Give your desktop style - form meets function in this amazingly advanced wireless optical mouse. Microsoft combined optical and wireless technologies with Microsoft's revolutionary Tilt Wheel Technology to achieve a new standard for performance in freedom, comfort and style. And with Microsoft's new longer battery life many users average more than six months without changing batteries!
1 Building a better mouse -> like building a better mousetrap
This is all you really need to know:
(1) The mouse works GREAT. It works just like a wired mouse.
(2) It feels HEAVY due to the 2 AA batteries inside. Although, few actually prefer the added weight as it makes the mouse feel more solid, but most just got tired quicker from the added weight.
(3) I'm on the computer 4-5 hours a day. I change the batteries every 3 months. Get 4 NiMH RECHARGEABLES (2 in the mouse & 2 in the charger) so you'll never be without batteries.
(4) For $17 (lowest price of the year--9/24/2004), this is a BARGAIN.
2 Overall great mouse, very small complaints
I got this mouse with the Microsoft Wireless Desktop Elite for US$105 in Australia, the mouse is a silver Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 2.0 model 1007. Amazon has it at a bargain price, which means you should buy one NOW!
TIPS
Buy it for general everyday use, or get the Logitech MX700 mouse if you are a gamer and it feels comfortable (i found the ridge on the right side uncomfortable).
Install the software and restart before plugging in the devices, this solves some problems.
And remember to uninstall any previous keyboard/mouse drivers or software, i forgot to remove my old multimedia keyboard software and WinXP kept going into standby everytime i used the scroll wheel!!
NEGATIVES
Mouse is a little heavy with batteries, can get tiring with long sessions or gaming.
Far thumb button is a bit far to reach easily, a rocker style switch would have been better.
Third mouse button (wheel) is pretty bad, it takes too much effort to click it without scrolling.
Mouse software has basic functionality to customize the mouse, but no advanced features like Logitech's. Even nVIDIA has mouse gestures in their graphic drivers and they don't even make mice! So i think Microsoft should have spent much more time and money developing their software and drivers.
Software doesn't monitor actual distance from receiver, it says "high" signal quality, but from 2m away it is still "high", keep using it and it suddenly drops to "low". Software recommends a max of 3ft (1m).
Batteries a little hard to remove when replacing them.
The mouse feet are bad quality and easy to scratch, my old $10 mouse had better ones.
Recessed IntelliEye logo on mouse looks cheap, a translucent one or no logo would look cooler (yes i'm complaining about the logo, why? because it cost me over $60 and i've seen $10 mice without dodgy logos)
POSITIVES
Comes with Energizer batteries, did last 5 months before they got low, then they lasted a few more weeks before i had to replace them.
Mouse scroll wheel is fantastic, a small amount of pressure makes it move. But is bad for gaming as it is hard to control precisely like for changing weapons.
Comfortable for my smaller hands, and slight dents for fingers is good. I found the Logitech MX700 very uncomfortable because the ridge on the right is where my ring finger is.
My mouse actually worked at 4.5m (nearly 15ft) away from the receiver! But as soon as the software detects this (takes about 10 secs) it stops working properly!?!
Tracking seems fine for me, i seem to be able to get reasonable control for photo retouching. Maybe you should check the surface you are using it on, it doesn't like transparent or reflective surfaces. I use a 3M Precise Mousing Surface.
If you like buttons then this has 5 (but only 3 are easy to use), but the Logitech MX700 has 8 and much better software.
Don't really notice any lag from 0.5m from the receiver.
Software helper pops up if the signal is weak.
Very quick to resync, press the button on the receiver then device and it is synced immediately.
I can't hear the high pitched noise from the mouse unless i put it to my ear. This is probably because my PC sounds like an air conditioner! You might notice it in a really quiet room.
Some people complained about the delay when moving mouse as it "wakes up", I can't notice it, maybe they fixed it?
Nice matte black finish on the mouse, but it would be better if it was soft touch (like on some Pilot writing pens).
I don't notice any "sticking" on my mouse pad.
The LED angle is quite low so it's harder to blind someone (or yourself) and believe me, it's a VERY bright LED. I can see you looking at the bottom of your own mouse now :) lol
3 Much better than expected...all I ask from a wireless mouse
Bought this mouse in March and use it since at the office every day. Great handling, easy setup under XP, and the software installation was no hassle. Also I prefer big mice...if you have a small hand or limited space on your desk however this one may be a little too big. In contrast to everybody else here reporting short battery life, I still have to exchange my batteries for the first time. The icon still says "Battery status: Good", and I have no problems with that...eight to nine weeks after I started to use the mouse on a daily basis. So here I am buying more of these for the rest of my PCs...
4 JUNK
DO NOT PURCHASE THIS MOUSE!!! Besides requiring new batteries in less then a month it stopped working in just over a month. Just out of the return Amazon's period!!!
5 Many Versions
I bought one of the first, and it was horrible. Tracked terribly, and batteries always died. Microsoft gave me a new one under warrenty, and it's MUCH better--tracks wonderfully, and the battery life is better, about 2-3 weeks on rechargables. I keep 6 AA guys for my keyboard set, 2 in the keyboard rarely die, and 4 for the mouse. Not much of a hassle, just swap, and recharge. Prob would drop the rating down to a 3 if I kept having to buy new AA's though...
6 It's the batteries stupid
Well, what can I say. For the price you pay you would expect this thing to at least function as good as a standard mouse. It doesn't. The tracking is terribly frustrating. It's sluggish and imprecise. Hard to explain. Kinda like trying to push around a bug with your fingers. It will sorta go where you want but sorta has a mind of it's own as well and will wander around. Not a good thing!
That's not the worst part though. The batteries only lasted a week! ONE WEEK! Brand new super heavy duty batteries! I am on my computer A LOT but ONE WEEK? Give me a break.
Microsoft spent a bunch on marketing and industrial design but obviously never spent anything on engineering a proper product. I guess they figured they will just build it and we will come. Well I'm gone!
And I know there is a problem with the battery life because their newer version specifically advertises "longer battery life". That's marketing for you. Take one company with WAAAAY too much money in the bank and marketing employees sitting around looking for something to do, put out a product that does not work, then put out a revised product and capitalize on the previous products shortfalls. They are so rich they can afford to dump junk out into the marketplace and just hope they get it right once in awhile! That's capitalism for you.
7 Comfortable to use, but horrible movement
Well, this mouse is supposed to have everything that I need, wireless, optical, comfortable shape. With a very good experience of the earlier microsoft optical mouse, I was really looking forward to this one.
But, that's as far as you can get. It IS very comfortable on the hand, and the extra buttons sure is a big plus. But the tracking of the mouse movement sucks!!! I had to move back to my old Dell mouse because I just cannot stand it. It is always 10 pixel away from where I think it should be and I have to adjust it. And when you move the mouse in a small distance (which is what I have to do when it doesn't move right at the first time), it just becomes sluggish and unpredicatable (meaning that it has a mind of its own regarding if it will move this time). Being a programmer and a big first-person-shooter gamer, this mouse is just a waste of my time and my money.
But the other wired optical mouse with extra buttons on each side is a definitely getter.
8 Smoooooooooooth
I must say, this mouse is wonderful. Period. It installed immediately in XP Home, and I can not believe how smooth and accurate it is. I kept going back to the computer a few times last night just to check it, to see if it really wasn't too good to be true. Sure enough, it kicked right on and worked WITHOUT MISSING A SINGLE BEAT. I have pretty large hands (insert joke here), so I definitely like the contour shape of this mouse. Forward and Back buttons on the side for the Internet....LOVE IT!
Don't prove me wrong Microsoft! I really hope this mouse continues to shine like it did in it's first night of duty! I spend a lot of time editing video and I'm going to have that much less frustation (this is my first optical mouse even). I LOVE IT!
9 No Longer WORKING!!
I wrote a review on this item 2 months ago and i had originally gave it 2 stars, but now i would have to give it just 1 star. After two months of using it under normal conditions, it finally broke down. Such a shame because i was only starting to get use to the on again off again battery saving feature that made me lag in games. So for an item that is no longer working after 2 months, i would not recemmend this to anyone. I'm sorry Microsoft but you dropped the ball on this one.
10 my complaints
Too heavy. Consumes lots of power. Shape is not comfortable. The pain of moving a brick across my mouse pad outweights the benefit of freedom from the connecting wire.
11 A great wireless mouse.
This is the first wireless mouse that I have bought. I was considering the Logitech MX700 but chose this one instead because it was a bit cheaper when I bought it, and also because it made a perfect duo with my microsoft natural multimedia keyboard.
I'll start mentioning features. This mouse is great to be cordless. It's fast, precise, and rarely does it lag. I play a lot of games that require fast movement and this does the job. The keys on the side are very useful because it allows the user to move "back" and "forward" in many applications that support this feature, including internet explorer and windows explorer. On the top there are 3 other buttons, the left, middle and right, while the middle operates as the scrolling wheel.
The mouse can operate as far as 6 feet from the receiver, and I think that's pretty cool. It is a bit heavy, but I do not think of that as bad; it feels very solid. The mouse drags a little bit depending on the mousepad or the surface where you have it. One thing I dislike is that the batteries don't last very much -- about 2-3 weeks with 8-10 hour use. I still don't think it's bad, but it can be a bit expensive to buy batteries every two weeks. I wish it came with rechargable ones, but nothing is perfect.
I do, however, recommend it to any casual user & gamer.
12 VERY GOOD MOUSE !!
Well, I think that the word that describes this mouse is:
CONFORT !!
