Microsoft unveils Touch Mouse, adds multi-touch gestures

[Jos]

Microsoft offered a half-answer to Apple’s Magic Mouse late last year with the Arc Touch Mouse, a rather unique bendable unit that offered some touch functionality but didn’t completely eschew the traditional left and right-clicking buttons. Now the company is back with a new device that has been designed to bring special gesture features to Windows 7 users: the Microsoft Touch Mouse.

The device supports a number of different touch gestures using one, two or three fingers -- including flicks, pinch-to-zoom, and panning. It also packs Microsoft's BlueTrack technology, so it should work on pretty much any surface, and like most other 2.4GHz mice out there it has a small USB receiver to communicate with your computer. The company is shipping its mouse with a set of drivers to enable the touch functionality on Windows 7, so it doesn’t look like it will work on other operating systems. It also doesn’t appear to allow customization or addition of gestures.

Microsoft claims the Touch Mouse is the result of two years of research and prototyping. It will begin selling the device in May for $80, but has begun to take pre-orders through its Amazon promotional website.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/41857-microsoft-unveils-touch-mouse-adds-multi-touch-gestures.html

 

[Arris]

I don't know about all this "touch" stuff. I like my mouse buttons to click as feedback so I know I've clicked. I guess the gestures could be nice as I do love my mouse gestures in Opera.

 

[Archean]

Where is the touch keyboard? I've been waiting for it for too long, a little silence which it should bring will be greatly appreciated !

@Arris
By the way I am lazy enough that to avoid typing in my favorite site addresses, I've created a custom homepage, containing name/url of such sites, and your title just reminded me that I'm still using 3DS as TechSpot's url title

 

[Benny26]

Mouse gestures can be really good. I had the privalage a while back on xp with some old Nvidia software i dug out.

I'll be looking forward to this.

 

[madboyv1]

I like the tactile feel of a physical click. It's probably why I've never liked touchpads without real buttons (heck, my touchpad is entirely disabled; I use the Trackpoint on my old thinkpad), and I've yet to learn how to use touchscreen keyboards well (though that's more of a matter of practice I think).

 

[AfricanTech]

Sold my Apple Touch Mouse - too irritating to use - the lightest touch and you're scrolling all over the place.

 

[vangrat]

The idea sounds good. However, I am perfectly comfortable moving windows around at the moment. I would like to see a gesture enabled touch keyboard as Archean has mentioned. A completely programmable, personalized touch interface sitting where my keyboard is at, would be brilliant. The multitouch mouse does not seem to offer enough for me to swap my sidewinder X8. Additionally, the mouse looks a bit small...I have huge hands, frankly a mouse is not the location for a multitouch interface for me.

 

[fpsgamerJR62]

A multi-touch interface on that mini mouse for $ 80.00 ? I don't think so. First of all, I have big problem with small mice especially one that's trying to decipher what my five fingers are doing. Second, for $ 80.00, I'd just buy one of those bigger gaming mice which are much more comfortable to use. They'd be better off working on a multi-touch keyboard as the others have mentioned.

 

[ET3D]

Archean said:
By the way I am lazy enough that to avoid typing in my favorite site addresses, I've created a custom homepage, containing name/url of such sites, and your title just reminded me that I'm still using 3DS as TechSpot's url title

iGoogle rules! I use RSS feeds for all sites that have them and Enhanced Bookmarks for those that don't. All the news and site links on one page.

 

[Guest]

pfffft. @ 1:35 -- wonder where they got THAT feature from. OS X has had that ability for YEARS now. then again, microsoft DID copy the OS X dock in Win7; they may as well start copying other features since they're still playing catchup.