Express Mouse: Features and Review of Microsoft Express Mouse

The Express Mouse, Microsoft’s most recent addition to its line of BlueTrack capable mice. Features an attractively colored red or grey rubber wire, scroll wheel, and a glossy white egg-shaped design with a unique off-centered USB cable to reduce resistance when the mouse is used on the right-hand side. Its compatible with both Windows and Mac OS X, the Express Mouse is essentially a plug-and-play operation.

The Express Mouse allows users to navigate their computer with its BlueTrack technology that is touted to outperform laser and optical mice. It can be used on more surfaces, from a picnic table, the living room floor, the armrest of a lobby chair, to the leg of a pair of pants. Because it is wired, it eliminates the worry of battery life for a trouble-free performance.

The Express Mouse almost resembles an egg with its smooth, ambidextrous elliptical shape. I thought it was decently comfortable, and the rubber bumper around the bottom gave my fingers something to rest on. The scroll wheel was a matching rubber, and felt like every other vertical scroll wheel.

The Express mouse design features the wire, rather than wishes it wasn’t there. The colored cable wraps around the product, forming a visual and tactile bumper. The cable exits the mouse from the front left corner, adding character and relieving cable stress for right-handed users. The simple clean silhouette allows the cable to remain highlighted and helps Microsoft make wired cool again.

Key Features of Express Mouse:

• Designed just right
• Fits comfortably in either hand
• BlueTrack Technology
• Get clicking with either hand
• Wired reliability
• Three customizable buttons

System Requirements for Express Mouse:

• Windows-based computer
• Macintosh-based computer
• Operating System: Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP (excluding Windows XP 64-bit)

The good:

• Easy scrolling
• Easy clicking
• BlueTrack Technology
• Inexpensive
• Excellent tracking
• Decently comfortable
• Attractive, comes in a variety of accent colors

The bad:

• No extra customizable buttons
• Strange cord placement for left-handed users

The bottom line: The Express Mouse is an attractive, offers a basic set of features focused on simplicity and reliability. It is simple wired desk mouse with the added bonus of BlueTrack technology. Its low price makes it a reasonable choice for those searching for a no-frills device.