In all the mouses that have passed throught my life, this is the most confortable !!! beleiveme, and well, the first wireless, so I cannot tell you much about that, but what I can, is that it works great if you're not a gamer or a graphic designer, because the mouse tends to sleep when it's not in use to save battery life..., so if it's sleep and you move it just a little bit (like when you're a sniper and need little movements to put that bullet in your opponent's head, or when you need to move a line just a little bit in a CAD) the mouse wont wake up, you will have to make a notorious move to make it respond....
But if you use your computer for daily work (office, home, presentations) this is the right mouse for you.
13 This mouse rocks.
When I first bought this mouse I had no doubt that it would be a great product from Microsoft. I was right. Not only is it wireless but it is extremely accurate. With 6000 scans per second it even outscans some wired mouses. The range is great, 6 feet is more than enough. I've had it for about six months and had to replace the batteries about three times. That's really not that bad. I definately recommend this product!!
14 Perfect mouse for me!
I like a slightly larger mouse, and one that is shaped for my hand. This mouse really fits that bill!
I tried the Logitech MX500, and it just didn't fit my hand right, and gave me wrist strain. This one is a dream, with no problems at all.
I've used a Microsoft Intellimouse (original ones) for years, and they were great. But one died and I had to replace it. So I got one of these (after trying the Logitech) and liked it so much I bought two! It's even better than the original.
The wireless feature is nice, but not essential. Buttons are very customizable, even being able to make a button do an arbitrary keystroke.
Wheel is just right with no problems of accidentally clicking it when scrolling with it.
I use the side buttons less than I thought I would, but I guess they may take some getting used to.
I have had no problems with responsiveness, and find the software makes it easy to tune the mouse's reactions.
If this mouse broke, I'd immediately get another one just like it.
15 So much potential...
Back in the youth of the optical mouse technology, Microsoft broke into the frontier with it's own line of sans-ball mice. While their first generation of optical mice seemed revolutionary, this incarnation is not the mouse it could have been.
The positives: This mouse was built for the hand. I've never used a more comfortable mouse. The curves and shape fit neatly into the right hand (sorry lefties!). Also, the buttons are well placed and the wheel rolls very nicely.
The software that is included is fairly convinent. Whether you're using a Windows machine or a Mac, the included software keeps track of how much juice is left in the mouse's batteries and lets you know when they need to be replaced. Pretty spiffy.
The negatives: If you're using a mouse pad, this mouse commands a light hand. Putting a tad too much pressure on the unit can make it stick slightly to a regular mouse pad, which results in a jittery mouse movement. It's best to use the mouse on a very smooth desktop if possible.
Getting the mouse to click on what you want can be a pain as well. The mouse does not sport hi-res tracking, so moving the cursor over smaller screen objects is commonly hit-and-miss.
Also, the mouse tends to sleep between movements to conserve battery power. Moving the mouse will wake it back up, however it results in a delayed reaction. In some cases, this can become so bad that it makes the computer seem like it's running slow. My Mac G4 felt like it was stalling like crazy until I replaced the Wireless Explorer with a Logitech that had a cord. After that everything was back to normal.
Overall: If you really hate cords, have a smooth computer desk, don't mind a low-res tracking and enjoy a comfortable feel, then this mouse is for you. However, if you want a mouse that doesn't stall, doesn't need batteries and doesn't have trouble hitting its targets, then go somewhere else.
Other recommendations: Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse, Logitech MouseMan Dual Optical Sensor.
16 Agree on the batteries -- high replacement cost
Mouse works great until suddenly it seems like your computer is acting up. It isn't -- your mouse needs batteries.
I have 2 Logitech wireless mice and I replace the batteries on those every three or four months. I cannot go more than 2 weeks on this mouse before the batteries give out. With the Logitech the problemis clear -- the mouse quicks working. The Microsft Mouse tries to keep working but can't. Not working at all is better. The first time with the Microsoft Mouse I was rebooting my machine and trying to find out why the computer was acting falky. Replaced the batteries and ... problem fixed.
17 A nice mouse with one or two glitches
I feel pretty lucky compared to other people who reviewed this mouse. I like it a lot except for one or two minor problems.
This mouse feels much better in my hand than any other mouse I have tried so far. And I like the feel of the wheel also.
So far I have not had to replace the batteries but it has only been one week.
My main complaint is that sometimes you spin the mouse wheel and the screen does not move. I have two of these mice and the both do it, on two separate PCs. So it is definitely a design issue with these mice.
I find that to be very annoying. But if you can get past that, it is a nice mouse.
18 i hate this mouse
this mouse goes through a new set of batteries every 3 or 4 days. it starts jumping and stalling when batteries get weak. it feels extremely unresponsive - huge lag time. don't buy this mouse.. i'm looking for a new mouse right now.. i never written a review before. but i feel strongly enough about this to write one.
19 Very nice
Very nice product. Haven't used it too far, so don't know range, but in short range it works great!
20 Great feel but bad mouse
I guess I'm a gluten for punishment but this is the 2nd of these that I've gone through now. It couldn't be designed to fit your hand any better, at least mine, but the problems are in the electronics on the inside. It's hard to wake up, sticks to everything but the most glossy smooth surfaces, and seems to go through batterys like a digital camera. The problem is with the batterys, maybe this is just rechargables but on both units, with just normal use the batterys have exploded inside the mouse and ruined the electronics inside. The second time I was using the mouse when it popped and fryed itself.
I don't recommend this mouse as much as I love how it fits my hand...it needs to work longer than a few months, especially for the price.
21 Comfort-heaven for the right-handers but Battery Sucker =/
I've had this mouse for close to a year (10 months) and I have to admit that it's comfortable for the right hand. I'm a leftie but I've conformed into using the right hand when using the mouse. This mouse is obviously not for lefties as those two thumb buttons on the side are for going forward/back very useful when browsing the net ^_~.
If you plan to purchase this mouse, I highly recommend INVESTING in RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES with a recharger! I find Panasonic rechargeable batteries last far better than Energizer's rechargeable batteries. Buy a 4 AA pack, 2 for the mouse and the other 2 as a backup when the pair in the mouse runs out!
Aside from the battery consumption, I am disappointed in the fact that the scroll wheel button is a bit DEFECTIVE! I use the mouse everyday for work so I guess the scroll wheel is worned-out. The pressure for the scroll wheel is not functioning properly. When scrolling fast up/down it now clicks on it, which does not allow me to access my other windows being minimize. I have to go 'crazy' with the scroll wheel so it'll click again so I can access the minimized windows. Very FRUSTRATING!!! =/
*** Updated October 14, 2004 ***
As Amazon has drastically slashed the price on this mouse I would recommend you computer users to try it out! *o* I accidentally broke it when I was moving the case and the usb got bent! *cries* I highly recommend purchasing a usb port as it can be a pain to unhook all the usb plugs!
I loved the mouse while it lasted but as of now I am now using the Microsoft Optical Mouse - Blue (K81-00004) as a replacement. I love this blue mouse a bit more than this wireless mouse as it's more reliable. I do not have to worry about batteries and it does not make the "humming" noise as written by other reviewers. I forgot to add that as I have sensitive ears. When I was not using the computer/mouse I would take the batteries out so I wouldn't waste it and hear the humming.
After a while the slip that holds the batteries broke so this item has goods and bads. =( I hope Microsoft staffs read these reviews so they can improve on their products. They're good but we all know they could be great! ^_^
22 Watch out for Windows 2003 support
I just bought this mouse. I assumed it would be supported on Windows 2003. The basic functionality is there - left and right buttons and scroll wheel, but the software won't install to provide the functionality of the other buttons and button programmability.
23 Great mouse, BUT TOO MANY FLAWS
Oh where to begin, i have used this thing for close to two weeks now and i dont seem to overlook the flaws. Let me start off with the pros.
PROS:
1. Wireless
2. Responsive more than other wireless mice
3. GREAT placement of thumb and back button
CONS:
1. Not as responsive as wired mice
2. Not accurate, when you move your mouse, it sort of jumps rather than scroll from its original point.
3. Does not move smoothly, this is because of the bottom corners sticking.
4. Goes to sleep mode every so often.
To sum everything up, get this mouse if its just for internet browsing. If for gaming or photoshop, this mouse would not be what youre looking for.
24 The Best Mouse I have ever used
I have used lots of mice, but this one really stands out, this one is the best one I have used by far. It is very comfortable, which is what I look for in a mouse. There is an indentation area for your thumb, this makes it very comfortable. The design of the mouse also makes it comfortable for your hand. Now on to the setup. Just plug the reciever into an open USB port, put the batteries in the mouse(Included) and your ready to go. Then just install the IntelliPoint software that comes with the mouse. Be sure to put the reciever in a high place. I have mine on top of my monitor. The fact that this mouse is wireless is also excellent. In my computer area, the wires would not fit and I had trouble using my mouse. Once I got this mouse however, all my problems were gone. I can even use my computer from the hallway using this mouse! I recomend buying the mouse from amazon because it is a lot cheaper. Overall this is an excellent mouse, I recomend it for anyone.
25 Jerky, Hysterisis, Heavy. BAD for detail work.
With both the Logitech and Microsoft side by side, I find myself switching between the two to protect my wrists. This mouse works, but NOT for detail work. Here's why:
(1) It's heavy. (2) It's sticky...microsoft uses cheaper slide-pads compared to logitech (3) the stickiness makes it nearly impossible to nudge over a pixel (4) It is slow to wake up from it's snooze state (which it enters very very quickly) and typically jumps 10 pixels when it does wake up.
