February 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 6

Mouse: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Optical 3.0a

Cost: $35
Months on list: 6
Price Change: $0

Microsoft's IntelliMouse Explorer Optical 3.0a has been on our list for half a year now, and it deserves every minute. Optical mice continue to impress us with their ease of use and virtually un-muckable tracking eye, and gaming without one can be costly. Balls are a thing of the past, and while some people still cling to them, dust and dirt does an even better job of that. We believe that a mouse should perform just as well six months after you take it out of the box as it did when you first bought it, and the easiest way to achieve this goal is with an optical mouse.

Version 3.0a of Microsoft's laser mouse is the company's latest incarnation and is better than ever. The Thumb buttons have been made smaller, and tracking has been improved as well. This mouse is also extremely fast ,capturing 6,000 frames per second to help track your every move.

Make sure you have a proper mousing surface with an optical mouse. These mice track best on darker non-solid color surfaces, especially clear and white. A black matte or woodgrain finish is the best for an optical mouse.

Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard

Cost: $46
Months on list: 2
Price Change: $0

For years now we have loved the feel, and comfort of split-design keyboards. Once acclimated to the design, these reduce hand strain, and make typing much easier than traditional style keyboards. In keeping with our Microsoft input theme, we chose the excellent Natural Multimedia Keyboard, with its attractive design and very-useful multimedia buttons.

Alternatively, if you prefer the standard-style keyboard, the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard is an excellent choice. We have been using Microsoft keyboards here at SE for years and they have stood up well to our abuse, which is truly a hard-worn accomplishment.