The mouse is a device that is often taken for granted. When it comes to PC hardware, most of us die-hard simulation gamers are more concerned with things such as video cards and HOTAS flight controllers. This is somewhat odd considering that when we are using our computers the mouse is probably the thing we have in our hands the most (well, maybe the second most for some of you). So, with the recent additions to this category of peripherals, we decided that a closer look at some of the new mice being offered was in order.

There have been a slew of excellent first person tactical combat games released in the past year or so, including Rainbow 6, Delta Force/Delta Force2, and Rogue Spear. Many a flight sim player has been sucked into the worlds of these addicting games - COMBATSIM.COM staff included, and using a conventional mouse can be a huge disadvantage, especially when playing online multiplayer games.

Initially we set out to do a roundup of around ten of the more popular mice on the market, but after acquiring seven of them we realized that most of them were very similar in terms of form and function. We proceeded to cut the field down to the three newest and most innovative products currently available. If you don't already own one of these new "gaming" mice, any one of them would be a step up from what you are currently using. We realize that due to the differing hand sizes, playing styles, and even playing surfaces each of us has, it would be ridiculous if somebody compared these three mice to each other and gave them each a numerical rating based on personal experiences. Instead, I will begin by stating that each of these products has several unique features, and I will discuss the pros and cons of each of these features while relating some of the experiences we've had in the COMBATSIM.COM offices using them.

Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer

Fig. 1 Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer

Unlike the Razer Boomslang 2000 and Logitech Wingman Gaming Mouse, the Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer is a mouse that is not targeted directly at the gamer market. The Explorer also sports a feature that sets it apart from its kin in the rodent family. Instead of the standard ball found in most mice, it uses an optical sensor called the "intellieye" which scans the surface below the mouse 1500 times per second to track motion. We tried this mouse on several different surfaces and it worked on a variety of things such as a metal table, wood desk, and even my knee.

Click to continue

The Explorer can be connected to a USB port or the standard PS/2 port. It comes with its own drivers and control panel, and configuration is a snap. There are a total of five buttons and one wheel on the mouse, and the configuration of the wheel and buttons is done through the control panel. The two side buttons can only be configured to pre-selected function keys and a few other options. Neither of the two side buttons would work as a "mouse button 3" in any of the games we tested. Most of the folks here at COMBATSIM.COM used these two buttons as the browser window's forward and back buttons.

The Explorer is very ergonomic, but if you have smaller than average hands, it may be a little on the large side. There have been complaints regarding the Explorer's size, particularly its height, but like anything new it is something that takes time to get used to. Once the hand has grown accustomed to the slightly larger than average size, the Explorer becomes a very comfortable mouse to use in Windows applications and most games. We did find that using a PS/2 overclocking utlity to increase the baud-sampling rate to 200 polls/sec caused the Explorer to behave somewhat erratically (overclocking allows mouse movement samples to be polled at a higher rate, which results in the ability to move the mouse faster while retaining accurate position reports). We tested the Explorer in the USB port at 125 polls/sec, since using the PS/2 port to get a higher sampling rate than the USB was pointless.

During game testing, we did encounter a few problems with this optical technology. In games such as Rainbow 6 and Rogue Spear where rapid lateral movements of the mouse are the norm rather than the exception, the Explorer began to falter. Depending on the user's sensitivity level setting, the mouse's tracking eye would often be confused by rapid motion, and end up moving in a crazily tight circle, often stopping the spinning with the player's crosshairs pointed straight at the ceiling. Now we are not saying that this will happen to everyone, but it did happen consistently to two of the people here in the COMBATSIM.COM offices. There are many gamers who are extremely happy with the Explorer's optical performance, but it must be noted that quite a few people we know who play tactical games online in a competitive environment cannot use this mouse because of this problem. The casual gamers seem to have fewer problems, partially due to their sensitivity being set to a higher level, and partially due to the fact that they don't react with quite as fast a motion across the desktop. Since this problem occurs with some individuals and not others, the only way to know if it will be a problem is to try it before you buy it, if possible. Personally, I can't find a sensitivity setting in any of the first person tactical games I play that stops this tracking problem.

Other than this one problem, we found the Explorer to be an excellent product, particularly in desktop and other non-action type applications. The average online retail price we observed for the Intellimouse Explorer is $70.95. This lands it in the middle of the pack between the Logitech Gaming Mouse and the Razer Boomslang.

To Page 2 of 3 . . .