Foo - Is my wireless mouse a POS?

I bought a new wireless mouse + keyboard combo from Staples a few days ago. The keyboard is great. The mouse is a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2000. I bought it because it was cheap, and it fits the parameters I demand:
Black and silver
3 buttons only, including middle scroll wheel.
Traditional design.

Well I hate it. The middle scroll wheel doesn't always work, I'd say it works about 40% of the time. Also, the mouse develops a serious lag every couple of minutes. Sometimes I'll right click on something, and nothing happens! I keep clicking furiously and eventually it will respond. I'll be able to move the pointer around, but not click.

I am unimpressed with the range of mouse, but it's not a big deal. The wireless base is not even 2ft away from the mouse.

Does anybody know why this could be happening?

What kind of wireless? RF? IR? Bluetooth?

In my experience and opinion, wireless mice and keyboards just aren't worth the hassle, unless you're talking a tiny travel mouse to go with an often-portabled laptop. Properly routed cables just aren't that big of a hassle, and wired devices tend to be far more reliable.

Get a Logitech wireless mouse; works WAY better than the MS mouse. You can also get a wireless keyboard+mouse combo from Logitech.

I have had bad luck with MS hardware...I am a Logitech guy now....

Wireless stuff chews.

MX518, FTW.

I have a MS wireless mouse and it's been good except that occasionally it doesn't want to scroll when I turn the wheel. Other than that, no problems. Plus I've been using the same batteries for something like 8 months now.

In my experience, I've had issues with both MS and Logitech wireless mice and keyboards. After a bit of frustration of having it sometimes work, sometimes not, I went back to a plain old wired keyboard. If I were to go back to wireless, it would be a Bluetooth device.

I can't stand wireless anything for a desktop. The simplest interference can render them unusable to completely unpredictable. Also, the added weight of the batteries drive me nuts, too.

Wireless mice for a laptop is a completely different story. Anything is better than a touchpad to begin with, there is less chance of intereference, and the mice are smaller so weight isn't an issue.

I can't stand wireless anything for a desktop. The simplest interference can render them unusable to completely unpredictable. Also, the added weight of the batteries drive me nuts, too.

Wireless mice for a laptop is a completely different story. Anything is better than a touchpad to begin with, there is less chance of intereference, and the mice are smaller so weight isn't an issue.

I agree, but the desk I use for my computer is also where I draw, so a mouse with a wire really gets in the way. With the wireless mouse I can put it anywhere to get it out of the way. I still use a standard keyboard because my desk has a drawer just for that.

Microsoft Mouse.

1-the lag. since the mouse has no off switch, it is constantly going
into conserve power mode when you take you hand off it for a few minutes.

when you grab it, it starts buffering input while it wakes up and resynchronizes with
the bluetooth. then your buffered input dumps to the PC and you will get sudden
movement which is the stuff you were doing to wake it up.

when it goes to even lower conserve mode, you need to click something on the
mouse to wake it up, movement alone won't do it

2- the scroll wheel

no apparent issues with the scroll wheel, yours may be broken, or software problem

3- it eats batteries, it has no off switch. when asleep it blinks the led once in a while,
turns off the bluetooth. nudging it will wake it up, but a button press is needed
to fire up the bluetooth

4- the not clicking. like 2, sounds like your mouse is junk, or needs fresh batteries

Make sure the surface you have the mouse on is compatible with an optical mouse.
Try it on white paper.