Targus PAUM01U Ultra Mini Retractable Optical Mouse Reviews

• Simply Brilliant

  
  By A2OSERGXBYMPJ0 on 2004-04-01
  The Targus Ultra Mini Optical Mouse (TUMOM) is an amazing piece of hardware. Its convenient size and weight make it just another competitor in the laptop mouse field, but what sets it apart from the crowd is its cord. Not only is the cord extremely thin and light-weight, but you can make the length anywhere from six inches to about two feet and then retract it down to nothing for transport. It's almost like having a wireless mouse, but without the added initial cost or the ongoing cost of batteries. Having the second mouse button is a big bonus for Macintosh laptop users; the third button (depressing the scroll wheel) is great too (mine is programmed for Exposé's "view all windows" feature).

  There are a couple caveats, but these are probably going to hold true for any laptop optical mouse, not just the TUMOM. When I plugged the mouse into my PowerBook (in battery power mode) it sucked about 20 minutes off the clock, which then kept dropping at an accelerated rate. Although it seems to have ergonomic styling, over use of the mini mouse will probably result in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so be careful out there.

  I've only had my TUMOM for a couple days, so I can't speak to its longevity (so far, so good). I've had a hard time convincing my three-year-old that it's not a toy (I've had a hard time convincing *myself* it's not a toy - it's just so fun to extend the cord ... retract the cord ... extend the cord ... etc.). The silver finish perfectly complements my Aluminum PowerBook (I briefly considered a Microsoft laptop mouse that was also silver, but, hello ... evil). I was initially concerned that the retractable widget would get in the way while moving the mouse, but that hasn't been a problem.

  My previous favorite computer gadget was the Lexar 128MB USB JumpDrive, but this makes that look soooo last year (which it was). This is truly a gadget lover's dream.
  
  

• Wonderful - so glad I bought it!

  
  By AXDCA2CU2BNSG on 2004-05-17
  I didn't think I really needed this for my laptop, since the touchpad does a decent job. But this makes navigating the desktop and surfing the web much faster and more comfortable. It's tiny, but feels just right. I don't even like using a regular sized mouse anymore. It is truly plug and play via the USB port - it doesn't require separate software or drivers, or even a system restart for that matter. I just hooked it up and was using it in less than half a minute. Both buttons and the scroll wheel perform admirably. The self-winding cord works like a charm too. It comes with its own carry bag which makes packing convenient. In essence, it's everything I was looking for in a mouse. I'm not usually terribly enthusiastic about gadgets, but this one is without flaw.
  
  

• a small miracle

  
  By AV3VJ9ABG5CES on 2004-01-02
  This tiny mouse is the coolest thing I've bought for my laptop. I have a Mac and it works great - not only for surfing but also doing graphic design... Its retractable cord is perfect to save on space and keep everything together. There is no battery needed and it is so lightweight. Plus the rollerball and 2 clickers add to the ease of using the mouse. Its almost too lightweight to feel like its real (kinda resembles the weight of a keychain or something.) Its a great device. So far, anyway.
  
  

• Excellent Small Mouse - Short Cord

  
  By A1PRXH4T5O6B5R on 2002-02-12
  The Targus Mini Mouse is available in a variety of versions: optical and standard, USB and serial, and with and without the scroller wheel. All of these have about the same size and shape -- about 2/3 the size of a standard Microsoft Mouse. This smaller size is great for kids and for folks with smaller hands because we often find the smaller mouse less tiring to use.

  We have several of these mice and are quite happy with them. Other than one in which the left mouse button switch gave out after about 4 months, they seem to be dependable. And for us, installation couldn't be easier. We use them on a variety of plug-and-play systems with Microsoft OSs (Windows 98 SR2, Windows 2000, Windows XP). Installation is as simple as plugging the mouse in.

  However, one caveat is that although this is a great mouse for any purpose, they are really made for use with a laptop and therefore the cord is relatively short -- about 3 feet long. This just isn't long enough for some setups, like a tower CPU under the desk.

  Finally, I don't know whether it was on purpose or not, but the ergonomics of the physical shape are a masterwork. It is a shape that fits right-handers naturally. Surprisingly however, lefties can use this mouse comfortably without swapping the mouse button mappings in the OS. It's actually more comfortable for the left hand than the plain oval shape adopted by other manufacturers as an either-hand approach.

  All-in-all they are decent products for a reasonable price. -- Scott Loban
  
  

• Road mouse

  
  By on 2004-02-01
  Exactly what we were looking for, it functions as well as a full size mouse and is ideal for working in a restricted space such as on a laptop surface. The retractable cord makes it super convenient, it's perfect.
  
