Customer Reviews

Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse

5 star:		(97)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I'm a bit of a mouse enthusiast, so when Microsoft released the new Explorer and Explorer Mini mice, I had to try them.

To the point, Microsoft has a very, very solid mouse in the Explorer Mini. By far my most favorite feature is the solid feel and ergonomics of the mouse. I find it to be more accommodating to my right hand than the Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black), which is arguably the amongst the best mice in its class. Probably the most notable feature is the new BlueTrack technology that lets this mouse operate on a wide array of surfaces. I tried the mouse on a multitude of surfaces and it performed admirably on most surfaces.

As with most optical/laser mice, the BlueTrack Explorer Mini has problems with highly reflective surfaces, like polished wood, glass, and/or mirror surfaces. Since I never would work on such surfaces, this shortcoming is not too big a deal. However, if your desk is made of a reflective material and you do not plan to use a mouse pad, the Explorer Mini might not be the right mouse (no optical mouse would).

The mouse has the basic left and right click buttons that depress with a slightly shallow, yet satisfying "click". The scroll wheel is continuous (i.e. no bumping or ridges texture feels while scrolling) and silent in operation. The Explorer Mini has forward and back page buttons which just do not feel "right", there is not enough of a tactile feedback.

The wireless dongle is smaller than a typical USB drive, and feels like it is made of cheap plastic. I question the durability of the dongle for long term use. It can be stored under the mouse in a little grooved area. However when stowed in this fashion, the dongle sticks out from the flat mouse bototm.

All in all, as a direct competitor to the Logitech VX Nano, Microsoft has released a solid performing, and great feeling mouse. You really cannot go wrong with the Explorer Mini. Ultimately it's the feel of the mouse and its versatility on a wide array of surfaces that allows me to recommend it as a great all-purpose mouse.

Product Positives
+Ergonomic Feel
+Quiet, continuous scroll wheel
+Satisfying feel of right and left mouse clicks
+Mouse feels solid
+BlueTrack Technology lets you track virtually on any non-reflective surface.

Product Negatives
-Dongle has "plastic" feel and flimsy
-No accommodations for southpaws
-When dongle is in "storage mode" it sticks out from underneath the mouse
-The two thumb buttons don't feel right

Other Thoughts:
*I haven't had the mouse long enough to make a judgment on battery life, but generally these kind of mice using (2.4 ghz frequency) last longer than blue-tooth based mice
*UPDATE* After about 5 months I'm still using the original battery. I am very confident that it would easily last many months more.
*Competitive prices with competing brands like Logitech's VX Nano (also a great mouse)

I have a full drawer of mouses from both Microsoft and Logitech. The closest comparators should be Mobile 8000 by Microsoft and VX Nano by Logitech. Mobile 8000 was very expensive($99, but not anymore) because of its innovative magnetic charging along with 1GM FM. However, these features seems not so favorable and its battery life(2/3 days)is just too short even you can charge and use it simultaneously. So a lot more people use VX Nano, even it does not has forward and backward buttons(they are hard to reach on Mobile 8000 anyway) and designed for both hands, which means it is not ergonomic. This blue light mouse fixs all the problems.

Pros,
1. Perfect shape(ergonomic) and size(similar to VX Nano).
2. Quite Long battery life(4+months)(Microsoft never exaggerate about battery life as I know). I hate rechargable because of power core/adapter, charge base, and additional wire. Once a battery lasts 4 months, who really care to replace it.
3. Somewhat better tracking than 8000 and VX nano even on normal surface. I dont move mouse on carpet anyway.
4. Whenever its receiver taken off the mouse from the bottom or waken from sleep, beautiful blue light around the mouse at base would be glowing. Well, it is nothing to do with functionality. But it is a nice touch. There is a button controlling it. I touch it sometime just for fun, even that will shorten battery life.
5. Backward and farward buttons are easy to reach because of longer and closer to your thumb than 8000(it is impossible to make it big for mini mouse). VX Nano does has any.
6. Buttons are very quiet when you click on them except the middle one. But that is very commn.
7. Personally I favor its smooth yet some resistant scrolling over logitech's very loosing wheel, which could cause opposite directional move at the end of scrolling

Cons.
1. It is heavier and less balaned weight than 8000 because of AA instead of AAA.
2. The usb receiver could be a little bit shorter, like VX nano.

I don't think $50+ is pricey comparing VX Nano. Well, if you think so, just wait a while.

Update:
I double checked the VX Nano mouse. It has forward and backward buttons, but located at the left corner on the top, not the right side.

I thought I'd never buy another Microsoft mouse and was with Logitech for life. Howevr, I've been getting annoyed recently with the tracking on the VX Revolution I have. When it's on a less than reliable surface, like the arm of a suede couch, it sticks too much for me to coninue using it. I saw something at a tech store about MS's new Bluetrack tech and since I had an Amazon gift card, decided to try it out.

