Input Devices
  Home arrow Input Devices arrow Page 3 - Microsoft Optical Mouse
Dev Hardware Forums 
Computer Cases  
Computer Processors  
Computer Systems  
Digital Cameras  
Flat Panels  
Hardware Guides  
Hardware News  
Input Devices  
Memory  
Mobile Devices  
Motherboards  
Networking Hardware  
Opinions  
PC Cooling  
PC Gaming  
PC Speakers  
Peripherals  
Power Supply Units  
Software  
Sound Cards  
Storage Devices  
Tech Interviews  
User Experiences  
Video Cards  
Dedicated Servers  
Moblin 
JMSL Numerical Library 
IBM® developerWorks 
Sun Developer Network 
Weekly Newsletter
 
Developer Updates  
Free Website Content 
 RSS  Articles
 RSS  Forums
 RSS  All Feeds
Write For Us Get Paid 
Request Media Kit
Contact Us 
Site Map 
Privacy Policy 
Support 
 USERNAME
 
 PASSWORD
 
 
  >>> SIGN UP!  
  Lost Password? 
INPUT DEVICES

Microsoft Optical Mouse
By: SPeeD
  • Search For More Articles!
  • Disclaimer
  • Author Terms
  • Rating: 3 stars3 stars3 stars3 stars3 stars / 9
    2003-10-01

    Table of Contents:
  • Microsoft Optical Mouse
  • Microsoft Optical Mouse
  • Microsoft Optical Mouse

  • Rate this Article: Poor Best 
      ADD THIS ARTICLE TO:
      Del.ici.ous Digg
      Blink Simpy
      Google Spurl
      Y! MyWeb Furl
    Email Me Similar Content When Posted
    Add Developer Shed Article Feed To Your Site
    Email Article To Friend
    Print Version Of Article
    PDF Version Of Article
     
     
    ADVERTISEMENT


    Microsoft Optical Mouse - Microsoft Optical Mouse


    (Page 3 of 3 )

     

    MICROSOFT INTELLIMOUSE OPTICAL

     

     

    Performance:

    I'm not going to try and boolshit 'cha with any scientific shigamagoogle here. What I do know, is that the laser eye in the Optical, samples at a rate of 1500 snapshots per second. This provides the user with a very smooth mousing motion. Now I have heard that the analog mice with balls actually sample at a higher rate. However I cannot confirm this. Maybe someone can help a brotha out on this and let me know.

    Gaming? Well, one plus that comes to mind right off the bat, is the use of the extra 2 buttons. This gives you many more options for any game. Change Weapon, jump, and duck, were the first things I tried out in Quake3 and Kingpin, none of which worked for me. Also, I wanted to customize Homeworld with the use of the 2 buttons, using them as "move" and "home". Again, I could not get this to work. I would have really liked to get these extra buttons up and running in any game. The more commands you can have at your fingertips the easier, quicker and more efficient you can be. AHH well, we don't always get everything we want. Maybe future games will incorporate the ability to recognize the extra buttons on the "optical" line of mice. Patches maybe? We'll see.

    UPDATE:(I have received several emails on how-to get the 2 extra buttons on the optical working. Thanks for all your support guys! What you will need to do is very simple. Pull up your mouse properties and map the 2 buttons to anything on the keyboard. Then in your game, enable whatever function you choose to that key. I used Cntrl for the left side button, and Alt for the right side button, as seen below.)


    Sorry it took me so friggin' long to get that straight guys, and hope this helps. And as always, feel free to fire off an EMAIL my way.

    Conclusion:

    With some of the marketing hype stating, this mouse is the first technological advancement in mice since they were invented. Well, that's no boolshit folks. Think about it. The only real similarity here between the optical and standard mice, are the looks. Inside is a whole different ballgame. I will have to admit. I was highly skeptical of these mice when they first hit the market. I am not one to jump on a technological bandwagon until that technology has proven itself. My opinion is that this technology is here to stay, and will pave the way for bigger and better things to come. Are you looking to upgrade that old mouse of yours? Well, you may want to look here, if the price of entry is not a problem for you. $49 retail ( I got mine at Sams Warehouse for $39). Also, if you have a standard mouse, but are just looking to upgrade it to the optical platform, you could always go with the "Intellimouse with Intellieye", which looks identical to the standard Intellimouse but with optical technology. Would I recommend this item to a friend? Hell yeah. However, I suggest you look at all your options, as always, before purchase. 

    I am not giving a rating on this product, since personal preference plays such a big part in your choice of whether or not to add this item to your PC's input arsenal. So here are some highs and lows that may provide you with more information than you had to start with.

     

    Highs

    2 extra buttons

    Use of mouse on nearly any surface

    Nothing to clean, no maintenance

    Easy installation, highly configurable

    USB and PS/2 compatible

    Lows:

    High Price

    Extra buttons do not work in games

    Finicky on white and reflective mousing surfaces.

     

    Here is 1 last homebrew pic for the peeps.


    Questions? Comments? Props? Flames? Send it to Mack (SPeeD)

    And as usual, thanks for checking in on our site and taking the time to read this review. We here at the OCA appreciate you guys and gals!


    DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware.

     

    Recommended by Dev Hardware

    INPUT DEVICES ARTICLES

    - Razer Lycosa Gaming Keyboard Review
    - Microsoft Sidewinder Gaming Mouse
    - Battle of the Mice
    - MS Optical Mouse 4000 Review
    - CanoScan® LiDE 25 Review
    - Logitech V200 Wireless Mouse
    - New Standard Keyboard Review
    - SteelSeries SteelPad 5L Review
    - XG Laser 2500 Review
    - Logitech G7 Gaming Mouse
    - Logitech G5 Gaming Mouse
    - Logitech MX610 Laser Cordless Mouse
    - Logitech G15 LCD Keyboard Review
    - TypeMatrix EZ-Reach 2030, a Different Kind o...
    - Belkin Wireless Keyboard






    © 2003-2008 by Developer Shed. All rights reserved. DS Cluster 1 hosted by Hostway