Customer Reviews

Microsoft Intellimouse Optical Mouse

5 star:		(167)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

like the title says, this mouse is a great value, sitting between the intellimouse explorer and intellimouse wheel. it fits my hand perfectly too, as it is not as big at the explorer.

fuctionwise, the tracking is unparalleled--the new intellieye scanning at 6,000 times per second makes the mouse virtually skip-free, unlike older optical mice. the 5 fully programmable buttons are awesome too. the inteiipoint software allows you to assign different functions to different buttons, in different programs! i even have a button that saves my document in microsoft word! it's really a brilliant invention.

my only gripe about this mouse is its weight. it is on the light side, and i hear the hollow cluck every time i pick it up when i'm playing a game. i've grown used to it by now, but it took a couple of weeks.

in short, i believe this is the perfect mouse for me. its optical eye works great, the buttons are ingenious, and the low price at amazon.com (...) make this mouse the best bang for your buck!

I've tried all kinds of mice--corded and wireless; optical and ball; Logitech and Microsoft; high-end, low-end, and in-the-middle.

First, optical mice are the way to go. There's enough said about that, and the "ball" mouse will eventually go the way of the floppy drive. I've tried a few wireless mice by Microsoft, but they fall way short of their promises. You have to plug in a transmitter to the USB port to send the signal to the mouse, and this transmitter is the size of the mouse itself--you end up with twice the volume! Worse, I find I have to keep the mouse within two feet of the transmitter, meaning I have to keep two "mouse-sized" things on my desk. Also, with wireless mice, responsiveness decreases as the batteries die--I have to hold down the right-click button relatively long to click, which is a pain.

I also like the scroll wheel on this mouse--it provides a nice tactile "click" for every increment; some of the Microsoft wireless mice don't have a click, which makes it difficult to scroll down just one "click."

There is also at least one "known issue" with this mouse--sometimes the mouse will freeze for no reason. After a few weeks of rebooting my computer to get the mouse working again, I finally found the solution--stop using the mouse with the USB connection, and use the little green adapter that came with it instead.

I also just bought a relatively inexpensive Logitech optical mouse, and while it works fine, it doesn't have the solid feel of this mouse.

So, although this one is corded, it works great, has a nice feel, and is my current favorite among all the mice I keep around me (after the fix I mentioned above).

I got this mouse as a gift and loved it as soon as I started using it. It definitely provides skip-free performance, has a great feel to it, has
the scroll wheel, and my new favorite thing - those programmable buttons!
At first I wasn't used to those programmable buttons and I'd accidentally press them getting unwanted results (like going back to the
previous web-page when pressing the left button, or going forward when pressing the right). But then I got so used to it and realized how helpful it was - so much so that I got another one for my work because I kept trying to press those buttons that didn't exist on my mouse at work!
There's definitely no going back to a mechanical mouse in this day and age after so many optical mouses (or is it mice!) are available.
But if you haven't used a mouse with programmable buttons before, I'm telling you - give it a try and you won't ever want to go back to
one that doesn't have them! And for the price, this one's a great bargain.

I purchased a Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical to replace the Apple Pro Mouse on my PowerMac G4. As much as I liked the Pro Mouse's aesthetics, it was beginning to annoy me in use. The biggest problem I had was it's slow tracking - especially for an optical mouse. If moved at all quickly across the mouse pad, it would loose it's bearings and throw the cursor back to the opposite side of the screen. Very annoying.

This is not a problem with the IntelliMouse Optical. It'll track fast as you can move it! Of course, the programmable buttons and scroll wheel are the icing on the cake. The included software installed without a problem (I'm currently running MacOS 9.1), and the mouse was easily configured. Being left handed I appreciated the fact that, unike the Intellimouse Explorer, it can be used with either hand. Along with the button positioning, it's size and weight feel just right. Also, the cord is very long compared to the, some say too-short one connecting the Pro Mouse (not problem for me though).

For the price (including rebate) and it's nice operating features, this purchase was a no-brainer.

One minor negative, and it has nothing to do with the product itself. Product registration must be done via Microsoft Passport. Recently, in the press there have been some security concerns mentioned about this 'service'. No thanks, Bill.

Update: Microsoft has now released a MacOS X driver for the Intellimouse.

I love this mouse!

As a Final Cut Pro editor and Filmmaker, I am always looking to increase the efficiency of anything I edit

The Intellimouse makes for a terrific workflow! Here's a list of pros -

1. BUTTONS

Too many mouses today have unusable buttons or too small buttons ---- the intellimouse has 5 great buttons, all placed for usability, none that are touched accidently, and all very useful

I have found no better mouse, that better integrates the right-click and standard-click together more comfortably and ergonomically than this mouse

Most of all, the scrollwheel is a HUGE savior! It scrolls up and down through all windows in Final Cut Pro and Avid --- it really makes editing a cinch!

