Most of us will have had problems with our mice before, such as poor
tracking, where mouse movements the user makes are not reflected by the pointer
on the screen.
Modern 'optical' mice use a beam of light or an invisible laser to track
movement. With mouse mats now largely out of fashion, more people are using
their mice on desks or tables, and woodgrain, along with any surface flaws, can
cause the light to deflect away from the mouse's sensor, leading to erratic
pointer movements.
Such mice have solved many of the problems caused by dirt accumulating on the
balls of the old-style mice, but some remain, and Microsoft clearly hopes its
Explorer Mouse will finally consign such issues to the dustbin of history.
The
Microsoft
Explorer Mouse uses a technology called
Bluetrack,
which uses a larger beam of laser light than current mice and some enhanced
optics, the upshot of which is that Bluetrack devices are less sensitive to the
surfaces on which they are used.
We tried it on a wide range of materials, including a leather jacket, a
jumper, a carpeted floor, a colleague's head and some foam padding, and we have
to say the Explorer was up to the challenge. The only surfaces you won't get a
response from are very reflective ones such as glass and mirrors.
It's comfortable to use, wireless, comes with a small and neat charger and a
USB wireless receiver for the computer. The buttons, like most mice, can be set
up according to the user's preference using the supplied software, which is easy
to install and use.
So if you currently have mouse problems, the Microsoft Explorer Mouse is
probably worth the price – if not, a cheaper laser mouse will suit you just as
well.
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