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Game Forum / Action Games / Half Life / December 2007Microsoft Sidewinder Mouse: early impressions
Circuit City has a $30 rebate going on now for the Sidewinder http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Mouse-882224507080/se m/rpsm/oid/194617/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do My explorer3 main button is going out (had it replaced free once before) so I ordered this one online for immediate instore pickup, a nice option. This mouse is really big, wide and long. Also, it's ease of use is probably related to the ergonomics of your present desk+chair setup. Presently I'm using an old chair that sits below the level of the table, with my elbow hanging down and wrist rotated to the right as shown here: http://img70.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010221resizedvz5.jpg In this position the thumb buttons are unreachable and useless. I think the mouse was designed assuming your elbow is flung out to the right and well-supported by a chair arm and above the desk surface, more like in this picture http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1010224resizedfr1.jpg maybe rotated even more to the left and not at rightangles to the monitor. The more elbow support and rotation, the better. Even with some chair adjustment, I still wish the thumb buttons were positioned farther back, as they are a reach. My only other substantive complaint so far is the wheel; it's metal, and the knurled ridges are not prominent enough, so that your finger tends to slip unless you apply pressure. Also I'm not happy with the documentation. I expected an illustrated walkthrough of the mice features, with step-by-step how-tos for recording macros and such. Instead there's an RTFM flippancy in incredibly tiny print referencing the help pages. Lame. Otherwise there's not much to say, I tried it in Bioshock and the old game Descent2 (with D2X) and it did fine in both (XP). The dpi adjustment buttons seem to work. Now to shop for a chair and desk :) rms > Circuit City has a $30 rebate going on now for the Sidewinder > http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Microsoft-Sidewinder-Gaming-Mouse-882224507080/se m/rpsm/oid/194617/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > maybe rotated even more to the left and not at rightangles to the monitor. > The more elbow support and rotation, the better. I picked this mouse up at CC a few weeks ago when it was $50 with no rebate. I'd been using a wireless Explorer 2.0 for almost two years. I really love the way the 2.0 fit my hand, but I was sick of the lack of any tactile feedback from the scroll wheel, and I always had problems in FPS games trying to flip thought my weapons. So I decided to go back to a corded mouse. It did take me a couple of days to get used to the way the mouse feels, the way the right and left buttons slope down took some getting use to, but I really like the metal wheel, mine is really easy to move, so maybe yours will break in after some use. I've never had a high end mouse before so I'm really liking the DPI that this thing has, plus it slides better then any mouse I've ever tried. That's always been my biggest gripe about mouse feet, there're always so small. Not on this beast, there's 5 large glide pads that work great. It also comes with two extra sets, but the ones that are on the mouse, are the ones I like the best. I was also confused about the lack of a manual. For this price I expected a manual that explained anything. I still don't have a clue how to use the "micro button" As for the two side buttons, these are what I like the best about this mouse. For me there right where I need them and they come in very handy when playing games. My old mouse had two side buttons also but they where a lot smaller and harder to click when in the heat of battle. I found that using the 5g weight gives the mouse just the right amount of heft. JLC > I was also confused about the lack of a > manual. For this price I expected a manual that explained anything. I > still don't have a clue how to use the "macro button" Search in intellipoint help for 'macro record button'. I haven't tried it yet, but basically you press it in-game, then press the mouse button to assign the macro to, then whatever keys and buttons for the action, then press the macro button again. All of this should have been gathered together in one document instead of mumbling about help pages. > As for the two side buttons, these are what I like the best about this > mouse. For me there right where I need them and they come in very handy > when playing games. Ya, these were a major reason for my interest in this particular mouse. I'm so used to only having two useable buttons it will take me some time decide how to use them! rms > Circuit City has a $30 rebate going on now for the Sidewinder The kidz are both running with the sidewinder gaming thing They have added the abillity to quickly turn around and back again when the button is released - Peter Thanks for review but... Logitech g5 ftw! :P On 12/18/2007 6:51 AM Lief brightened our day with: > Thanks for review but... > > Logitech g5 ftw! :P > > I'm still using a logitech mx1000. still rocks. I need my 10 programmable buttons.  Signature"Out here on the perimeter there are no stars" Steve --Inglo-- > On 12/18/2007 6:51 AM Lief brightened our day with: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I'm still using a logitech mx1000. still rocks. I need my 10 > programmable buttons. I personally have never found a use for any more than 4 buttons. I've been using the MS Intelli-rat Explorer for 7+ years (Actually this is my 3rd one) yet the second thumb button (MOUSE5) goes mostly unused in games, and occasionally used for going forward in Firefox - I can't imagine what I'd use another five buttons for :) SignatureBen Cottrell "Speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out" On 12/18/2007 7:30 AM Ben Cottrell brightened our day with: >> On 12/18/2007 6:51 AM Lief brightened our day with: >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > unused in games, and occasionally used for going forward in Firefox - > I can't imagine what I'd use another five buttons for :) If you can't imagine let's see if I can help. Mouse1: Fire, Mouse2:Jump, Mouse3: Alt Fire, Mouse4: Use, Mouse5: Gravity Gun, Mouse6: Last Weapon, Mouse7: Suit Zoom, Mouse8: Flashlight. It's not necessary in HL2 but in other games Mouse 9 and 10 are bound to lean left and right. Mouse 9 and 10 combined is the left-right rocker of the scroll wheel. Mouse 4, 5, and 6 are thumb buttons. Mouse 7 and 8 are buttons above and below the scroll wheel. Other games where I can't find interesting things to bind my buttons to, I bind them to weapon slots. FYI you can't do what I do with the regular Logitech Set Point options, you have to hack the XML file that stores the settings. The left right rocker on my mouse wheel toggles between tabs in Firefox, that's cool. Signature"Out here on the perimeter there are no stars" Steve --Inglo-- > On 12/18/2007 7:30 AM Ben Cottrell brightened our day with: >>> On 12/18/2007 6:51 AM Lief brightened our day with: [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > The left right rocker on my mouse wheel toggles between tabs in Firefox, > that's cool. Damn! After piddling about with that for an hour I'd have lost the urge to game! > I'm still using a logitech mx1000. still rocks. I need my 10 > programmable buttons. Still using the Logitech MX510. Like it and don't use all the button it has. Squat |
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