Product Description The Microsoft® Explorer Mini Mouse, with revolutionary Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, works more places than ever before, including on granite countertops, carpet-even on a wood table or a rough, unfinished park bench.
BlueTrack Technology Microsoft's proprietary BlueTrack Technology works on more surfaces than both optical and laser mice*.
Works on Virtually Any Surface Explorer Mini Mouse works virtually anywhere you take your notebook PC*. With Microsoft BlueTrack Technology, your mouse works more places than ever before, including on granite countertops, living room or airport carpets-even on a wood table or a rough, unfinished park bench.
Snap-in Mini Transceiver for Portability Simply snap in the transceiver to turn off the mouse, saving battery life.
Sophisticated Design and Ergonomic Comfort The glowing blue light effects and comfortable curved surfaces set your mouse apart.
Blue Lighting Effects Glowing blue light effects are part of Explorer Mini's noticeable, sophisticated design.
Device Stage Quickly and easily access common tasks, including product information, registration, settings and more for popular devices such as cell phones, cameras, printers, and mouse, keyboard and webcam products.
4-Way Scrolling Scroll four ways for greater efficiency and comfort with Tilt Wheel Technology.
Customizable Buttons Get quick access to the media, programs, and files you use most often with customizable buttons.
Ergonomic Design Point and click in comfort-ergonomic design helps you work longer without discomfort.
Designed for Notebook PCs Compact and comfortable, our handy notebook and laptop products are designed for convenience and mobility.
4+ Months Battery Life Work with less interruption with longer battery life.
3 Year Warranty
*BlueTrack Technology does not work on clear glass or mirrored surfaces.
Solid MouseFebruary 11, 2009 D. Tran(Gainesville, FL) 54 out of 54 found this review helpful
I'm a bit of a mouse enthusiast, so when Microsoft released the new Explorer and Explorer Mini mice, I had to try them.
To the point, Microsoft has a very, very solid mouse in the Explorer Mini. By far my most favorite feature is the solid feel and ergonomics of the mouse. I find it to be more accommodating to my right hand than the Logitech VX Nano Cordless Laser Mouse for Notebooks (Black), which is arguably the amongst the best mice in its class. Probably the most notable feature is the new BlueTrack technology that lets this mouse operate on a wide array of surfaces. I tried the mouse on a multitude of surfaces and it performed admirably on most surfaces.
As with most optical/laser mice, the BlueTrack Explorer Mini has problems with highly reflective surfaces, like polished wood, glass, and/or mirror surfaces. Since I never would work on such surfaces, this shortcoming is not too big a deal. However, if your desk is made of a reflective material and you do not plan to use a mouse pad, the Explorer Mini might not be the right mouse (no optical mouse would).
The mouse has the basic left and right click buttons that depress with a slightly shallow, yet satisfying "click". The scroll wheel is continuous (i.e. no bumping or ridges texture feels while scrolling) and silent in operation. The Explorer Mini has forward and back page buttons which just do not feel "right", there is not enough of a tactile feedback.
The wireless dongle is smaller than a typical USB drive, and feels like it is made of cheap plastic. I question the durability of the dongle for long term use. It can be stored under the mouse in a little grooved area. However when stowed in this fashion, the dongle sticks out from the flat mouse bototm.
All in all, as a direct competitor to the Logitech VX Nano, Microsoft has released a solid performing, and great feeling mouse. You really cannot go wrong with the Explorer Mini. Ultimately it's the feel of the mouse and its versatility on a wide array of surfaces that allows me to recommend it as a great all-purpose mouse.
Product Positives
+Ergonomic Feel
+Quiet, continuous scroll wheel
+Satisfying feel of right and left mouse clicks
+Mouse feels solid
+BlueTrack Technology lets you track virtually on any non-reflective surface.
Product Negatives
-Dongle has "plastic" feel and flimsy
-No accommodations for southpaws
-When dongle is in "storage mode" it sticks out from underneath the mouse
-The two thumb buttons don't feel right
Other Thoughts:
*I haven't had the mouse long enough to make a judgment on battery life, but generally these kind of mice using (2.4 ghz frequency) last longer than blue-tooth based mice
*UPDATE* After about 5 months I'm still using the original battery. I am very confident that it would easily last many months more.
*Competitive prices with competing brands like Logitech's VX Nano (also a great mouse)
Microsoft finally makes a very competitive mouse.January 11, 2009 KTC 23 out of 25 found this review helpful
I have a full drawer of mouses from both Microsoft and Logitech. The closest comparators should be Mobile 8000 by Microsoft and VX Nano by Logitech. Mobile 8000 was very expensive($99, but not anymore) because of its innovative magnetic charging along with 1GM FM. However, these features seems not so favorable and its battery life(2/3 days)is just too short even you can charge and use it simultaneously. So a lot more people use VX Nano, even it does not has forward and backward buttons(they are hard to reach on Mobile 8000 anyway) and designed for both hands, which means it is not ergonomic. This blue light mouse fixs all the problems.
Pros,
1. Perfect shape(ergonomic) and size(similar to VX Nano).
2. Quite Long battery life(4+months)(Microsoft never exaggerate about battery life as I know). I hate rechargable because of power core/adapter, charge base, and additional wire. Once a battery lasts 4 months, who really care to replace it.
3. Somewhat better tracking than 8000 and VX nano even on normal surface. I dont move mouse on carpet anyway.
4. Whenever its receiver taken off the mouse from the bottom or waken from sleep, beautiful blue light around the mouse at base would be glowing. Well, it is nothing to do with functionality. But it is a nice touch. There is a button controlling it. I touch it sometime just for fun, even that will shorten battery life.