So the main feature: the tracking. it tracks flawlessly on every surface I've tried so far: couch, carpet, canvas bookbag, denim jeans, even a glass end table. The VX will not track at all on the glass, does poor on the canvas, not too bad on the rest. I really am impressed.

I have large hands and love the feel of the VX vs most other notebook mice that are just too small. MS beefed up this design and while it's not spot on to the VX design, it's pretty darn close. If it were a little bit bigger I'd be set.

The look of the MS mouse is pretty sleek. It's more futuristic loking than the VX, which is more sleek and mechanical looking. The blue glow is also a neat touh as opposed to the red lasers out there. You don't see the blue except for when the mouse is off of a surface or when you first power the mouse up. Very neat look but isn't distracting either.

The only other gripe I have about the mouse is the scroll wheel. Maybe I'm used to the VX and it's super-free scroll wheel, but this one feels a bit stiff. It gets the job done and maybe I just need to break it in a bit or get used to it more. Really a very minor gripe.

I couldn't slam the mouse for minor size complaints (probably fine for most). If you need a new mouse, get this thing. You won't be disappointed.

I really wanted to like this mouse since it has some great features, but there are some issues that are deal-breakers. Testing was done on Mac OSX 10.6:

Pros:

* Quiet clicks - this is a very quiet mouse, the clicks are muted and elegant. It's leagues and miles quieter than any other logitech mouse.

* Ergonomically comfortable - the mouse feels comfortable, the buttons are well placed.

* Good build quality - Among other things I liked the metallic scroll wheel, it does feel solid.

Cons:

* Short battery life

* There is a noticeable loss in tracking accuracy. I noticed this immediately coming from a wired mouse. For example when moving something around, the cursor would skip randomly. It may not immediately obvious but it's there.

* The scroll wheel feels very smooth to the touch, but it's rough on the screen. Scrolling slowly should appear smoothly on the screen but it doesn't. The scrolling feels blocky in motion (ie it scrolls in big steps). Furthermore I found the scrolling acceleration very uncomfortable. I tried lots of settings and I even installed 3rd party controllers but no luck.

* The middle button requires too much force to push, it's not comfortable for periodic use. The smooth scroll wheel also interferes since it slides too easily while trying to click. It's also the loudest click, by a 3x factor.

* Poor friction design: the bottom of the mouse has some rough edges which get "stuck" on a textile surface. So when I try dragging an icon with the mouse, this scratches the surface which feels very uncomfortable. This never happened before with several other MS and logitech mice I've used.

* The receiver is too big for regular use. Microsoft does make smaller receivers that can be left plugged in your laptop, why not include it with this mouse?

* To turn off the mouse one needs to plug-in the USB receiver below the mouse. This is inconvenient if one uses this mouse on a desktop machine, or if you don't move your laptop too often.

* Blue light around mouse shows up at startup but then turns off. The product photos are misleading, the mouse doesn't glow when in use.

* The scroll wheel's left and right button states can not be customized, they can only scroll left and right respectively. I wanted to configure "Back" and "Forward" which would have been great for using on a browser, but it's not possible on Microsoft's software.

Unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros, I can not recommend this mouse. I really liked the concept and it had huge potential at being a winner, but there are some major issues that need to be addressed.

I was wandering around the local electronics story looking at all the new gadgets when I discovered this mouse. I was surprised to see that this blue track technology worked on carpeting, granite, rough surfaces, and shiny surfaces. I tried out how it felt to my hand. It was great, just the kind of mouse I need. My old laptop mouse is an old Microsoft mouse and was ok. I use my laptop on the couch and use the arm rest as my mousing surface. After long periods of surfing my hand would be very sore from the old mouse, it was just a tad too small. This new mouse is excellent. Fits my hand perfectly, it runs on my couch's armrest with no problem, the snap in receiver is shorter than my old mouse. And this mouse came with a mouse house! Nothing fancy, but a nice little pouch to store your new mouse and keep it shinny and new. I can't give this mouse enough stars. I like it so much I'm seriously considering getting the larger mouse (desktop size) for my work computer.

I've had this mouse for the better part of a month, and I'm very happy with it.

It's on the same Eneloop battery I started with, and going strong.

The mouse is a weird size in my opinion - a tad big to really be a the ideal notebook mouse, but not as big and comfy as the Explorer sans mini. That said, the extra bulk in my bag doesn't bother me when I pack it with my 15" laptop. With a netbook I prefer the little Dell bluetooth mice.

Button placement is fine. The fwd/back buttons stay out of the way, but are pretty easy to reach if needed. The scroll wheel's a little on the squirrelly side, but it get's the job done. I actually prefer the horizontal toggle to the trackball I have on my mighty mouse.

