Warning: Do not look into "mouse" with remaining eye.

(tags mouse, Windows, hardware, laser, Japan)

At the beginning of this month I bought the Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000. It has supplanted but not replaced my aging Microsoft Intellimouse Optical, which I still tether to each of my machines. It has been an on-again, off-again love fest these last few weeks.

Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 (2006)
vs
Intellimouse Optical (2001)

(photo courtesy of Microsoft Photo Gallery: 「PressRoom 画像ダウンロード ～Microsoft(R) Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 他～」)

There's millions of mice on the market, so why do I use these?

5 buttons: With the old Intellipoint 4 software, I could set the additional 4th and 5th keys to Enter and Backspace. These keys are power user's main tools in Windows apps like Explorer, IE, and any text boxes or dialog boxes.

Symmetric design: This is more of my preference than any "objective" merit.

But then, why did I buy this new "Presenter" mouse?

It's new and "wow-factor cool". It doesn't glow. It's got five buttons. It's Bluetooth wireless. It's got a slick carry case. It's got a laser pointer. There's volume and slide control for Powerpoint presentations. The two AAA batteries lasts for the mouse function for at least two weeks, even at highest sensitivity. However the same battery for the laser function conks out at perhaps 5 days of "gee it shoots lasers" usage.

Not all is roses, since I still keep my Intellimouse Optical handy. The Presenter mouse is wireless, which means it sometimes skips during tracking movement. There is sensor "startup". But then it works like silk sometimes and I have no idea why. Definately this is not my FPS mouse. The middle button is hard to press as a button, I use it all the time when browsing, so it's annoying. The horizonal wheel movements are useless and not customizable. The wheel is too sensitive, it's like that iPod wheel. I don't care that the mouse wheel doesn't have bumps like the older models, I actually got used to that. It's a shame that none of the new buttons can be remapped to other functions. (Can't you tell I'm a button freak?)

And finally, I couldn't map that Backspace key to any of the mouse buttons. That is why I kept the version 4 software around even though Intellipoint version 5 was teh hawtness. But though the problem isn't fixed in version 6, there's a workaround. When using that version, set that 5th button to "Gaming Toggle". This new function allows you to define any keyboard sequence (multi-key press up to 16). Unfortunately I have to set up the key sequence on every boot, but it's no biggie.

I mentioned that laser. I could probably strap it on a frickin' shark and make it lethal. Turns out that the laser is forcing Microsoft to halt the shipments of this mouse in Japan, according to their own press release:

2006 年 12 月 22 日 (Japan)
製品に関するお知らせ: 「Microsoft(R)Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000」、および 「Microsoft(R)Presenter 3000」一時出荷停止のお知らせ

　マイクロソフト株式会社 (本社：東京都渋谷区) は、プレゼンター機能付き ワイヤレス レーザー マウス「Microsoft(R)Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000」(2006年 12 月 1 日発売) および レーザー ポインタ付きプレゼンター「Microsoft Presenter 3000」(2006年 12 月 8 日発売) について、日本国内で販売する消費財を対象とした消費生活用製品安全法の定める携帯用レーザー応用装置技術基準の適合の確認に向け、両製品の出荷の一時停止をいたします。（省略）

Didn't Microsoft already test this laser with conformance to the Japan Portable Laser Technology Standard? Well it still meets (does not exceed) "Class 2 Laser Product" standards (IEC 60825-1 2001/08). According to the ITMedia article, the government urged the stoppage, and Microsoft complied, although they want to resume selling (a fully compliant version?) in Spring 2007.

Just this topic caused me to look up laser safety. Please, if you have this mouse, do not look at it with your remaining eye.

(edit: Added photo courtesy link)