Editing Microsoft mouse (3rd gen) (section)

===Design===
The work for designing the mouse was outsourced to Matrix Design (later IDEO) with the objective to "reinvent the mouse" but without changing the internal mechanism<ref name="miceandmen"/>.

Significant design elements compared to previous mice:
* The mouse ball was moved forward so that both the sensor position and the mouse's centre of gravity got right in-between the fingers that moved the mouse. User testing showed that this had a measurable effect on pointing accuracy.<ref name="ideo"/>.
* The buttons were made larger encompassing the entire width of the mouse, and flush with the mouse body as opposed to sticking out. By having larger buttons, finger position could be less precise<ref name="pcmag"/>. Although previous mice from e.g. HP (1984) and Atari (1985) also had flush buttons, this was not the norm.
* A ridge between left and right buttons to allow the buttons to be distinguished by feel. (presumably to compensate for the buttons being larger)

Surprising the engineers, a smaller prototype measured more poorly, which set the size<ref name="miceandmen"/>. The rounded back was inspired by existing everyday handheld items, specifically telephone handsets. Untextured plastic was chosen because it is easier to clean.
The Microsoft logo on top is double-shot moulded so as to not rub off.

Previous Microsoft mice had used [[rubber dome]] switches for buttons, which were changed into microswitches with shorter travel and better tactile feedback.<ref name="pcmag"/>