The optical tracking is better than any I've used, and is spectacular if you're stuck sitting on the floor.

I was surprised that I actually ended up using the pouch. It's a nice neoprene case with a magnetic closure. I usually don't like the added bulk, and as the usb nub fits in the base of the mouse it seemed completely superfluous, but for some reason my bag feels more organized with the pouch, and it makes the mouse easier to find by touch.

I would prefer that the mouse were more compact. A smaller mouse would have been well worth the portability, but otherwise I can't think of anything to keep me from recommending this mouse.

While the Mini Mouse's transceiver is not as small as that found in Logitech's Nano, Microsoft's device is still a pretty good Laptop mouse to carry along and, as far as I can tell, it performs equally well at home, even as a desktop mouse, eliminating the need for the connecting wire. Its size and shape makes it perfect for smaller hands but, even though the long time user is going to be my 12 yr. old guy, I didn't experience any major discomfort while using it myself for the past couple of days.


ERGONOMICS

Microsoft's claim that the Mini will work on almost any surface appear to be true. The mouse performed very well on a regular pad, on a polished wood desk, on granite and on the very dark titanium top of my laptop. Performance was acceptable on my jeans but, when lifted up in the air strange things may happen.

As I stated already, this mouse was named 'Mini' for a reason. It's not minuscule, like the little USB devices that are found in cheap 'laptop and travel' kits but it's significantly smaller than a 'full size' mouse: less than 4" in length, about 2.5" at its widest. The shape is nicely sculpted to allow for a comfortable grip with your thumb and and your middle finger.

Given that there are two extra buttons that are supposed to be operated with the thumb and to its overall asymmetric shape, this mouse is specifically designed for RIGHT-HAND use. I do not know if a left-handed version is available.

As far as buttons are concerned, besides the 2 expected right/left buttons, and the scroll wheel, you also get 2 additional buttons on the left side, operated with the thumb. By default, the button close to the tip of the mouse will magnify when pressed while the other button can be used to 'go back'. The scroll wheel will do the normal up/down scroll but it could also scroll left/right when nudged that way with your index finger and clicking on it can be configured to perform some other function - the default seems to invoke the 'flip 3D - switch between windows' function in Vista.

The top surface is mostly shiny plastic but the right side is a ruberrized texture for a better grip.

The transceiver and be snapped into the bottom of the mouse which will turn it off completely as opposed to it just 'sleeping' when not in use. For transportation or long-term storage a balck velvety 'pocket' comes with the mouse.

Finally, just for show and to impress those who may be watching, the mouse glows a bright blue from underneath for a fews seconds when picked up after a period of 'sleep'.


CUSTOMIZATION

The Mini can be used 'as is' - plug the transceiver in an USB port and start using it - or it can be enhanced and customized with Microsoft's IntelliPoint app, used to configure nearly all of Microsoft's pointing devices as well as others - it recognized my ThinkPad's UltraNav TouchPoint device, for example.

Through IntelliPoint it's possible to customize each of the 4 buttons and the scroll wheel, pick your favorite pointers and the way they behave and so on. I will post a couple of IntelliPoint screenshots.



INSTALLATION, OPERATION

As I stated already, the mouse is ready to use even without software installation.

Once you insert the AA battery (provided) and plug the transceiver into a USB port, you are in business. Software installation off the provided CD is a matter of additional minutes.

As far as I can tell, there's no way to check the battery status and the only way to actually turn the mouse off is by snapping in the transceiver - there is no on/off button or switch. The mouse appears to be going to sleep if not used for a minute or so and it will wake up quickly when moved. There are no statements on expected battery life but, given that all you need is a cheap AA, this is not a major concern.

It's probably worth noting that the transceiver operates at 2.4 GHz. I didn't notice any interference with anything around.

Microsoft claims that the Mini should work on computers running Microsoft Vista/XP or Mac OS X v 10.2x-10.5x. I only tested it on XP and Vista.


PACKAGING

Be very careful when taking the mouse out of its package because you may get a plastic cut which is not unlike a paper cut. Unless my copy was atypical, this is one example of bad, careless and frustrating, bordering to unacceptable. Besides the sharp plastic edges that had to be dealt with, the thin multi-language manual looked already 'used' and - I couldn't believe it - the software CD was there 'naked', unprotected and already scratched with little bits of the carton electro-statically attached to the surface. I don't know who does quality control for this product but, hopefully, mine was only one bad example, not the norm.


MY RATING

I am very pleased with this mouse operation and I would have kept it if my hands were smaller. Any right-handed person who doesn't have big hands should find the Mini a good choice for a wireless mouse. This would have been a 5-stars but I will take away one for the packaging which bordered on unacceptable. I simply couldn't imagine that MICROSOFT, a SOFTWARE company would agree to have a CD holding Microsoft's own software thrown into the box, vulnerable to dirt and scratches.

