Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 Gaming Mouse Retail Package

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.

My keyboards/mice matter a lot to me since I spend 80% of my day at a computer (whether at home or at work). I've used almost all of Microsoft's Mice that come with their popular keyboards as well as the Microsoft Habu for the last few years. One reason I stopped using the Habu is that after 2-3 months of use the scroll wheel is useless.The Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is very big, if not bigger than the Habu (which is big). I have larger than average hands (6ft male) so this mouse may not be comfortable to those with smaller hands. However, this mouse is perfect for me and feels a lot better than the Habu did. Although the DPI isn't as great as the Habu, just up the mouse motion and it works great. The scroll wheel is a definite improvement over previous Microsoft Mice. The mouse buttons are a bit stiffer than the Habu but not uncomfortably so.Either way, this mouse has to be the best one I've used so far. It isn't packed with 500 buttons I'll never use. It feels well built (not like some plastic toy mice) and glides on the mouse pad without problem.Mice are pretty simple so one of the big things that I like about this mouse is how well it fits in my hand and how comfortable it feels after 4-5 hours of use. Definitely recommend!

Pros+ 5 buttons.+ USB or PS/2+ Scroll wheel with detents.+ Comfortable Intellimouse shape.+ Aesthetics.Cons- Button quality is poor. They're all a bit loose, and clicks rather loud compared to Microsoft's comparable mice. The Left and right buttons sometimes make an annoying springy sound that I've heard once too often when speed clicking. MS Wheel Mouse Optical actually has better button quality and costs less.- Does not glide as smoothly as MS Wheel Mouse Optical (probably because of weight).- Size is a bit big for my hand. Depending on your hands, this may work for you.- It's a cheap knock-off of the original.