This mouse is still one of the best mice out there, not only for the work environment, but for gaming as well. Amazing to me, since it's been out for so long, and so many mice have come out since that time - but each and every one seems to have a major flaw that makes it fall short. I would know, as I've literally tried every mouse marketed to gamers... yes, every Razer mouse, including ones they don't make anymore, the logitech gaming mice, and the Ikari Optical, Ikari Laser, Xai,the Puretrak Valor, and the QPAD 5K. Each one seems to fall short in one aspect or another.
The pros of this mouse:
- The shape. The IME 3.0 manages to not only be a superb palm grip mouse, it also lends itself pretty well to claw gripping if you prefer that. While many mice have tried to duplicate the shape, none feel quite right - the Zowie mice come close, but isn't quite right, and the Deathadder has a higher hump, making it very comfortable for palm use, but hard to claw grip.
- The weight. This is a very lightweight, well centered mouse. Having a good balanced weight is essential to make sure you can have consistent control. The mouse glides well, and does not have the weight to cause extra unneeded inertia, like the G500 does, for example.
- The sensor. The IME 3.0 is one of three optical mice on the market (other than the IMO 1.1 and WMO, which use the same sensor as the IME 3.0) without angle snapping/prediction enabled. This means that the mouse actually draws the movements you register with no corrections, which is important for gaming. The other two, the Deathadder and Valor, have issues with buttons and weighting, as well as being about twice the cost of the IME 3.0.
- The buttons. The buttons on the IME 3.0 are big enough that you can't miss them, and provide a nice tactile feel when you use them, while not being overly sensitive. This is what sets the mouse apart from the Deathadder in my opinion, as the DA has buttons that have almost no feel to them, and are very easy to depress on accident. I've also had my DA's buttons start to malfunction and register two clicks instead of one - this has never happened to me on my IME 3.0.
Cons of this mouse:
- The cable can be a little stiff when the mouse is first used. It does get much better over time, though.
- The stock mousefeet are ok, but they could be way better. Keep in mind you can buy better mouseskates for as little as $3.99 from a lot of manufacturers, and the mouse itself is only $30, so you are still well under what most gaming mice cost.
- The scrollwheel will sometimes bug out under stressful situations. This is true even on my Legends edition IME 3.0, while it doesn't happen as often as the original, the problem still exists. If you use the scrollwheel to jump in games, this could be a major issue for you. I changed back to the typical spacebar for jumping, and have had no issues since.
Overall, though, the mouse has far less problems than the vast majority of gaming mice on the market. Not to mention that Microsoft just released a "successor" to this mouse, which in reality has far more problems as well, so this might become quite rare. I would recommend buying one, and if you like it, perhaps buying a backup in case MS stops making them. They are really that good.
Add to your order
Coverage for accidental damage including drops, spills, and broken parts, as well as breakdowns (plans vary)
24/7 support when you need it.
Quick, easy, and frustration-free claims.
Cover this product:
3-Year Protection $6.99
2-Year Protection $4.99
Cover all of your eligible devices:
Tech Unlimited – 30% OFF ONE MONTH COUPON - Protect Many Devices with 1 Plan (Renews Monthly Until Cancelled) $16.99/month
Select a plan
Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery
Similar item to consider
Amazon's Choice
Buy it with
$45.02
Sold by Opal's Attic and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Customers also viewed these products
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Compare with similar items
 | Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer - Mouse - optical - 5 button(s) - wireless - USB wireless receiver - metallic gray | Microsoft IntelliMouse 3.0 | Microsoft Intellimouse Optical Mouse | Microsoft Classic Intellimouse - Gray. Ultra-Slim and Lightweight, Comfortable Ergonomic Design, Wired, USB Mouse for PC/Laptop/Desktop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Rating | (272) | (2) | (13) | (290) | (815) |
| Price | $45.02 | $69.99 | $54.00 | $79.99 | $30.99 |
| Sold By | Opal's Attic | LAPAKI LLC | Unalans Store US | ENVY TECH ELECTRONICS | antonline |
| Color | White, Silver | gray | red | white grey | gray |
| Connectivity Technology | USB, Wired, PS/2, Wireless | Wireless | PS/2, Wired | PS/2 | USB |
| Hardware Interface | USB, PS/2 | USB | PS/2 | — | USB 2.0 |
| Item Dimensions | 9.49 x 8.15 x 2.05 inches | 4.75 x 2.75 x 2 inches | 1.01 x 3.32 x 2.39 inches | 9.5 x 8.95 x 2.1 inches | 6.38 x 3.94 x 2.95 inches |
| Item Weight | 0.87 lbs | — | — | 0.70 lbs | 3.53 ounces |
| Platform | Mac | Mac, Windows 95, Windows 98 | — | Windows | Mac |
| Sensor Technology | Optical | Optical | — | Optical | Blue Track |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for related products
0:29
Click to play video
Comfort Ergo Video
Microsoft
Thought it felt flimsy; I was right!
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2012
It looks great here, but if you've been using the IntelliMouse® as long as I have, you'll be as disappointed as I was when you take it out of the box. But first the good points: compared to most mice these days, the old standard size at least feels right. The extra buttons are nice, I guess, although I do keep bumping that thumb button and jumping back a page. They got the wheel right -- smooth, quiet action and rubberized grip. And wow, is IR ever an improvement over the old rubber ball and squeaky watchworks.But all those pleasantries take a back seat to the sheer cheapness of this thing. The thin plastic shell and plastic innards make it rattle like a box of Good 'n Plenty®. Even the sound of the CLICK is anemic. (And that's another thing: does ANYONE make a mouse with a nice, quiet click? Of course, then it wouldn't be a "click" at all, but in 30 years of computing, am I the only one SICK of the click? Does everyone in the HOUSE have to know I'm still on the computer at this hour?! "What are you clicking on, Dad?" "I'm working! Go back to bed!")I bought this mouse in January 2011 and 14 months later my initial worries are proving to be right. The left-click button is failing, and most of the time will not click-drag. If I resize a window it may drag the edge a little, but loses grip and silently flutter-clicks until I release. I try to highlight a line of text to move it and it will highlight a few letters and drop them somewhere along the way. Dragging an email into another folder is a gamble: where it drops, nobody knows (thank God for CTRL+Z)!It hasn't aged well, either, and just looks old. There's a shiny black smudge on the left button where the cheap plastic (there's that word again) has worn down.I guess I got a good 14 months out of it, which some would say is good for the price. But big whoop -- I have a Microsoft mouse at work that I've been using for five years and it's never missed a click! What happened, Microsoft? Is this another example of quality fade, another product expertly "Designed in Redmond, WA USA," but Poorly Made in China? (That's a GREAT read, by the way--which just happened to come out the same month I bought this cheap mouse.)
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2012
Images in this review
