Microsoft Explorer blue-beam mouse
Microsoft Explorer Mini blue-beam mouse
Microsoft continues its creative improvements to everyone's favorite desktop pointing device
In July DailyTech, brought word that Microsoft was cooking up a new mouse design in the form of the arc mouse which could be folded in half for easy carrying. Then in August, Microsoft's X5 gaming mouse, also due out holiday 2008, was announced. Now there's even bigger mouse news coming from Microsoft that is arguably the biggest development to the business in several years.
It’s been a while since mainstream mice used balls to determine their position. Ball-driven mice fell to the easier rolling laser mice, starting in 2004, when the laser mice made their widespread commercial appearance -- now the mouse world is poised for another revolution.
Just like the progression from VHS to DVD to Blu-Ray, mice have evolved from ball mice to red laser mice and now have reached the next stage -- blue beam mice. Microsoft hinted that something big was coming with a teaser on its website that stated "Say Goodbye to Laser".
Now more complete details of the new mouse technology have been released at last. The new mice's blue ray beam and wide-angle "specular optics architecture" will work together in the new mice to allow much more accurate tracking. They can also work on surfaces red laser mice dared not to tread upon such as granite, marble, and even carpet.
If you want to own the future of mice, you won't have to wait long either. The technology debuts in the Microsoft Explorer Mouse and that Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse set to release in November. These two initial offerings will retail for $99 and $79 and will be sold at Best Buy.
The mice each feature 3 programmable buttons and a larger scroll wheel. They operate on 2.4 GHz Wireless, reliable up to 30 ft. The bigger Explorer Mouse is rechargeable and can go 3 weeks on a single charge. The smaller mouse can go 6 months on a single AA battery. Both mice also come with a 3-year warranty.
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