On the good side: (*) It's bigger and fits in my large hands better than the Logitech devices. (*) The batteries appear to last a little longer.
I use my computer mouse constantly (3D design work) and find it frustrating to use this mouse for fine positioning. I would never purchase it again. I only gave it 2 stars because it meets it's specs.
26 Jerky, Hysterisis, Heavy. BAD for detail work.
With both the Logitech and Microsoft side by side, I find myself switching between the two to protect my wrists. This mouse works, but NOT for detail work. Here's why:
(1) It's heavy. (2) It's sticky...microsoft uses cheaper slide-pads compared to logitech (3) the stickiness makes it nearly impossible to nudge over a pixel (4) It is slow to wake up from it's snooze state (which it enters very very quickly) and typically jumps 10 pixels when it does wake up.
On the good side: (*) It's bigger and fits in my large hands better than the Logitech devices. (*) The batteries appear to last a little longer.
I use my computer mouse constantly (3D design work) and find it frustrating to use this mouse for fine positioning. I would never purchase it again. I only gave it 2 stars because it meets it's specs.
27 No complaints (one quibble)
It's interesting to read the problems other reviewers have had as I've had none. Others have alluded to there being different versions of the mouse which may explain it.
Response- I find no issues at all with fine control response or startup delays after pausing, but I will admit I don't do CAD or art work.
Battery life - I am a system admin, and work on my PC all day. Batteries (alkaline) last about a month for me- I find this quite acceptable.
Stability - I run Windows 2000 Pro, and have had no driver issues. I did NOT install the Intellipoint software. It worked out of the box.
Quibble- I use the mouse left handed, and the design is clearly for righties. It felt slightly odd at first, but I got used to it. It's hard to use the two side buttons (default behavior is forward and back buttons in the browser) as they are designed to be hit with your right thumb. I know the market isn't worth it to MS, but they should consider a left handed version.
28 Great product, but sucks batteries dry in weeks.
I love my MS Wireless Optical Mouse, but I am forced to change batteries in about three weeks time. MS should follow Logitech's idea and make a rechargeable model.
29 This mouse stinks
I got this mouse several months ago for Xmas. It seemed great at first but it irritates the heck out of me now. It goes through a pair of AA's every month but the most frustrating thing is the lag. To conserve power it shuts down between movements. So you have to move the mouse before it registers a move. This causes it to be jerky as it shuts down easily. It's laying useless on my desk now. I hooked up the logitech that came with my laptop and I am much happier now.
30 Very smooth movement & agronomical design fits perfectly
I love it, much better than the wired version I used to work with for 4 years. The first two things you'll notice as soon as you touch it is that it feels so smooth to navigate, almost gliding on the mouse pad! It feels lighter than the wired version and maybe the bottom supporters are from a smoother surface, it helps me allot in graphics programs and games where mouse friction is your big enemy. The new agronomical design and angel is also much better with an excellent hand grip. Now you also have a groove for your big finger and a counter groove for the last two fingers in the opposite side, so you feel like you are squeezing a hard clay object after squeezing it. I had some problems though with installing the drivers from the CD, the PC didn't recognize them, and kept sensing it as a USB device, what solved the problem was uninstalling all the USB ports and HUBS software from the system, then rebooting and manually pointing to the drivers on the CD. That's when it sensed the drivers and correct Human Interface drivers.. It worked perfectly since then.
31 Different Versions, vastly different results!
I have had two of these, one bought at a minor computer store, and the second (within a week) bought the second and returned the first. The first one I had refelected all the single starred reviews here--poor battery life, horrible, horrible tracking and jumpy/unresponsive movement. This really was upsetting because the Microsoft Blue mouse is super precise and wonderful--but uncomfortable to hold over a long period of time. (came with my wireless keyboard)
The second wireless explorer I bought is great--everything works as it should and it tracks wonderfully. On a side note, the first non-good mouse had problems with the side buttions, rather then going forward or back one page while browsing the web, it would jump two.
I was able to tell the two versions in the form that the non-well-working one had version 1.0A on the bottom, but that works doesn't say anything. Best of luck!
32 wireless with plenty freedom
The key, if not the unique advantage of choosing a wireless instead of a wired mouse is the freedom of moving this device around. (Another positive is a greater distance between the mouse and the PC, but this is secondary.)
At first, and especially compared with the wired version, the Microsoft mouse seems loaded with lead, so moving it around is all but smooth and easy. This is especially true when trying to pick it up, which is often... Furthermore, the material used slides far less easily on the surface than with its wired counterpart. A second negative is the ergonomics which is far less succesfully implemented than in its wired sister.
However, after a day or two, I do not regret my wired IntelliMouse Explorer. If you're looking for true freedom, do take this nice mouse with you.
33 Garbage, utter garbage
I guess I should have realized that this mouse was going to be a piece of garbage when because the IntelliPoint 4.1 software wouldn't install, and MS Knowledge Database had me hacking the registry and deleting system files. Worst of all, after all of this trouble to get the software installed, the mouse worked fine - albeit a little sloppy on the tracking - until the first reboot. Windows now sees it only as an unknown USB device, despite several reinstalls, and connection attempts.
34 An Easy Mouse To Live With!!
I have to admit that I have gone through more mice than the average person. I get bored with them and seem to always buy a new one evry six months or so. After owning an IBM Optical Navigator Mouse, Logitech Dual Mouseman Optical, and the new Logitech MX500 I got tired of the cord and the way the mice fit in my hand. I have used the Intellimouse Explorer for a couple of months and I am very happy with it overall. As mentioned in some reviews, it does go through batteries a little fast but the precision, user's guide, and installation are first rate. This is the first mouse to feel really comfortable in my hand. I used to say that about Logitech but they began to make them flatter and I was always pressing one of the buttons by mistake. This mouse just feels great and if there is a downside to this product, I have not discovered it. I would reccommend this mouse to anyone who is comfortable with it's shape and doesn't mind keeping some batteries on hand.
35 Nice, but... if you are a gamer don't buy it!!!
I'm a 28 years old gamer, you could say that I play around 3 to 5 hours a week, normally a mouse last me around 1 year (and normally is dust the cause why I change mouse), This mouse begin to malfunction after 2 months.
For showdown is very nice, very impressive, very comfort, etc, is all but a 6-dollar mouse, last more than this. I'm sad since I even buy some recharged batteries for this mouse hopping that will last a lot of time.
If you don't play maybe this mouse is for you...you will impress your friends...
36 Invest in alkaline first
My experience with this Christmas present mouse has been much as detailed by others. Its ergonomics are wonderful (although I prefer Logitech's lower thumb-button to Microsoft's upper), but there are three serious problems with this mouse:
1. Battery life is abysmal. Two fresh alkalines will get you roughly 40 hours of mousing. For me, this is about a week. You can use rechargables, but the Logitech MX700 provides a charging cradle that greatly simplifies this process.
2. The "power saving technology" directly correlates to serious lag. Perhaps they figure that shaving .5 seconds off each movement is a good way to save power. I feel otherwise. The erratic movements make paint or photo-editing software difficult to control.
3. The resolution is iffy, to put it nicely. Again, working in paint programs, I have found myself more than once UNABLE to mouse to a specific pixel. That's just craziness.
For the VERY infrequent computer user, it's probably a great mouse. Personally, I quickly realized that the power-vs-accuracy problem was too much for me to deal with and purchased the *wired* Logitech Dual Optical, which thusfar ranks up with the most accurate devices I've ever used.
37 Decent product - for one computer ONLY
I purchased this mouse hoping to use it with 4 computers set up through a Switchview controller (all sharing a mouse/monitor/keyboard), but unfortunately it only works when connected directly to the USB port on the computer itself. It may or may not say that in the documentation; I confess that I didn't read it very thoroughly. My USB -> PS/2 converter simply did not work like it does for my USB Intellimouse.
I did test it out, however, on my Windows XP Home computer directly and found it to work very well, although I didn't like the thumb groove on the left side of the mouse: it made it slightly too narrow compared to the wired version of the Intellimouse. I didn't notice much difference in movement from the regular Intellimouse, but I didn't try it with video games either.
All in all a good product, just don't expect to be able to use it in any way but directly attached to your computer. The smaller wireless Intellimouse comes in USB and PS/2 versions - the PS/2 might be a better choice for Switchview users.
38 Nice feel, terrible control.
This mouse was trouble for me almost from the very start. First of all, it eats batteries like crazy. Two weeks per pair of good quality alkalines was about average. It did see a lot of usage during that time which put extra strain on the battery life, but they should have lasted much longer. Second, it was very skippy and uneven when moved. The mouse jumped during every movement, even on slow moves on a high contrasting surface. Third, it sometimes took a second or two before it would even respond to my movements. I found the combination these things intolerable and gave it away. It has been passed on at least twice since then. The unfortunate thing is that the mouse has a VERY nice feel in it's shape and buttons. I really liked that feel above any other mouse I've used. But sadly, that was nowhere near enough compensation for the huge drawbacks of it's operation.
39 Almost perfect
I love almost everything about this mouse. Wireless, optical, comfortable, sleek-looking and a joy to surf the net with (because of the 2 extra buttons on the side for FORWARD and BACK). My ONLY beef is with the fact that it eats batteries at a clip: about 2 AAA batteries per month or less. If and when I find a comparable product at a comparable price that recharges in a cradle, I will get it.
40 An avid gamer
I've used friends' mice and kept up on reviews but, this product was the first optical mouse and first wireless mouse I have owned after 6 years of FPS gaming.