  
• Great mouse while it worked...
  By AF8H2CQ3RQFAO on 2004-08-25
  I don't like using touchpads and I got this mouse for my laptop about 6 months ago. I use my laptop a lot and take it from meeting to meeting, and absolutely loved this mouse - its size and retractable cord made it really easy to take around with me.
  
  The only issue was its short life span: it died on me last week, without warning. No LED light, nothing. By reading the other comments, it looks like I'm not the only one who experienced this issue.
  
  It is so convenient that I would buy it again, if Targus updated this model. For now I think I'll stick with a sturdier model, even if it is bigger.
  
  
• Regret it
  By A50L01T0ISARS on 2005-07-25
  I normally have a pleasant shopping experience at amazon.com. But this mouse is the worst thing I have bought here or elsewhere in a long time.
  
  It's unfair to say it doesn't work. But from the first day, it someimes works and sometimes doesn't. And you are never gonna know when it is going to stop working when you sit down in front of your computer. When it doens't work, I have to unplug it and re-plug it into a certain position (not fully plugged in, that way it is certain that it won't work). And I have to do this a couple of times per day. There is nothing wrong with my computer's USB port, I tried plugging in my printer and internet cable in the same port (into a fully plugged-in position) they all work all the time. Now I am getting tired of this and will throw the thing away even though...sometimes it works.
  
  
• Mouse Size is Great; Retracting Cord Broke Quickly
  By A3DM9ZJ5NCTVM2 on 2004-04-23
  Bought the mouse for a Dell Inspiron 600 because of size and retractable cord. The size fits in a laptop case easily and is far less bulky than others. While very small, it works well on small tables, on the computer itself and on an airplace tray. But, the lock on the cord rewind device broke within one month and I now have to tie a knot in the cord on both sides of the rewind section to keep it from snapping back against the computer when no in use. It didn't really cost that much, but, as it turned out, it was a waste of money. I no longer use it. When it worked, I would rate it a 5; broken a 0.
  
  
• so-so
  By A38GKG4UQNAPYN on 2006-04-14
  Targus PAUM004U Notebook Optical Mouse (with Blue Light)
  
  pros:
  1) overall design;
  2) comparatively little physical weight;
  
  cons:
  1) "blue light" feature is (IMHO) pretty irritating and there is no way to switch it off;
  2) often senses double-click, when you click only once;
  3) stopped working after 1 year
  
  
• very pleased so far!
  By A19S3JSCAIWS26 on 2004-05-20
  I have rather sweaty fingers (I tell ya, this is really annoying), so it is essential for me NOT to rely on touch pad too much. This tiny mouse has been a life saver for me. It is rather affordable, and works pretty well with many (but not all; occasionally it doen't work on very, very smooth surfaces) surfaces. There are more expensive chordless models, but in many occasions, I'll be working on my notebook computer with limited amount of space, so having the "retractable" chord doesn't bother me at all.

  "Retractable" is indeed the key here. It's so compact that you don't feel that you are carrying around yet another tiny electronic gadget along with your cell phone, mp3 player, shaver, etc., etc. Anyways, highly recommended.
  
  

• good for 5 months, then it dies
  By ACFU8OGQJH2YY on 2004-08-03
  i loved this mouse when i first got it. it was small, portable, and didn't take too much space. the retractable cord was the next best thing to cordless. but, after about 5 months of use, the right click stopped working. a friend of mine tried to fix it, said that it was dirty, and it worked for about 2 wks after that. asked the same friend to look at it again, he said the thing that connected the clicker to the sensor was too short after taking the thing apart. so, he tried rigging it, but now its just broken. if they made a better version of this, i'd try it again.
  
  
• Lovely until it breaks
  By A77M0XY81JY6B on 2004-09-15
  My husband's gone through two of these. When the mouse button on the first broke, he chalked it up to bad luck. When the second broke, he bought another brand. Fine mouse, great ergonomics, but it only lasted a couple of months.
  
  
• Retractable - Not a good feature
  By A1A2QBPUPLKLSI on 2005-06-28
  I had this mouse for about 6 months. The mouse worked ok, but the retractable part was always in the way and getting caught up on things. Then, one day, it stopped catching and when I tried to force it to, the wire completely snapped. The retractability is more of a pain than a good feature.
  
  
• Worked well for ten months
  By A1EH4AY8ZYIZQL on 2005-10-12
  When it worked, it's a five-star item for me; however, after 10 months, the left click button stopped functioning properly. But, I liked it so much when it worked and given the low price, I still gave it three stars. Replaced it with a Kensington corless mini. Will let everyone know how that is doing in time.
  
