My IntelliMouse Explorer that I purchased back on July 4, 2000 (incidentally my first purchase ever from Amazon.com) finally croaked last week. Somehow a cable had become disconnected on the interior of the mouse causing intermittent problems. After a few hours, the thing totally died (not even the LED on the bottom was lit).

So I called up Microsoft, the conversation went something like this:

Tech Support: “Thanks for calling Microsoft Replacement Services, can I get your first name?”
Me: “It’s Brad.”
TS: “What can I do for you Brad?”
Me: “I purchased and IntelliMouse Explorer nearly 4 years ago and it finally stopped working. I think one of the cables broke on the inside. I was curious as to how long the warranty on the mouse was?”
[Nota Bene: you must understand that this mouse was once Microsoft’s flagship product. This mouse cost me nearly $60 4 years ago]
TS: “Can I have you read me the Product Number and ID on the bottom of the mouse?”
Me: “Sure, [Reads them]”
TS: “Ok, the warranty on this mouse is 5 years. You’ll need to fax us a copy of the bottom on the mouse, along with your name, address, phone, email, and a brief description of the problem to [their fax number]. A replacement will be sent to you upon receipt of the fax. It might take up to 5 days to process.”
Me: “Umm, Thanks.”
TS: “Thanks for calling Microsoft, have a great day.”

Well, that sure worked out well—it’s the first time I’ve ever been satisfied by Microsoft in my life.

The new mouse came in the mail today, via 2 day overnight. And I got an upgrade to their newer IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0. Hopefully this mouse will last another 4 years as well.