When I took it out of the box, the ergonomic, silky-smooth fit with my hand was just perfect. The thumb buttons were especially well placed for quick clicks in battle. The extra buttons did not have any problems binding in-game either, unlike some of the new logitech line had issues in.
However, there was one fatal flaw I discovered the instant I started scrolling around the desktop. The cursor had a slight delay (for approximation's sake, let's say about 50ms or .05sec) in movement. I tried changing around the mouse sensitivity, checking if acceleration was somehow on, enabling/disabling frame filtering, and so on. That didn't make any progress so I tried changing surfaces: detailed wood, standard plastic and cloth mousepads, plain paper, paper with a lot of printing on it (only to notice that that made it even skip around in extreme turns), etc. I also tried my luck on switching frequency channels and new batteries, no go.
This may not be a major issue or maybe not even noticeable to te average joe, but personally made me return it (after trying hard as hell to fix the laggish movements). Expecting it was probably because of the delay in wi-fi, I ordered the wired version of the same Intelli Explorer just now. Let's see how that goes. :P
41 A "SUPERB MOUSE" THAT REQUIRES CAREFUL SET-UP !!
Many of the comments about this mouse regarding pointing difficulty and locational control are true. HOWEVER, I found by putting this otherwise superior mouse on a VERY DETAILED SURFACE (such as wood grained computer station or similar surface), OR on an "Optical Mousing Pad" that this somewhat temperamental mouse becomes ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!
I have 10 years operating experience with computers and this mouse is one of the top 2 or 3 "buys" I have ever made on a peripheral item.
ERGONOMICALLY, I find this mouse to fit my hand better than any other. My hand is averaged sized ( male - size 10 glove ). CONSTRUCTION WISE, I feel it is equal to or better than any other cordless unit I've tried. The "SCROLL WHEEL" in my opinion is SUPERIOR to the that on other competitive units. And I have owned all of the major brands. It is absoultely silky smooth.
THE SOFTWARE that comes with this mouse is much more creative and user friendly than any others I have tried. MY POINTER works just as well as my corded mouse after careful adjiustment. Very, very little lag at all. Only an exterme gaimer would notice this.
*** All of the pointing problems mentioned by other reviewers "Go Away" immediately when this mouse is put on a "DETAILED" & BUSY" surface. The newer mouse pads offered here locally or elsewhere are worth the investment ...The product literature should have mentioned these requirements more clearly. I only found out by "mistake" after removing my mouse pad from my computer station tray, which is finely detailed wood grained laminate & very smooth.
I am totally staisfied with this mouse after one weeks use. The hand comfort is unmatched by any other "right handed" mouse I have tried. HERE ARE MY SUMMARY GRADES FOR THIS MOUSE:
** HAND COMFORT - Excellent ++++
** CONSTRUCTION - Excellent
** CLICK RESPONSE - Very Good / "No Misclicks Yet"
** MOVEMENT / SLIDING ABILITY - Excellent (Large Pads Underneath)
** POINTING ACCURACY - (On Detailed "Busy" Surfaces) Very Good +
** OPERATING SPEED - Very Good +++
** SCROLL WHEEL - UNBELIEVABLY GOOD ++++
** SOFTWARE - Very Good (Very Adjustable Controls)
** UNIT WEIGHT - Acceptable (Pads Make Up For This)
I do not know about the battery life yet, but decided to go with this unit over the rechargeable units available because in my opinion, a rechargeable item "Loses Operational Capacity" as it nears the next recharge stage. I personally do not like this drawback.
And I do not like to be surprised by power losses. Even though the "rechargeable units" warn the user of impending power loss, the operational degradation creeps up imperceptably before it is recognizable in my opinion. I would rather buy new batteries which replace in 2 minutes as opposed to 1 hour for a minimum recharge.
I hope this review is helpful to all of you out there in the buying market. I took the time to write this review because I feel this unit has taken some unfair criticism in light of my surprised discovery of how well it really works when put on a proper surface. I almost didn't give it a try because of these comments I read. I would have been sorry. This is a great mouse! Thank you - RK
42 Two for Two with One Possible Caveat
Prior to this mouse I had been using the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer for at least 3 years. I digress to include the hardware I have as it may help explain the noise issue that other reviewers have raised, but I have not experienced at all. My computer is 6 months old, Pentium 4, 2.0Ghz, I use a traditional CRT monitor, and the mouse is the only piece of wireless equipment I use at present. I do plan on adding a wireless keyboard, but at present it is a traditional wired design. I tried moving the transmitter nearer and away from various components but I could not create any interference in the form of noise or any other problems. I also watched a DVD feature film, and again there was no issue of interference.
The manual is very brief but is specific about what the receiver should be kept away from, and the distance of 8 inches that should be maintained. It also specifies a PS/2 connection when using Windows. My version is USB only and again no issues. The previous mouse was also a USB connected device.
I never looked at the manual until sitting down to write these comments, for the installation did not require it. I am running Windows XP Home, and once plugged in; the necessary software/drivers had already been detected and installed via plug n play, prior to even reaching for the installation disc. Installation does not get any easier. The installation disc is still unopened in its package.
There is one major issue that needs to be considered if you choose the wireless pointing device route, and that is batteries or a rechargeable cradle like Logitech offers. The need to change batteries will become an issue depending on the frequency they need changing, and I use the device many hours per day. The rechargeable has the obvious advantage of no replacement of batteries required. However unless those manufacturer have solved the problems of rechargeable batteries having a tendency to develop a memory, that could offset the advantage of the rechargeable versions. So there may be an ease of use over the near term, and a trade off in the long term.
My final advice would be to read or ask some people who have tried the rechargeable version for their thoughts. The other reason for the choice may seem hard to justify, but to the extent I have hardware designed and built by/for the same manufacturer, I prefer the option, nothing objective I can offer as evidence, just a feeling that a common denominator is preferable. The device is very sensitive, and very precise, and that would seem to be an issue that is adjustable, I have not had any problems with it developing a mind of its own and strolling around the screen.
43 Say it with Me....rechargable batteries
Love it. Does use batteries pretty quick but I got a set of rechargable NiMH's and keep a set in the charger ready to go. I do all kinds of work including gaming and have no problem with it. Planning on buying one for my dad for x-mas.
44 Worthless
I will be returning this mouse as soon as I write this review. The MS Wireless Intellimouse Explorer fits well in your hand and the forward and back buttons work well, but the lack of precision in placing the cursor makes this mouse completely unacceptable. Even after several days of intense practice and trials of different settings and surfaces, placing the cursor where I want it is almost impossible. Much worse than my old corded mouse. Any benefit of being cordless is more than lost by the imprecision of the cursor placement. I do not play games; I am just using this for word-processing. Do not buy. Either stick with a corded mouse or pay up for something like the Logitech MX700, which I have tried and is as precise as my old corded mouse.
45 Great Product and Doesn't Waste Battery
I personally have had no problems with battery life. (It's a little heavier because of the batteries, but you get used to it..) The mouse is EXTREMELY comfortable, and I've been using my mouse for well over a month without changing the battery once. I'm a college student, so my computer is on ALL the time. I highly recommend this product!!!
46 A complete battery HOG, and I'm getting rid of it today
... I really prefer the ergo design too, which is why I bought it. The wireless was never a benefit for me, and if anything it was a total downer because it required batteries -- lots and lots of batteries! Turns out this thing is a total battery hog. I'm changing batteries every few weeks, and I have even had to scramble to the store just get more batteries. This was a terrible investement on my part. I joke that I have a mouse with a drug addiction, it's that needy. ...
47 Not for Gamers
Just try and play Q3 or some other FPS type game with this mouse..AHH! I have an oak desk and this thing follows the grain in the wood, [poopy] mousepads are the reason I got this thing. The wired version of this mouse was super but this one eats batteries and is too jerky for accurate mousing. If you have a very smooth desktop with no characteristics in it then you might find this product useful, otherwise look at the new Logitech version with a higher dpi, I've not tried it but I've read great reviews about it.
48 THIS MOUSE IS GREAT!
Hey everyone, today I received my new Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer. So far, it has been amazing. You can set so many features in the software like, Click Lock, which enables you to highlight or drag without holding the button. This so far is a cute little feature that believe it or not, comes in handy, but at times gets a little annoying. Also, you can customize the 5 different buttons, and if you want, you can enable program-specific button settings, which changes the button settings for each program that you customize it for. And, for people like my sister, who are computer illiterate, works well for those people as well. She, a person who doesn't even read the instructions for absolutely anything, opened the box, pluged it into the USB port, put batteries in, and it worked. She didn't even install the software. For her, she only has the default settings for the buttons, but it, according to her works super for her needs. The mouse also feels very comfortable when held. My hand practically molded into it. The issue about a delay when idle. Yes, it does pause, but only for about a half of a second. Once awakened, the mouse operates like a corded mouse. But if you don't let it idle, the mouse is completely accurate, has no pause at all. And lastly, my friend told me not to get wireless because they are heavy and bulky. Not the case for this mouse. It is lighter than my regular, actually, old soon to be dusty mouse. To conclude, if you are a person that wants a great product, and doesn't mind spending the extra cost, this mouse is perfect for you. The mouse is something that stays with you even after you purchase another computer.
49 Very Short Battery Life
No mouse should require new batteries every week, if you want wireless buy a Logitech cordless non optical, the batteries last on average 4-5 months.