2. ERGONOMICS

As mentioned above, the ergo's on this thing are great! A very comfortable fit into my hand and easy to click back and forth

3. RESPONSIVE

One reason I have not used Bluetooth mice with FCP is because the connection isn't solid enough --- the Intellmouse NEVER lags, and the optical bottom makes sure that your mouse is always responsive and quick

4. PRICE

I have used the same Intellimouse for 4 years now ---- I have gone through every Apple Mouse, and many LogiTechs, among others ---- the Intellimouse has withstood the TEST of each one --- and for $20, this mouse is a BARGAIN

CONS -

Very few cons --- the software it comes with is very good, as it always you to configure the mouse, and its buttons, to perform various functions within certain applications --- however, the software is restrictive, in that, you cannot enter specific command actions for each app, and are limited to what the Intellimouse offers upon its menu

CONCLUSION -

As mentioned above - I have tried every Apple Mouse (including the Mighty Mouse) and many LogiTech Bluetooth ones

The Intellimouse has withstood each of their challenges

If you are looking for wireless connections though and a solid mouse overall, then go with the LogiTech Bluetooth mouse

If you are an editor though, either on FCP or AVID, then look no further

And btw --- right clicking on all major Apple apps (FCP, DVDSP, Motion) is terrific! Do not attempt running these programs without this feature

HAPPY EDITING!!!!!

Hats off to Microsoft for an excellent product! The mouse movement is smooth as silk and the five programmable buttons are great. I love the left and right side buttons; being able to click back and forward while surfing the web is such a time saver! Also, no moving parts! I even ordered on from my brother-in-law, he is a smoker and his manual mouse gets full of dust and ash (GROSS!), not anymore with the Intellimouse. I would recommend this to anyone who has ever had to try and clean the inside of a manual mouse with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. Great Product!!!

The main reason I ordered this mouse is because of its 2 extra programmable buttons. These buttons really come in handy. They are located on the left and right hand sides of the mouse. There is an easy to use program that is on the CD that comes with the mouse, and it lets you control what functions these extra keys (Or what any of the mouse keys) do.

I currently have chosen to have these keys double as back and forward buttons in my web browser. This makes surfing much easier, as I don't have to move the mouse up to the top of the screen each time I want to go back or forward in the browser.

In addition, these extra buttons are essential for gaming! Since you can program what the buttons do as often as you'd like, you can change the settings around depending on what game you are playing. I like to use one of the extra buttons to reload my gun in shooting games. That is just one of the possibilities of it however.

Overall, the functionality of this mouse is excellent. It has worked perfectly ever since I got it. It is definitley worth the extra few dollars.

Wow, I don't think I can add any more than what has already been written. As far as the ergonomics and what not are concerned, I really think it depends on individuals' hands and position.

I'm one of those people that generally give a 3 out of 5 stars. Even if my teacher walked on water, I would probably give him a 3. So for me to give 5 stars is pretty meaningful.

The reason I have 2 of these mice is because the side buttons (which are amazingly useful for going back or forward a page - not only in internet explorer, but also in windows explorer) are actually on the sides of the mouse. Other mice usually tend to have tiny buttons near the thumb, so you use the tip and ball of your thumb for those same actions. If you get used to it, I guess this latter models are easier to use, since there is less movement required overall. The problem that I had was that if I was physically moving the mouse around at the same time I wanted to click on the "side" buttons, having to push on the little buttons makes it harder than 2 huge buttons on either side of the mouse.

I've tried mice with more buttons than 5, and it's sometimes useful for specific activities like gaming or certain programmable things like photoshop and what not, but otherwise, they kind of tend to get in the way. At the other end of the spectrum, I would never go back to a 3 button mouse again - the extra buttons make it so much easier to surf or navigate pages.

I never had any problems with these mice - the older of my two mice's left button is a little softer than it used to be, but it still works fine.

Pros: clicks when you push button, durable, side buttons are actually on the side, the force required to push button is not too little or a lot(for me, anyways)

Cons: None really - It would be nice if it came in a darker color so that my mouse would look less grimy - but then again, i could just wash it.

I've used my Intellimouse Optical for over a year now and I'm quite happy with it. The size is perfect for my average-sized hands and the performance is decent. I play PC games of all genres and have never had any response problems. An adapter lets you use the mouse through either a PS2 port or a USB port. Game players who rely on quick responses should use a USB port since the PS2 port has a lackluster execution. As with other optical mice, the tracking isn't as efficient on shiny surfaces. I therefore still use my mouse pad. The mouse has two extra buttons on the right and left side. I'm fairly happy with the position of these buttons. I do find however that sometimes while in Internet Explorer, I accidently press the button near my thumb. This can cause me a moment of confusion since that button is mapped to the IE "Back" button. Overall, the Intellimouse Optical is an excellent product.

This mouse is one of the best investments I made for my computer system. It provides stable performance that does not skip or feel awkward, which are characteristics of a ball mouse getting dirty. I own the Intellimouse Optical, and my roomate has the Intellimouse Explorer. Although more expensive, that mouse isn't necessarily better. This mouse gives me a more secure feel as I work or play games with it. One more thing!!! Do not confuse this mouse with another version of it out there. This is Microsoft D58-00026 Intellimouse Optical version 1.1, which should have been specified, and it has a predecessor named the Microsoft D58-00002 Intellimouse Optical. Both are sold on this site, and if you look closely, this is have much more updated stuff such as 6000 image captures per second as opposed to the 1500 image captures previously, and the software included is much more updated than its previous version as well. I don't know how many updates to this mouse Microsoft plans to make, but I can't really judge if there is much of a performance significance in the older version. I'm just glad I got this updated version as it's been really great!!