Anyone who uses a computer at work or home knows just how important a mouse is to its overall function. Without a mouse it is pretty much useless. The beloved computer mouse started its journey relying on a small rubber ball surrounded by some rolling sensors. Since that time it has evolved into quite a piece of technology. The advent of optical and laser mice was heralded as the next big thing. Well it was, and the addition of wireless technology was even better. However, not everything is roses in the mouse department, given that the existing technology does not work on every surface out there. I myself even have trouble at my home office given that my Ikea desk does not allow the red laser mouse to read all the time.

Well Microsoft has stepped up in an effort to evolve the mouse even further. They have developed a new technology called BlueTrack which they claim fixes many of these issues. They claim it can be used on virtually any surface including wood, marble, granite, carpet, and fabric. I myself was quite excited to hear this given that my home office desk has been a problem for me now and then, and the fact that when I take my laptop on the road (my primary computer) I do not always have the best surfaces to use a mouse on. Microsoft was kind enough to send us here at GameBoyz the new Microsoft Explorer Mouse with BlueTrack technology for review. So how does this thing stack-up, read on.

What’s in the Package?

Included in the Explorer Mouse’s package is the mouse, a 2.4GHz receiver, a software disc, a rechargeable AA battery, and a charger. When I opened up the package’s contents, and spread it all over my desk, I was pretty surprised with the look, feel and weight of the mouse. I have been using a corded mouse for my laptop for quite sometime and the thing is pretty light. However, when I first put the Wireless Explorer mouse in my hand I found it somewhat heavy. I attributed to the fact that there is some pretty new technology under the hood, and that it is wireless.

What is this BlueTrack Technology?

I thought it would be prudent to explain what Microsoft’s new BlueTrack technology is all about before I get into my impressions. After doing the usual Wikipeda search, and then scouring tech sites to get a good explanation, I finally hit up Microsoft’s own website to see what they had to say. Lo and behold I was able to get a pretty good understanding, but for me to put it in my own words would not do it justice. Therefore I quote the following from Microsoft’s website:

“BlueTrack Technology—How It Works

Microsoft-Designed CMOS Chip

The Explorer Mouse uses a proprietary, Microsoft-designed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chip with advanced algorithms and pixel architecture for more precise tracking. It is Microsoft's fourth-generation application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) using CMOS technology.

Blue Specular Optics

Microsoft's proprietary high-angle imaging optics generate more exact surface images—even of shiny surfaces such as granite and marble—instead of blurry, out-of-focus images, as can be produced by many of the leading laser mice. And blue light helps create high-resolution, high-contrast images for better navigation.

Four Times Wider and More Diffuse Beam for Better Imaging and Tracking

The wider beam enables illumination of a larger surface area and allows more light to return to the sensor. This helps for tracking on irregular surfaces such as carpet, where a smaller beam could get lost between the individual fibers. The BlueTrack Technology light source is optimized to provide illumination at the tracking surface that is more uniform than current laser or optical mice.

This illumination is accomplished by using a new optical element, never before used in a mouse. The light source is encapsulated in a diffusing optic that smoothes out hot spots within the illumination profile. While the concept of diffused lighting is well known, the application of diffused light sources to mice is a Microsoft proprietary technology.

Incoherent Blue Light

Laser mice use coherent light that's easily disrupted by dust and dirt, leading to poor tracking. The Explorer Mouse's incoherent blue light doesn't have the extreme sensitivity to dust, so the signal quality is maintained. This means your mouse will provide excellent performance even in a less than clean environment—you'll get great precision performance in a dusty workshop or outdoors just as you do on an ideal clean surface.”

Ok, does that make sense? Techno-babble aside, it is my basic understanding that the new CMOS sensor combined with the way that blue light is diffused is more accurate to read then other laser or optical mice. So that, in a nutshell, is how BlueTrack technology works.