Thinkpads Forum

Hello:

I am looking to purchase an IBM optical 'travel' mouse... I believe it has a red scroll wheel, or maybe it lights up red (?). Anyway, I've found a number of listings on eBay for under $10 after shipping, all from the same seller. I'm wondering if anyone here has purchased one of these, and, if so, would they recommend this... the reason for the skepticism is because among the few negative comments were some arguing that the products were fakes...

Thanks!
mbh

IMHO, i do not like it. My finger cannot "rest" on the buttons. The performance is fine for a optical mouse.

I got it becos it make my T42 feel complete.

Of the mouses I've seen, Microsoft and Logitech make better "travel" mice. I've got 3-4 Microsoft optical mice (Basic Optical, Comfort Optical 3000, Wireless Optical, and Wireless Notebook Laser 6000), and I like them all. At the prices you can find the lower opticals, notebook or full-size, they're not much more than that pseudo-IBM model.

BTW, I looked at the pics on eBay, and that doesn't look like anything I'd seen at IBM (RTP). And doesn't match this one. The "retail box" pictured looks absolutely bogus too; I've never seen an IBM box that said "MOUSE" in big letters on it. Click the seller (cubeternet) 's other auctions, I see lots of nondescript black mice, same wheel, all with some logo on it. He's also selling "new IBM" keyboards, which do not look like any legit IBM keyboards in my experience.

Caveat emptor. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. I trust that Cubeternet seller like a $3 bill.

It certainly doesn't match IBM's current travel mouse, although it could be old stock of a former production model--or a fake.

FWIW, one of my sons just gave me a Christmas gift of a tiny Micro Innovations Wireless Optical Travel Mouse (available at Wal-Mart for $29) that I am very happy with. I especially like not having a cord to deal with. It's too early to tell how long the AAA batteries really last but the manual indicates three months or more.

I have owned a few of these mice but never bought them off eBay so I cannot comment as to their legitimacy. But I have often wondered about these eBay sellers as well since they often advertise the same mouse with a blue LED scroll wheel. The pricing for mice seems exceptionally reasonable (or perhaps to good to be true) until to see the astronomical price for shipping.

As for the one sold by IBM, I like the mouse and found it to be both comfortable and function. I am greatly disappointed with the quality of the electronics inside. The travel mouse (at least the one sold by IBM) uses a rotary encoder for the scroll wheel. Unfortunately this encoder is only rated for 100,000 cycles, and after about 9 to 12 months of daily use, I found that the scroll begins to skip or jerk or will randomly move in the opposite direction. I have also found that the rubberized paint or coating begins to wear off after about 2 years. When my first mouse developed the scrolling issue IBM did replace it promptly as an exchange under the terms of the one year warranty, however just under a year the replacement developed the same issue.

I really think the name "travel" describes this mouse well, as something you would use occasionally when traveling abroad. It is quite small which makes it perfect when workspace is at a premium. If you must have it, I would advise you to scroll sparingly.

Thane

I bought a small Belkin USB optical mouse that I am well pleased with.

That's silly, for the same price you can get a MS, Logitech or Belkin mouse that lasts far longer. I have MS wireless scroll wheel mice that have lasted 3-5 years. I have an older MS wireless mouse that's at least 5 years old ... and still works fine.

I have the IBM travel optical mouse and although I like the feeling of the buttons, the problem is that the cord is way too thick for a mini travel mouse, and often I feel like I have to lift the entire mouse just to move the cord.

I also have a black color Microsoft notebook mouse that color matches the ThinkPad. It has a short and thin cord that's much better.

Thew new Microsoft notebook mouse (both regular and laser) are quite good too, but they have the new stepless wheels so you might want to try one before buying. I hate them.

I have purchased 3 IBM Travel mice from Ebay vendors store0001 & goldengp007.
One was 31p7410 (red lit wheel) and the other two were 24p0501 (blue lit wheel). Both 800 dpi.
I paid $0.01 plus around $9 - 10 shipping each.
They all work fine and appear to be genuine. I'm guessing that the boxes are Asian packaging.

I have a Logitech wired optical travel mouse that I'm generally happy with (nice, positive scrolling) and use a Genius wired optical (full size) at home and a standard MS optical at work. I had a MS travel optical once but the scrolling gave out after about 7 months.