Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #173528 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: B75-00063
• Platforms: Windows NT, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 95, Windows
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Is the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer the last mouse you'll ever have to buy? Perhaps. This mouse is not likely to wear out or become dirty, because it operates with Digital Optical Sensor technology, which uses no moving parts. We couldn't ignore this Intellimouse Explorer's good looks; the silver/grey exterior and the eerie red glow that emanates from its underside (no, that's not radiation) add up to one sexy mouse. However, the IntelliMouse Explorer felt much lighter than its snazzy titanium encasement suggested. The Explorer comes with a USB connection (for Mac and Windows 98 use only), but also comes with a PS/2 adapter. When installing the mouse in your USB port, though, be sure to have your Windows 98 disc handy--you'll need it to install the drivers.

Microsoft designed the IntelliMouse Explorer to have a much higher arch than the traditional mouse, and it fits comfortably under your hand. However, the two extra programmable buttons on the left-hand side of the mouse seem ill-placed. Rather than being below the thumb's natural resting position, they are above, which makes accessing them a stretch. The smallest button was especially cumbersome to reach, and we found we had to completely move our hand off the mouse in order to reach it. So it's a good thing you can program these buttons yourself--we attributed a seldom-used function to the smaller button. It took a while to get over the guilt of not using a mouse pad, but once past the initial trepidation, we found that we were testing the IntelliMouse on a variety of surfaces, challenging Microsoft's claims. It did work great on any desk surface (except glass), non-reflective paper, cloth and low-pile carpet (for those of you who often find yourselves computing on the floor). We tested out the IntelliMouse Explorer's gaming skills in a round of Quake II. Gameplay seemed smooth and response time was notably quicker. The only downside is the somewhat loose scroll wheel--while that might be an advantage for document and Web page scrolling, it makes selecting weapons slightly difficult in Quake.

If you're tired of cleaning the gunk out of your mouse every other week, the low-maintenance IntelliMouse Explorer could be your salvation. --Acton Lane

Manufacturer's Description
IntelliEye optical tracking technology gives IntelliMouse Explorer unsurpassed precision and control by replacing moving parts with an optical sensor that tracks movement. With no moving parts to collect dirt, dust and grime, a mouse ball never needs to be cleaned. IntelliMouse Explorer works on virtually any surface, eliminating the need for a mouse pad.Two new customizable function buttons provide effortless Internet navigation with their forward and back default settings. The buttons, located on the left side of the mouse, can also easily be mapped to execute useful program shortcut commands, like print or cut and paste.

Customer Reviews

A brilliant mouse
The only problem with having this mouse is having to go back to a mormal mouse when I use the uni PCs. It really is a pain after you have got used to all the great features with the Explorer. My favourite setup is having one of the side buttons as "Back" when surfing and the other as "Stop". The mouse is very responsive and I have had it now for 8 months and had no problems at all. I have not been especially delicate with it but perhaps other people have been more brutal.

This mouse really does work anywhere. As I am a lazy person I can have it next to me on my bed whilst I watch a DVD and the mouse works perfectly on the bed sheets. Also, playing FPS games like Unreal Tournament is vastly improved with much better accuracy.

In short I would recommend this mouse to everyone. If you don't want to spend this much there are other optical options and I think they are a very good investment.

The Best Mouse I Have Used This Far
I like the wheel, the back and forward buttons, optical sensor, color and USB-connection. The buttons are a little bit loose, but that doesn't bother me very much.

Big Mouse For Big People
This is a very good moius it exactly the right shape for your hand how ever small handed people could have a problem much like the MS Keyboards

well worth the money and last 4 times longer than a ball mouse