New Mice and Cameras from Microsoft

[Chris Gohlke]

http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/14160/microsoft_unveils_notebook_mice_lifecams

"There's new evidence Microsoft's hardware group has been working hard, since the company has just taken the wraps off three new notebook mice—all wireless and one with 1 GB of built-in flash memory—and two new LifCams designed to enable video sharing capabilities."



Certainly evolutionary, but nothing revolutionary here. The cameras might be popular with the video blogging crowd since they offer one-touch blogging to Windows Live Spaces. The only product that leaves me a little puzzled is the mouse with integrated flash memory. I don't see individuals carrying their personal mouse around to other computers, so this is just a really bulky thumb drive. Better would be a USB input on the mouse itself or even a recessed, removable thumb drive that docks into the mouse.

[Chris Gohlke]

http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/14160/microsoft_unveils_notebook_mice_lifecams

"There's new evidence Microsoft's hardware group has been working hard, since the company has just taken the wraps off three new notebook mice—all wireless and one with 1 GB of built-in flash memory—and two new LifCams designed to enable video sharing capabilities."



Certainly evolutionary, but nothing revolutionary here. The cameras might be popular with the video blogging crowd since they offer one-touch blogging to Windows Live Spaces. The only product that leaves me a little puzzled is the mouse with integrated flash memory. I don't see individuals carrying their personal mouse around to other computers, so this is just a really bulky thumb drive. Better would be a USB input on the mouse itself or even a recessed, removable thumb drive that docks into the mouse.

[Darius Wey]

I've had a bad run with Microsoft mice over the past few years. Faulty buttons, poorly constructed rubber grips, you name it. So I can't say I'm too excited about their latest releases. Thankfully, Logitech has always been around to save me.

[gdoerr56]

I very much like Logitech hardware. The only reason I use Microsoft instead is because their drivers just work. I'll never understand how Logitech provides a keyboard and mouse driver that is a 64 MB download. I mean, come on people, its just a keyboard and mouse!

Yes, I know the basic hardware works fine with the native drivers but then the side scrolling and other nice features don't work. Sometime when we buy a keyboard and mouse, that's actually all we're looking for.

Sorry for the rant, haven't finished my coffee yet...

[Felix Torres]

Originally Posted by Chris Gohlke

The only product that leaves me a little puzzled is the mouse with integrated flash memory. I don't see individuals carrying their personal mouse around to other computers, so this is just a really bulky thumb drive. Better would be a USB input on the mouse itself or even a recessed, removable thumb drive that docks into the mouse.

Two reasons for the integrated memory in the mouse:
1- Its meant for laptop users so instead of a thumbdriive and a mouse, you carry only the mouse. Not really meant for sneakernet-ing data, but rather for backups.
2- Readyboost. Vista can gain a decent enough performance boost from thumbdrive flash memory. Again, two features; one device. Can't blame them for trying to be creative.

I could see myself using the flash mouse; you can never have too many backups. ;-)