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Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0
Reviewed by
Rich Brown
on 08/24/2006

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$26.99 - $39.99

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Add to my list Product summary

The good: Precision Booster feature lets you customize sensitivity settings; affordable; customization software is easy to use; wider base gives more wrist support.

The bad: Thumb side buttons need more tactile response; you'll sacrifice a button for the Precision Booster.

The bottom line: Microsoft's updated IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 brings a few gamer-friendly tweaks to the design of the venerable mouse. We don't expect that it will win over the hard-core gamer, but for everyone else, the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is a fine mouse with only a few minor issues.

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CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Installation and interface : 7.0
      Features : 6.0
      Service and support : 6.0
      Overall score: 6.7 (3.0 stars)
  • Reviewed by:
    Rich Brown
  • Edited by:
    Matthew Elliott
  • Reviewed on: 08/24/2006
  • Released on: 10/01/2006
Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is technically a remake of an older product. The original debuted in 2003, but this version comes with a more gaming-oriented push. We've never been that impressed by Microsoft's mice, especially in contrast to Logitech's, which have dominated the field for the past few years. It feels like Microsoft is reintroducing this mouse not because it is a hot new product, but more to bolster the company's own Games for Windows campaign, which will ramp up as the holiday shopping season and the arrival of Windows Vista get closer. Regardless of the motivation, the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is a decent $40 mouse. Its design has some of the shortcomings of the original model, but on the whole, if you're not looking to spend $50 or more on one of Logitech's tricked-out, laser gaming mice, the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 gives you the basics for less.

The IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is a wired, USB mouse with an optical sensor. It has left and right buttons, a scrollwheel, and two thumb side buttons, all of which are customizable through Microsoft's Intellipoint software. The physical design of the mouse is roughly the same as the earlier version, with a few changes. Microsoft widened the base slightly, giving more support to your wrist, and it added silicon feet to the bottom of the mouse, which helps smooth out movement. Installation is straightforward, and the software is simple enough to use that you should be able to customize your buttons, your cursor speed, and your gaming profiles in no time.

Instead of the laser sensor that seems to be a universal component of Logitech and Razer's higher-end gaming mice, such as Logitech's G5 and Razer's Copperhead, the IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 uses a souped-up optical sensor, set to 9,000 frames per second (fps). In mice, FPS essentially means the number of pictures the sensor takes when you move it. The more pictures, the more accurate reading of your movements. The IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 tracked well in Quake 4 and F.E.A.R.; unless you're very particular about mouse settings, most gamers will be more than happy.

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 83

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 361 reviews of Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 71/100 and users 85/100. Comparing these reviews to 82988 other Mouse & Pointing Devices reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 83/100 = Very Good.

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  • goodgearguide.com.au

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: While hardcore gamers will want the increased accuracy of the Logitech G5 or Razer Copperhead, the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 is a cheaper alternative for those who still want an extremely accurate mouse on a budget.

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Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0

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