wampyrii's Full Review: Microsoft Wheel Optical (D66-00021) Mouse
I've always employed some kind of reverse snobbery when it comes to things like PC mice. As long as it feels comfortable to use then I've been more than happy to spend my $3 on it whilst others have spent fortunes on mice packed full of the kind of bells and whistles which have always seemed entirely pointless to me. It was only a couple of months ago then, when my last $3 mouse was horribly injured in a freak shelf-related accident (don't ask) that I decided to take the plunge into the high-tech world of optical mice...opting for the Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical.
Now, I've used a fair few mice in my time (each different lab at my university seems to have different models!) and this was the most comfortable of them all for me to use. It's quite simple in design, doesn't have too much in the way of bells and whistles and suits my needs perfectly. It's a simple two button mouse, with a central roller for scrolling and an optical sensor for movement, thus making the messy old ball and roller system redundant. Aestetically it's very nice, with a beige top shell and charcoal base and sculpted sides and it's also good ergonmically, being comfortable and usable by both left and right handed users.
The mouse comes with it's own installable software which allows you to set options like pointer speeds and button functions should you wish to reprogram their operations (say, for left-handed use) but Windows recognises it anyway, so it's not necessary if you don't want to add something else to your system. The installation process is simple, but requires a few reboots which is annoying but it connects through either USB or PS/2...there's an adapter to switch between the two so there should be no compatibility problems. PS/2 installation is a pest, USB is a snap...as ever.
One of the things I had worried about with optical mice is how well the optical sensor would perform, I'd heard some mice suffered from skipping but that's certainly not the case with this one. The only time you'll notice a problem is if you try to use it on a surface with a "repeating pattern" to quote the user manual. It's true, then it struggles, but it's easily avoidable. Your desktop, general mousemat (without a repeating pattern of course lol), trouser-leg, wall, carpet...yes I tried all those...just about anything else, it works fine on. You might want to just use a mousemat anyway because it saves it wearing the finish off your desk but there's no need. The really good thing is no more mouseball cleaning...
In terms of durability, I'd heard these mice weren't too robust, but having dropped it from a great height several times in recent days I can't really agree with that. It doesn't *feel* too robust, but it's stood up well to my accidental abuse these last few days so I'll have to disagree and say it's strong enough to take the odd drop or two.
Overall, I can't fault this mouse at all. It's comfortable to use, looks good, installs easily and seems pretty robust. It doesn't have the extra buttons you'll find on something like the Intellimouse Explorer if that kind of thing floats your boat, but otherwise it's perfect. Definitely one I would recommend.
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