Rating: 
Summary: Good value, average performance
Review: BackgroundI bought this mouse for $19.99 to replace a Logitech MX500 that got lost while I was moving to another state. In the past I've used both Logitech and Microsoft mice and this is the first Kensington input device that I have ever purchased. What I liked: - Very good price: rebates aside, you can't find another 5-button optical mouse at this same price
- Light and comfortable to use: The black rubber-like material is especially nice.
- Good tracking: I've had no problems with skipping or jittering
- Very good drivers: the included software allows you to easily customize the button functionality Some problems: - Button placement: Like the other reviewers, I found it difficult ot reach the far side button which is placed such that it is against the middle of my pinkie.
- Scroll wheel: The scroll wheel is fairly resistant and it "clicks" more than I like. Conclusions: The Optical Elite is a good mouse if you are looking for an upgrade of an existing non-optical or non-5-button mouse. It's a great value and you won't be disappointed. However, the saying "you get what you pay for" applies here and it is simply not as good as comparable 5-button mice from Logitech or Microsoft. In particular, I think Logitech's MX series feels more comfortable to the hand and I have heard that they are far better for gamers due to their superior tracking (I've noticed no difference in everyday usage). Keep in mind, however, that comparable Logitech or Microsoft mice cost $10-30 more and are with the exception of the MX310 for right-handed people only. Therefore, take these considerations into account when purchasing.
Rating:
Summary: Good value, average performance
Review: Both Logitech and Kensington mice used. Comparable quality. Incomparable software support. This particular model earns a 3 only because of specific button placement issues. Overall a fair mouse, but not the best to buy whether shopping Kensington or any brand. I recommend their wireless optical mice, and their trackballs (****). For mouse with tails, check out a few Logitech (*****), again be just as picky, or many Targus mice (**** & 1/2), especially for USB (friggin' awesome) Kensington overview: *** Pluses: Great Hardware as a rule, with extremely few exceptions. Usually very esthetic and ergonomic. Good quality Devices. This particular mouse is not as great as others. I picked up their Wireless Optical Mouse (model #K72219) and it is awesome. ** Minuses: Problems with software (driver) support, mostly attributed to Microsoft and not Kensington. Windows XP Pro SP1 on my HP was missing essential drivers that are extremely common. Still working out that situation :( (remember, though...software support has to be attributed to all parties involved, not just the hardware manufacturer...this is an OS maker's failure. XP seems to be missing dozens of often used, even essential drivers. Small frustrations easily overcome with a little help from a friend. Customer support (***stars): Respectful and mostly sincere, prompt, but limited. Answers are directed toward the clueless and towards small errors (though this does resolve 80%+ of issues and should always be the first step to troubleshooting, it is comparable to asking me to do a hardware reset of my cable modem 5 times in a row...after 3 f**k it and try actually solving the problem;) Software support (***): Software not included with my product, though easily downloaded from the site. Software is very direct with many useful options and good design. Detection of hardware was an issue at first. Hardware (****.5stars): Awesome designs, quality hardware peripherals. Probably some of the best on the market, save a few Targus mice and probably 3 or 4 Logitech mice. Overall features (****): Symmetric [ambidexterity], very ergonomic (other models), wheels (usually) smooth, good quality optics and decent plug-and-play detection. My recommendation, don't buy this particular model. Shop around for other Kensington and Targus mice, never ruling out Logitech for their good support and good quality. Buy optical usb, if wireless be prepared, but do not expect, minor "wrinkles" in installation. PS/2 mice usually work fine, too. Wireless tends to work fine, don't be scared, just have a backup (old PS/2). Window shop in store or at conventions to actually feel the mice. Read reviews. Make sure software support is available. Good luck and I hope your hands are happy :)
Rating: 
Summary: Kensington Mice overview and specifics
Review: Both Logitech and Kensington mice used. Comparable quality. Incomparable software support. This particular model earns a 3 only because of specific button placement issues. Overall a fair mouse, but not the best to buy whether shopping Kensington or any brand. I recommend their wireless optical mice, and their trackballs (****). For mouse with tails, check out a few Logitech (*****), again be just as picky, or many Targus mice (**** & 1/2), especially for USB (friggin' awesome) Kensington overview: *** Pluses: Great Hardware as a rule, with extremely few exceptions. Usually very esthetic and ergonomic. Good quality Devices. This particular mouse is not as great as others. I picked up their Wireless Optical Mouse (model #K72219) and it is awesome. ** Minuses: Problems with software (driver) support, mostly attributed to Microsoft and not Kensington. Windows XP Pro SP1 on my HP was missing essential drivers that are extremely common. Still working out that situation :( (remember, though...software support has to be attributed to all parties involved, not just the hardware manufacturer...this is an OS maker's failure. XP seems to be missing dozens of often used, even essential drivers. Small frustrations easily overcome with a little help from a friend. Customer support (***stars): Respectful and mostly sincere, prompt, but limited. Answers are directed toward the clueless and towards small errors (though this does resolve 80%+ of issues and should always be the first step to troubleshooting, it is comparable to asking me to do a hardware reset of my cable modem 5 times in a row...after 3 f**k it and try actually solving the problem;) Software support (***): Software not included with my product, though easily downloaded from the site. Software is very direct with many useful options and good design. Detection of hardware was an issue at first. Hardware (****.5stars): Awesome designs, quality hardware peripherals. Probably some of the best on the market, save a few Targus mice and probably 3 or 4 Logitech mice. Overall features (****): Symmetric [ambidexterity], very ergonomic (other models), wheels (usually) smooth, good quality optics and decent plug-and-play detection. My recommendation, don't buy this particular model. Shop around for other Kensington and Targus mice, never ruling out Logitech for their good support and good quality. Buy optical usb, if wireless be prepared, but do not expect, minor "wrinkles" in installation. PS/2 mice usually work fine, too. Wireless tends to work fine, don't be scared, just have a backup (old PS/2). Window shop in store or at conventions to actually feel the mice. Read reviews. Make sure software support is available. Good luck and I hope your hands are happy :)
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Optics and Sleek Blue Design
Review: Fantastic upgrade to my corded intellimouse - looks great with the black system and has smooth handling. programmable buttons are a great feature and the mouseworks software is simple to use. recommend this mouse to anyone in the market!
