| Article Index |
|---|
| Microsoft SideWinder Gaming Mouse Review |
| 2 - Style and Design |
| 3 - Features |
| 4 - In Use |
| 5 - Conclusion |
| All Pages |
Microsoft has revived their SideWinder gaming brand with the introduction of a new mouse for the avid
gaming enthusiast. Featuring a 2000dpi laser tracking sensor and a rather unique design, we take a look to see if it’s any good.
Recalling the SideWinder brand name out of the depths of the Microsoft dungeons is a very symbolic statement, showing Microsoft is no longer content to sit on the edge of the gaming peripheral market with their Intellimouse range, and perhaps their joint ventures with Razor and the resulting keyboards and mice have not been the smash hits they were expected to be among the gaming community. So perhaps resorting back to the tried and true SideWinder name will bring the fans back to the Microsoft way of life, then again, perhaps not, it will only work if the product lives up to the name.
SideWinder gaming products of yesteryear were always excellent quality, amongst if not THE best on the market, with designs and features that gamers just loved. On my desk at home I still have and use a SideWinder Force Feedback Pro (original) joystick, I think the only game it gets used for is Battlefield 2 and 2142 for controlling the various aircraft, and even though it’s a lumping brick of a thing I still think it beats most models on the market today, and it’s still going strong after 7 or 8 years of use and abuse. So from the SideWinder brand we should expect, among other things, excellent functionality for the user, outstanding reliability and a good list of features, hopefully the new SideWinder Mouse can live up to its heritage.
Style and Design:
The SideWinder mouse looks a little odd compared to some of its competitors, with a much more angular and (in my opinion) industrial design. The edges of the mouse are black rubberised plastic with the main top section being a mildly textured black plastic which surrounds a glossy red centre control strip which houses the scroll wheel as well as 3 sensitivity adjustment buttons and a quick launch button but we’ll get into more detail on those later on.
The actual shape of the mouse is rather unusual compared to almost all other mice on the market with a long and fairly straight front/top section, which rounds off and drops off very quickly. What this means is that your hand sits on the SideWinder mouse differently to most other mice. With most others you have your fingers as well as the palm of your hand resting on the mouse, whereas with the SideWinder just your fingers and the underside of your knuckles (top bit of your palm) rest on the mouse, the main part of your palm doesn’t actually touch it at all, which gives it a very different feel that takes a bit of getting used to.
2 thumb buttons are included on the left hand side of the mouse which aren’t moulded into the body shape of the mouse in any way, instead they’re just two metal cylinders poking out the side. They may look a little vulgar to some but it gives the buttons a very distinctive feel to the user and as such there is no way you would hit the wrong button in a game with these.
Near the thumb buttons is a small rectangular LCD screen that is sunken into the body of the mouse that displays the current sensitivity setting of the mouse, as well as helping to provide instructions and cues for programming macros and such into the mouse (or into the Intellipoint software at least). It’s easy enough to read and thankfully doesn’t stay on all the time, just for a few seconds after you change the sensitivity. If you leave the mouse alone for a while, the LCD screen will light up with your current sensitivity setting for a few seconds when you use it again.
The scroll wheel, just like the thumb buttons, is just a basic metal item with a cross-hatched surface for grip. The scroll action itself is very notchy and precise, which I much prefer over ones that scroll smoothly, as it makes it much easier and far more precise for scrolling through game menu’s and I even prefer it for basic Windows and web browsing. Clicking the scroll wheel (as middle mouse button) is much easier than my Cyber Snipa mouse, but not so easy that you’ll be clicking it by accident whenever you use the scroll wheel, just a good balance.
In front of the thumb buttons on the left hand side is a button that is completely out of the way of the user’s fingers/thumb, something which I think and hope was done on purpose as it’s very inconvenient to access. It’s a button for recording macros, and having it out of the way is a very good thing, so it won’t be pressed accidentally in the middle of a game.
Although the SideWinder is a laser gaming mouse, and there is no need or indeed no function for optical light of any kind besides the small laser diode, Microsoft have kept with the style of many of the original optical Intellimouse models and have retained the red glow at the rear of the mouse, made popular by the very first optical Intellimouse and continued through much of the range over the years.
Features:
The SideWinder mouse has a few features to make it more of a ‘special’ gaming mouse, the first of which is the on-the-fly sensitivity adjustments. By default these allow you to change between 400, 800 and 2000 dpi with two methods of visual confirmation, one being the light under the button itself, the second being the number in the LCD status panel. The preset sensitivity for each setting can be adjusted through the Microsoft Intellipoint software, and once they’re adjusted the settings are locked to the mouse, not the software, so the mouse can be installed on other PCs with the same sensitivity settings, very handy.
Unlike the Logitech G9, which is one of the SideWinder’s main competitors, the SideWinder cannot store macros and button assignments on the mouse itself, these functions are still software dependant for the SideWinder and require the Intellipoint software to function.
