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Many had predicted that the arrival of touchscreens and trackpads would result in its demise, but fast forward to today, and the trusty mouse remains a part of our digital lives. In fact, even Android tablets and the iPad allow you to pair a mouse with them. The reason for the longevity of the mouse’s tale is simple – it is an incredibly convenient device to use. You can actually navigate your path along a display, selecting and scrolling by just using your fingers on this handy little gadget. What’s more, like many gadgets these days, mouses too are losing their wires, making them easier to use and carry around. In fact, we know a lot of people who still prefer using a mouse to a trackpad with their notebooks. The problem, though, is that getting a good Bluetooth mouse generally involves spending a bit of money.
Which is why we love the Asus Marshmallow Mouse MD100.
Asus launched Marshmallow Mouse MD100 last year at Rs 1499. It is now available at lower prices, and often dips below Rs 1,000. Honestly, we think it was a terrific deal even at its original price for those who like to work on the move. At Under a Thousand, it is easily THE Bluetooth mouse to go for. One does get other Bluetooth mouses at less than a thousand Rupees, but those often come with creaky and uncomfortable designs and inconsistent performance.
The Asus Marshmallow Mouse MD 100 on the other hand is a superb product. It comes with a sleek, very portable design and its overall performance is excellent.
The design of the Marshmallow Mouse MD100 is likely to be a major attraction for many. The mouse comes with a removable magnetic cover, and also with a spare cover in the package, so you can switch between two shades! We got the Mist Purple and Brave Green cover options, and well, they definitely added a dash of welcome colour to what is otherwise a device that tends to be dull and predictable in terms of design. Attaching and removing a cover is as simple as pulling one off and snapping the other on – the covers fit well and there is no creaking or looseness. The covers have a matte finish, which keeps smudges at bay, although their slightly lighter does attract some dust – nothing a simple rub with a sloth cannot clean, though. The Marshmallow Mouse is a very solid proposition – the cover did not separate even when the mouse fell off a table. The mouse itself took no damage and continued to work well even after the fall.
The MD100 is also an incredibly compact and very light device (a little over 50 grams, with a single AA cell inside), which will fight snugly into most palms, and can even slip inside a trouser pocket or a handbag. Some might find its shape to be a little too flat, and not the usual curved shape that one finds with most mouses, but we found it very comfortable to use. Mind you, its being so lightweight can work against it, as it moved too easily sometimes. Asus has added a carrying strap to the lower side of the mouse for those who want to dangle it from a finger or maybe hang it inside their bags. We preferred keeping it tucked inside (it fits inside snugly), as it was a bit of a distraction while using the mouse. Asus claims that the mouse also has been treated with the Asus Antimicrobial Guard, which restricts bacterial growth. Of course, it is not something we could actually check or verify, but it is good to see manufacturers taking such initiatives on devices.
Using the mouse itself is easy peasy lemon squeezy. We just switched on the pairing button on the base of the mouse, and chose it from the Bluetooth options on our device. It worked absolutely smoothly with our notebook running MacOS, a desktop running Windows, and also paired smoothly with an iPad, Chromebook and Android tablets. Compatibility is not an issue with this mousey customer – you also have the option of using it with wireless RF 2.4 Ghz, although that involves using a dongle which will tie up one of the ports on the connected device. In terms of usage, the MD100 ticks the basic mouse boxes – you have a right and left clicking area, with a scrolling wheel between them. The operation of the mouse is very silent – clicking a button makes no noise at all, and the scrolling is smooth and yet has just a little resistance, thanks to a slightly textured wheel. The mouse is designed to work on most surfaces (thanks to 100 per cent PTFE mouse feet, we are told), and it actually does so – we actually used our denims as an impromptu mouse pad when we encountered a particularly crowded table and the mouse worked just fine.
The number of buttons are limited and while the sensitivity is excellent, this is not a mouse for hardcore gamers (many of whom would not like its flat-ish profile anyway), although its performance is decent enough for casual and standalone gaming sessions. For those who like to fuss over dpi sensitivity, there is the option to switch between 800, 1000 and 1600 dpi. Asus says the battery life of the mouse is about a year with a single AA battery – we would have preferred something rechargeable, but at this price point, this is more than acceptable.
It looks good and has an even cute-ish form factor. It is easy to carry around, and works with Mac, Windows, Chrome, Android and iOS. Not everyone will like just two buttons and a scroll wheel, and gamers might mutter about weight and customizability options, but if all you want is a high-quality wireless mouse at a super affordable price, the Asus Marshmallow Mouse MD100 is hard to beat. Especially when those special deals pull it into the three-figure zone! It will turn heads, slip comfortably into your pocket and work just a treat, all at a surprisingly affordable price. This is one budget beauty for those who want to make a digital point and scroll on displays. Pun intended.
