There's a new mouse in the Microsoft house. The Microsoft Touch Mouse is the latest update of Microsoft's wireless mouse series. Does it bring anything new to the wireless USB mouse genre or should you skip this Windows 7-only compatible mouse? Read on to find out.
Packaging and Contents The Microsoft Touch Mouse comes in a slightly bulky box. Inside is the mouse with the USB dongle, 2 batteries and the manuals. It would have been nice if the device came with a carrying case, like the original Arc mouse.
First Impression It is difficult not to refer to Apple's Magic mouse or the previous generation Microsoft Arc mice while talking about the Touch Mouse. For starters, the Touch Mouse brings to the table Apple-like multi-touch gesture features. There is a textured front on the device, which acts as the touch sensitive interface. The device isn't the sleekest out there as the latest generation Microsoft Arc mouse or the Apple Magic mouse take the cake in terms of style and design. The Touch Mouse is bulky and heavy.
The mouse has an optical sensor at the bottom along with the slot for the two batteries and a nice little pocket for the USB dongle.
Overall, the mouse is fairly simple to look at but it won't turn heads if you use the device in public. The again, it's a mouse.
The USB connector of the mouse is pretty interesting too. It is extremely small and fits easily in its socket at the bottom of the mouse. It has a nice springy action every time you fix it or release it from the socket.
Performance The Touch Mouse performs well as a mouse with its BlueTrack laser sensor ensuring that the device runs smoothly on all surfaces and is very accurate. The touch sensitive front of the device takes some getting used to. There are gestures that can help you split up windows, scroll, and reveal the desktop with a swipe of your fingers. This device could really give the Apple Magic mouse a run for its money if it weren't for one little flaw; the device is compatible with only Windows 7. Not XP or Vista. There is no assurance that the device will be compatible with Windows 8 either.
Another cool feature of the device is that it is ambidextrous which means that both right-handed and left-handed people can use it with absolute ease.
There are just two disadvantages that we see with the product. The first being its sheer size and the second that you can't take full advantage of its potential on any other OS apart from Windows 7.
If you're a gamer we wouldn't recommend this mouse to you as its form factor is a bit uncomfortable for those 8 hour gaming experiences and the fact still remains that Razer, Corsair and Logitech make some really good gaming gear including mice.
Verdict For the price point of nearly Rs. 4000, this device just adds novelty value. It could have taken on Apple's Magic mouse in terms of performance had it not been for the compatibility issue. The good part is that the gestures work well and the optical sensor makes it easy to use on transparent glass surfaces. If you are looking for value, we'd suggest you stick to the previous generation Microsoft Arc Mouse or take a look at the offerings from the Mouse house of Logitech and Razer.
Pros:Optical Sensor
Plug and play setup
Good multi-touch interface
Well built
Cons:Bulky
You can take advantage of the features only on Windows 7
A little uncomfortable ergonomically
Price: Rs. 3,999
Ratings:Performance: 3
Price: 2.5
Ease of setup: 5
Ergonomics: 3
Wow Factor: 3
Overall: 3