At the beginning of the month we promised a complete review of the bold new Saitek "Power of Colour" mice. I am about to deliver on that promise and give you the low-down on this new and stylish offering from Saitek.

For years now the realm of computer mice has been neglected, with nothing but a few absurd variations on the common concept and the odd dull colour thrown in for good measure. Saitek have broken the mould once again and produced their "Power of Colour" range of notebook mice, in a bit of an Apple-esque move they have brought a touch of style with a choice of four vibrant, eye-catching colours of mouse to liven up your notebook, or even desktop computer.

As I write this review a neon green mouse glows softly next to me, yes I did say "glows". Aside from the traditional red glow associated with all modern optical mice Saitek have included a white LED that emits a soft, almost eerie glow to the mouse wheel. It is a cosmetic touch, of course, but the Power of Colour range are all about appearance so it is a more than welcome one.

Falling an inch short of what I could call a standard sized mouse (the standard issue grey and white Logitech optical also attached to my workstation) and half an inch bigger than a standard Microsoft optical notebook mouse the Power of Colour mice are a great size, giving your hand something to rest on which traditional notebook mice seem to lack. It is comfortable to hold, although it took a little getting used to after using a full sized desktop mouse and a tiny notebook mouse. The mouse sports a standard 3 button and scroll wheel layout. The buttons have a good tactile feel, although they are a little small and do not extend right to the edges of the mouse, the scroll wheel is quiet and smooth making it far nicer to use than that on the Logitech. Surprisingly it is also rubberised whilst still being semi-transparent and looking quite solid.

The design consists entirely of smooth flowing curves and a transparent plastic body affords you a view of all the electronic jiggery pokery on the inside whilst also letting the light out. The buttons, top and sides of the mouse are where the colour comes in making the Power of Colour range extremely noticeable and individualistic mice. Unfortunately the coloured parts are not transparent, I would much rather see an opaque mouse body with slightly transparent coloured sections to give the mouse a soft coloured glow in low light. The 'guts' of the mouse are not all that attractive, after all.

Sadly, the Power of Colour range currently only consists of four colours; green, pink, orange and yellow - so there may not be a colour to suit everyone’s style. I would expect Saitek to broaden on this range as soon as they start flying off the shelves, so those of us who would love one of these beauties in Saitek’s trademark blue, with a blue LED to boot, will probably be pleasantly surprised soon enough.

The lack of colour choice is perhaps the biggest let down, however if you love vibrant hues of Green, Yellow, Orange or Pink then this is the mouse for you. There are very few pink mice of this calibre on the market, so I expect to see them like hotcakes, if you bought a pink iPod and want a change of mouse for your notebook or even your desktop (The Power of Colour mouse is just big enough to make it a good desktop mouse) then I would highly recommend one.

Whilst I have no idea how robust they may be (And am in no rush to find out), the Power of Colour range look like they would make perfect mice for not only discerning individuals but for parents looking for a manageable sized and attractive mouse for their kids. The size is perfect for small hands, which would otherwise be straining to cope with the bog standard and rather ungainly desktop mice currently on the market, and it is not too small to be a problem to adults using the same computer.

Overall, Saitek have produced a very well designed mouse with some sexy cosmetic features and a well-chosen size which could be used with both notebook and desktop machines and would suit a variety of hand sizes bar the very large.