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Pick up Microsoft's sleek new IntelliMouse Explorer and kiss your mouse pad--and the chore of periodically cleaning out your mouse's innards--goodbye. Using an optical sensor that contains a miniaturized digital camera and digital signal processor, the new IntelliMouse works on almost any surface.

Yes, there's really a small digital camera inside the IntelliMouse, and it takes 1500 pictures per second of the surface beneath the mouse. The DSP then analyzes these pictures to track the mouse's movement. The result is smoother, more precise movements, even if you're using the arm of your easy chair as a mouse pad.

Mousing Around

The IntelliMouse attaches to your PC's Universal Serial Bus or PS/2 port. There's a scrolling wheel and four programmable buttons (standard left and right buttons, plus two additional buttons on the left side, near where your thumb rests). Once it's plugged in, the IntelliMouse turns on a little red taillight that lets you know it's alive and working.

Microsoft has preprogrammed the two extra buttons for back and forward actions on your Web browser--hence the "Explorer" moniker. But you can customize them and the scrolling wheel to invoke more than 40 commands, from Cut and Copy to function keys F1 through F12. The new IntelliPoint software offers a much better-integrated Properties window that puts most operations on the same panel, so you can get your programming done with fewer clicks.

If you liked the feel of previous versions of the IntelliMouse, you'll like the Explorer even more. It's sized comfortably for the right hand--although, depending on your mousing habits, using your thumb on the two side buttons might seem awkward at first.

Don't let the $75 price tag scare you off--it's definitely worth the dough. With its programmable buttons and ability to work on any surface, the IntelliMouse Explorer is a giant among mice.