Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Microsoft SideWinder brand launched in October 1995 with the 3D Pro and Standard joysticks. The full product line ran from 1995 to 2003, when Microsoft discontinued it citing poor sales, before a second generation of mice and keyboards appeared from 2007 into the early 2010s.
Microsoft cited poor sales as the reason for discontinuing the SideWinder family in 2003. The company subsequently re-entered the gaming hardware market through the Xbox 360 controller and a Wireless Gaming Receiver for PC rather than through a new peripheral brand.
Because the PC joystick port was input-only, the Force Feedback Pro used the MIDI capabilities of the gameport to receive data from the PC. Force feedback events were triggered by messages on MIDI channel 6, with effect data uploaded via SysEx messages, using technology Microsoft acquired from EXOS, Inc.
The Precision Pro corrected the 3D Pro's ergonomic shortcomings with a rounded design and used light sensors instead of potentiometers, meaning no calibration was required and there were no electronically moving parts. A shift button also doubled the number of available button combinations. Signatures from 17 people, including Fred Iyc and Edie Adams, are visible on the base coverplate.
The Freestyle Pro, released in 1998, was a gamepad that controlled movement by detecting the absolute pitch and roll position of the controller itself. Tilting the pad in different directions moved the player in the game. It supported both game port and USB connection and was bundled with Motocross Madness, a game designed specifically for it.
The SideWinder Mouse launched in October 2007 at an MSRP of $80 and included adjustable weights, a programmable macro mode, on-the-fly DPI adjustment, and a built-in LCD display, which was the first ever incorporated into a mouse. It was designed from the ground up for high-end PC gaming following a prior collaboration with Razer.