Microsoft Wheel Optical Mouse, Black

Having used Microsoft and other brands of "mice" for for over 30 years, I keep migrating back to Microsoft. Forget the hype or the trends, Microsoft, -- hands-down, -- makes the most durable mice products on the planet. No hassles, so transparent, so simple and so reliable. Use of the value-added software is OPTIONAL, -- meaning, the mouse is truly PLUG n' PLAY. It works directly out of the box, without installing the optional CD. Installing the software later, after the fact, certainly adds additional features and options, and is recommended, but it is NOT REQUIRED to use the mouse straight out of the box. I lost count of how many other brands of mice I have (in the surplus bin) that won't work simply because the software or the drivers are missing. I have never experienced that problem with Microsoft. They just manage to "work", --- anyway. For me today, using any other brand is, -- NOT an option.

Such a shame this mouse isn't made anymore and only wish I bought in bulk while I still had the chance. No other mouse is the same as this one, the only thing this mouse lacks is the newer sensors of today (only for dpi) which is easily countered with a wide mouse pad (none of that normal square small garbage mouse pads) so you can flick your mouse at low sensitivities all day and own noobs EZ. After about 10 ten years of using this mouse the only two degradations that happen eventually, which are the only reasons I end up buying another and not trying to fix them since they were very cheap, are that the middle mouse button will get "used" and start "ghosting". Basically when you scroll the mouse wheel it will get "settled" in between two notches sometimes and eventually fall on one of them, making it scroll once in a direction without you doing it yourself shortly after scrolling. That only really messes with games that have weapon scrolling which is a noob mechanic anyway and should be unbound to begin with, use number keys like all high cognition people do, problem solved. (and if you want to be sure you can press down middle mouse button and it won't ghost, since you then settle it on a "notch") The other is if you ever rage by clicking the left mouse button too hard, then after about a year or less depending on frequency (and this likely will happen after years if you treat it good enough), the button will become less click-able. By click-able I mean it'll require more pressure to make a successful click, I'm still somewhat convinced it may just be dirt getting lodged in there, making a sort of squishy buffer that you have to compact every time, harder, before it hits the click pressure pad underneath, so I may be looking into opening it up and seeing if it's repairable, now that micro%#!$ stopped making this GEM of a mouse. The mouse buttons can sort of bend upwards so it may very well be repairable, how hard could it be to regenerate a pressure pad for a click, add some paper or rubber in there to reduce the depression distance maybe? It's very sobering, the ineptitude and brainwashing, when you see bad reviews for this mouse. They obviously are people of low intelligence and wouldn't know a good mouse even if it controlled well...... or smacked them in the face. Selecting text is based on the program being used, like Firefox for example, not the mouse, LOL.Razer mice? Price isn't a problem, for me at least, all of them are either "finger" controlled form (instead of palm resting form, which is actually a thing, wow...) or they also/only have those annoying side rails that serve to only get in the way of your side grip. (which doesn't exist for finger mice..) I try to scream logic to them hard and long enough through all available channels but they keep crapping out more defective mice with FORM over FUNCTION designs!!! Stop with the lights!! (those usually can be turned off with their drivers, I know this because I've returned over 3 or 4 Razer mice because they lacked hand/finger control that this mouse has, this mouse doesn't need drivers throw away the intelliwhatever disc that comes with it lol) I tried the ones like abyss but it has the stupid uncut mouse button (later) which only reduces dirt collection (fully negated because THERE'S SLITS ON THE SIDES OF THE MOUSE BUTTON LIKE TYPICAL BUTTONS HAVE) and may have been either too easy to click or too hard, I don't remember. The microsoft Habu had a full horseshoe of lights and I didn't even want to bother finding out if you can turn them off or not through drivers because... It's MICROSOFT we're talking about here. And looking at a pic of it again it does seem like it has the side rails (which are the light horseshoe on habu) which will still get in the way of the sides of your palms grip, so inept they are. Even if you somehow manage to ignore the side rails, which you won't if you know what true control of a mouse is, then the rubber texture that all their side rails have will only piss you off.This mouse would only value a side back/forward button only if it doesn't get in the way of your thumb grip like Razer mice do, ALL. THE. TIME.Any other mice that come close to emulating this mice have those dumb uncut mouse 1 and 2 buttons that are fully attached to the palm area of the mouse which only improves dust collection and definitely NOT mouse click control. Forbid a company that gets a clue and starts making simple powerful (DPI-wise) mice for once like this one because then they'd have a monopoly on a GEM, so sad.PROS: everything.CONS: Degrades based on usage severity after about a year (warranties are usually a hint) as follows:1. middle mouse ghosts between notches after scrolling, very bearable though and only happens if you stop between a notch which you can sort of feel out and avoid, or just middle click if you need to be sure, this apparently was fixed in a later version of the mouse but then they started going full insanity and putting mouse buttons and I think now on their website they have a gloss horseshoe that goes around it, because one texture wasn't enough, won't be buying that rubbish, jeez... (after about 3-5 months depending on usage frequency)2. left mouse button will become less easy to click "successfully", you need to click harder and more fully before it registers, mine as well be broken at that point and it is for me at-least. Likely due to raging and clicking it too hard, but it will happen all at once when it does happen after about a year and is not a chancy thing (a pro within a con, le sigh), which has convinced me that they intended it to happen, so people would keep buying the mouse, THEN WHY DID THEY STOP MAKING THEM, MICROSOFT YOU'RE SO INEPT!I usually use this mouse about maybe 6-9 hours (actively) every day so this mouse lasts about 1 year for me, at-least 2 years for someone who uses it a minimum of 5 hrs everyday if you have a life etc and so on. The mouse has seemed to be different, read other reviews, like jittery middle mouse this one time, So when they realized how good and sturdy this mouse is they probably got tunnel vision all of a sudden, got shocked, and said WE GOTTA DOWNGRADE THESE MICE SO THEY MEET THE PRICE RANGE OF 15 DOLLARS!!! Typical, although they are made in china so they would have plenty of diversionary EXCUSES as per the quality.I'm probably forgetting some age old "tips n' tricks".. but it's discontinued and I'm tired. The edge on the mouse can easily be cut along with a sharp blade to get the muck out once it gets dirty.It's expected that microsoft stopped production of this GEM of a mouse, because they always make a bad decision in all things they do, eventually. It's their unwritten rule to fail hard.

