Microsoft's ambidextrous SideWinder X3 mouse available for presale
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Apr 14th 2009 1:22PM
posted Apr 14th 2009 1:22PM
Still feeling a little less than a'right with dropping $99 on a wireless gaming mouse? Microsoft's newest, the SideWinder X3, is an eight-button wonder that boasts a 2,000 dpi laser-tracking engine, on-the-fly dpi switching between high, medium and low sensitivity, a totally sweet scroll wheel, and a cable. You know, for connecting to your computer and such. The best part? It's ambidextrous (a first for the line), so the southpaw in your life won't feel left out. Starts shipping in May for $39.95.
Microhard!
The most successful hardware company in history.
Was it only me who had a dirty thought after reading "Microhard"?
No. No it wasn't.
Legend has it that Bill Gates named the company after Ballmer's private parts.
Shouldn't have wrote that, please ignore it.
Ignore what?
does anyone know if Microsoft is still using that awful non-click scroll wheel? I used to like their mice until they started using that, just doesn't feel right when the scroll wheel doesn't give you that tactile feedback.
hmm, guess if I'd clicked the link before posting I could have answered my own question:
*Wide, detented scroll wheel for more precise click movement
i'm guessing that's what I'm talking about. ('course I'm not sure what Detented means, I'm thinking they meant 'dented'?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detent
"Detent is the term for a method, as well as the actual device, used to mechanically resist or arrest the rotation of a wheel, axle or spindle.
"A detent can be used to intentionally divide a rotation into discrete increments, or as in perhaps its original concept and most rudimentary form, to simply arrest rotation in one direction."
@kumquat: cool! I learned something new today!
The detents are really great when you're gaming, but for productivity/web browsing undetented is nicer IMO.
Yes, i think the "new" scroll wheel used by some ms mouse is useless and pretty annoying.
But wouldn't I rather spend three times as much on the Razer Mamba?
(That's only about 80% sarcastic, by the way.)
usually microsoft's mice are the most comfortable, and rarely ever have some huge emblazoned logo on them (i lol at you, logitech).
In all honesty, the wired to wireless switching, charging dock, and onboard memory on the razer are worth it if you're gonna use them. I'd love to be able to take a mouse with me and have all of my configs and binds saved for each game. I dono about 130$, but I'd spend maybe 90-100$ on it with free shipping if i was gonna use it hardcore.
disclaimer: I've been using a microsoft optical blue (yea thats its full name) since they came out. 200dpi and i win quite alot of tournaments in CS :) http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826105061 and the scroll wheel wears in wonderfully
how the hell do you use that old ass mouse haha...200 dpi? ugh, i cant see myself ever being able to use something so slow again. i have a razer copperhead...pretty old and worn in buy it controls wonderfully, and you can change the dpi to as low as 400 i believe.
I'm still using my Logitech G7.
It seems to growing some type of tail.
A saiyan race of mice perhaps?
i belive with those lights on it, it would actually be super saiyan
Only 1 thumb button? Pass. I'll stick with my Habu.
Maybe there's another one at the other side, it is suppose to be ambidextrous after all
If there really is another button on the other side for ambidextrous thumb usage then this will be my dream mouse, really wish Microsoft had provided more images.
Oh MSFT... you just dont get it do you?
What do you mean??? WHAT, DAMMIT???!
If Microsoft made a flawless device that was free to everyone, cured all disease and induced pure pleasure in everyone in a 100m radius, there would still be people shaking their heads and saying "They just don't get it".
No, I get it. Thanks for asking.
Speaking as a lefty myself, I wonder how many southpaw's actually use their left hand for mousing.... not that it wouldn't be easier once you get the hang of it, but its just not that hard to do right handed, and its much easier to get used to the other hand and be able to use lots of different workstations than to be forever tied to your own.
Just sayen.
Of course I also do alot of 10 key work (located keyboard left.
@Willis: I am a dedicated lefty with significantly more dexterity in my left hand than right. I use my mouse in my left hand, but don't "reverse" the buttons, so I use one finger (pointer) for all ops - not as efficient as resting 2 fingers on the buttons at all times, but it works for me as long as the dang thing sits comfortably in my hand, which few do.
I'm just going to assume that it's for right handed people that want to use it with their left hand when their right hand is...umm...busy.
It is still not functional and streamlined as Apple's Mighty Mouse. This Microsoft mouse looks pretty ugly and not high quality, which is why I wouldn't choose it over the Mighty Mouse. With my mac I could just plug my Mighty Mouse into the USB port and it is ready to go, no need to install drivers unlike this Microsoft "mouse".
I hope you're joking...who said you have to install drivers...it's a fucking mouse, you plug it in and it works. And the Mighty Mouse is ugly as shit.