50 Works Great!
This is a great product! I have had no problems with this mouse since I got it. Lag is minimal when you move it after leaving it sitting. You recieve a warning when your battery runs low. I also find it rather easy to program the buttons. I highly recommend this if you are in the market for a wireless optical mouse.
51 Usability vs. TCO
The reason why I rate theis product 3 stars is:
1. 5 star for usability and performance
2. 1 star for Total cost of ownership - the cost of the product is high and the cost of batteries (dry cells) is extreme as I need to buy a new alkaline pair each week!
52 Nice ergonomics, poor battery life
I have the MS wireless mouse at work. I use it for typical desktop work (no gaming). The mouse is wonderfully ergonomic. However I have to change the batteries about every 3-5 weeks. That's just too often for me. I think I'll just go with a wired optical. The optical mice are far superior.
53 Very good Optical Mouse
After having a bad experience with a Wireless Optical Mouse Blue, I decided to try another Microsoft mouse. The Wireless Intellimouse Explorer has worked like a charm. I do a bit of design work (forms and web pages) so the accuracy is very nice. I don't always want to use a mouse pad, and optical mice work on any handy surface
Some people have complained about battery life, but I've had my mouse a couple months and it's still going strong. In fact, the battery level indicator still shows them as full. Changing batteries often can be a pain.
This is a big mouse though. Set it next to a regular mouse, or any other cordless mouse and you'll notice it's size. I haven't found it to be a disadvantage as I quickly adapted to it.
Microsoft also provides excellent tech support with the product and will replace is no questions asked if you have any problems or end up with a lemon.
54 What a mouse!
Microsoft has certainly eliminated the need for the standard mouse that uses the rollerball style. Tired of cleaning the mouse and trying to get your mouse to be more precise? Well I certainly was and this mouse is outstanding as it performs excellent on any surface and never needs cleaning!! Could I live without the redlight on the bottom of the mouse? Yes, so far I haven't found a use for it accept something fun to look at. The buttons on this mouse really offer some great choices for people that may have trouble using the top buttons.
55 Wireless Explorer vs. Logitech Optical Wireless Mouse
I happen to own both Wireless Intellimouse Explorer and Logitech Cordless Optical MouseMan. From the ergonomics point of view Microsoft has a clear edge over Logitech, it is simply more comfortable. Software support is also better i.e. You can assign the two side buttons different functions depending on a particular program. When it comes to precision and range of opperation both of them are identical. However, batteries in logitech do last 1.5 times (2 months vs. 1.5) longer than in Explorer. Rechargable batteries would be helpful if you are buying anything that is wireless. Overall the price for wireless explorer is reasonable because it is not something that you would throw away once you buy a new computer. In my opinion, spending 50 once for a quality product is better than spending 25 twice for something that you would not be completely satisfied with.
56 ...
I bought this thing and it seems to work fine 90% of the time. But occasionally it gets lost and you gotta do annoying swirlies just to get it back again. Unless you're crazy and hate cords just get one with a cord. Wireless is cool but it still ...
57 Worst Mouse in the History of Computing
I keep seeing rave reviews, about this mouse, at various hardware sites. I simply can't believe any of these reviewers actually used the mouse. This is the worst mouse I've ever seen: I set it up on three computers at two different locations and I got the same result on every one of them - the mouse lags like crazy. If you stop moving this mouse for any length of time (like sitting and reading an article) it hibernates....then when you move it, it takes up to a second to wake up. This same problem affects the scroll wheel so, the mouse arbitrarily skips "clicks" when moving the wheel. I returned this mouse to the store within 24 hours of buying it. Do yourself a favor and buy a MS optical mouse WITH A CORD. They are wonderful.
58 Get Rechargable Batteries
On Windows XP at least, my system tells me I have 1 week of battery time left, and then within 15 minutes, I get a 3 day warning. After that, you have less than 5 minutes to change batteries. After I got 2 pairs of rechargable batteries (one to charge while the other is in use) it wasn't as annoying, but still you only get about 1 week out of the batteries, which still is unacceptable if you ask me.
I liked the feel of my silver (wired) Microsoft mouse with the red glow on the bottom (I think it is called Explorer mouse), but the wire on those and the Optical mouse both got shorted out <6 months of use, causing the mouse to get disconnected/connected repeatly while trying to use it-majorly annoying.
59 A long awaited first attempt by Microsoft
This mouse was a long awaited attempt by Microsoft to incorporate the best of wireless freedom with laser eye technology. Microsoft has succeeded in many ways, but not without a few flaws. I bought this mouse about 6 months ago, it has been working as expected, but with poor battery life. On average use, the batteries will hold for about a week. The price also hurts, but given the brandname this is expected. Promising technology, but needs some work. Not Bad.
60 excellent mouse
This was my first optical mouse, and I was a bit suspicious of it being wireless. But I finally did take the plunge and am happy to report that its a great device. The range on the reciever is pretty good, and the mouse is very accurate. Being optical is probably the best feature on this mouse. The batteries do tend to wear out a bit quickly, but I deal with it. And its all worth it to get freedom and accuracy on my desk.
61 Promising Technology, but...
I love the look/precision feel of the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer, but am returning mine today, even though I'm not totally happy with this decision.
As with many others, I've experienced a very annoying quirk, caused by the power saving features that Microsoft built into the product: when resting your hand on the mouse, with no activity for 10 seconds or so, the next time you attempt to move the pointer there will be a brief lag before the mouse begins to respond. I'm finding this somewhat frustrating when working with a wave file editing program.
Worse still, a problem has surfaced for which I cannot find the answer--and this is the main reason it's being returned. Sporadically, when using Windows XP, the mouse buttons will stop responding completely for 15-20 seconds. Movement of the cursor is still possible, but attempting to left-click upon objects produces no action.
Microsoft's knowledge base acknowledges the issue, but blames it on leftover installation files/registry entries from a prior mouse installation--they do provide a lengthy procedure for correcting the condition. Unfortunately, that can't be the root of the problem in this case. Several days ago, when nothing else would work, I reloaded Windows XP from scratch. It readily recognized/installed basic software drivers for the Wireless Intellimouse, so it was up and running immediately. Sadly, the condition still remains, and is so sporadic that I haven't a clue as to the cause.
This a sad return for me--I like the product overall. Freedom from a cord is welcome, and the mouse has a hefty, precision feel that I find pleasing.
Microsoft, I'm not writing this technology off completely, and will be waiting anxiously for a second generation product. If and when it arrives, I'll quickly line up to purchase one. For now, I'll go back to my corded Intellimouse Explorer.
62 Extremely poor power management
This mouse manages battery power consumption rather poorly. It cost me a fortune to constantly replacing batteries. It could hardly last for a week on regular battery and could barely last a day or two when I use rechargeable ones. This mouse definitely does not fit for gaming purpose.
63 Battery Eater
While this is a great mouse, smooth motion, it EATS though batteries like they are chocolate.
Fits nicely in my hand, and I work LONG hours. Okay that's prob why it eats batteries. I'm using the mouse on average 9 hours a day most days it's more like 12+ ....
64 Good buy
This mouse is great. It fits perfectly into the hand. After I bought it, I just put my hand on it for 10 minutes it felt so good. The problem is that there's not much grip when you need to pick it up.
65 Great ergonomics; Poor function
Although this mouse feels great in your hand, it has the worst tracking I have ever seen. So bad it's frustrating even while surfing the web, much less doing something that requires precision.
Logitechs "Cordless MouseMan Optical" proves that it can be done right (very precise tracking.) So until Microsoft gets it right, my advice is to go with Logitech.
66 Great mouse
This mouse is too cool. I love it. Works wonderfully. Some others complain, but after adjusting the settings, it works perfectly.
BUT, not necessarily easy to install. Microsoft (for whatever you think) has outstanding customer support. So they spent sufficient time getting me thru the first install, now works great. Second install a no go. Does NOT work with HP systems and a few minor others.
Worth a try, so easy to use!!
67 good design, bad movement
This mouse is a very good looking sturdy mouse. It feels good in your hand and has button's in correct spots, the only bad point is it has VERY bad movement, the power saving light blinks when not used for 2 seconds. This is bad because if you are drawing or playing games, and move the mouse slightly it will not respond. I would have made it so it starts blinking after about 10 seconds, oh well anyway its good for surfing the web but not much else, I can't stand even using it anymore, and have returned the product. This mouse is VERY overpriced for its preformance.
If you are looking for a good, smooth wireless mouse, that is a good price, I suggest the Logitech Cordless Mouseman mouse, it is not optical but has great movement, the battery's last up to about 3 months under heavy use.
68 Excellent Mouse!!!
I have been using this mouse for several months now and I am absolutely loving it! It's great not to have the cord catching and getting in the way, and I really like the way the software alerts you to a low battery. I knew the mouse would use up batteries, so I am using rechargeables in it to save the cost.
The mouse has done pretty well for me when I have played games like Unreal Tournament, etc. I was actually surprised at how well movements were in the games. To me, there is only a slight difference between this mouse and the regular corded mouse when it comes to games.
I would definitely recommend this mouse to anyone that can afford it.
69 Good - but there's a problem
The mouse works well: up to at least 2 metres away from the receiver, which could be useful when doing presentations etc. However, I bought it for use with an Hewlett Packard Pavilion, and it will only work if you plug it in after booting up the machine. If you try to boot up when the mouse is plugged in you won't be able to, the machine will hang.
This situation is true on the following machines:
-> Hewlett Packard Pavilion Model 9790, 9780C, 9770, 9895, 9686C, 9694C, 9600, 8770c, 8765C, 8660c, 8705C, 8700, 7205C, 7905, 7850, XE738, XL768, XP788, XP789, and XT938 personal computers.
