Decisions, decisions: Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse vs Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX

I'm looking for a new wireless mouse and having a hard time picking between these two mice. According to my research so far...

Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse:

Pros:
- Dirt cheap (I can pick one up for $10 right now)

Cons:
- Fewer buttons/features
- Bigger receiver

Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX:

Pros:
- Darkfield is better than Bluetrack, though I don't see myself using either mouse on glass in the near future
- Better materials/build quality
- Unified receiver (I have a Logitech K750 keyboard)

Cons:
- Expensive
- Requires 2 AA batteries vs Microsoft's single AA battery
- No middle click (which I use all the time on hyperlinks to open new tabs)

Would any owners of these products like to add to the pros/cons or provide their subjective experiences to help me decide?

 

I'll eliminate 1 (maybe 2) cons of anywhereMX for u :

- it can uses 1 battery only
- you can assign middle click to the button behind scrollwheel.

I've tried one of microsoft cheap mouse before (Bluetrack mobile mouse 3500 )
And it feels so cheap, I don't like the build quality, seeing it's not really that cheap for price. (around $30)

 

I've used both MS and Logitech, and IMO the Anywhere Mouse MX is the best portable mouse that I've found. It feels smooth on screen and feels better built.

 

I would go with the Anywhere Mouse MX. The
Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse, is a nice mouse but having a dongle about half the size as the mouse...I wouldn't like that.

Picture comparison of both:



If you want to stay w/Microsoft's family of mice w/Blue Track Technology, you may want to try the Microsoft Mobile Mouse 6000, with a "small" receiver like the one on the Anywhere Mouse MX. I have the MM6000, and it's been a very nice mouse (have owned it for close to 2 years) : )

http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wireless-Mobile-Mouse-6000/dp/B0025ZH43O/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

 

I have both at work, since they gave me the Mouse MX free. I bought my own MS mini mouse and like it better. Typical white/gray desktop surface.
They aren't miles apart in performance though, so you may be happy with either. I just had a chance to use both.

 

Thanks for the feedback everyone I'm leaning heavily towards the Anywhere Mouse now.

There is 1 final thing though - price is the main reason why I'm considering the Explorer. If the 2 mice were similarly priced, the Anywhere Mouse would win by a long shot, but does the Anywhere Mouse truly provide 4x as much value (at $40) as the Explorer? From what FXi is saying, it sounds like that's a "no".

 

I think that at $39.99 the Anywhere MX is a good investment. I would purchase. Also, have you considered any other MS B.Track Technology mice?

 

I have looked at Microsoft's other mice, but most of them either lack back/forward buttons, which I've gotten accustomed to from my desktop's Logitech G5, or they cost considerably more, in which case the price advantage over the Anywhere Mouse MX is eliminated yet the MS mouse remains unable to match Logitech's proprietary advantages.

Maybe I'll buy both, test each one out for a week or so, and take the one I don't like as much back to the store

 

I see I think that is a good idea about testing them out to see which one you like best, that way you will know for sure!

I have this feeling you might end up like the Anywhere Mouse MX best

 

I picked up both mice at Best Buy today (no restocking fee! I'll be buying online when I make the final decision anyway) and used each one for a couple of hours with both my desktop computer (on my lacquered desk, which is shiny enough to confuse optical mice but not laser mice) and my laptop (purposely placed on a glass coffee table). Here are my first impressions:

Ergonomics: Both mice are the perfect size and feel good in my hand using a palm grip. I have slender hands with long fingers though, so laptop mice suit me better than desktop mice do. Those with big hands will probably find both mice a bit too small and cramped for long-term use. At any rate, the mice don't give me pain and cramps the way my Logitech G5 did during the first few months of ownership, until I changed the way was holding my mouse to something awkward.

