| IntelliMouse Explorer Reviewed by: Michael Flaminio Rating: ** Review Date 10.4.99 Manufacturer: Microsoft MSRP: $75 (US) |
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Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer is an optical mouse, which uses light instead of mechanical parts to operate. Instead of a ball and rollers, optical mice use a light beam to detect movements.
I've used optical mice before, and they didn't do all that much for me. After using Microsoft's new mouse, I pretty much felt the same way. Besides the optical functionality, the mouse also features a scrolling wheel, two buttons and two additional thumb buttons. The Mouse is designed with Internet web browsing in mind.
I used the IntelliMouse
Explorer for a few days and it left me with mixed feelings. I didn't feel
very comfortable with it, however it is a pretty cool looking mouse. For someone
buying a new Power Mac G4, the mouse should match very nicely. The mouse also glows
red when plugged in. Obviously drawing power from the USB port for the light beam,
the mouse also has a second aesthetic light at the base. When picked up, bottom is
translucent red with glowing red lights. Ergonomically, the mouse feels pretty good. Based on Microsoft's other scrolling mice, the mouse is designed for right handed users, curving and rising to the right. Overall, I was pleased with how the mouse felt while.
Buttons and Scrollers
My biggest gripe is the placement of the thumb buttons. Microsoft designed the buttons to act as page up or page down window controllers. Microsoft's control utility, which was just released in final form last week, allows the user to reprogram the mouse to do pretty much whatever he or she wants. While the thumb buttons did a good job of staying out of the way, I found them difficult to use. It seemed when I went to push one of the thumb buttons, I would often accidentally push one of the main two buttons. Maybe the people at Microsoft have different hand muscles, but I found I had to focus while pushing the thumb buttons just so not to press down on the sensitive main finger buttons.
While on the subject of buttons, the IntelliMouse Explorer's buttons felt kind of cheap. I'm sure there isn't anything wrong with the buttons, but they just didn't feel solid. The buttons had very little tension on them, letting them sort of rattle around.
The last control feature is the scroller. When I bought a B/W G3 earlier this year, I quickly found that I needed to get a new mouse. Taking advantage of all the new USB options, I picked up a mouse with a scrolling wheel. I had used scrolling wheels before on PCs and I always thought they were kind of neat. But, I never used a scrolling mouse before to get any real work done. to my surprise, it didn't take long to get hooked on the scrolling wheel. Since then, I tell everyone who is looking for a new Mac mouse to get one with a wheel. It completely changed how I use my computer.
If you never used a scroll wheel, it basically uses the scroll down commands in the program's window. The idea is that if you're reading a web page for example, you can scroll down further without having to move the mouse pointer to the window's scroll down buttons. The wheel works for any program with scrolling window buttons. Here, Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer has a really great wheel. It has a real soft touch to offer great control.
Opticals
Getting into the guts of the mouse, optical tracking holds two big advantages. First
it won't wear out or get dirty. Users may want to wipe it down once in a while, but
they will never need to perform surgery to clean a grimy mouse ball/rollers again.
This can be a big plus of you use your mouse extensively or use it in a dusty environment.
The other big advantage is precision. Microsoft says the mouse scans 1,500 times
a second for pinpoint accuracy. Photoshop and Quake users for example can appreciate
quick, precise mouse control.
Another interesting feature is that the mouse does not require a mouse pad. The mouse
works well on almost any surface, even a pant leg. Personally I went out and got
a 3M Precise Mousing Surface pad for testing. While not necessarily needed, I wanted
to avoid scratching my desk or the mouse.
Software/Install
Microsoft's Mac IntelliPoint software is pretty
comprehensive. It has options for pretty much anything you'd want to do with a mouse.
Mac users will have to download
the drivers from Microsoft as they are not included yet in the retail packaging.
I had no problem with the install as I simply downloaded the drivers, restarted and
plugged it in. Microsoft's IntelliPoint utility offers more customization than most
utilities I've used. Each button can be configured to perform a pretty wide variety
of functions.
Bottom Line
Despite my comments, the mouse seems like a quality device. I wouldn't expect any
problems with the mouse's optical sensor, or even the buttons. It was very responsive
and felt pretty natural. Fortunately, readers interested in this Explorer can test
the negative aspects of the mouse themselves. If you're interested in this mouse,
the best advice I can give is to run down to a computer store and check it out for
yourself. I would recommending paying close attention to the feel of the buttons
and also try using the thumb buttons. When I passed the mouse around, everyone was
pretty interested in it. In the end however, everyone came to similar conclusions
on the buttons.
As long as Apple ships its standard mice, Power Mac and iMac users will likely find
themselves looking a new mouse. A two-button mouse with a scroll wheel can make a
world of a difference. The IntelliMouse Explorer is a pretty good mouse, but at $75,
it can be a costly optional upgrade. Unless you're looking specifically for an optical
mouse, Mac users can find plenty of great performing conventional mice for much less.
Pros: Optical technology keeps mouse performing longer without maintenance.
Works on most surfaces.
Cons: A bit on the expensive side for a mouse. Button placement and design
needs some work.
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