-> Compaq Presario 5900Z, 7940 series personal computers.
-> IBM Aptiva 2198-84U.
What a pity I wasn't told this before buying.
P.S. does anyone want an 'almost' new Intellimouse Explorer?
70 Best mouse I have used ever!
I won't give it 5 stars because it's not perfect but getting very close...
PROS:
-NO WIRES!!!! I hate the stupid wire, it gets in the way, caught on stuff, or will pull the mouse when your not using it.
-Egronomic, very comfortable, (if your right handed, you CANNOT use this mouse if your a left handed mouse user) The mouse fits in my hand fairly well, could be a bit longer as I have a big hand. But for people with standard size hands it should work well.
-Cool loking, yep this is a pro, it just looks cool.
-Great software, I use the explorer buttons on the mouse all the time, and the scroll button as well. I re-program the scroll button to be a double click, and the back button as a backspace. With the backspace it will still take you back in your browser, but will also take you back a directory in a file explorer window, plus if your hand is on the mouse and your highlighting something, you can click that button and not take your hand off the mouse to delete your highlighted work.
-Works great with no mouse pad, there are a lot of people complaining about the tracking of the mouse and the acuracy of it. Just don't use a moue pad...
-Comes out of standby instantly! If you hold the mouse like your suppose to, then it comes on and responds instantly. The mouse has sensors on the sides that will detect when you have your hand on the mouse. If you just rest your hand on top it may not come on right away. So those who complain about this just aren't using it right.
CONS:
-Battery life, I have 2 of these, one at work and one at home. The one at work gets used more than at home, but the home mouse's batteries die faster. I found out that because I use a black mouse pad it will kill the batteries faster. At work I just use it on my desk and it last a whole lot longer!
-Range, only about 10 feet, so you could not really use it for a presentation, it is only designed for desk usage.
-Not really for gamers, no optical mouse is really that great for gamers yet that requires moving the mouse in quick motions. This mouse isn't that bad, better than other optical mice out there, but still for gamers you may want to stick with a non-optical mouse.
-Will NOT work with a PS2 adapter. I have a KVM switch at home and it WILL NOT WORK WITH A PS2 ADAPTER! So if you want a mouse that can plug into a PS2 adapter then don't buy this mouse. The corded MS USB mouse will work with the PS2 adapter and actually comes with one.
-On my laptop, the drivers are a bit quirky. I have XP on my Dell Inspiron 8000 laptop and when the screen saver kicks in the mouse drivers will lose there explorer buttons. I have to unplug and replug the mouse into the USB port to get them back. I don't know if this is a bug with XP, my laptop, or what. I have XP at home too and I never have this problem.
-Pricy, this is an expensive mouse, but if you have the money well worth it.
A few things I would like to add, the mouse has never made noise, and my ears are not that bad. If you have some cheap PC sepakers they may pick up some signal, but other than that have never heard any noise from my mouse.
If the mouse is sticky or jerky, just clean the bottom of it, it does pick up dirt and stuff. Also get a slick mouse pad, or no mouse pad at all. That is one nice thing, you can use the mouse on any flat non-mirrored surface. I even use mine on my pant leg sometimes when I want to kick back playing a card game or something.
Two days after I bought my first mouse, I went out and got one for work too! So not making anything up here.
71 There is no zero stars!
This is the clear example that the most expensive is not always the best. I left a MS optical IntelliMouse for which the wheel scrolled properly with all Development Environments (one of the few that truly does) e.g.: Forte for Java, Visual Basic, Visual C++, IExplorer etc. The problem with this one was that since it had the cable, it started to be imprecise and difficult to handle e.g. made me spend quite some time trying to test visual effects with splitter windows etc. Since I work all day in the computer I found proper to move to a more confortable mouse hopefully a wireless one.
I initially bought the Logitech MouseMan Wheel Cordless with very nice design and remarkably is EXTREMELLY accurate but had a nasty problem I had to keep checking/uncheking an option (something like "Wheel scrolling compatible with Office applications") to make the wheel scrolling work whether with Forte for Java OR the rest of the Windows applications since was not possible to have all working. Since it wasn't fair to pay more than 50USD for a mice that didn't completely satisfied my needs I went back to the store willing to pay a few extra bucks more and changed the Logitech by this MS Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer, WHAT A MISTAKE! this is the worst mouse I have ever had!!! and I have used quite a few mouses already (for more than 7 years). I guess the problem is related to the resolution of my laptop (1600x1200) but anyway it is completely inaccurate and is making me crazy. Now I am going to get it back to the store to ask for my original buy the Logitech MouseMan Wheel PS/2 Wireless ;-(
I do not recommend it!
72 Great! When it actualy works.
I bought this because I loved optical mice. But after about 6 months I began to have transmission problems and it kept freezing up for a few seconds at a time. Then minutes, then froze up for good.I should of know that a microsoft product wouldnt last long. Right out of the box I could tell. Very cheap feel to it. Good thing I kept my old mouse.
Im sticking with Logitech. They make much more reliable mice and I never had a problem with them. So avoid this microsoft one and stick with logitech.
73 Brilliant on paper, significantly flawed in use
I purchased the Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer several weeks ago, and it is my first foray into the world of cordless mouses. It's a very nice looking and comfortable (for right-handed people, at least) product. It appears to have very effective power saving technology judging by the way the optical sensor acts, although the real test will be how the batteries hold up in the coming months. The red glow of the sensor is mostly concealed and so is not distracting when using it in the dark (unlike some Logitech models).
The unit's five buttons and flexible software for configuring them add significantly to the usability of your system - no longer do you need to use awkward key combinations for common operations (e.g. cutting and pasting).
However, the cordless technology exhibits some significant, intrinsic flaws.
The most obvious is the weight of the unit (mostly due to the batteries). On most surfaces, the weight of the mouse creates a great deal of friction between itself and the surface - it simply doesn't "glide" like other mouses. I've found this very fatiguing. On some surfaces (e.g. 3M Precise Mousing Surface), it has a tendency to 'stick' as well, making it even worse.
Compared to my USB mouses (both ball and optical types), the movement of the cursor isn't as smooth - it feels like an old PS/2 mouse in this regard. This is because of the relatively low sample rate when compared to a corded USB mouse. But perhaps the most significant pitfall is the poor response time and resultant lack of precision. This can be illustrated by moving the mouse a tiny bit, and seeing that the cursor on the screen doesn't move at all. Doesn't sound very significant, until you start trying to work with very small movements of sliders (e.g. a volume slider), precisely selecting an area in an image, or simply aiming quickly and accurately in a 3D shooter game.
Unfortunately, the weight and precision problems have conspired to make this mouse unsuitable for general use on my PC. Actually, that's stating it unemotionally - not being able to adjust a slider or select an area of the screen with precision, or aim accurately in my favourite fast action games, is extremely frustrating. The higher your screen resolution, the worse this problem will be.
Because of these issues, I've gone back to using my corded Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse as my primary mouse (though I still long for the extra buttons of the IntelliMouse Explorer). Thankfully, one of the main reasons I purchased the Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer was to use it as a "remote control" when playing DVDs on my TV using the PC's DVD drive. It serves that purpose well. However, if it weren't for its alternate use, I probably would've returned this mouse.
74 World's Best Mouse
This item is listed as a c|net editor's choice. The reviewer called it, "The world's best mouse" so I had to buy one! He was right! I love the smooth cursor movement, precise accuracy and 5 buttons. The software allows you to customize the buttons for use within individual programs - very cool! And if that weren't enough, it feels GREAT in your hand.
75 Buy This Mouse If You Own Stock In A Battery Company
Great ergonomics, great functionality, fits my hand like a glove. BUT...I have had it for 5 weeks and just replaced my 3rd set of batteries. I DO NOT leave my computer on all of the time. It is shut down when not being used. This is a serious DESIGN FLAW and MS should know better. The person in the office next to mine uses a Logitech Cordless (I got the MS one because it fit my hand better...it is a little bigger) and he still hasn't had to change his batteries after almost six months. I WOULD NOT BUY this product again. Learn from the experience of others and do the same.
76 Wireless mouse by Microsoft
Uses a set of igh end batteries in 2 days. Other than that it works fine.... Unfortunatley I dont want to spend money on batteries all the time.
JS
77 DO NOT BUY THIS IF YOU LEAVE YOUR COMPUTER ON ALL THE TIME!
It seemed like a fairly nice idea. Wireless. No tethers. Optical precision. Sounds cool. And I figured that even though it was wireless, the batteries would last about as long as other wireless peripherals (like a wireless keyboard) that I have.
Of course in retrospect I should have realized that even if stowed in a dark desk drawer, the mouse would be constantly chattering to its base station.
In short, battery usage is MUCH too high for users who have their PCs on 24-hours a day. On brand new high quality alkalines, I get 4-6 days before the batteries are drained. With rechargeables, I get about 10 hours.
Suspecting at first that I might simply have a defective unit, I got a replacement unit. Same problem. Identical statistics.
As for precision... the mouse is decent, if a bit sluggish. It goes into sleep mode occasionally (though apparently not reliably enough to conserve the batteries!) and thus you get occasional jerks in motion when it doesn't respond for a few seconds while waking up.
The ergonomics feel quite comfortable to my hand. Scroll wheel motion is smooth. I like the extra 2 side buttons, especially for browsing.
