Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer with Fingerprint Reader

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Lara Luepke
• Reviewed on: 01/12/2005
• Released on: 01/01/2004

The two-tone gray optical mouse in the Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer with Fingerprint Reader set is incredibly comfortable and features Microsoft's tilt-wheel technology, which lets you scroll horizontally as well as vertically. The fingerprint reader/wireless receiver that's included is small, about the size of the mouse, and plugs into any USB port. Available on the Internet for around $70, this set is definitely worth the investment--but only if you're an IE devotee.

Once the software is installed, it's easy to get the fingerprint reader dialed in to you alone: you just log in to Windows, then touch the fingerprint sensor to register your prints. Microsoft recommends registering two fingerprints, and you can choose which fingers. After finger registration, pop-up menus instruct you to go to any Web site or program that is password-protected, then touch the fingerprint sensor with a registered finger to get the Create Fingerprint Logon prompt.

We first tried this using Internet Explorer on Hotmail.com. At the Hotmail login page, we touched the fingerprint sensor, and a window popped up. We entered a username and a password and, after clicking OK, we were prompted to touch the fingerprint sensor again and--wow--access to Hotmail. Easy as pie. However, when we tried the exact same thing with Mozilla Firefox, we weren't so lucky. We would get the fingerprint logon prompt, fill in the required password information, hit OK, and...nothing. After 10 or so attempts at logging in to different sites, we gave up. This won't be a problem for IE users, but converts to Firefox and users of Netscape will be out of luck. Microsoft has no plans at this time to support other browsers. Another minor annoyance is the ever-present light on the fingerprint reader. We found it slightly distracting whenever it was in our eyeshot. Buyers should also note Microsoft's security disclaimers, which explain that the device is for convenience, not security. The disclaimers recommend that the fingerprint reader not be used to protect sensitive information.

Continue reading

Compare prices for Microsoft Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer with Fingerprint Reader

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 10 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 10 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "So far works great"

  by dwanefair on March 14, 2008

• 4.5 stars

  "Made the leap to wireless and..........."

  by b0undlessone on May 1, 2006

• 4.0 stars

  "Great mouse with fairly useful biometric reader"

  by burs757 on November 12, 2005

• See all 10 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 82

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 1512 reviews of Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 79/100 and users 74/100. Comparing these reviews to 85229 other Mouse & Pointing Devices reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 82/100 = Very Good.

  Read full review

• newbie.org

  Editors' rating: 100

  Read full review

• dansdata.com

  Summary: If you like the idea of having more processing power in your mouse than you could buy in a PC a few years ago, and you're sick of cleaning mouse rollers, and you (optionally) want to own the slammed neon-decked '74 Impala of the mousing world, the ...

  Read full review

• techtree.com

  Editors' rating: 70

  Summary: All in all we found the Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer to be a nice product. Hardcore Internet surfers would really like the two additional buttons provided, but they may not work with other Web browsers. The precision of the optics is accurate, but ...

  Read full review

• macworld.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: OPTICAL MOUSE SEALS OUT DIRT, WORKS ON ANY SURFACE

  Read full review

• ascully.com

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: Microsoft have made so many changes for the better to the Wireless Intellimouse Explorer you simply have to try one to see for yourself. If you tried one of the older versions and didn't like it, I can safely say the changes may be enough to convert ...

  Read full review