Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse

Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse

features :

  • Play and Charge - Up to 30 hours of active gaming on a single charge, or use the play-and charge cable for non-stop action.
  • BlueTrack Technology - World¿s most advanced tracking technology for gaming with image processing of 13,000 frames per second.
  • 2.4 GHz Wireless - Built for lag-free play.
  • DPI Switching - Instantly switch sensitivity between high, medium, and low with one click.
  • 7 Programmable Buttons - Customize 5 programmable main buttons, plus left/right tilt, to your preference.
description : Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse - 4000 dpi - Play and Charge - 13000 FPS - Wireless See Details >>


Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Meet My New Great Mouse, March 11, 2009
This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse (Personal Computers)
This mouse is the best mouse I have owned and I like it better than any Logitech mouse. There I have said it.
To start off with this matches and compliments my Microsoft Sidewinder X6 keyboard. While this mouse is not for small hands, my hand is of normal size and the mouse feels good. The mouse comes with the Intellipoint software where you can really gear the mouse up as you would like. The X8 Mouse is a gaming cordless USB drive mouse with a round disk with one end plugged into a USB slot and then it gives a cord that rolls out from the disk that you attach to the base of the mouse when you want to recharge or use it as a corded mouse. It is the best of both worlds. No more swapping or changing batteries as the mouse can recharge from this method while you use it. When the included AA rechargable battery needs to be recharged the mouse pulsates its red color to let you know that it is time to recharge. There is even an On/Off switch to conserve batteries.
I h ave put this round disk that contains the wire to run or recharge the mouse out of sight under the opening I have at my desk. I even tested the mouse out on different surfaces form a desk to a rug to a bed and the mouse performs very well without missing a beat. There are different feet for the mouse, but I can not tell that there is much difference in the way the mouse performs or feels, but as stated the movement is fine without changing the feet on the bottom. On the front of the X8 you have three LCDs to change your DPI on the fly. This feature works very well and there is a noticable difference so it conforms to what your needs will be whether you use it for gaming or as just use it as your mouse of choice all of the time. It has up to 4000 DPI. The mouse itself has many buttons that are well laid out. You can customize some of them to fit your needs.
Now I must say that I have stayed away from these Microsoft mice in the past due to the smooth scrolling of the w heel. I can not stand that. It would feel like you have no contol of what you scroll. Well this mouse has detents on the scroll wheel so this dislike I have for other Microsoft mice is no longer an issue with the X8. The scroll wheel is also adjustable with its speed which is a must for me.
There are so may other features that I have not even bothered with as of yet. Yes, this is a Microsoft product, but forget that. The X8 mouse not only looks good, but is comfortable and performs flawlessly with evey feature a mouse can possess. I hope the sturdy feel of the mouse holds up over time, but I am quite pleased with not only the X6 Sidewinder keyboard, but just as pleased with the X8 Sidewinder mouse. At this point I give the X8 Sidewinder Mouse the highest rating.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Decent mouse with many unique features (Update), March 21, 2009
This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse (Personal Computers)
I've had the Microsoft Sidewinder X8 for about a week now and so far I've been liking it. I previously used a Logitech MX518, and although it wasn't a bad mouse, it started wearing off and felt that it was time to get a new one. My top priorities for a new mouse were decent DPI, fits big hands well and relatively new with up to date technology. Through various reviews and browsing forums I concluded on getting the Microsoft Sidewinder mouse (its precursor). However, just when I was about to purchase the mouse, I heard Microsoft was coming up with an updated version next month. So I waited.

The major differences between the Sidewinder X8 and the Sidewinder are increased DPI (from 2000 to 4000), wireless, and lack of adjustable weights. I was quite surprised to not see adjustable weights but it is not something I worry about. Some gamers might question the wireless on a gaming mice due to lag but Microsoft has stated they did intensive testing and found no difference in latency between wired mouses and the Sidewinder X8.