All in all, I suspect that the wired version of this mouse is quite good. Most of the problems I've encountered can be attributed, directly or indirectly, to the wireless functionality (i.e. jerky motion, sluggishness, inconvenience of frequent battery replacement).
But the problems of wirelessness seriously detract from the usefulness of this mouse. I strongly disrecommend its use for those with always-on PCs. And even for those not in that category, I would recommend you try your best not to be lured in by the "wireless" gadgetry. Remember that you still have a "wire" plugging into the machine for the base station, so this isn't a space saver. Unless you absolutely, positively HAVE TO have the wireless feature (for instance if you're sitting 50 feet away from the computer and using the mouse on your lap), then do yourself a BIG favor and avoid wireless mice. It isn't just the Microsoft wireless mice that suffer from these problems. I've tried 'em all and none are much better.
78 Stick to Software
This mouse has a nice feel to it, for about 5 minutes then you'll most likely notice a tiny pain in your pinky finger. This may not be the case for everyone but my hands are a little larger than most and when using this mouse it tends to drag my pinky around after it. I have both this mouse and the Cordless Mouseman Optical by Logitech, and I would say by far the Logitech mouse is better buy. It may have one less button but also has a smaller price tag. Please save your money and don't make the same mistake that I did.
79 Not for me
I love the shape of the mouse and the fact that it's wireless. BUT! the moment I started to use it, I noticed the sluggishness with this mouse. Too bad, I was going to fall in love with this mouse, but I can't stand the sluggishness as I do heavy work with computers. I do programming, so I need real quick response like wired Intelli Mouse Explorer. I'm going to back to it right now...
80 not worth it !!!
don't be fooled by it's cool looking, it's not worth the money. this product is definitely not for someone like me who are used to fast and accurate cursor moving speed, you will lose your patient and eventually MURDER the mouse. i knew i bought the wrong product after i used it for only about 10 minutes.
81 Stiff and jerky
i was dead exited to get this in the post this morning but an afternoon's use has left me very disappointed. After some research on the web it seems i'm not alone in having problems with using it, and i've yet to find a solution. The problem is that it's very very jerky, no smoothness to speak of at all, and i know it's not a software problem as i've upgraded from the same optical mouse (only not the wireless version) and my old mouse is noticeably better at coping with fast mouse movement than this one.
On the plus side it's wireless, which is great, has the extra progammable buttons and looks vee cool on my desktop.
Also, another irritation is the extra weight of the batteries, which tend to exaggerate the jerky nature when moving around slowly. (When will someone bring out a great mouse that glides effortlessly...?)
i'm going to try it for a few days and see if i can get used to it, as i would really like to like this mouse, but even so, it will never live up to the blurb about how smashing and wonderful it is that you hear from Micro$oft.
82 cool but not that fantastic
I have been using this mouse for 2 month now, I start to NOT liking it. It's heavy, the position for the fingers is not very comfortable (my right hand even feels pain), my shoulder feels weird too, and the mouse drains battery BIG TIME!!!. Since I am using it on a Mac, and I turned off the Microsoft Mouse control, I don't get so much of those jerky movement PC users had experienced. But still, I'd rather go with the ones got a cord on, they are lighter, smaller and more accurate.
83 Great product - I won't miss my mouse cord!
What a great product. Don't quite understand the problems other folks have had with the mouse's tracking speed - mine works great with all my apps.
Software installed without a glitch and Win98 recognized the USB connection and associated the correct driver. The old mouse is packed away in the closet.
Buy it!
84 Great, with some problems
I have been using this mouse for several months now. Basically it's a great product. It works accurately and has a variety of useful features, which you can read about in the other reviews and the product description. I will mention that the "back" and "forward" buttons are very useful. It's also nice to have all the buttons programmable to a variety of functions. I love having it wireless, in part because my arthritis requires me to use it in different places, and in part just because it's nice not to have a cord dragging at it constantly. I did not have any trouble with RF or any other noise (mentioned in another review), but I'm at an age where I don't hear high frequency sounds as well as I used to.
There are several small but significant problems. (Note that I am writing based on my experience with my own mouse alone.)
The most serious is that left-clicking doesn't always register: it is possible to left-click and hear the click sound without the mouse recognizing that a command has been issued. Firm clicking always works, but it's an extra effort to do this and an annoyance when the click doesn't register.
Second, the mouse moves smoothly for big movements, but I find the slight static friction of its four feet annoying when I have to make repeated, small movements -- say, clicking on close-together objects. (Static friction is larger than rolling friction.) It may be that applying silicone spray to the desk or other surface will solve that problem, but MS should have stated what would help.
Third, the mouse only comes in one size (too small for me; for reference: my hand is 3.5" across the base of my four fingers and 8" from tip of middle finger to wrist crease) and one shape (asymmetrical for the right hand). Its size makes it slightly difficult for me to reach the thumb buttons, and I think manufacturers (esp. big ones like MS) have a responsibility not to contribute to the oppression of left-handed people. (Understand that I'm right-handed.)
Fourth: On my old mouse, holding down the scroll button and moving the cursor would move the page as a whole around (up & down, left & right) if it were larger than the screen. The same facility seems to exist on this, but it is inexplicably located on the front thumb button, so that after one moves around, the mouse then executes whatever operation it is set to. On mine it is "back", so when I move a screen around in my web browser, I am thereafter automatically sent to the previous page. There seems to be no way to program (or deprogram) this facility, which I find very strange.
In sum, I like the mouse very much but withhold the top rating because of these faults (and because MS should have noticed and corrected them during development).
85 Microsoft has another home run with this top-notch mouse
First of all, I purchased the Microsoft Intelimouse Explorer over a year ago, and immedietly fell in love with the mouse. So, when I read that Microsoft had relased a wireless version of this mouse, I had to have it.
This is a right handed person's mouse. No doubt there. However, assuming you're right handed, this mouse fits the hand perfectly. Unlike other mouses, its designed to fit the grooves and nitches of a hand perfectly. It takes a bit of getting used to, but its well worth it. Once you try it, its difficult to go back. Installation, etc. is all quick and easy, with this being a USB mouse.
As to the noise others have mentioned: yes, it exsists when you first get it. Its terribly annoying, and I got quite fed up with it. It just kept whining, and when you move it fast it gets louder. However, the numerous other reviewers who stated that the noise goes away are CORRECT. There's nothing you can do for a day or so, but the noise goes away completley. You can barely hear it if you stick the mouse up to your ear. You're selling yourself short if you don't give this mouse two or three days for the noise to go away.
Couple other things: The mouse does lag a bit. Its kinda slow to begin with, but the mouse control panel allows you to adjust it, and with a bit of tweaking its back to normal. Mousepads don't work well for it, since its an optical laser mouse, just stick it on the table or whatever you have your computer on. Plus, If found that the range is a bit farther than Microsoft states, another plus in my opinion.
Hands down this is a great mouse. Give it time, and you'll never imagine computing without it.
86 Save Your Money
I bought one of these and it doesn't work for beans. It is worthless. Save your money.
87 Totally Unsatisfied
The delay in the pointer starting to move makes it almost unuseable. Takes a great deal of eye strain and concentration watching for the pointer to start moving then to position it. Compare that to any other mouse I have used (including wireless) and moving the pointer is almost automatic.
I've only had this mouse a couple days, but I doubt that I would get used to it.
It was also difficult to move on a couple different types of mouse pads that I had. Finally tried a plain white piece of paper and that seems to help the "heavy" feeling, but doesn't solve the problem with the delay in movement.
88 Useless to me
Bought the USB wireless Explorer for more accruracy. In slow, deliberate use as in AutoCAD it just loses the start of movement. So if you are moving it s-l-o-w-l-y as must often be done for accurate picking of intersections, etc. it is worthless. I can drag the mouse very slowly clear off the table without moving the cursor. This renders is useless for me.
89 It's movements are very slow
This product of Microsoft I bought as a "Last Technology" and I guess that it will be the best. But it works very slow; motions of the pointer are very slow.
It's not only slow but also very heavy because of the two batteries on it.
Also it's mass is vey big; i.e. it's not designed for a poeple with normal and small hand size.
It doesn't satisfied my needs. In this case I think that my old mouse will be the best technology for me now, and also I'm sad for the money I gave for this product.
I hope Microsoft will imporve this great idea with tecnology better.
90 Not for gaming.
The wireless feature is nice but this mouse is a diasppointment. I bought this mouse thinking it would improve Unreal Tournament gameplay but there was no improvement in smoothness or precision. It was worse than logitech ball mouse I already had. I'm returning it to try a new Logitech mouse.
91 A real pleasure to use
Here's what I like about this mouse (and yes, I would buy it again!): Works on almost any surface, the ergonometrics are wonderful, the installation was trivial, and (of course) it's wireless. Worth every penny.
The only caveat is you will definitely want to use rechargeable batteries (I've always used 'em, but unless you're prepared it can be a bit of a nuisance).
