HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse review

A wireless mouse that uses your Wi-Fi network rather than USBs or Bluetooth

Reviews
By published
HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse
A unique, but not entirely successful, way to connect

TechRadar Verdict

A good idea for freeing up USB ports, but it pulls it off with a few hiccups

Pros

  • +

    Interesting use of Wi-Fi tech

  • +

    Frees up USB port

  • +

    Excellent range

  • +

    Good battery life

Cons

  • -

    Compatibility problems

  • -

    Requires a Microsoft-certified wireless networking card

  • -

    Not compatible with Windows XP or Macs

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Unlike most wireless mice that connect to computers via a USB dongle, or even via Bluetooth, the HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse connects to a computer via its wireless network card. That might seem like a bit of an odd choice, but it does make some sense.

Laptops often don't come with a surplus of USB ports, and older laptops – and even some new ones – don't have Bluetooth connectivity. Being able to connect to a wireless network is much more common, so using that technology for the HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse is a good idea, on paper.

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Matt Hanson
Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.