I've had this mouse for 2 weeks now. I work from home and spend a lot of time on my computer even when I'm not working, so I've been using this mouse for probably 10 hrs/day during the week and some on the weekends. After using it for ~120 hours, the mouse is still on the same AA battery I put in it when I got it. The fact that it's difficult to physically turn off isn't a big deal because the mouse automatically senses when you aren't using it.

Mostly, I wanted to describe its size, because that was the big question mark for me. This is probably the largest "mini" mouse I've see - it's more like a smallish basic mouse. I think it works well as an everyday mouse for someone with smaller hands, but it will be more like a mini-mouse for someone with larger hands. (For reference, I have long fingers, but smallish hands.) When I hold this mouse, you can't see much of it, but I still find it comfortable to use all day. It's tall and curved, so it supports all parts of my hand, not just parts of it. This is leagues better than the Microsoft Side-Winder, which is what I was using before. I can't decide whether I like the Logitech mouse that came with my Wave keyboard better.

The software that comes with the mouse is not so great. You can control the two side buttons, the left button, the right button, and the scroll-wheel button. There's a drop-down list of options and you can specify keystrokes. You cannot remap the side-to-side action on the wheel ('home' and 'end' are great if you do a lot of text editing), nor can you control the scroll action (some people like scroll up to be 'forward' and scroll down to be 'back'). It's nice that you can set up different options per program. The default for the wheel button in Firefox and IE is to do some auto-preview mode, where the 4 windows I had open (web browser, mouse controls, control panel and Outlook) were popped up on my screen next to each other. It was easy enough to change it to open a link in a new tab, but it made me think I'd broken something.

It's a little bit odd to have a non-clicking scrollwheel, but I've already gotten used to it. I find the wheel stiff, so I've set up the acceleration (where it scrolls through more if you move the wheel faster.) I haven't had any trouble with middle-clicking yet. The USB dongle attaches to the mouse through pressure only, which makes me worry about losing it. The mouse turns off automatically when you aren't using it, so I don't think that the lack of an easy 'off' button will be a problem. (To turn switch it off, you need to snap the receive into place.)

I spent $25 on it (although Amazon has it for $40), and I think that it's probably going to be worth it. I probably would have been a little bit disappointed if I'd paid $40.

When I first got it, it worked like a charm and the fact that it worked so well over so many surfaces has made life easy...until...I unplugged it finally one day..

One day I plugged it in and a blip comes up saying the USB Device not Recognized... thinking it odd..I tested it on a desktop..sometimes it works..other times the message pops up again. tried rebooting...doesn't help--this finickiness is enough to drive me nuts--and I don't know how to fix it.

I have had the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse for approximately 1 1/2 weeks now and I absolutely love it. It works out of the right away on my MacBook Pro 15" Late 2008 Edition with Mac OS X Snow Leopard version 10.6. Literally within one - two seconds of plugging in the receiver and you're good to go. Also the software that comes with the mouse is optional, but is required if you want to make full use of the side buttons for use as forward or back in not only Finder(Windows Explorer equivalent for Mac).

I personally however recommend the use of thirdparty software which works equally well and goes by the name of SteerMouse(Mac only) for an additional $20, but does have slight features not available in the IntelliMouse software. Also the mouse is very handy if you wish to assign functions to the buttons, such as: quick access to your Desktop, hiding applications in a hurry, forward/back in both Finder as well as any web browser, and various other things.

Battery life(Only one AA) is wonderful, as long you put the receiver back in the underside of the mouse each night when done using it, doing so will turn the mouse off, preserving battery life while you sleep.

There is only one thing I have found about the mouse to be a slight fault, but it's nothing bad at all and that is the scrollwheel. The scrollwheel is VERY sensitive. Even the slightest slide of your finger over it, and the scrollbars on the OS will begin to move. But again the software that comes with the mouse as well as SteerMouse can adjust the sensitivity, so that pretty much negates the downside!

By the way for people using the mouse on Windows, I haven't had a chance to test it --as thoroughly-- as on Mac OS X Snow Leopard. But it does seem to work well enough on it, and especially seeing as how it's a Microsoft Mouse, it should be fine. It did take a minute or so for the drivers to be installed upon plugging in the receiver, but it still worked out of the box, and I would recommend installing the IntelliMouse drivers from the software disc, or downloading the most recent ones fro [...]

Other people have said the mouse is a little on the large size for a notebook mice, and honestly I can see why some people would say that it is big(ger) for a notebook mouse, but is still perfectly portable.

The last bit I have to add, the mouse uses BlueTrack(not Bluetooth), which uses a blue laser, and it really does work well on almost any surface, even on some fabrics too. I have used the mouse on reflective surfaces and absolutely no interference whatsoever.

All in all this is a very wonderful mouse and am glad I went with it.