Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I just got this mouse this morning, so I can't speak to it's longevity; so I'll update this review after 6 months or so of daily use. I ordered and received the purple mouse shown in the item photographs. The actual hue of purple on the device I received has more pink in it, making it more like an orchid or deep lilac. As color is hard to describe, I've included my own photos in the hope the difference in color will correctly display for you to see. The manufacturer's packaging is very plain and simple, just a little tan box to fit the bubble-wrapped mouse. There's a photo of the box in the item photographs provided by Amazon. Amazon puts the little box into a bubble envelope for added protection, which was adequate in my case. The item arrived undamaged and the little box was intact and not crushed or otherwise compressed. I'm running Windows 8.1 Standard that's also setup as a SQL 2012 Server. I had absolutely no issues with the wireless receiver and mouse, and it worked almost instantly...even while Windows automatically detected and ran the installation files. In fact, I didn't even need to reboot after unplugging the old wireless receiver and plugging in this new one. This was a truly seamless, very easy process. I didn't need to do anything with respect to configuration in order for the mouse to work as expected. This is a right-handed mouse and has two buttons on the thumb side, a scroll wheel on the top that depresses and tilts to the right only, and a small alternate function button located in line with the scroll wheel and just to the back (you can see it in the photos). The problem is, because no software is included, there's no way to configure the functionality for these buttons. Windows 8.1 Standard does provide the ability to define the number of lines you want the page to scroll with the wheel (default is 6 lines), as well as the tilt wheel, horizontal scroll in characters (default is 20 chars). However, what I found is that the horizontal tilt wheel function won't control this mouse for sideways scrolling no matter what the setting. Pushing the scroll / tilt wheel to the right results in engaging the same function as depressing it, which is the rapid page scroll that responds to vertical AND horizontal mouse movement by quickly scrolling up/down or right/left within the entire page. The cursor changes accordingly to accommodate the recognized direction of travel in this mode. The mouse uses two, AAA batteries that are NOT included, so make sure you have them available when your mouse arrives or you'll have to wait to use it until you buy some. I didn't make a typo, it takes triple A batteries. I had a little trouble getting the battery door off, and it seems a bit fragile to me, so be careful with it if you also encounter difficulty. Maybe it was just me, but I wanted to give you a heads up just in case. I suggest using a small flathead screwdriver and gently insert it into the notched edge (see my photo with blue arrow). There's also a small storage compartment on the bottom of the mouse for holding the wireless USB receiver when not in use, as well as an on/off switch to conserve battery power. Both are very welcome features to me! So, for the price, features, color choices, and ease of getting up and running, I highly recommend this mouse. I think you'll be very happy with it!