Microsoft Sidewinder X8 Mouse -- Unboxing and Hands-on Impressions
Microsoft Sidewinder X8 Mouse -- Unboxing and Hands-on Impressions
Posted 02/24/2009 at 3:45pm
| by Norman Chan
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Look what the mail truck dragged in! After first announcing the X8 in early September (where we got our first look and photos of the mouse), Microsoft has finally shipped the latest addition to the Sidewinder gaming mouse family. The X8 adopts Microsoft’s proprietary Bluetrack technology, which empowers it with 4000 DPI tracking resolution (scalable from 500) and the ability to work on almost any surface. We tested this claim on five different surfaces, from a rough wood desk to Styrofoam board and even coarse carpet. The mouse worked fine (though understandable not perfectly smooth) on all of our test surfaces, and only failed when we tried moving it over glass.
The shipping version doesn’t differ much from the pre-production model we fondled back in September, and retained the nice grip and smart button placement that we liked from our first hands-on. The included rechargable battery was a cinch to install, and tethering the mouse to the thin magnetic cord didn’t hinder our sweeping mouse movements. The wireless receiver is built into a clunky puck-like disc that sits on your desk, which ensures that you get better reception than if the receiver was hidden on a USB key behind your PC. The X8 still feels big for some hands, but our initial impression is that this is a winner. We’ll post our full review soon, but for now, enjoy these sexy unboxing and handling photos.
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yourss
December 06, 2010 at 12:06am
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Pyrophorics
February 25, 2009 at 7:27am
Don't kid yourself with M$ hardware. They do put a good product together but do it with cheap parts.
I bought myself the Wireless Entainment Desktop ($300+) back when it was released. I had problems with M$ hardware in the past but figured with such an expensive keyboard that it had to have some quality to it. Needless to say, I returned it a week later.
The finish of the keyboard was painted on. Each key was painted leaving the actual letter/number/symbol clear so that the back lighting could shine through. Since they used a cheap paint, it started to rub off after only one week. With the paint coming off the keys, you could no longer see what letter/number/symbol it was and the back lighting would shine through the whole key.
The lettering and even the M$ logo that was used for the Windows key were all cheap plastic pieces that were actually GLUED on.
Lastly, the sensor used in the wireless mouse was HORRIBLE and so was the wireless dongle included.
My Logitech diNivo Edge on the other hand is such a quality build. Taken care of properly and with normal usage I have had this keyboard for over a year and have not had one problem with it. This includes the wireless dongle and battery life.
I also own a G9 and it has been the greatest/best quality mouse I have ever owned.
Point of that long ass reply? M$ never makes quality hardware. Heck, they can hardly even be considered as making quality software.
Keith E. Whisman
February 25, 2009 at 1:49pm
now now everyones experiences are different. I have never had any problems with MS hardware. I had a MS natural keyboard for 5years until I replaced it with the Logitech Desktop Wave. That Natual Keyboard was the best I've ever used. Back in the day the original Microsoft Mouse was the best money could buy because it was smooth to use and didn't get jittery so quickly. The MS explorer mouse was the first to do away with balls and was the best mouse money could buy for a long time. I still use a MS sidewinder 3Dpro joystick for my FSX gaming and a MS Xbox360 controller for enjoying GTA4. The MS Xbox360 controller has been lauded as being the best gamepad ever made.
So you see not everthing MS makes is crap it's just your experience hasn't been the best. Perhaps you just got products that were made late on a Friday evening you know? Not everything they make is great like the webcams and such and like most companies they make alot of crap until they get a winner. It's just that they really have some good winning hardware.
And I am not a fan boy. Fair is fair though.
Antilogic81
February 25, 2009 at 3:58pm
Keith's right, I love my Habu, works great. And it's generally regarded as a faulty product.
sklep
February 24, 2009 at 7:10pm
wireless gaming mouse??? not for serious fps gamers. I'll stick to g5.
