Pros: Smooth and accurate tracking, extra back and forward buttons which can be reprogrammed using Intellipoint, neat red glow, bragging factor (hey, I got an Intellimouse Optical! NYEH!)
Cons: accidentally clicking back and forward buttons, tracking while recentering, red glow can be annoying at first, possibly shape, translucent mouseing surface may not work with it
grimace98's Full Review: Microsoft Intelli Optical (D58-00026) Mouse
I bought an Intellimouse Optical the other day. So far, it's pretty much better than my old Intellimouse.
It's optical: no mouse ball needed. It used a red LED (that's always on when your box is on) to sense movement and move the cursor that way. It's a lot more precise and smooth than regular mouses, but it does come with a couple of problems.
First of all, the side buttons take a little getting used to. If you're not careful, you'll end up accidentally clicking them. They default to back and forward in your browser/Windows Explorer, so that can be a big problem.
I have a mousepad with a wrist rest. When I first got it, my hand was resting directly on top of the buttons, so every time I tried to move the mouse around I would accidentally click one. I finally just turned my mouse pad sideways and now I use it that way, without the wrist rest.
It defeats the purpose of having a wrist rest, but what else can I do.
Also, I haven't really tried it in Quake or anything yet, but unless you pick it up ~1/3 of an inch, it still tracks, meaning that you can't recenter the mouse unless you pick it up farther than normal. That probably takes a little getting used to also. I haven't really had to recenter in Windows yet, though, so I haven't found it to be a problem.
I've heard that it doesn't work well at all if you are using any sort of translucent mouseing surface. I don't have one so I don't know.
There's also another problem: the shape. It's not shaped like an Intellimouse. It's just a standard mouse design. Probably good for lefties, but not for people that are used to the curved design of the Intellimouse (like I was).
However, MS also claims that you won't ever have to clean gunk from the bottom because it's optical; no mouse ball. Well, we have two dogs and their hair is all over this place. One got stuck in the sensor in the bottom the other day, and I had to get tweezers to pry the thing out.
Also, it's a little disconserting at first to have a red glow coming from the bottom of your mouse. But eventually you don't notice. And besides, it's wholly awesome.
The scroll wheel is very loose compared to my old mouse. That took some getting used to as well, but I like this one a lot better than the old one. It was hard to turn once in a while. This one also has ridges for easier turning ability.
Anyway, it's a good mouse if you're ready. Although, I think if I had it to do over I would choose to get an Intellimouse Explorer instead simply because both buttons are on the same side of the mouse and it has a shape similar to that of the standard Intellimouse.
The more efficient way to work. The IntelliMouse lets you browse the Web without using toolbars or the keyboard. Simply use either side button to goMore at TigerDirect.com
"Work on any surface while you easily navigate documents, Web pages, and spreadsheets with the convenient scroll wheel and Internet navigation buttons...More at Microsoft Store
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