Silent Mouse SM-8000 by Nexus Technology BV
Rating:
Price: $34.95 USD
Requirement(s):
» USB Port
Optional Requirement(s):
» None

Overview:
Nexus is a company that is based in Netherlands and this is where all their products are engineered and designed (but the products are made in China). It was founded back in 2000 and over the past 11 years has developed a multitude of innovative products – including the Silent Mouse (available in both Black and White colours) with patented switch technology.

Unboxing, Package Contents, and First Impressions:
The package contents consisted of the following items:
» Silent Mouse SM-8000
» 2x AAA Batteries
» Instruction Manual

My first impressions on the mouse were fairly pleasant – it had a nice design, clean finish, and was well packaged. Of course – the first thing I did when I opened the packaging was press the buttons to see for myself what this whole “patented switch technology” was all about. As expected, the mouse does not have the usual click that every other mouse I have used does. It isn’t exactly “silent” but is it very quiet and has if you listen while you click you can still hear it when you press the button(s). Overall, comparatively I’d say that it is virtually silent yet you feel firmly when you press any of the buttons on it.

Specifications & Features:
As outlined by the developers:
» Designed for desktop users
» Includes a Nano-receiver which is a fraction of the size of a typical USB receiver
» Operates on the 2.4GHz band
» 5-Key wheel mouse with a scroll wheel
» Ergonomic design with soft rubber coating to keep your fingers comfortable
» 1000 dpi resolution
» Energy-saving mode
» Restore to factory default settings

Sadly I was not happy to see that there was no “on/off” button on the mouse. To make up for the lack of this feature, Nexus has designed the mouse with an “Energy Saving Mode”. Basically how this works is that the mouse goes into a power-saving mode when one of three things happens:
1) The Nano-receiver is not plugged into your computer
2) The Nano-receiver is switched off when plugged into your computer
3) When mouse is inactive for 30 minutes
I think the most common option would be #3 for majority of users since it is a hassle to constantly remove and plug-in the Nano-receiver every time you wish to use the mouse. That is why I feel the 30 minutes of inactivity is a waste of battery life and an on/off switch would be a nice addition to have in future models of the mouse.

Configuration & Setup:
There were no special instructions to follow to install or setup this mouse. Simply insert the 2 AAA batteries provided into the mouse and insert the Nano-receiver into your computers USB slot and you’re good to go!

An interesting feature to take note of is the restoration of factory default settings. There are 2 simply instructions you can follow if the mouse ever stops working at any given time:
1) Check battery status and replace if below usage level
2) Remove the Nano-receiver and simultaneously press the right and middle button (under the scroll wheel). Then proceed to re-insert the Nano-receiver into your computers USB port.

Performance:
My first reaction after plugging in the receiver into my laptop was to see how tiny the Nano-receiver is, and as expected, it is a nice snuggle fit and does not stick out much from my laptop.

Here is an image comparing the receiver to my previous mouse receiver. I threw in a typical USB flash drive too for comparison purposes.

I think the dpi used for this mouse is absolutely perfect. It is quick enough to move across the screen quickly, yet sensitive enough if you want to click something miniature on the screen as well. Previous mice that I have used had many issues with dpi – in that there was just no proper setting to give you a comfortable experience, and thankfully the Silent Mouse does not have this issue.

One major issue I had with the mouse is the scroll wheel. It is one of the worst scroll wheel’s I have ever used on a mouse. The problem I find is that the wheel is too “tight” and needs a more “loose” and “silky” spin to it when scrolling. If this issue is fixed in future models it would definitely increase the appeal of the mouse. The back and forward buttons for the mouse were alright as well. It might just be me, but, I found the forward button to be too far up the side of the mouse and I felt I had to move my hand or stretch it every time I wanted to use that button to go to the forward page while browsing.

The size of the mouse was ideal for me and was very close to the current mouse I use. It is a bit wider but the length of it is about the same.

Overall:
Clearly the Silent Mouse has its minor issues as with a majority of products on the market. The real decision however comes down to the style, comfort, and general use of the product, and I feel that the Silent Mouse delivers quite well in all 3 aspects. I would like to see an on/off button for future versions, as well as an improvement on the scroll wheel and a reposition of the back/forward buttons for increased comfort. Otherwise, for the price, this mouse has a nice texture and higher-quality feel to it along with the added silent-uniqueness bonus to it.

Rating Breakdown:
Material Quality: 95%
Specifications & Features: 95%
Configuration & Setup: 100%
Performance: 80%
Overall: 93%

Purchase the Silent Mouse SM-8000 Here

We would like to thank the developers of Nexus Technology for providing us their product for this review.

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