Installation of the software was a breeze. Once that was completed, I plugged in the USB and as soon as I started using the Sidewinder X8 I noticed a significant tracking improvement over the MX518--it's much more precise and this was at 2000 DPI. The vertical side buttons are as good, if not slightly better than the horizontal ones. I've rarely used them on the MX518, but on the Sidewinder X8 I use it much more often. But they may take awhile getting used to them. The rest of the buttons work great and haven't had a problem with setting up a macro on the macro button. The LCD screen showing the battery metre and DPI is a nice touch as well.

The wireless receiver is shaped like a puck and its charger wire is wrapped around making it very easy to extend. The magnetic end on the charger wire allows it easily to snap on to the mouse. If your battery is dead (which didn't happen for awhile) you can sti ll use the mouse as soon as it attaches. Inside the puck contains two different mouse feet pads in addition to the default ones on the mouse. I tried them all and there is a slight difference between them but opted to leave the default ones on. However, I noticed they easily attract moist and accumulate scratches. I'm afraid that this might disrupt the smooth movements although I have not noticed any so far.

One problem that has slightly annoyed me involves the grip of the mouse. My hands are on the large side and felt that the mouse would ergonomically accommodate for it. But when I put my hand on the mouse, the index finger on the left click and the middle finger on the right click, my ring finger does not fall into its groove correctly. This causes my ring finger to hit the top of the groove which isn't a good feel. The groove is very linear and the only way for my ring finger to fit nicely into the groove is to move my hand a bit back. But doing so weakens my grip . This whole problem is most likely due to my hand composition as I have not heard any complaints related to that matter. On the contrary, when holding the mouse with the index finger on left click, middle finger on the scroll wheel and the ring finger on the right click, it fits perfectly! My pinky sits flawlessly onto the groove. But is it worth the change?

Concluding:

Pros:
- Incredible tracking with 4000 DPI
- Wireless with great battery life
- Customizable buttons

Cons:
- Not the best mouse feet pads
- Not for small hands
- Questionable grip

*** UPDATE ***
It seems that this mouse has not been the greatest. The BlueTrack is supposed to track on anything, and at a hard soft surface as a desk it did jump a few times. Maybe it can be fixed with a firmware upgrade?
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars not bad, but there are better, January 2, 2010
By 
Brian Dowrick (Hawthorne, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse (Personal Computers)
I got this mouse with the hope of having more control with my right hand. More buttons that I could program. It's not a bad mouse, but could use some redesigning. I actually prefer my original wireless mouse. the Logitec Logitech MediaPlay Cordless Mouse- Blue. It has two easy-to-target, programable, thumb buttons, and two not so easy to target dedicated volume control buttons. It also has next song/ last song control on the right.
The Sidewinder has two easy-to-target, programable, thumb buttons, and one difficult to target dedicated button. Most of the buttons on this mouse are already predetermined. You have Left, right, and center click, as well as scroll wheel (which is also the center button) that has left/right tilting, and two North/South thumb buttons. You also get a hard to hit thumb button (not sure what it do es yet, but it's not programable), and 3 sensitivity setting buttons under your palm along with a second power button. So, in total you get 5 programable buttons (3 finger, 2 thumb). I was hoping for more.
The mouse itself is a bit bulky. I like to hold the mouse with my fingers, and do broad movements with my forearm, and fine movements by resting my palm on the table and moving my fingers around. So I like a little play between the mouse and the boney part of my palm. This has none. It's made for people who like to hold the mouse firmly in their palm.
It's also a bit heavy, and has 3 different feet you can switch out for your style of sliding around.
It's rechargeable.
The sensitivity is a bit strange as well. The left/right sensitivity is a bit less then the North/South. I find that I have to do broader motions to look left and right, but only a slight movement up, will have me looking at the ceiling. This takes some getting used to.
If I re-desig ned this mouse, I'd make it lighter, less bulky, move the thumb buttons back about an inch, and add 1 or 2 more thumb buttons either in a plus formation, or two over two. I'd also push the mouse theory by adding another button either on the LeftClick, or RightClick part of the mouse that was higher up (about where your second knuckle is) so you could do two different clicks with one finger.
It's not a bad mouse, but could use some reworking.
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Everglide Dkt Keyboard Black Board

Everglide Dkt Keyboard Black Board

features :

description : See Details >>


Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome keyboard, gorgeous lighting!, May 19, 2009
This review is from: Everglide Dkt Keyboard Black Board (Personal Computers)
I've used this keyboard for just under a year with a Mac from my couch. I can't make use of the dedicated hotkeys, since there aren't any OSX drivers, but it matches my Razer DeathAdder and my Belkin n52te perfectly.

