How
The Intellieye Technology Works (from
Microsoft Web Site):
IntelliEye uses a tiny CMOS digital camera to take 1,500 pictures
per second of the surface beneath the mouse. A digital signal processor
then analyzes these pictures and translates movement of the mouse into
crisp movement of the cursor on your computer screen. IntelliEye uses a
powerful 18 MIPS processor to give you great performance. In fact, this
processor is so advanced that it is faster than a computer built several
years ago.
(suface snapshots during movement)
Dramatization of what IntelliEye camera sees.Microsoft has said
“they’ve dropped the ball on this one.”
And thank goodness. The
new Microsoft Mouse Explorer with IntelliEye technology has
revolutionized the computer mouse and has finally brought it up to speed
with the rest of the computer peripheral industry.
Benefits
of IntelliEye Technology (from
Microsoft Web Site):
• STAYS PRECISE: with no mouse
ball to get dirty, the IntelliEye sensor stays precise
• WORKS ON HUNDREDS OF SURFACES:
the IntelliEye sensor works on hundreds of surfaces, so you no longer
need a mouse pad. Use it on your desk, the kitchen counter, or even your
pant leg!
• NO CLEANING:
the recessed lens never touches your desk so it stays clean.
There's no mouse ball to take apart and clean
• PROGRAMMABLE BUTTONS: on the
IntelliMouse Explorer, you can use the programmable buttons to navigate
Forward and Back on the internet, or reprogram them to your favorite
commands in most applications.
As
you've probably gathered from the above information, the new IntelliEye
technology removes the ball from the mouse completely, replacing it with
an optical laser that samples its position on your desktop 1,500 times a
second and converts that information to the mouse position on your
monitor. Is it as good as
it sounds? The answer is a
resounding “Yes!” The
optical eye is super precise especially where it most needed—graphic
programs and games. This
mouse has allowed me to make precision selections within Photoshop with
no jumps, stutters or slips. The
accuracy is just as good for gaming, where you could often find yourself
at the short end of your mouse pad; your mouse slipping into oblivion as
a rocket is about to blow you into a million pixels.
The Explorer mouse eliminates the need for a mouse pad and
replaces it with however much desk space you have.
There is no maintenance required either, as without a ball, there
is no parts to clean out.
The
Explorer mouse is a 5 button scroll mouse with 2 extra buttons placed
intuitively by your thumb for easy access.
This is fantastic for quick web browsing as these buttons are
defaulted to forward and back on Internet Explorer. The IntelliPoint
software that comes with the mouse is quite handy, allowing you to
customize different features of your mouse, including button assignments
that can be customized to any common key combination or even common
tasks like launching Find File.
There
is a less expensive, 3 button model which will look more familiar to
those already with a Microsoft mouse, but it doesn't look anywhere near
as good as the Explorer and also does not have the extra programmable
buttons. And with a lifetime
warranty, you really have nothing to lose.
Besides—it makes your desktop look richer and even matches the
new Microsoft Sidewinder gamepads.
However,
with all new products, there is bound to be some glitch or something new
to adapt to and the Intellieye certainly proves this theory.
If you're the type who has gotten into the habit of picking up
your mouse and moving it back to the center of your mouse pad when it
gets near the edge (like I have), the mouse pointer exhibits a short
burst of frantic movement. The reason for this is the Intellieye can no
longer “see” where it is and therefore cannot translate it into
proper movement. It is
especially apparent during First Person Shooter games where you’re
frantically moving the mouse trying to get away from your opponents and
you often pick up your mouse to move it to another position.
When you do this, the screen will spin and disorient you for a
second. The only way to
overcome this is to get that damn habit out of your system! But like
most habits it’s easier said than done and may take a while.
As a side
note, the mouse can be connected through the PS/2 port or a USB
port. The USB port will give you higher bandwidth and will put
less strain on the system when using high pointer refresh rates.