  
• It Died after minimal use/less than a year
  By A2RITT5V6SCT3E on 2006-03-21
  I purchased this for my laptop. It worked great at first. There were blue and red lights that would brighten up when it was awake. Not anymore. The blue light completely stopped working. It used to be plug and play. Not anymore. Basically it is useless. It just doesn't work. It was used probably 30 times at the most. Complete junk. I like the smallness and shape of it though. Time to try a different brand.
  
  
• Mini Mouse
  By A1H3AIR0GJ8QZ on 2007-01-09
  Considering how heavy cordless mouse(s) are with batteries etc, this is a featherweight and worth the nuisance of a cord. It is the third one I have owned, the springs inside are not long lasting, but for the money, it is a good performer.
  
  
• Pleasure to use, but doesn't last long
  By A3RWJ7YZXNZ8YU on 2007-03-21
  The Targus mouse is pleasure to use when new. It is lightweight, the retractable cord is convenient; I carry it everywhere.
  
  However, it does not last very long under daily use! I am about to throw out my second one after a little less than a year. (The first lasted less than a year too).
  
  The main problem is that the connection between the cord and the mouse becomes weak, and the mouse disconnects from the computer, probably because of the repetitive strain of extending and retracting the cord. The other problem is that the springs under the mouse buttons weaken quickly and I find myself double clicking unintentionally or not clicking at all.
  
  If you intend to use this daily, you may want something sturdier, otherwise this is a fine choice.
  
  
• great size and useability
  By A2AMC5YR9TKFGR on 2004-06-02
  This is a fantastic solution for a laptop. I don't like touch pads or even the stick in an IBM ThinkPad. I used to carry a full size mouse. This is virtually weightless and can fit in any spare part of a laptop bag. I initially found my hand felt cramped because I was trying to hold it with the same fingers I use for a full size mouse, but I consciously just rearranged my fingers and found it to be incredibly easy to use for long periods of time. The retracting cord is ingenious.
  
  
• Nice Idea ... not very solid
  By A2FP0FUY6T7IZ6 on 2004-12-10
  Mine's still working after 9 months although it's a bit touchy (i.e. unresponsive) at times. I find it helps to full extend the cord. The concept - a mini mouse for my laptop with a little memory on the side - is a great one. But the quality is only fair.
  
  
• It's very handy, not built that well though
  By A233U8KGMIVFDX on 2005-02-08
  It looks awesome, feels awesome and the click buttons are quite good. But I was dissapointed with the scroll button, it didn't work well, it kept getting stuck, sopmetimes the button was rolling but the screen wasn't scrolling. Otherwise it's a good buy, and totally worth the price
  
  
• Targus Mini, But Not Ultra
  By A8X3B2BNFWJOQ on 2005-04-22
  I purchased my mouse at a RITE-AID drugstore,on impulse, @ $15.99. I've been using this for two months. It is somewhat jerky, or it "sticks", and mine is VERY picky about what's used for a mousepad, or what colors the mousepad has. Mouse works best on solid color, the darker the better and it does NOT like plastic! Works well on wood and dark jeans, though!
  
  Does well as a stationary mouse, but it's not for those who must have super-sensitivity. It didn't do quite as well in the car or on the plane. Maybe it's just the particular mouse I bought, though.
  
  On the POSITIVE side, it's still pretty neat, fits well in my small but clumsy hands, and IS definitely handy when space is an issue. The retractable cord works VERY smoothly and NOT ONCE did it "retract" during extensive use, even when it got jerked a little. I really like that feature. The scroll button feature works perfectly, too.
  
  I'm keeping mine, despite the love/hate relationship...
  
  
• Decent Mouse
  By A268XBXF9BCC7E on 2005-05-06
  I was in the market for a mini mouse when I stumbled upon this one. You definitely pay for quality. A friend of mine bought an optical mini mouse for around $30 and I must say that it works perfectly. This Targus mouse is a decent mouse for a decent price but I would spend $10 to $15 more for a better mouse.
  
  The main problem areas are the glitchy controls and the scroll button. While surfing the web, every five minutes you can count on the mouse resetting and flying up to the top corner or bottom corner and getting stuck there for a couple seconds. When I contacted the seller he told me that I needed an optical mousepad. I tried a normal mouse pad and an optical mouse pad and neither worked very well to correct the problem. I also tried all the different USB ports just to see if that could be the issue. The only time that I got it to work normally for an extended period of time, I used a file folder that was laying next to my laptop and it worked better than any "mousepad" that I could find. The scroll button is very tight and sticky. Instead of the normal smooth scrolling action, you can easily feel every click of the button on your way down the page.
  
