible through the thin slit that separates the left- and right- click buttons. The underside, meanwhile, is constructed out of black plastic, and there you'll find a power switch, two glide strips that allow smooth movement on most surfaces, a battery compartment for one AA battery (one is included), and a magnetic strip that attracts the dongle when you take the Ultralife on the go. The magnetic holder is a good idea, at least in theory, though not as practical as a dongle compartment, and, one can easily imagine the dongle becoming dislodged whenever the Ultralife is tossed into a backpack. By far the most curious aspect of the Ultralife's design is the hole on the lower right side of the mouse, which pierces the chassis and exposes the surface beneath the mouse, bringing to mind a pierced earlobe. Maybe the hole represents the emptiness of modern life. Or maybe the Ultralife can be used ironically as a keychain. Either way, it's an interesting piece of flair that ultimately doesn't affect performance and is highly subjective, so make of it what you will.

The Ultralife is compatible with Windows (Windows 7, Vista, and XP). It's also compatible with the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, as I was able to use it on a system with Windows 8 Release Preview installed, and found that the scroll wheel scrolls through tiled interface of the start screen. Unlike the HP Wireless Mouse X4000 , it's also compatible with Mac operating systems.

Performance
Measuring 0.8 by 2.25 by 4 inches (HWD), the Ultralife has a thin profile that matches the ultrabook aesthetic. It's a cool design, but an ergonomically questionable call. My hand had to assume an awkward claw-like position during use, since resting it on the Ultralife resulted in a five-finger drag. That said, the Ultralife deserves props for its ambidextrous design that can accommodate righties and lefties unlike, say, the HP Wi-Fi Touch Mouse X7000 .

The Ultralife connects wirelessly through a dongle that beams out a 2.4GHz signal. Since it's plug-and-play, setting it up simply requires plugging the dongle into a free USB port and waiting for several moments as the drivers are installed. If your system has a limited number of available USB ports, as is often the case with ultrabooks, you may be better off with a mouse that features Bluetooth connectivity, like the Verbatim Easy Riser Bluetooth Notebook Laser Mouse .

Aside from its ergonomic hang-ups, the Ultralife is a decent performer. Its 1200 DPI laser sensor ensures smooth movement, even on higher resolution displays, and the left- and right- clicks as well as the scroll wheel don't feel stiff. Response rate is also on point, and there's no noticeable lag during use.

The Targus Ultralife Wireless Mouse is one of the more interesting-looking mice you'll encounter. That's not to say that it's unattractive?it just may not be everyone's cup of tea. Still, its low profile makes for an awkward user experience. That, and its standard functionality, makes it pretty difficult to justify its $50 price tag.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Targus Ultralife Wireless Mouse with several other computer mice side by side.

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