There are more functions available to each of the mouse buttons than just macros, they can be programmed to perform any keystroke combination or open any program, as well a few dozen standard Windows commands and functions. The buttons on the SideWinder can also be configured for the “quick-turn” feature, which is great for First Person Shooter games, all you have to do is press a button and you’re facing the other way as quickly as the game will allow. This is done by teaching the mouse (or software really) how much movement is required to complete a 180 degree turn, then the mouse executes this as quickly as possible. Very cool.
Like many other high end gaming mice on the market, the SideWinder uses an adjustable weight cartridge to allow the user to personalise the feel of the mouse. The cartridge is inserted/removed from the right hand side of the mouse and has 3 weight slots while a total of 4 weights are included, 3 x 10g and 1 x 5g weight(s), so you can add from 5g up to 30g in 5g increments. Even at full weight there’s not a massive difference in how the mouse feels, but certainly enough for you to know they’re there and give it a slightly more solid feel.
Another part of the SideWinder that can be configured to suit the user is the mouse feet. There are 3 sets of different feet included that can be changed very easily to suit the mouse surface you’re using, or how much friction you want. Microsoft don’t state which feet are for which surface so again it’s just a matter of personal preference. Quite a unique inclusion.
These goodies (the feet and weights) are all supplied and kept in a special Microsoft branded case that has its own special function as well. The case is weighted and supplied with a non-slip underside so as to make it hard to move on your desktop, and when you open the cover there is a special channel to place the mouse cord into, and once you close the top the mouse cord will be secured. This means you can put this case with the mouse cord in tow at the back of your desk and it will hold onto the mouse cord, stop it falling behind the desk and pulling the mouse with it, or having the cord getting caught in and around other items on your desk. This is a brilliant idea, but perhaps could have been done with a smaller box to take up less space.
The last feature I’m going to mention, (and probably the only feature left) is the quick launch button on the top of the mouse. This cannot be customised and only has one function, well two actually, as it differs depending on the operating system you’re running. Under Vista it will open up your games folder for quick access to your games, which really saves you what? About 3 seconds? While on XP it opens up the Intellipoint control software, which is handy but hardly worthy of its own button on the mouse which could have been used for something far more worthwhile and useful.
In Use:
The shape and feel of the SideWinder is a little odd and took a bit of getting used to when I first started using it, and although even after a few weeks of use it still feels noticeably different to other mice that I use around the office, it’s actually quite comfortable, and when using for long periods of time (I’m playing this game is for research – honest) it was still comfortable, no pain in the wrist or anything else sinister.
All the buttons you actually need to press (i.e. not the quick launch or macro program button) are easy to find by feel alone, especially the thumb buttons are better defined and easier to locate in a hurry than any other mouse I’ve ever used.
The tracking of the laser optical engine and very smooth and precise, I didn’t find any wayward tracking or cursor movements at all like I have seen with some other laser mice in the past. The movement is very similar to the Logitech G5 and G9 engines, and to say that is quite a compliment. Fast and sudden movements are handled with ease and the features work surprisingly well. The macros work as well as expected and once you configure the quick turn function properly, which can take a bit of time to get exactly right it can be quite a useful feature.
Its performance within games is excellent, just as you would expect, but I’ve also been using the SideWinder for a few weeks for all my general Windows usage, not just for playing games and in all that time I haven’t found a single thing about the SideWinder’s operation that annoys me. As a standard mouse within Windows it’s just as a good as it is at being an ultimate gaming tool within your favourite FPS.
Conclusion:
The Microsoft Sidewinder mouse sells online for around AU$85 is OEM guise (i.e. no fancy retail box) which puts it line-ball with the Logitech G5 2007 Edition, and about $30 cheaper than the Logitech G9. And while the SideWinder can match both its competitors in terms of performance, it’s really in the middle of the two in terms of features, certainly more advanced than the G5 but lacking the learning ability and driverless/software-less operation of the G9. But I believe once you get used to the unusual feel and styling you’d be more than happy with the SideWinder as an everyday mouse.
As has been the Microsoft way for the past 6-7 years or so, a PS/2 convertor is included with the SideWinder mouse, just like on all other Microsoft USB mice. So there won’t be any compatibility or connections issues, and is also useful for freeing up a USB port for more important things.
Overall it’s a very comfortable (trust me, despite its looks) and very feature packed mouse that offers great gaming performance for quite a reasonable price compared to some of its competition. I say it’s a worthy holder of the SideWinder name.
- Performance – 9/10
- Styling – 7/10
- Features – 9/10
- Price – 9/10
- Installation – 10/10
OzHardware Rating – 8.8/10 – Recommended!
This product can be purchased online at www.techbuy.com.au (Direct Link)
