logo_print logo_print_pub
Home > News

Microsoft Touch Mouse Coming This Summer: First Hands-On

Vincent Alzieu
Translator: Catherine Barraclough
July 13, 2011 9:30 AM
Microsoft has finally presented its touch-sensitive Touch Mouse, due for release this summer for $80 (UK pricing to be confirmed).

You may remember that Microsoft unveiled the prototype of this mouse back in 2009!

Microsoft Touch Mouse

We managed to play around with a final version of the Touch Mouse for around 10 minutes. The first thing we noticed is that the shape of the final mouse is different to that of the prototype. Touch-sensitive control starts off nice and easy—you scroll using your index finger and go back and forwards in a web browser, for example, with your right thumb. Then, things gets a bit more complicated, as you switch from one window to another with two fingers and use three fingers to jump to the desktop.

Microsoft Touch Mouse




Microsoft Touch Mouse


We found the Touch Mouse quite comfortable to use, but we'll need to test it for longer to see if it's really all that easy to get the hang of. We reckon it could take a bit of getting used to, although we were assured it would only take half a day at the most ...

We're also keen to see how good the BlueTrack sensor is. Microsoft's BlueTrack sensors can vary wildly in quality, from the excellent sensor seen in the Sidewinder X8 to the lower-quality BlueTrack sensors found in the firm's other mice.

Check out the Touch Mouse's finish up close (below)—the casing is covered with little crosses.
 
Microsoft Touch Mouse little crosses

> Computer Mice Reviews

> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products
Send to a friend

Previous story / Next story

Our RSS News Feeds : 
Back to top