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Microsoft Brings Back Sidewinder Line with Mouse

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

August 22, 2007, 4:29 PM

Microsoft has brought back its Sidewinder line of gaming peripherals, beginning with a mouse that is customizable to a user’s specific gaming needs.

The Redmond company first launched its line of Sidewinder products in 1995, which included game pads, joysticks, and steering wheels. The gaming mouse marks the return of the line, which Microsoft says includes nearly 5,000 possible combinations.

Microsoft expects the mouse to begin selling at retail in October for $80, according to a statement by the company.

Users can adjust various aspects of the mouse including the weight tray, mice feet, three different glide materials, DPI control for response and sensitivity, among others. The mouse also has the capability to store macros.

In a first for gaming mice, the device includes an LCD that allows users to check macros and DPI settings without interruption. The mouse also features cable management functions and “quick-launch,” that allows immediate access to the gaming library on the user’s computer.

Microsoft Sidewinder

“We found that gamers are a lot like performance car enthusiasts. They like to tweak and tune their mouse to get it just right,” Microsoft’s hardware marketing head Bill Jukes said.

The Sidewinder mouse includes two vertical side buttons with a wide metal scroll wheel. The mouse also comes with balanced weight to allow precision pointing.

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By mynamehere

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 10:31 PM

For those of us who hate mice with a passion (who cares if it's laser/optical/etc.)...

I still say MS needs to bring back the Trackball Explorer (although it is right hand only), many agree that it's the best trackball ever made; an updated version that includes this mouse's "special" features would be awesome, I'd snap up one or two in an instant.

I've written MS on several occasions stressing that they bring it back, even including links to boards of nothing but people wanting it's return.

I use mine for everything, including gaming, not to mention it can be used on virtually any surface (kicks back in chair w/trackball on leg), and requires virtually no real estate. I haven't found anything that compares, I even had to go as far as paying more for a used replacement on ebay as they went for retail.

I'm sure many don't tunderstand why anyone would use a trackball, but how long did they actually use one before coming to this conclusion? Most can't/refuse to go back to a mouse after a week with a GOOD trackball, not one of the crappy thumb ball ones (which are about the only type being made these days). One more thing, since they just sit there and don't move, the wire isn't really much of an issue.

OK, trackball haters, flame away...

Score: 0

By ladylust

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 8:25 PM

Holy Crap that is the lamborghini of mice! I WANT!!!

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 11:30 AM

Laser, optical, or rolly-ball?

I mean, come on, it's a mouse. That's pretty important.

Score: 0

By Adrian79

edited Aug 23, 2007 - 11:17 AM

trackman mouse is the best one...so u dont have to "move" the mouse around, trackball sits near the thumb (not in the middle like other trackball mouses)

http://www.logitech.com/...evices/159&cl=us,en

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 11:27 AM

Tried one for a few weeks. It's now been donated to our "hardware pool". Couldn't stand it, and my thumb hurt like hell.

Not saying it's a bad device. I've heard others say they love it. It's gotta be a subjective thing, but damn...it hurt to use that thing.

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 6:21 PM

I'm a big fan of the trackman actually, though since I've changed to left handed mouse it's become pretty much useless. :-/

Score: 0

By Kylde

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 6:20 AM

And boo sux to we left-handed gamers AGAIN :(

Score: 0

By drumcat

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 8:08 PM

See that wire? DOA.

Score: 0

By yleclerc

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 1:08 PM

Most "die-hard" gamers seems to prefer a wired mouse. Wireless is just to un-relaible during a heated gaming session.

Score: 0

By bskdopeboy

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 6:31 AM

Wireless is a joke and a fad... I work in an IT and telecomms departments, and I can truly say that everything I've used that is wireless is significantly worse in performance then it's wired counterpart.
I have a wireless router at home and choose to use wired.
In the gaming world, as it has been said, performance is everything. 1ms delay in hardware response can be the end of you.

Long live wired hardware!

/db

Score: 0

By Latz !

edited Aug 22, 2007 - 8:36 PM

Right, because no one uses a wired mouse anymore. Especially a gaming mouse that is supposed to be as responsive as possible. The new Logitech G9 is wired also.

Wireless mice eat batteries and have a delay so they suck for gaming (or anything else in my opinion). If a person can't set up their mouse so that the wire isn't noticable they should get a grownup to do it for them.

Score: 0

By ToeKneeC

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 10:22 PM

Screw wireless. There is nothing worst playing an online game at 2AM and the batteries act up. I understand wireless stuff (the remote to the TV..I'm 15 feet away..duh). But come on, keyboard and mice, when you sit just inces away for....what. The cord has almost no drag and ZERO delay. A true gamer would aways use a wired mouse. This one looks hot. I can only home the make the wheel have a little click feeling to it, like Logitech.

