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Back at CES 2011, we announced the Microsoft Touch Mouse for Windows 7 featuring multitouch gestures. The Touch Mouse allows you to interact with your Windows 7 PC in a more intuitive way beyond the simple point-and-click. To replace my pre-production Touch Mouse I had that I used previously, I received the fully (and awesomely) boxed retail version from the Microsoft Hardware Team for my desktop PC here in the office. I thought I’d share my unboxing experience.
First off – the packing for the Touch Mouse is really neat (at least I think so). You can flip the top open to reveal the Touch Mouse inside giving you a look at the actual mouse.
On the inside of the top “lid” of the box is graphic showing the 1, 2, and 3 finger multitouch gestures you can use with the Touch Mouse and what they do.
After removing the tape from each side of the box, the entire top lid pulls off giving you access to the Touch Mouse.
There are *no* twisty ties or plastic things to unwind or cut off which is great. The Touch Mouse simply unsnaps from the display base from within the box.
The batteries, battery cover, and snap-in USB nano transceiver are under the plastic display base that Touch Mouse was attached to.
The Touch Mouse also comes with a USB extension cable for the nano transceiver just in case your desktop PC isn’t exactly nearby where you use your mouse.
I needed the USB extension cable for the nano transceiver as the desktop PC here in my office is tucked away under my desk to the far left of me and the line-of-sight from the mouse to the transceiver is often blocked causing a disruption in use of the mouse. The underside of the port on the USB extension cable has Velcro and there is a Velcro sticker in the box so you can mount the nano transceiver in a convenient position. I mounted mine on the top of my monitor.
Aside from the multitouch gestures, the Touch Mouse has flick-scrolling, utilizes BlueTrack Technology allowing for use on virtually any surface, and has an ambidextrous design allowing for use with either hand. Oh and it has improved task switching on Windows 7 which I enjoy quite a bit:
Here is a graphic of the multitouch gestures for 1, 2, or 3 fingers:
And here are the “shorter shortcuts” for Windows 7 with the Touch Mouse:
My favorite “shorter shortcut” so far is the Back/Forward shortcut.
I’m really enjoying the Touch Mouse and the multitouch gestures. I plan on grabbing another Touch Mouse to use at home as well!
The Microsoft Touch Mouse has been available at retail for a few weeks now. However today, the Microsoft Hardware Team is announcing the Microsoft Touch Mouse Artist Edition.
The Touch Mouse Artist Edition is white and features a design etched into it from New York-based artist Deanne Cheuk. Deanne integrated circuit boards into the design and calligraphy-like motif echoes the motions a person would perform with their fingers on the Touch Mouse.
For more I suggest reading this blog post from Lindsey Kujawski who is a User Experience Designer on the Microsoft Hardware Team. Her post also features a short video of the inspiration behind the design for the Touch Mouse Artist Edition.
The Microsoft Touch Mouse Artist Edition will be available soon at Best Buy and Microsoft Stores soon at a price of $79.95.
Is it true that there's no middle button on this nice looking mouse? I like middle clicking tabs to close them and middle clicking on link to open them in background tabs, but if the Touch Mouse doesn't have a middle click button, I don't think I'd buy the mouse.
Yay, there's no middle click. @Microsoft: don't tell me you could not manage to get middle click working, you're one of the only mouse to know exactly where I clicked. If I clicked in the center of the mouse, it usually mean I wanted a Middle click :-)
Anyway, I think there's a SDK. I'll have a look at it and see if I can manage to implement middle click on my own.
Another thing, I'm fine with the current behavior but it would be better if we add an option to inverse the "back/forward" direction. I'm getting used to my TabletPC where the direction is different to the one you implemented and I would like to change it if it was possible. But that's a detail.
Well, it seems the SDK now throw a 404 error. @Brandon: Can you get me a link to the SDK, I really want to play with it and I can't get it anymore. It was first disclosed by the Microsoft Research time as announced here : www.istartedsomething.com/.../microsoft-touch-mouse-gets-its-own-multi-touch-sdk
WOW!!! I totally want this, but could the Task Switcher be available via a keyboard shortcut for other Windows 7 users? That would be a really good addition! Also critical is middle click...
@A340-600 and @FremyCompany - there is no middle button but with the front of the mouse itself, you can press down. I think this may act like that "middle click" behavior you are looking for?
@FremyCompany - I am looking into the SDK question and where the bits might be. I'll come back when I find out something.
@Blandon LeBranc - I was thinking of ordering the Touch Mouse online, but I might have to go personally to get a "feel" of middle clicking with the Touch Mouse. Most reviews I've read don't mention being able or not being able to middle click.
Thanks.
Cant get the middle button function working have tried pressing front of mouse with 1 and 2 fingers. It is an important function for example, on this page you have a link to ( we announced ) if I want to open a new tab and not go to that page right away I would normally use the middle button on the scroll wheel. Any help appreciated thank you.
Yes no Middle click and after having used one and tried very hard for a full week (I have two MS Touch Mice, one unboxed) I reverted to my IntelliMouse Explorer.
The "mouse wheel" function of the Touch Mouse takes forever (about 1/4 of the touch surface) before detecting that you are scrolling, so you slip your finger and you are never sure when it will start scrolling.
The mouse often mistakes left and right clicks (there is only one giant physical button, and if both your fingers touch the sensitive surface, the mouse does not *always* figure out which finger clicked, resulting in unwanted left-clicks when right-clicking, or vice-versa).
I also had my windows flying around (docking left and minimizing, mainly) just by grabbing the mouse, and last but not least, handling the mouse between the thumb and ring+little fingers gets in the way of the giant single button (the entire top of the mouse) and you often physically prevent clicking, or make clicking more difficult.
Oh, I almost forgot: it does not slip very well (much more sticky than the IntelliMouse Explorer) and the button spring is too stiff, you have to apply significantly more force to move the mouse and click the button than with the prev. gen. mice.
For the record I uses MS mice since v1 with two green eyes and I still think they are the best, but I'll skip the Touch Mouse.
What axelriet said. And also:
It's too heavy and simply uncomfortable, you have to hold it very tight to avoid constant accidental gestures, scrolling is buggy, right-clicking is too much of a hassle, and the lack of middle click was a slap to the face, as I expected the same kind of middle button emulation as introdouced in the lovely Arc Touch Mouse.
Since I got an Explorer Touch (which is pretty and simple to use) for my Desktop, and still use the Arc Touch for my Laptop, I shelved the flagship Touch after only two weeks and I am now more likely to sell it off on ebay than giving it another try. And I would've ditched it even quicker, If Explorer Touch released earlier.
The Touch Mouse was a huge and expensive dissapointment to me. I still can't believe how bad it performs after all the R&D, hype and half a year of waiting.
For those missing middleclick on TouchMouse, you can find a little .NET application on blogtecnologico.it which enhances Touch Mouse functionalities.
It can enable MiddleClick by tapping left and right area on touch surface simultaneously.
www.blogtecnologico.it/.../how-to-enable-middle-click-on-microsoft-touch-mouse