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Microsoft introduces Explorer Touch, a Lion-compatible mouse

by Mike Schramm Jul 19th 2011 at 9:00PM

Despite what people may think, here at TUAW we do try to be pretty objective about Apple and its many products and services. Yes, they've made a lot of awesome stuff (and sure, they've made some big mistakes), but that doesn't mean that we can't give props to other companies every so often. Like Microsoft, for example. Looking at this brand new Lion-compatible mouse the company from Seattle has just introduced, we can admit that it's a pretty good-looking piece of hardware.

It sounds like a nice mouse, too, featuring a touch surface that allows you to scroll in any direction, and a touch scroll wheel that allows for three speeds. There are five programmable buttons total, though I can only see three on the sleek design above.

That said, there's two little hitches here: It's not clear from Microsoft's release whether this mouse works with Lion's multitouch features, and that might be a gamebreaker. Even worse, this isn't a Bluetooth mouse -- it's an RF device that needs a separate USB receiver. Not cool, Microsoft. Still, if you need a mouse that works with a touch surface and want something that's slightly cheaper than the Magic Mouse, the Explorer Touch Mouse will be on shelves in September for $49.95.

[via 9to5Mac]



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Despite what people may think, here at TUAW we do try to be pretty objective about Apple and its many products and services. Yes,...
 

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10 Comments

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Shiv Kapoor

I find the Magic Mouse always leaves me with cramps. I'm a delighted user of Microsoft's Arc Touch mouse. It's sexy, has the cool scroll pad, and does one thing well - mouses. It doesn't do gestures, but I'd rather do them on my large trackpad than on a mouse any day.

July 20 2011 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Shiv Kapoor's comment
Cowicide

> I find the Magic Mouse always leaves me with cramps.

I really, really wish Apple would make a version of the Magic Mouse with a fricken' ARCH to it. Sigh.

July 20 2011 at 3:37 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DCM

I'd be more impressed if Microsoft had an alternative to the TouchPad. It does look nice and I enjoy my Xbox 360 (thus I do believe Microsoft can build hardware that's worth something). BUT, not BT?

July 19 2011 at 11:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
hfwbr

I haven't cared for any of Microsoft's mice thus far, but I have to take exception to an RF device being "not cool." Dealing with the frequent disconnections and shorter battery life of Bluetooth is way less cool than using a micro USB adapter. As an iMac user I'll gladly give up one of my four USB ports or use an inexpensive USB hub in preference to tolerating the problems germane to using a Bluetooth mouse.

July 19 2011 at 9:54 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to hfwbr's comment
Adrian von Gegerfelt

Agreed, Bluetooth is horrible as a protocol for pointing devices. And in my own personal experience, RF is awesome - well worth using one of my USB ports.

July 20 2011 at 11:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Steve Sorbo

Allow me, if I may, to be a slightly pedantic Apple fanboy for a moment. I am from Seattle. Microsoft is NOT. Microsoft's HQ is in Redmond, WA. It is akin to people saying Apple is from San Jose CA because they want to use the next biggest town close to Cupertino, since no one probably knows where the hell Cupertino is. Ok that's all. I feel better now.

July 19 2011 at 9:42 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Steve Sorbo's comment
Eric

Nobody knows San Jose either :-). Say "Silicon Valley" and you'll go somewhere or just San Francisco Bay Area.

November 25 2011 at 10:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jones

Not a bad look, but it's obviously going to get slammed by some people for somewhat looking like a black version of the Magic Mouse..

Closet MS mouse user for over a decade here, I don't use anything else for a reason even I can't explain.

July 19 2011 at 9:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dylan

I have always been fond of Microsoft's mice. I have one of them hooked to my Mac for use in gaming. (My interface of choice is the Magic Trackpad).

July 19 2011 at 9:12 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Dylan's comment
qo

Ditto. If you've not tried the shareware BetterTouchTool with your Magic Trackpad, check it out. IMHO, it's the ultimate in flexibility in terms of mapping 2/3/4/5 finger gestures to application hotkeys on a per-application basis, and is frequently updated (like every several days) with new features. I'm not the developer, nor do I know him (other than reading his About Me page to see he's a student in Germany), but BTT has completely changed how I use Apple's Trackpad:

http://blog.boastr.net/?page_id=1722

July 19 2011 at 10:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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