Rating: 
Summary: No acceleration and jerky movement
Review: I just replaced this Kensington optical wheel mouse with a Logitech dual optical mouse. The Kensington mouse did not have a smooth movement. Also, the "acceleration" feature did not function. The factory customer service rep said this is standard for Kensington mice, because the acceleration feature is for a trackball. The logitech dual optical mouse is such an improvement! The dual optical sensors make it really precise, with a smooth movement! Logitech has the best acceleration function that I have found in a mouse. Also, the mouse glides on the mouse pad, whereas the Kensington mouse seemed to stick, then slip, repeatedly. Summary: buy the Logitech dual optical mouse.
Rating:
Summary: Kensington Rules!
Review: I love this mouse, and I love this company. They really "get" it, from design, to drivers, and most importantly, service. This mouse is comfortable, and addresses the only flaw of its predecessor (a tendancy to slip when pressing the side buttons on the body of the mouse). I bought that one the day they announced Mac OS X drivers and threw the other mouse I had (rhymes with "blech") in a drawer. This mouse has all the buttons you could want, but not to a ridiculous extreme, and supports "chording" where you can assign additional functionality to multiple-button presses (i.e., both main buttons at once). Buy this mouse instead of some other company's! If you write a comment in your registration form on line, you may get a response from a Kensington executive, a sign of a clueful company.
Rating:
Summary: ah....no more cleaning mouseballs!
Review: I originally just wanted an optical mouse for work so that I didn't have to deal with cleaning my mouse's ball all the time...it was becoming quite tedious what with our sharing of workstations and everyone thinking their workstation is a picnic table...so i set out to find a cheap replacement for the problematic ballsy mouse I had. My search ended with the Kensington Optical Elite...I expected an el Cheapo mouse that was at the very least an inexpensive optical mouse. And I wouldn't have to clean my mouse's ball anymore. What I got was actually much much more. Kensington's MouseWorks software is awesome...and it came bundled with the not quite as ballsy mouse...and the second pair of buttons on the sides? Well...let me tell you, once you get accustomed to having them there, they really speed up productivity. I usually have them set for copy and paste, but they are application specific and I have them tuned for just about everything I do now. The mouse itself felt kind of chincy at first, but after using it for a couple days, it really is very comfortable to use, and I have now replaced my home mouse with this one as well. VERY good mouse for the money. OfficeDepot has a great price on these thru Amazon, you can't go wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Not Kensington's best...
Review: I went looking for another Kensington mouse since I needed another multi-button mouse for my work computer, and since I currently own a "Thinking Mouse" (an old pre-scrollwheel 4 button Mac ADB Kensington mouse) and a "MouseWorks" (pre-optical 4 + scroll wheel USB mouse), I had high hopes that I would like the Optical Elite as much as I like my other Kensington mice. I would still buy this mouse for the Kensington software if nothing else, but I find the thumb button and the other side button very annoying and much harder to use even after several months of use than their previous mice which had all four button on the top of the mouse. Overall its a pretty good mouse and the precision is great, but buttons 3 and 4 are hard to use.
Rating:
Summary: Not Kensington's best...
Review: I went looking for another Kensington mouse since I needed another multi-button mouse for my work computer, and since I currently own a "Thinking Mouse" (an old pre-scrollwheel 4 button Mac ADB Kensington mouse) and a "MouseWorks" (pre-optical 4 + scroll wheel USB mouse), I had high hopes that I would like the Optical Elite as much as I like my other Kensington mice. I would still buy this mouse for the Kensington software if nothing else, but I find the thumb button and the other side button very annoying and much harder to use even after several months of use than their previous mice which had all four button on the top of the mouse. Overall its a pretty good mouse and the precision is great, but buttons 3 and 4 are hard to use.
Rating:
Summary: Decent mouse, but bad button placement
Review: Just got the mouse and set it up yesterday. Everything works as expected. The wheel has a good amount of tactile feedback (neither too little, giving a loose scroll wheel, nor too much, making it hard to turn). My biggest complaint is the position of the side buttons. Both are raised up, so you have to keep your thumb raised to use that button, and the far-side button is hard to reach from a standard hand position. The buttons are symmetric, so left-handers won't have more problems than right-handers, but the far-side button will be awkward for either hand. The software that comes with the mouse (which you don't need to use; the mouse works as a standard mouse without it) seems to work fairly well, allowing fairly complete customization of what the functions do (you can even set up different settings for different applications, which is nice for gaming). Nothing too flashy, but it doesn't need to be. All in all, this is a very solid optical mouse for the budget-concious, but it is, unfortunately, effectively limitted to four buttons.
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