Speedlink Cue Wireless Multitouch Mouse
Speedlink is not very well known in the U.S., but they are well established in Europe selling PC and video game accessories across 30 countries. Today we'll be showcasing their Cue Multitouch Mouse, a 2.4 GHz wireless pointer available in black, red, grey and white color schemes.
The Cue is roughly the same size as the Eclipse but is thicker and has more of a traditional design. The top of the mouse is completely flat with a black glossy plastic surface. There are no distinguishable left and right click buttons or a scroll wheel of any sort, although there is a small white line down the center between the two click buttons. A soft rubber strip wraps around the sides of the mouse and the Speedlink name is printed on the bottom half.
On the bottom of the mouse are four mouse feet, an On/Off switch, 1000 DPI sensor and a battery cover release button. When pressed, the bottom cover of the mouse slides off so you can install the two AAA batteries.
Included in the retail box is the mouse itself, a quick install guide, a driver disc and a 2.4 GHz USB receiver. The Cue is plug-and-play under Windows 7 but if you want to reconfigure buttons and multitouch functions, you will need to install the software found on the included mini disc. Once installed, you can use the simple program to remap mouse functions to your liking.
Effective operating distance over the 2.4 GHz frequency performed just as well as the Microsoft Arc Touch, making the Cue a viable HTPC option.
In terms of comfort and usability, however, the Cue falls a bit short. Much like the Eclipse, the Cue is so small that it's difficult to get a comfortable grip on it. This is further complicated by the touch sensitive system used on the mouse.
Unlike the other two mice where only a small panel of the mouse is touch sensitive, the entire upper deck of the Cue responds to touch. This might seem like a good idea in theory as you have a lot more room to make finger gestures, but the problem is that you can't have your palm resting on the top of the mouse when doing so.
For example, trying to scroll up and down a page (or do anything else touch-related) requires you to completely lift your hand off the mouse and then use a finger to slide up and down a page. Scrolling was reasonably smooth when activated, but having to physically lift your hand off the mouse each time is an annoyance. If you leave your hand in place and try to scroll, nothing happens since you are already touching the touch-sensitive portion.
Furthermore, I wasn't able to get the two-finger swipe gesture to work at all. Even if it did work, trying to swipe two fingers across such a tiny mouse is a task in patience.
As of writing, the Speedlink Cue Multitouch Mouse is priced at €39.99 which translates to $57.72.
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