Introduction

Bluetake no longer is a newcomer to the Bluetooth market. Since their incorporation, Bluetake has produced innovative Bluetooth devices time and time again. Take a look at some of the reviews we have done of their products in the past

BT009V Crystal Bluetooth USB adapter and BT 200 Bluetooth Printer adapter
Bluetake POKE 2 USB Adapter

Visit Bluetake's website for the latest offerings of their Bluetooth products. For an overview of Bluetooth technology read our review here.

Today we bring to you one of Bluetake's newest offerings; a Bluetooth mouse called the BT 500.

Specifications

The BT 500

The BT 500 comes in two versions; one comes packaged with a BT009X Bluetooth adapter and the other does not. So if you already own a device similar to the BT009X then you can save yourself a couple of dollars and buy the BT500 only model. 

Bluetake sent us the packaged version consisting of the BT 500 and the BT009X. The total package consists of the two units mentioned before along with 2 AAA batteries and two driver CD's for the mouse and the adapter. 

The BT500 comes in two colors, white and blue, giving you some choice in color. Before we received the BT500 package from Bluetake, we were expecting a normal sized mouse; however the BT 500 is actually a miniature version being around half the size of a normal mouse. Before you purchase the BT 500 I recommend you try out how it feels because the BT 500 would not be good for those with those with large palms. Personally I too wasn't a big fan of these smaller mice, however after a few hours of use I found it quite easy to use.

The BT 500 is an 800bpi optical scroll mouse. 800dbi means that it would work in almost any surface unlike those cheap optical mice that only work on certain surfaces. 

The BT 500 also has an on/off switch at the bottom to save battery power when you're not using it. This is ideal for those on the move and carries it along with you to work etc. Certain manufactures adopt the strategy of turning the mouse off automatically if there's no movement for a set period; however this is not very effective if you're on the move as the slightest movement will activate the mouse limiting the battery power. 

Close to the on/off switch is another button called the Pairing/reset button (The bluish button in the picture). This is pressed initially as you setup the BT 500 so that it's detected by the BT009X. The process is clearly outlined in the manual provided in the CD.

The BT009X is about the size of a USB thumb drive; its functionality is the same as the Bluetake POKE 2.

The two AAA batteries slide into the mouse as shown in the picture below.

On initial setup as you insert the batteries, press the Pairing/reset button so that the BT009X can detect the mouse. Once you press the Pairing button, the scroll wheel will turn blue and blink. Everything is done pretty much on the fly; it's truly amazing how Bluetooth technology works. 

Usage

Since the BT500 consists of an 800dpi optical light, the precision operation of the mouse is excellent. Response was perfect and in comparison to a Microsoft Intellimouse Optical USB mouse the BT500's performance is not at all second to it. From what I can see only problem some would face is the size of the BT500, which might hinder its usability.

The BT 500 goes into standby mode automatically after a few minutes of no use; the mouse does not switch off, but it goes into some kind of power save mode. One of the main concerns with any wireless mouse is its battery life. This is very important to all of us, as we don't want to be changing batteries all the time now do we? We left the power turned on all the time to measure how long the battery life would last (Batteries used were Energizer alkaline AAA's). The battery life lasted for 8 days straight, which may turn to be around 12-13 days for some others. This unfortunately isn't very good, so when you go out to purchase a BT 500 its best you get some re-chargeable batteries as well.


Conclusion:

The overall look and feel of the BT 500 is quite good. It performs very well under any surface and very accurate in functionality. The lack of wires really does make life much easier when it comes to daily work or while playing your favorite game; no more cord tangles and hassles, giving you total freedom to perform any task freely. The BT 500 retails for around $70 with the BT009X and you can get the BT 500 mouse only package for around $56-60. It's certainly great value for money and the ease of installation is an added bonus. The only drawbacks of the BT 500 are its size and short battery life. I hope Bluetake will come out with a larger version of the BT 500 at a later date, however once you get used to the BT 500 it's quite easy to use. Other than these minor issues, the BT 500 is certainly a great product offered at a very reasonable price.