The lighting is gorgeous, and is spread out evenly through and between the keys. The metal casing looks and feels great, and has a nice weight to it. Nothing about it is cheap feeling. The keyboard is nice and compact, but still features a full sized Num Pad, which is important to me. I tried a lot of different keyboards before deciding on this one, and I wouldn't trade it for anything (yet).
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Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander

Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander

features :

  • 6 programmable buttons
  • 3 shift buttons
description : Used - like new (used only a few times then put it back in the box). Adult owned. See Details >>


Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Enhancement for NovaLogic's Black Hawk Down!, February 23, 2004
By 
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander (Personal Computers)
When I learned of this device from a friend, I had two questions: "Does it work with NovaLogic's "Black Hawk Down" game and "How much does it cost?" TO answer the first question, I contacted NovaLogic and asked them if this device would work with BHD - however, they informed me that BHD was not designed for 'game controllers'. Since this device is NOT a 'game controller (joystick, gamepad, etc) I concluded it would work fine (additionally, my friend also uses his for BHD as well). So I purchased it. As to the cost? Well, that is variable depending on where you get it.

It took me a couple of minutes to install the Commander on my XP system (USB), and I was programming the buttons shortly thereafter. Note: This does *not* replace your mouse or keyboard. It is a great addition to allow you to move your character around, perform things like crouch, jump, reload, lean, roll, hop, go prone, select weapon, emote, etc all from just 6 keys. It comes pre-pro grammed to allow you to move it forward and sideways to replace the keyboard directional keys (it does not "roll" on the desktop, rather, the top unit 'slides' (Forward, Backwards, Left, Right) on top of the stationary base. It also has a 'twist' function, if you desire that can be programmed as well.

Since it's designed for LEFT hand use, I found it took a short time to get used to it while mousing with my right hand (I keep the mouse for the LOOK functions and scope functions). It feels solid on my desktop and is easy to use. It does not slide around due to the rubber feet.

You can 'record' and program keyboard shortcuts on the fly (with the RECORD button), or you can use the interface program to program your buttons. Each button has a function along with three "shift" functions (the shift button is beneath your thumb). All told, it will handle up to 72 keyboard (macro) commands (arrows, scroll lock, etc) so you do not have to take your hand off t he controller to do in-game functions. NOTE: This is not a "CHEAT" - it just allows you to move your hand faster and not lose your concentration. (You can also program multiple keyboard combinations as well as a one-button 'macro')

All in all, it's worth the money. You can switch from 3 profiles on the fly - and you can save and load mappings as well. For instance, you can have one profile as a gunner, one for a medic, one for a sniper, etc.

As it works well with BHD, I'd expect the same to be true for "Battlefield: 1942" and other 3D combat games. It comes with profiles for about 30 other games (2D strategy games like Ages of Empires, etc).

Retail price for this is about (and I could never find one locally) but you can find it online for much less (probably less than half of the MSR price - I got mine for about + shipping). I've been using mine for several days and I'm very happy with it. It definitely enhances the game.

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Strategic Commander, November 8, 2002
By 
"dinosaurus" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Microsoft Sidewinder Strategic Commander (Personal Computers)
I've been using it for about a year now and I can't imagine playing any FPS without it. I only use one of the available 3 profiles, since 18 keys more than enough for me. I haven't had any problems with it -- except that I can't put it down.

The problem for those of us who are keyboard challenged is that -- even if you optimize your keyboard binds for movement, weapon selection and chats -- you can never find the key you want fast enough. You have to stop playing and think about which key you want. In most FPS games, today that is longer than it takes to miss the opportunity and give your opponents the score.

