The Microsoft Explorer Mouse, with revolutionary Microsoft BlueTrack technology, works more places than ever before, including on granite countertops, carpet - even on a wood table or a rough, unfinished park bench.
Product Description
The Microsoft Explorer Mouse, with revolutionary Microsoft BlueTrack technology, works more places than ever before, including on granite countertops, carpet - even on a wood table or a rough, unfinished park bench
Had this for a few days now, slowly getting used to it.
It's BIG, my hand still feels like it's stretching to maximum span after using the MS Laser 8000 for a while, guess I'll get used to it....eventually.
Works on every type of surface I've tried, even my belly!!!, and keeps tracking fine. No loss of precision yet, the old MS mouse started to lose it's definition, making copying text between documents (something I do a lot of) a bit of a pain, no issues like that with the new one.
If it wasn't for the size I'd give it 5 stars (maybe the laptop version would have been better for my small hands!).
I bought this mouse as a replacement for an ailing Wireless Intellimouse Explorer 2 (wireless). I was very close to buying the Logitech VX Revolution but as I needed it for work, I did not like the proprietary battery meaning if I ran out of juice mid day I would have to wait for it to charge / or change mouse. Also the latest Logitech software no longer supports Windows 2000 and I have no idea when the company will upgrade...doh. Thankfully, the new explorer is supplied with a AA NiMH battery and can easily be replaced with a normal AA if and WHEN you run out. Intellipoint 6.3 is also compatible with Windows 2000 although this is not advertised.
Comfort wise, it is the usual MS design and it sits nicely in my (right) hand. The thumb buttons are perfectly sited and main left/right buttons have a good level of feel. The scroll wheel, whilst now made from metal is the only flaw in the design. It is set a little too low into the mouse, making horizontal scrolling a bit more awkward than previous incarnations.
The Intellipoint software has not changed much in several years and just works as it should. One thing I did notice from my old mouse to the new one is you loose your battery indicator tab and onscreen warnings. I guess this is due to an indicator light being placed on the top of the mouse which has 4 states.
Off - Mouse is either switched off or in normal use.
Green permanent - mouse is charging and has reached a minimum daily use charge (it does not seem to indicate full charge though).
Green flashing - mouse is charging.
Red flashing - mouse needs charge.
Whilst this is all well and good there is no way of knowing how much juice is left and with the indicator on the top of the mouse, it is normally covered by your hand. As such I hope MS can implement a software gauge in the next IP release.
On the subject of battery life, this is one of my biggest gripes. MS quote up to 3 weeks on one charge although I am having to recharge every 4-5 days (7-9 hours a day). This could be because I am not officially switching the mouse off at night and instead it just sits on my desk. It does go to sleep after a few minutes inactivity but will awake when you move it. To switch off completely, you need to remove the USB dongle and insert it in the bay on the underside of the mouse. Having said this, I have read reviews confirming that this does not increase battery life. I think I would prefer a proper switch on the next mouse (ala Logitech) as I don't want to have to remove the USB dongle each night.
In use, the mouse works very well indeed but then I only use it on a desk. Tracking is much better than the previous mouse and I have noticed no lag / jumping / wireless connection loss.....i.e. exactly how it should be.
In summing up, this is a great mouse. I am not sure it is worth the premium price but guess this will drop over time. MS do need to sort out the battery life or at least provide a power switch that actually switches off the power and they definitely need to add the power indicator / warnings to their software again. Oh and don't forget to raise that scroll wheel slightly !!
I use a MacBook Pro and was having some issues with my Bluetooth mouse, so I purchased this - and it works a treat (on OS X Leopard 10.5.8). The software installed fine, the dongle worked immediately (except OS X popped up a dialog box saying I had just plugged in an 'unrecognised keyboard'!).
The mouse is comfortable to hold, tracks better than any mouse I've had, and has good feedback on all the buttons. It is a good weight as well - I don't like flimsy mice at all. Overall, excellent quality - which is why I always buy Microsoft mice.
The only thing I would like is a 'fully charged' indicator.