Score: 0

By Kushan

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 9:04 PM

A proper wireless gaming mouse has almost no delay. I've been using my MX1000 for years for playing games and not once have I felt that it's caused me to miss a kill or anything.

Score: 0

By tiefel

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 10:20 PM

"almost no delay" = delay

Score: 0

By smarterthanyou

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 12:08 AM

A wireless gaming mouse has NO noticeable delay of any kind. I've never seen a delay on my Logitech G7 gaming mouse as long as I plug the tiny wireless receiver/transmitter directly into a powered USB port instead of plugging into the Logitech battery charger's USB passthrough port. In any case, I doubt that disposable alkaline or Energizer lithium ion batteries would make the Logitech G7 mouse have significantly longer battery life.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 11:25 AM

Love my G7. Wouldn't part with it for anything.

Charges one battery while you're using the other, simple and easy, if the meter goes down a bar, throw in the other battery, never having to risk lack of response due to low power.

Responsive as hell, as well. It outperforms any other mouse I';ve used (wired or wireless).

It's just plain yummy. Great for laptops, too.

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 1:26 PM

I almost bought a G7 today. But turns out I called up Logitech and my MX1000 is still in warranty. They are sending me an MX Revolution since they no longer make the 1000s and I get to keep my MX1000.(The left click button is starting to quit working on the 1000) I was contemplating a Revolution anyway, so I am fine with that. I was kinda irked about the G7 having to charge from USB anyway, because I already have all my ports full up.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 1:40 PM

Nice deal.

As for the filled usb ports, grab a usb hub, they're cheap, and they work decently for things like printers, drives, flash media, etc. Just don't ever put more than one drive on a single USB controller. That tends to mess things up a bit.

Score: 0

By siryak

edited Aug 23, 2007 - 5:17 PM

As long as I don't get anything else that requires USB I will be good for now lol. I have 1 open on the front, I just don't like to plug stuff into that one.

I have a hub I use on my laptop. Certain devices work fine on it, but some work poorly or not at all. The way I have my laptop set up is the printer and mouse have their own ports. Then the keyboard and chillpad go through the hub.

Score: 0

By Jim

edited Aug 23, 2007 - 5:02 AM

I've tried many, and have never used a wireless mouse that didn't have a very noticable (IMO) annoying delay. sure they've gotton better, but I have trouble hitting the start button most the time with the delay they cause. All my old wireless mice have gone as gifts to my mother, sister, ex-roomate, and some of my (gamer) friends. None of them seem to notice it, or say that they think its to small to make a difference, and that they can't tell after a while. But ITS STILL FRIKKING THERE.

Score: 0

By siryak

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 1:29 PM

You should try the G7. I hear that the response time is on par with most wired mouses. I have played all rail Quake 3 matches with my MX1000 and done just fine though.

Score: 0

By Aires

posted Aug 23, 2007 - 8:10 AM

You guys need to better research wireless gaming mice. lol

Score: 0

By Latz !

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 7:45 PM

Looks like they ripped off the Logitech G9 (which is also a very ugly and uncomfortable looking mouse). Except the G9 doesn't have those stupid looking buttons on the side. Do gamers supposedly like hideous peripherals or something?

Score: 0

By bskdopeboy

edited Aug 23, 2007 - 6:42 AM

If it's looks you want, mate, try and buy a Prada mouse... we're talking about performance here, not how it'll look with your new summer dress.

I play a rogue in world of warcraft. I pvp a lot, and have abilities mapped to keys all over the left side of my keyboard. My mouse (logitech mx510) also has abilities mapped all over it. I'd love to find a performance gaming mouse with more then the 'standard' buttons on it so I can have more abilities to hand when I need them! This mouse looks like it could be bringing what I need...

And the only thing similar to the G9 is that it's the same shade of BLACK. Oh, and it had buttons on it... if you wanna be picky, though, you could say that they ripped off Douglas Engelbart's mouse!

/db

Score: 0

By Latz !

edited Aug 23, 2007 - 11:40 AM

No, they are both boxy and very uncomfortable looking. They look much more similar than just being black. Besides, good performance doesn't require the mouse to look like ass, it's not like you have to choose one or the other. I don't like the smooth mouse wheel on this thing either, or course I'd have to try it to know for sure but seems grip would be a problem. Those ugly stereo knobs on the side don't help matters. The G5 laser mouse looks nice and has great performance.

Score: 0

By mrow

posted Aug 22, 2007 - 5:30 PM

To be honest it doesn't look at comfortable as the Logitech gaming mouses but I'd be willing to give it a try.

Score: 0

By seiten

edited Feb 14, 2008 - 9:29 PM

Its not small compared to the razer and g9 series but it fits the whole hand like a glove.
The one main draw is the macros it carries.Got a enemy shooting behind your back? Press a button and do a full 180 degree turn to meet your enemy faster than u can do wif manually!
Rem it also records keystrokes( u can also delay the timing) as well..good for dota and WoW players.

Score: 0

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