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Review: Microsoft IntelliMouse with IntelliEye
October 20, 1999
By D. Ian Hopper (CNN) -- Most casual computer users can only do very limited computer maintenance. Beyond performing a virus scan or defragging the hard drive, Joe User freezes up at even thinking about delving into the inner workings of a PC. But there's one part of a computer system that, through necessity, has become familiar territory to users everywhere: the sticky, grimy, gunked-up insides of a computer mouse. No matter how clean you keep a desktop, all kinds of junk gets onto the rollers, the ball and inside the mouse. Mouse pads don't even begin to clear up the problem. Now, users can lose that bit of technological process by using Microsoft's new IntelliMouse with IntelliEye technology. The new IntelliMouse has no moving parts, shunning the mouse ball and rollers in favor of a light that reflects off objects and is read by a tiny digital camera. This technology isn't completely new; architects and designers, who need precise mouse movement, have used optical mice for years. But those mice needed a special pad, and the camera tracked the movement of the mouse relative to the pad. The new IntelliMice don't need anything special to track and don't even need a mouse pad at all. The IntelliMouse camera takes 1,500 pictures a second of whatever surface -- a wood desktop, a piece of paper, even a shirt sleeve -- it rests on and translates that movement into cursor movement. It can track on any type of surface except for glass or a mirror, which have no discernible pattern. The new mouse comes in two types. The standard IntelliMouse looks exactly like the previous IntelliMouse, just without a mouse ball. It has two buttons and a clickable scroll wheel. It has the same glossy slick texture that is common in Microsoft mice, which can be easy to slip on. However, the scroll button is very solid and, unlike many mice with wheels, isn't easy to accidentally click. The IntelliMouse Explorer is a much larger version, big enough to rest your hand on. It has a titanium look and two extra buttons on the left side, perfect for thumb use. The extra buttons default to the "Back" and "Forward" button on an Internet browser, but can be remapped for any use. It also has a translucent red plastic rear, and the underside gives a very cool red glow. Southpaws are out of luck with the new product, as both IntelliMice are very much right-handed devices. Also, both come with USB connectors but have an included adapter so you can plug it into the traditional PS/2 port. As for its use, the IntelliMouse is much easier to slide around than ball mice. Without the extra weight or friction from the ball, the mouse glides nicely. The mice have excellent precision at moderate speeds, but when moved quickly the mouse can freak out and the pointer moves erratically. This may only affect first-person shooter game players who jitter the mouse around a lot. But with the careful movement, those gamers will find that their accuracy is improved. The novelty of the IntelliMouse doesn't wear out after you stop staring at the bright red light -- which has not yet been proven to cause memory loss. (Kidding.) You'll be sure to appreciate the easier glide and precision, not to mention no longer having to clean desktop garbage out of the nooks and crannies of a mouse. RELATED STORIES: Opinion: A plea for touchscreens on notebooks RELATED SITES: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer
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