The mighty mouse needs a mac to work?
This one works on any computer.
For your sake, I hope you're being facetious, because no one can be that ignorant.
People still think Macs can't use more than one button, so, yes, people CAN be that ignorant.
"totally sweet scroll wheel"
?? Not sure what would be totally sweet here. I would need to feel it, but IMO, Logitech has the scroll wheel crown with their switchable free-spinner/clicker. That's really made a difference for me in the way I scroll through documents, but still allows for precise selection in gaming.
I'm with you 100%
I've got an RX1500 OEM sittin on my desk at work. The ability to toggle is such a wonderful thing... skimming through lines and lines of code and documentation is nice.
At home I have an ancient classic logitech mouse... had to bench my MX1000 due to interface lag occasionally... can't have that playin games you know...
Being a left handed mouse user, I will actually consider buying this.
Ditto here. Right handed, but a left handed mouse user. I still use the old microsoft intelli optical mouse: http://www.ooscare.co.nz/products/97_Microsoft%20IntelliMouse%20Optical%20pic1.jpg
Problem is that this new mouse doesn't seem to have buttons on both side. One less button to hotkey (hotbutton?) to :(
I'm intrigued. This will hopefully be not only the first decent lefty-capable mouse in ages, but the redemption of the godawful Sidewinder series. If that mouse is like all the rest of their zero-feedback ones, that will be a dealbreaker. Otherwise, I could easily see myself getting this.
IE 3.0 FTW!
Ok, big question here. Will this hardware, made by Microsoft, be recognized by Vista Ultimate Crap? I'm just askin' because the Microsoft LifeCam, when it came out, was not ("this hardware is not recognized by Vista and may be dangerous!) so it took a LOT of doing to get the LifeCam to work properly (close to 2 hours).
I know it's a huge thing to ask of Microsoft, but before even considering this mouse, I want to be sure it will do something as crazy as be recognized by Microsoft's own OS.
The sidewinder I own works with Vista just fine. This new version looks and sounds very similar.
Corded mice (and keyboards) should have gone the way of the crt monitor long ago.
Yes, gamers still like them for their own cryptic reasons (and because they are a bit silly), but Im NOT a gamer ,I'm a multimedia guy, and my MX Air is the best, most advanced and sexiest mouse money can buy.
Besides I hope that the all mouse&Kboard interface mode will also soon head towards the dustbin (or better the recycling plant). I really want a more natural way of interacting with my machines: voice (via a wireless mic to avoid background voices) and gesture , (minority report style, like the Fraunhofer institute recently showed).
Corded mice shall die!
May you be strangled with a mouse cord.
yeah, that's what you want, 55 people talking to their computers in one office, or waving their arms around for 8 hours a day.
think that one through again.
@ cofee
I can understand and accept the justified reaction of gamers' wounded pride but you really are thick dude!
If you would read my post you would notice that I wrote how voice commands should be given to the interface via a microphone (maybe even a phisically activated microphone) to avoid background interference.
In a crowded office ,( which anyway is not a nice place to be even now, no matter what UI the slaves are tied to,) the effect would be the same as an office with employees talking to different telephone lines: headphones and mic would substitute mouse and kboard and I'm convinced that this is a change worth making, as it would increase productivity , reduce stress and phisical injuries and be a much more natural (human?) way to interact with machines.
If you would have an even longer attention span, then you would have read that I also wrote of integration with gesture input , which does'nt necessary means that people should gesticulate in the air: a capacitive touch pad could be added to simplify many functions on the UI, maybe even capable of displayng a virtual k-board if you feel that you can't live without one.
You are probably to thik to imagine it , but if you will live long enough one day you will notice that this is direction UI are going.
At least I hope so for your own sake.
Got a brand new oem X5 with the LCD screen on it for $28 on ebay with free shipping. Awesome mouse, especially at that price!
Man, that looks like a really nice mouse. I prefer cordered for the lack of batteries, and just plug it into a usb port and it works. 40$ is a bit too steep for a mouse for me though. Still using a standard Microsoft Optical Mouse, works great for now, just looks dirty, so would like a new one that looks cool.
Killgore, the stupidity of your comments show that the only reason you want a hands-free interface is so you can be slamming your poor, raw, bleeding penis 24/7. You are beyond fail.
No...not another ambidextrous mouse from MS. As we all know, lefties are evil demons, and thus we must discriminate against them with righty-only mice...forever.
Might is right and right is might!
In all seriousness though, I find it kinda weird that MS is making a high end ambidextrous mouse while all the best Logitech mice are now right-handed. I seem to recall a time when it was the exact opposite and MS had no high end mice that were lefty-friendly.