May 06 2008
Parts is parts: Logitech ‘VX Nano’ USB wireless dongle.
It appears that the super-compact USB wireless dongle that comes with the newly released Logitech VX Nano mouse works with the VX Revolution (and quite possibly other models)
I’ve been a happy user of the Logitech VX Revolution mouse (link) for a while now. I’ve gone through a lot of mice, and the VX has just about the best mix of features that I’ve found so far: no charger cradle (which contrary to what I’d expected, I’ve found to be way more trouble then they’re worth), great AA battery life, 7+ buttons, on the small side, and with a nifty built-in slot to hold the USB dongle when you’re traveling.
The one complaint I’ve had is that the dongle, while ’small’ in the scheme of USB wireless bit, is still pretty ungainly:
Particularly, it’s more than long enough so that if your laptop lands the wrong way – even a little jog like a slip off the lap – can break the plastic bit off at the base. I know this as I’ve done it twice now, D’oh. The good news is you can order replacements at 10 bucks a pop (plus shipping) direct from Logitech (link), but it’s still a right pain.
So, when I saw the announcement for the ‘VX Nano’ (link), I was immediately curious to see if that slick, 00ber-tiny USB dongle would work with other Logitech models, particularly as the Nano – while kind of kewl and all, had far fewer buttons than the VX Revolution. 17 bucks with shipping seemed like it was worth the risk, so I ordered a ‘replacement’ Nano receiver (link). Plugged it in, used the Logitech ‘LCC Connection Utility’ (link will get you to the MAC utility, you may have to do some extra digging for the Windows version) to pair it up with my existing VX.. and presto. As far as I can tell, all the standard functions work – all the buttons, scroll wheel, tilt, etc.
I’d be curious to see if it works with the MX as well.
The dongle is small enough that it can stay plugged in 100% of the time, even when traveling – and it can stay installed on the right side of the Macbook pro w/out interfering w/ the mouse itself, which is a big plus. One less thing to keep track of when packing.
Nifty.