Neither mouse is perfect though. With the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse, there's virtually no gap between the back/forward buttons, making them hard to use them by touch. Also, the Bluetrack LED is blindingly bright, like having a flashlight pointed at your face. Do not look directly at the bottom of the mouse while putting in the battery, or you'll be seeing stars for the next 30 seconds. With the Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX, the Application Switch button (which I reprogrammed into a middle click button thanks to crayonyes's advice) is too far back, though I suppose Logitech didn't have much of a choice. Neither is a big deal though, and I suppose that if I were to use the mice over a long period of time, I'd get used to them.

Performance: As expected, Darkfield is superior. Bluetrack doesn't work on glass (it doesn't claim to), but it doesn't work on glossy black plastic (the lid of my dad's HP laptop) either. Neither had trouble with my desk, but neither does my G5, which is a first-generation no-frills laser mouse. Aside from that, both mice work perfectly on just about every surface I could think of, and there were no noticeable delays or performance issues in the short time I've been using them. The range on both mice was just fine too, though I only tested from one end of the living room to the other. Both mice run at somewhere around 1000 DPI, which is slightly faster than the standard 800 DPI, but still manageable. Neither mouse has DPI switching, which would have been nice.

I prefer smooth scrolling, so I don't have a problem with the Explorer Mini Mouse's notchless wheel, but the Anywhere Mouse MX takes this one step further and lets you choose between traditional scrolling (one notch at a time) and smooth scrolling.

I'm slightly disappointed with the Unifying Receiver though - there's no KVM functionality. I was hoping that with 2 of them (1 from my keyboard, 1 from my mouse) I'd be able to switch between the receiver plugged into my desktop and the one plugged into my laptop on the fly, but nope, the peripherals can only be paired with 1 computer at a time.

Build quality: The Anywhere Mouse MX is clearly a showcase of Logitech's 20+ years of experience at making peripherals. Logitech has grasped the "which areas should be smooth and which areas should be grippy?" issue perfectly. My only concern is with the paint job, which given my prior experiences with other Logitech mice, seems like it will start rubbing off in about 2-3 years at the point where my index finger touches the left click button.

Surprisingly, the Explorer Mini Mouse didn't look or feel cheap at all despite the low price tag. I suppose this is due to the fact that it used to be Microsoft's flagship $80 mouse a few years ago, though newer Bluetrack models like the 6000 that Cin' mentioned have since supplanted it, relegating it to the budget mouse market. In terms of looks, the Explorer Mini Mouse's silver/gray/black scheme makes the Anywhere Mouse MX look boring in comparison. In terms of materials, though, the Explorer Mini Mouse has "super smooth" (the shiny parts on top), "smooth" (the sides and mouse wheel), and a tiny bit of "grippy" (the black part, it's nowhere near as grippy as the Anywhere Mouse MX though). It doesn't feel like it'll slip out of my hand, but it's not nearly as... intuitive as the Anywhere Mouse MX.

In conclusion, while I like both mice at a glance, slightly moreso the Anywhere Mouse MX, there are areas of improvement I'd like to see in both. I'm definitely keeping the Explorer Mini Mouse and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality mouse on a budget. It's a step below the Anywhere Mouse MX, but hey, we're comparing a $10 mouse to a $40 mouse here. Considering how $10 is normally the realm of corded optical OEM mice, the fact that the Explorer Mini Mouse can mostly stand up to the Anywhere Mouse MX is amazing. You could definitely do a lot worse at that price level.

With the Anywhere Mouse MX, I have higher expectations due to the higher price tag. The Explorer Mini Mouse is already nearly perfect, so at $40, I'm expecting something entirely perfect, and this is where the Anywhere Mouse MX falls short. That said, I may end up keeping both and replacing my desktop's G5. Or I might take the Anywhere Mouse MX back and wait until its successor comes out and Logitech slashes the price on it the way Microsoft has with the Explorer Mini Mouse, or perhaps I'll just get the Anywhere Mouse MX's successor if Logitech has fixed the issues mentioned above. We'll see over the coming weeks

 

yeah no on-the-fly switch,
for this reason I put shortcut to Logitech unifying on my notebooks.
plain simple to switch = open software, click pair new, off-on the mouse/KB. done
I also prepare Logitech Unifying installer on thumb drive for any other PC