5. Backward and farward buttons are easy to reach because of longer and closer to your thumb than 8000(it is impossible to make it big for mini mouse). VX Nano does has any.
6. Buttons are very quiet when you click on them except the middle one. But that is very commn.
7. Personally I favor its smooth yet some resistant scrolling over logitech's very loosing wheel, which could cause opposite directional move at the end of scrolling
Cons.
1. It is heavier and less balaned weight than 8000 because of AA instead of AAA.
2. The usb receiver could be a little bit shorter, like VX nano.
I don't think $50+ is pricey comparing VX Nano. Well, if you think so, just wait a while.
Update:
I double checked the VX Nano mouse. It has forward and backward buttons, but located at the left corner on the top, not the right side.
Amazing notebook mouseMarch 6, 2009 Justin Shawn Hubbard(Austin, TX) 9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I thought I'd never buy another Microsoft mouse and was with Logitech for life. Howevr, I've been getting annoyed recently with the tracking on the VX Revolution I have. When it's on a less than reliable surface, like the arm of a suede couch, it sticks too much for me to coninue using it. I saw something at a tech store about MS's new Bluetrack tech and since I had an Amazon gift card, decided to try it out.
So the main feature: the tracking. it tracks flawlessly on every surface I've tried so far: couch, carpet, canvas bookbag, denim jeans, even a glass end table. The VX will not track at all on the glass, does poor on the canvas, not too bad on the rest. I really am impressed.
I have large hands and love the feel of the VX vs most other notebook mice that are just too small. MS beefed up this design and while it's not spot on to the VX design, it's pretty darn close. If it were a little bit bigger I'd be set.
The look of the MS mouse is pretty sleek. It's more futuristic loking than the VX, which is more sleek and mechanical looking. The blue glow is also a neat touh as opposed to the red lasers out there. You don't see the blue except for when the mouse is off of a surface or when you first power the mouse up. Very neat look but isn't distracting either.
The only other gripe I have about the mouse is the scroll wheel. Maybe I'm used to the VX and it's super-free scroll wheel, but this one feels a bit stiff. It gets the job done and maybe I just need to break it in a bit or get used to it more. Really a very minor gripe.
I couldn't slam the mouse for minor size complaints (probably fine for most). If you need a new mouse, get this thing. You won't be disappointed.
Great concept but misses the markNovember 5, 2009 M. D'Amico(United States) 21 out of 27 found this review helpful
I really wanted to like this mouse since it has many great features, but there are some major issues that are deal-breakers. Note I've tested this with Mac OSX 10.6:
Pros:
* Quiet clicks - this is a very quiet mouse, the clicks are muted and elegant. It's leagues and miles quieter than any other logitech mouse. In fact most Logitech mice have loud clicks.
* Ergonomically comfortable - the mouse feels comfortable, the buttons are well placed.
* Good build quality - Among other things I liked the metallic scroll wheel, it does feel solid.
Cons:
* There is a noticeable loss in tracking accuracy. I noticed this immediately coming from a wired mouse. For example when moving something around, the cursor would skip randomly. It's not immediately obvious but it's there. That's unacceptable. No matter how awesome it is to have a wireless mouse, what good is it if it's not reliable in tracking precision?
* The scroll wheel feels very smooth to the touch, but it's very rough on the screen. Scrolling slowly should appear smoothly on the screen but it doesn't. The scrolling feels blocky in motion (ie it scrolls in big steps). Furthermore I found the scrolling acceleration very uncomfortable. I tried lots of settings and I even installed 3rd party controllers but no luck.
* The middle button requires too much force to push, it's not comfortable for periodic use. The smooth scroll wheel also interferes since it slides too easily while trying to click. It's also the loudest click, by a 3x factor.
* Poor friction design: the bottom of the mouse has some rough edges which get "stuck" on a textile surface. So when I try dragging an icon with the mouse, this stresses pressure on the surface and 'squeak'. This never happened before with several other MS and logitech mice I've used. It's poor friction design.
* The receiver is too big for regular use. Microsoft does make smaller receivers that can be left plugged in your laptop, why not include it with this mouse?
* To turn off the mouse one needs to plug-in the USB receiver below the mouse. This is inconvenient if one uses this mouse on a desktop machine, or if you don't move your laptop too often.
* Blue light around mouse shows up at startup but then turns off. The product photos are misleading, the mouse doesn't glow when in use.
* The scroll wheel's left and right button states can not be customized, they can only scroll left and right respectively. I wanted to configure "Back" and "Forward" which would have been ideal, but it's not possible on Microsoft's software.
Unfortunately the cons outweigh the pros, I can not recommend this mouse. I really liked the concept and it had huge potential at being a winner, but there are some major issues that need to be addressed.
Love this mouseFebruary 26, 2009 Mercedes(Colorado, USA) 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was wandering around the local electronics story looking at all the new gadgets when I discovered this mouse. I was surprised to see that this blue track technology worked on carpeting, granite, rough surfaces, and shiny surfaces. I tried out how it felt to my hand. It was great, just the kind of mouse I need. My old laptop mouse is an old Microsoft mouse and was ok. I use my laptop on the couch and use the arm rest as my mousing surface. After long periods of surfing my hand would be very sore from the old mouse, it was just a tad too small. This new mouse is excellent. Fits my hand perfectly, it runs on my couch's armrest with no problem, the snap in receiver is shorter than my old mouse. And this mouse came with a mouse house! Nothing fancy, but a nice little pouch to store your new mouse and keep it shinny and new. I can't give this mouse enough stars. I like it so much I'm seriously considering getting the larger mouse (desktop size) for my work computer.
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