Five stars for the product. Less than that (you assign it after reading the following) for meeting expectations. I originally ordered this product about a month ago from "Square Price" with fulfillment by Amazon. The customer images suggested it would arrive in retail packaging with software disc and "getting started" booklet. What came was the product in a beat-up plastic bag; no disc; no booklet. There were scuffs and scratches on the surface of the mouse, so I contacted Amazon and had an online chat with a representative. He immediately triggered a refund and pre-paid return mailing label, and suggested I reorder from the "other" merchant who was selling this product on Amazon - "Techno Market." The thought was that the replacement item would arrive as shown in the customer images - with disk, booklet, in retail packaging - and without scuffs and scratches. The reordered item arrived yesterday - in a beat-up plastic bag; no disc; no booklet - with a "Square Price" thank-you card enclosed. Fortunately there were no scuffs or scratches, and I am happy with the product I finally received. It was a longer and more circuitous route to my "customer satisfaction" than I would have preferred, but I suppose all's well that ends well. But one question remains: When multiple merchants are listed with fulfillment by Amazon, is there any real difference? I.e., does "Square Price" = "Techno Market." I guess the answer is "who cares" if all's well that ends well. But if it doesn't....

Well packaged, quick deliver, price acceptable. This mouse had little wear, nearly new. Seller listed it as "acceptable", but it was better than that - nearly new, really. You can tell a very used one when the satin texture is polished shiny by forefingers and palms rubbing over it with years of use. The only issue I see is that they didn't clean off the pads. I cleaned them up and the cord with isopropyl and now it's pretty much new - and looking new, too!

Still working great and I bought it here on Amazon. Best all around Mouse from Microsoft.

I have been a fan of the Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse for decades. But when mine finally broke, I went on a mission to find an alternative.After years of searching I finally succeeded!I would highly recommend the BenQ Zowie ZA12-B (Medium). It is pretty much the same exact weight and measurements of the Microsoft mouse. But they make other sizes if you need to adjust. The only difference is the wheel mouse tension is slightly stronger than the Microsoft mouse. But it is barely noticeable.Good luck!