Microsoft keeps those gaming peripherals a comin'
By Paul Miller 
posted August 23rd 2006 12:56PM
posted August 23rd 2006 12:56PM
Along with that new Razer-powered Habu mouse, Microsoft is busting out two more gaming devices with the realization that sometimes noobs need to get their game on too. The first one is and oldie but a goodie: they're relaunching the well-loved IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0, first launched in 2002. "People were literally carrying around their IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0s in protective glass cases," says Microsoft's Bill Jukes. The mouse includes 9,000 frames-per-second tracking along with "Precision Booster" and "Gaming Toggle" buttons. Microsoft is also cutting the cord on their Xbox 360 controller for PCs, with a new wireless version that works with your compy or 360. The IntelliMouse should be out in October for $40, with the wireless 360 controller following in December for $60.
woohoo, first post! way to go microsoft, why dont you concentrate on getting Vista out the door rather that reintroducing or repackaging other companies products. who isnt using a logitech mx518 for gaming anyway...?
Hz... that's a really good idea. They should have the entire company work on a single product at a time and not touch a single other concept or product until the first is released. That's a really good market strategy.
It's good to see a PC-compatible wireless 360 controller coming out. I've been wanting one since the wired version emerged last year.
I am still using my MS IntelliMouse explorer. I have had it for 5+ years and it works like a champ.
A trend I have noticed in new mouses is that the scroll wheel is no longer 'clicky' but rather scrolls completely smoothly in both directions. I hope Microsoft retains the 'clickiness' of the scroll wheel in the re-release.
I love the Intellimouse 3.0. It was, by far, my favorite Micosoft Mouse. Sure, they may not have built it, but it does have their name on it.
The Intellimouse Explorer is, to this day, still my favorite mouse.
I'm always rooting through the IT guy's cabinets for old ones that are lying around.
I'm liking the styling on this new one, hopefully it keeps all the same functionality of the original (like thedvs01 said, the 'clicking' scroll wheel is great).
Oh thank god. I have had to replace 2 intellimouse 3.0's over the course of the past 5 years, and they have been getting harder and harder to find. This makes me so happy :3
Yeah, I am sure the same division of Microsoft that works on Vista is also working on their hardware. "Hey Bob, after you squash that bug with the search feature in Vista could you go and make sure our new mouse is getting 2000dpi and not 1994dpi."
Interesting name for a mouse.
In Japanese, a 'habu' is a poisonous snake native to the Okinawan islands. It has a reputation of being aggressive and nasty, and is known to live in and around homes. It's quite common and most folks outside urban areas carry a flashlight to avoid habu at night.
Habu actually eat mice, among other things. So, it's a mouse-eating mouse. :-P
Does it have to be the Intellimouse explorer 3.0 and nothing lower? I still have 2.0 and it's been nice to me.
Man I love my Intellimouse 3.0. I've tried top of the line mice from Logitech and the newer Microsoft mice, but they all have scroll wheels that are too hard to click down.
I use middle click to open and close Firefox tabs like nobody's business, so it's crucial that my middle click takes a light touch and is accurate.
Horizontal scrolling with the mouse wheel is overrated anyway, and smooth scrolling (no clickety clack) is a disaster for both office apps and gaming.
Already have the X360 controller for PC - now just waiting for a 360 emulator to come along.
I also still use my Intellimouse Explorer 3.0. I just couldn't get used to other models from logitech/ms/razer for one reason or another.
I love you Microsoft.
I'm not a fanboy or anything, but I love this mouse to the extreme. The only problem it ever gave me was that the contacts on the left click were going bad, so I had to replace the clicky part with the part from a mouse from like... 1990. Works as great as ever. I freaked when I saw the pic on the front page, this is excellent news.
bad ass. the intellimouse explorer has a solid mouse! I used the 1.0 version since the quake 3 days! My 3.0 is still chugging right along, but the wire is getting a little funky and broken.
what a solid mouse I only switched to logitech (mx700) when i need a wireless mouse since microsoft sucks at making wireless mice.
Yay, Xbox 360 Wireless for the PC! I was about to buy the cable version soon, but now I'm gonna wait for the cableless one!
Great stuff, Microsoft.
I think that's one of the only areas Microsoft has been consistenly good with, peripherals. I do prefer Logitech but the Microsoft stuff i've used over the years has always been decent.
The IntelliMouse Optical is still the greatest mouse ever!
@umijin
Razer typically names it's mice after venomous snakes (copperhead, diamondback, viper, etc.). This is probably just keeping the trend. MS no doubt knows that people will/have already learned that this mouse is nothing more than a Razer with the MS name on it, so they proably don't care about the product name itself and just let it slide