92 Bad experience...
I wanted a new mouse - after all, the Logitech serial port mouse I was using is from 1993! (although it's still working well). My main thing, was that I wanted precision, since I play 3D First-Person-Shooter videogames, such as Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake III, Unreal Tournament, etc. With my existing very low dpi mouse, I knew I was at a disadvantage, especially when using sniper weapons. When I stumbled upon this mouse, I was undecided between it and the Logitech wireless mouse. Then when I read that this mouse was so great, and it had 6,000 dpi - I thought, well this mouse must be the best mouse out there on the market. Boy, was I wrong. Ok the wireless part - if you care, I have to say, works well. I have no problems at all. You plug the receiver in the USB port, boom, Windows picks it up, and you can use your mouse immediately without installing additional software. The part that shocked me was the precision - at 6,000 dpi, I was expecting the smoothest mouse on earth. This thing SUCKS AT PRECISION! Immediately I thought I had a dud, because I thought to myself that there was no way that when I move the mouse cursor around the screen that a 6,000 dpi optical mouse jerks around. But that's exactly what it does - it jerks around. When I was playing games, this got SO frustrating, that believe it or not - I was forced to start using my 1993 serial port Logitech mouse, which is much smoother. It's amazing. I am going to complain to Microsoft about this, because I really think that this isn't normal. Like another user said, the sensitivity seems to have been sacrificed for the wireless capability - which makes no sense to me, but that's the truth. You will be very dissappointed with this mouse because of the jerky movements. Other than that, the wireless feature is cool and works well, and that's the only reason I give it a 2. Otherwise it would have been a 1. I'm back to my serial port mouse again.. and I can control my computer much better. Oh well, I threw 70 bux out the window.
93 Only good for limited use, waste of money.
The Wireless Intellimouse Explorer is a very interesting mouse. It has the _basis_ of a pretty good mouse, but loses majorly in the details.
First, it is advertised as being ergonomic. That is is--it fits the hand very well. Unfortunately, holding it comfortably places the scroll button below the knuckle of the middle finger--far away from the fingertip used to scroll it. So in order to actually use the mouse, you can't hold it comfortably. Also, the heel of your hand rests on the mousing surface. It is difficult to describe. In short, the ergonomics are very annoying after a few hours of use. Lefties need not apply, this is a right-hand-only item.
The second issue is the major problem. The other, "wired" Microsoft Optical mice have two LED modes: bright and dim. When the mouse is moved, the sensor enters bright mode, and remains there until a few seconds after nothing happens. The Logitech wireless optical behaves likewise. For wireless mice, this results in relatively poor battery life--the Logitech wireless optical is reported to have a very short battery life. Microsoft thought this could be improved on, so this model has an elaborite powersaving system. It has some sort of hand presence sensor (electric, I guess--yes, it actually detects your hand), and turns off when it doesn't think anything's happening. Yes, off. If you're holding the mouse and it's not moving, it strobes at a frequency of about 1s. If you move or click, it turns all the way on. Sounds simple? It's not. For desktop use (that is, relatively low accuracy requirements), it works fine. Move the mouse, the cursor moves. However, for anything that requires more accuracy, i.e. games, major problems arise. It turns out that the mouse has some sort of minimum sensitivity--if you move less than a certain distance, nothing happens. So if you're sniping, for instance, and need to move a pixel left... you can't. This gets very annoying, very fast. I can't comment on battery life, since I've not been using it long enough.
There are other issues, also. I've had problems with this mouse in various DirectX games in Windows XP. The mouse noticably lags in Unreal Tournament, when other pointing devices don't. This might be solvable, I've not put enough effort into it.
The wireless system works well, and is usable to almost exactly six feet without breaking up.
Microsoft advertises an "accelerated scroll wheel". I think this is just part of the drivers, but it does in fact work well. Scrolling in IE is much easier.
To summarize a long and disorganized review, the Wireless Explorer can be pretty good if a) you like the ergonomics, a very polarized issue, b) you don't ever, ever play games, and c) you have no problem changing batteries periodically. Personally, I'm replacing my Microsoft with the Logitech wireless optical. Now if only Logitech made that insane Dual Optical in a wireless version.... mhmmm, power hog.
94 Great mouse. Won me over.
I have been an IntelliMouse Explorer user for a little while, and was concerned about the trade-offs that I would have to endure with a wireless version. After using this mouse for three weeks, I can state without reservation "almost none".
Setup was simple and nearly automatic (it was completely plug and play with Windows XP, not even needing the driver disk).
I have yet to need to replace the batteries once, so I can't say that I have experienced what others have complained about as "short battery life".
I have noticed the "wake-up lag" that others have experienced, but not in the normal way. I normally need to "wake-up" my monitor by jiggling the mouse. It now takes a "forward and back" jiggle, instead of just a "forward" jiggle. In short, my mouse is awake long before my monitor is. For anybody who uses a screen saver or a energy-saving mode on their monitor, this "problem" wont even be visible.
What I wasn't prepared for is how nice it is to cut the cord between my mouse and the PC. It is such a relief, I don't know how I lived without it.
I use the mouse, not only for simple tasks, but I also use it for graphics, and I haven't noticed a significant diminishment in precision over the hardwired Intellimouse (and I believe that it is better than any mechanical mouse I have used).
Two thumbs way up.
95 BEWARE!!!
Think about the following before buying...
If you read all the nice reviews here about this mouse, you'll find that most of them have some sort of issue with the mouse:
- The battery life is short (recharging cradle would be nice).
- The mouse makes noise.
- Return from power-saving mode is sluggish.
To me the last item makes the mouse nearly unusable. Often, I'll be reading an article and try to scroll after a few seconds, but the mouse will not do anything for more than a second. Additionally, the mouse senses if you have your hand "in place" before powering up, so if you ever move the mouse with just a finger or two (sure, it's not often, but it happens), it will not work because it doesn't power up.
UPDATED INFO (2001/11/25):
I've been in contact with Microsoft support. The customer service representative was very thorough in trying to remedy the delay in powering up. However, the final answer I get is, "Upon further research I have in-fact found what you are experiencing is a feature of the Wireless Explorer. This is by design to extend the battery life."
One person's feature is another's bug.
96 Disappointing
This mouse is not good in the precision department. It has ergonomic physical design, but it is unergonomic when you are trying hard to position the cursor for text editing.
The only thing this mouse is good for is surfing the web.
For text editing, programming, gaming, etc. I don't think this is a productive tool. You will stress yourself out trying to get the cursor positioned right.
Get the corded version, there is an unbelievable difference in performance.
97 Great shape but technology not for everyone
I've been using this mouse for a couple of days. I have also used the Logitech Cordless Mouseman Optical. The great thing about the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer is the shape -- absolutely perfect for my hand. Very comfortable and buttons are positioned well. And the feel of the buttons and wheel, after getting used to them, is great.
But the problem is Microsoft's battery saving technology that shuts off the mouse when it detects no hand on the mouse. But this technology isn't perfect. Very often, if I scroll the wheel without moving the mouse, it won't respond because it doesn't detect my hand. So I have to shake the mouse a little bit so it "wakes up." Not a huge deal, but often a bit annoying.
For me, I think I'll go back to a corded version.
98 High pitch explained.
Regarding the high pitch experienced by most reviewers, it is only experienced when you first put in new batteries. After a couple days of use, the noise goes away COMPLETELY. So, hold of on returning it or writing yet another review. READ this one first. One note--it goes away even quicker when using cheaper, less powerful batteries (non-alkaline, etc). In my experience, the high-pitch went away in two days with the Energizer batteries (included), and within hours with standard carbon-zinc batteries. It IS off-putting when you first plug it in, and shame on Microsoft for not catching this in pre-release.
In regards to other comments, yes, batteries run down when powering high precision optics...go figure. If you didn't figure this out prior to purchasing it, you need help. Batteries last me three weeks of hard core use on a multiple-user home PC. If you use it all day at work, maybe 2-3 weeks would be normal. But hey, its wireless and you get to make that tradeoff. Microsoft manufactures an absolutely fabulous line of optical mice (and great keyboards for that matter), with great drivers to boot (IntelliPoint 4.0 adds roller acceleration-a free upgrade for current IntelliMouse users, FYI). So, you can decide what's best for you. The Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer is right on par with the other optical mice from Microsoft. It is ergonomic, smooth, accurate, etc. Of course, due to the wireless receiver, this is definitely suited for permanent locations, and not something you'd want to haul around for a laptop. Wait until Bluetooth-enabled mice for that.
99 Great mouse that takes some getting used to
I've owned 2 wireless mice from Logitech. I loved them so much that I would never go to a wired mouse again! The only problem was cleaning the ball and rollers. So I looked at getting an optical mouse.
I chose Microsoft over Logitech because of its shape. It was the closest to the Cordless Mouseman Pro I've had for a long time.
After installing it there was some tweaking I had to do such as customizing the speed and buttons - no big thing. BUT the cursor jerks and pauses if I move the mouse too fast AND it's hard to aim the cursor in situations where I need pinpoint precision such as graphics design and word processing.
The problem might be my screen size, 1152 X 864. If I change to 800 x 600 it seems to be more precise though it will still pause and jerk, but not as much. I've changed surfaces and I can see a little improvement.
The buttons feel sloppy, but they don't feel like they're gonna fall off. They do have a more positive "click" which I like. The scroll wheel has a more positive feel than my Logitech, which is great.
I gave it 3 stars because of it's physical design and wireless freedom. I left out the other stars because of the jerks and pauses and its less precise than my Logitech. If I don't get used to it in a month I'm going back to the Logitech.
100 Super Device
This is a superb pointing device. It fits beautifully in the hand. The software is powerful and easy to install and it is packed with additional features. The optical pickup makes history of those sticking mechanical mice that need cleaning every few weeks.
I'd like to back up 'JazzDiver' though - the mouse does emit a subtle high frequency (probably around 10 to 12KHz). Clearly not R.F. though. It is most definitely correlated to the pulsing LED that powers the optical pickup - probably a step-up oscillator that powers the LED. It is very subtle but I am sure most people would hear it if they put their ear near the mouse while using it (not that you do that!).
