Recieved the Intellimouse Explorer for Christmas. Husband paid $60 for it. About in May I noticed that something wasn't quite right with it. Then about a month later it was not grabbing things like it should jumping around just not working like it should. I downloaded the new drivers but that didn't help. Then I heard that Microsoft was replacing them. So I went to the site and sure enough mine fit in with what they were replacing. I sent it in. And to my suprise in about 2 weeks I recieved a mouse back. But they said that one number was wrong on mine and so it wasn't one to be replaced. I got instead the Intellimouse Optical. It is about the same thing but in the store costs about $20 dollars less. But this thing is so slippery it is very hard to hold on to and I am forever hitting the back button because of that. Not the only problem. It acts just like the other one did. I will be dragging something and the pointer will go on ahead of what I am dragging and sometimes when I go to point at something it will jump off a little. I like the optical part of the mouse but would it be better just to buy a bunch of mice with the ball and throw them away when they get sticky, and cleaning don't work anymore? I know there is nothing that can be done and I have learned a lesson -- you get what you pay for has some exceptions..lol. Is there an optical mouse that works better than the Microsoft one? I don't want to put out that kind of money again only to have it fail. Thanks Janet

is the mouse a USB? if it is then i understand why it sucks in windows. you would think USB would be faster than PS/2 but it's not I own a logitech optical and it has USB but they give you a green USB to PS/2 adapter for it and I first installed it into the USB thinking that it would work better but to my suprise I had worse symptoms than what your explaining. So I put the adapter on and I love my mouse now. Logitech mice also come with a program that lets you adjust everything about the mouse, the scroll (third middle button) the reaction rate and a few other things. Microsoft has something a little similar in control panel but I don't think it works well. If you want to try it (I don't know if you have already) just click start\settings\control panel\mouse then at the top of the screen click motion and you can sorta adjust the speed of the mouse in the Pointer speed option. If this does'nt help I would advise getting a logitech Mouse, I bought mine for 14.99 but have not checked prices latley.I found one for $12.95 online that's w/S&H already added here's the link http://www.l-buy.com/showitem.asp?item=MS-LOB69

I have been using a Logitech optical mouse for a while and it works pretty good. Got it a Office Max for about $25.

Thanks Paul and GlennC. I used the adapter from the start and I have gone into the mouse program and adjusted things. I set it slower and then faster and it don't change. I think it is the mouse itself. I think I will take your advise and get a Logitech mouse and Office Max is the only computer store we have close. The reason I have not gotten really upset is that I think it is going to take a while for things to work really well with XP. And I like it so maybe the next generation of things will work better in here. I have a Lexmark X73 that does not play well with XP and it took them less than a year to come out with X75. So I think things will get better. But I really hate the ball mouse. Thanks again.....Janet