This is the perfect human-machine interface. After you play with it for a while, you forget its there. You are totally submerged in the action and you never have think about the machine. It does take some time to choose your configuration and learn the shift-button combos, but after that it's entirely transparent. Put your most frequently used keystrokes o n the first 6 buttons. You used your thumb on one of the three thumb-shift buttons to use keys 7-18. It's easy once you get the hang of it.

If you need a new bind during the game, you just turn on the record button and select the button you want to bind. That's it. Instant config change.

If you play several games with different key assignments, the profile switch allows you to toggle the configuration at will. I find that 18 programmable buttons more than sufficient on the first position, but you can program all 72. You'd want to group the buttons for each profile carefully though, because the profile selection button is a three-position slider which you wouldn't want to change a lot.

Another thing to consider: you use your arm to control your direction in the game, which is very different if your are used to using a keyboard to strafe and change direction quickly. It's not hard, it's just different.

The only draw back I can find is that I find it very di fficult to adapt when I'm playing on someone elses machine, or at the office. Shhhhhhhhh!

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The best Product for 3D Animation Software!, September 25, 2004

Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows

Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows

features :

  • 13 programmable functions via buttons and hat switch
  • 100-percent digital technology for better accuracy and simple autocalibration
  • Easy-to-use Keyset Manager software
  • Smooth-action rotary throttle
  • 8-way point-of-view hat switch and built-in 2-player connector
description : The digital version of Gravis's popular Blackhawk joystick is an excellent all-around peripheral at a decent price. With a variety of preprogrammed key sets as well as the easy-to-use Gravis Xperience software for personalizing the stick with your favorite games, it's a solid combat and racing joystick. The Blackhawk Digital contains five action buttons as well as an eight-way POV hat switch for superb twitch control and a rotary throttle controlled by your left hand. It also features a pass-through game port, allowing you to connect more than one device for head-to-head gaming. The digital technology allows for greater accuracy and easier calibration during setup. The heavy, round base provides adequate support, and the molded plastic handgrip is comfortable. Even with a thick base, the entire unit is rather compact and won't take up much desk space. We especially liked the feel during flight sims, where we could almost fly one-handed, with the solid base and the nice stick spring-bac See Details >>


Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant Joystick, October 14, 2000
By 
This review is from: Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows (Personal Computers)
This is an excellant joystick for the price. It is heavy at five lbs. with a wide base making it very stable. The handgrip is very comfortable and the buttons are well placed. It has worked with every game I have played. The only drawback is the software. It allows you to preset your buttons for every game you play and to save the settings. However it is very complicated and will take some time to figure out. It doesn't twist for rudder control, but I never seen one that did at this price. It has serial and USB connections so thats not a problem either. You can't do any better for the price!
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Most comfortable!, January 30, 2001
By 
"chrisfromindy" (franklin, In United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows (Personal Computers)
The Blackhawk joysticks are the most comfortable sticks in a persons' hand. The right-side of the joystick has a molded piece of plastic that cradles your hand. All the other sticks have some sort of hand support but the Blackhawk has the best. You may want your fancy buttons and triggers but the question you must ask is "Do I want fancy buttons and hand cramping or do i want a joystick that feels like it's made for my hand?" Go Gravis Blackhawk!!!
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars very responsive, December 15, 2000
By 
"kreyze74" (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows (Personal Computers)
I orginaly bot this for use with sports games. Boy was i surprised by how much easier the game was with the joy stick.It had all the buttons i needed and more when i moved the stick so would the person. Ifound this more conveniant then a game pad because i hat a free hand so if i needed to do something on the keyboard it would be alot easier. I really like this joystick and gravis did a very good job on it. i highly recomend yhis to anyone who likes to play alot of games on the computer. the best joystick game i have played on the computer is combat flight simulator 2
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BUY NOW Gravis G10171B Blackhawk Digital Joystick for Windows