Keith E. Whisman
February 25, 2009 at 2:35am
Now now wireless gaming mice have been around for quite a while now. The first true wireless gaming mouse was the Logitech MX700 and I got it when it first came out and I recently gave it to a friend that was still using a mouse with a ball in it. Can you believe they still make mice with balls? I worked on his PC and that mouse just pissed me off. I got so mad I stormed out of his house and returned with my old MX700, I dusted it off, reinserted the original rechargable batteries and hooked it up to his computer. That mouse works as good today as it did when I first bought it more than four years ago.
These wireless mice use a frequency that matches that of USB so there is no lag. You really can't tell the difference between a really good gaming wireless mouse and a USB mouse when it comes to speed. Mice these days are really optics limited and what I mean by that is the resolution of the camera in the mouse that is used for tracking.
Devo85x
February 24, 2009 at 6:19pm
Now I regret buying the sidewinder mouse I have right now since I bought it in the last year... whatever, guess Ill always need a new mouse for my next build :)
Keith E. Whisman
February 24, 2009 at 5:06pm
Compelling, I may get one of these when my G5 mouse dies or I grow tired of it what ever comes first.
Primus2112
February 24, 2009 at 6:47pm
tried the sidewinder (then sold it dirt cheap) for a while but ended up going back to my G5... The G5 to me is more ergonomic and I like the side scroll feature on the scroll wheel that the sidewinder does not have.
DRAGONWEEZEL
February 24, 2009 at 4:52pm
O.K. I am a mouse whore, I admit it. Moreover, I am a whore for mice w/ many buttons in comfortable spots.
I was pissed to find out that the Logitech MX1000 was being tossed asside. I went out and bought gaming mice at best buy. Mice is correct there, because I bought a g5, and a sidewinder, and a couple other mice (a Razor, and something else that sucked). I liked the Sidewidner, and loved the "auto flip" and the dpi on the fly switching, but it's lack of buttons frustrated me, and I couldn't configure it to work the way I wanted w/o losing some features. It was big, but perfect for me cause I have big hands. I continued trying them all and returned the ones I didn't like, which ended up being all of them. I had become too acustomed to the luxury of multiple mouse buttons.
Then I found and fel in love w/ the MX Revolution. It has more buttons than anyone knows what to do with (except me). The only thing the revolution lacks is DPI switching, and the "middle" button on the second scroll wheel needs to be a little "firmer." otherwise it's perfect... it gets a 9/10 kick ass awarded by me.
My real issue is that not only can I ROCK UT3 (though it'd be even better w/ a sidewinder), but I Play WoW also. It's extremely frustrating because a sidewinder would be so much fun for TF2, but I can't use it at all for WoW, it's missing the buttons necessary to bind actions to. I had to settle for the mouse that would get the better share of my game time, and so far the MX Revolution does not dissapoint.
How many buttons? I'm dying to know!
I WANT A MOUSE THAT KICKS ASS for both MMO AND FPS GAMES!!! The 2 I see on newegg, that might be better have crappy reviews.
So, I'll play w/ a revolution until something truly revolutionary pipes my tune and makes my $ follow a different mouse.
THERE ARE ONLY 11 TYPES OF PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD. Those that think binary jokes are funny, those that don't, and those that don't know binary
averageGrod
February 25, 2009 at 9:09am
I adjust my sensitivity all the time in TF2. I also adjust it when launching different games. I know that most gaming mice have profiles I could set to remember my sensitivity setting for each game but because I can modify it on the fly I have never had to bother with setting that up or messing with the in game options. My mouse has three different settings and two buttons to switch between them on the fly. I miss it when I play on systems other than my own and it will factor into my future mouse purchases.
okron1k
February 24, 2009 at 6:41pm
i disagree with on the fly sensitivity adjustment being a marketing gimmick.
granted, most of the time you will stay on one setting, for me it is the medium setting on my G5. but there are times where you can use the adjustment for more accuracy.. for example: camping with AWP in CS:S. at first it's hard to get used to, but once you get used to it you will occassionally use it.
i use my G5 and adjust it's sensitity all without using Logitech's drivers as well.
johnny3144
February 24, 2009 at 8:00pm
i agree with you. the best example would be TF2. say if you play heavy, you will want higher sensitivity to turn around and spy check, while being a sniper require you to be slightly more accurate and percise with your shots. i use the sensitivit on the fly button at least few time each round.
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