  The best feature of this mouse is the retractable cord. I definitely utilize this feature the most. Normally I just extend it about a foot and then carry on. When you are done, simply extend the cord a little bit and then let it slink back up to stay nice and clean and get it out of the way on your desktop.
  
  Overall, this is a decent product at a good price. If you are into doing documents and going to be typing more than using the mouse, then this is the mouse for you. If you are going to be surfing the web, spend a couple extra bucks for a better mouse and it will definitely save you headaches in the end.
  
  
• Nice - When It Works
  By A7PFQBUN37EUM on 2005-06-12
  This mouse is very small and easy enough to use. Unfortunately it does not seem to have a very long lifespan. I got mine about 5 months ago and I have already had to replace it. The wind up mechnaism is very strong and sometimes seems to self-activate, slamming it into your computer or you. I could live with that, but not with a mouse that only works for a few seconds whenever it feels like it.
  
  
• Don't bother with this mouse, it will break in less than a year.
  By A2CICSMKPDCY4S on 2005-11-26
  I've had two of these, and while they were working, they were great, but unfortunately, after about six months or so, they stopped working for no apparent reason.
  
  Targus replaced the first one, but then the second one stopped working as well. I give up. Learn from my mistakes!
  
  
• waste of money
  By A1C5LBRXWVIX6Q on 2005-11-27
  I bought this yesterday(Black Friday) from OfficeMax.
  The first one didn't work at all(no light after I plug in the USB port of my laptop), today I went back to officemax and replaced it with another one, that 's the one I am "using". The left botton and right button and the scroll wheel are working, but the pointer dosn't mover at all. I used 2 in a row within
  24 hours and neither is working properly, I don't think this is my computer problem, I tried it on all my 3 computers, one P4 desktop, one P4 laptop and one intel centrino laptop, any other USB devices work very well on these computers.
  
  I suggest you don't buy it, it is cheap, buy you'll waste your money, I am going to return mine, it disspointed me very much.
  
  
• Buggy
  By A2PX7K6D6DSGKU on 2006-02-05
  I've had this mouse for a while, and I have two major problems with it.
  
  1) It doesn't work properly on most surfaces. Any surface that has any sort of red tint or any kind of dark surface it seems to dislike. The pointer will jump around randomly because of this.
  
  2) The mouse will occasionally click twice when you only click once. This causes you to accidentally close windows you didn't want to and open files that you dont want to. It is very frustrating.
  
  Other than that, I like the design. Any smaller would be too small I think. The bright blue LED is a bit obnoxious though. If I were you I'd drop down a few extra bucks and get something decent.
  
  
• Great little mouse
  By A2ZB9VR8QH41AU on 2006-02-26
  I bought this little mouse for my laptop because I hate the little tracking pad. It is perfect, works on all surfaces and the retractable cord makes it easy to take along--no tangling. Great value too.
  
  
• Works, but has some minor issues
  By A3SKTQ9RTBHD4S on 2006-03-09
  1. The cord is not very long
  2. The cord holder is heavier than the mouse and will pull it down if you aren't working at a flat table/desk.
  3. The buttons don't seem to work 100% of the time. Probably more like 99%.
  
  These aren't big issues. If you need a very small mouse, this is good. If you don't have this requirement, there are better mice out there.
  
  
• Ok...for short periods
  By A78OW26K0MT31 on 2006-09-10
  I have used this mouse for 3 months with my laptop. Look/feel and general use are fine for short periods of time (~< 1 hour). However, I am currently shopping for a replacement as this mouse has one problem: Intermittently, after clicking/double-clicking, the mouse will go into a "move to the left" mode...and will continue to move until it reaches the edge of the screen. Sometimes it will move to the upper-left. This is so inconsistent as to be unpredictable. I will often (at least 10 times in a 30 minute period) have to give the mouse a wiggle to stop it from continuing. Frustrating if you are trying to click through a multi-level menu, for instance. Another example is if you working on any CAD-type or image editing project where you need to insert a line one segement at a time (mouse will move when it feels like it).
  
  It was ok for a while, but now it is annoying...going to buy a replacement.
  
  If I have to buy a replacement for a product because of how the product performs at an early stage in its life, it gets no more than 2 stars. It could be just this one particular mouse, but then that points to lack of QA at the manufacturer end...again, 2 stars.
  
  
• Nothing Special
  By AOEOCHFT3O6RD on 2006-12-06
  This product was fine for a while (about 8 months), but after everyday use the left clicker is very unreliable and sometimes takes up to 3 clicks to click once. It is very small and I wouldnt recommend it to anyone with large hands. My advise is you might want to check this out at a retail store before purchasing.
  
  

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