Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse
The basics
The teeny weeny Bluetooth Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse is the latest creation out of the software giant’s hardware division, and it’s been built from the ground up for Windows 8 and all those new PCs, laptops and tablets expected to launch in late October. Of course, it’ll work with Windows 7 machines, Macs and even some Android devices too if that’s the way you lean.
Measuring just 60.9 x 53.6mm, it packs clever laser tech so it’ll work on any surface, and its smooth top even doubles up as a trackpad for swipe scrolling. Oh, and did we mention that it's absolutely tiny?
The good
If you really need a mouse on the go, you won’t find many smaller than the striking Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse. With a surface area barely bigger than a credit card, it’s certainly easy to throw in your bag. It’s surprisingly comfortable to use too considering its wee size. The top surface recognises swipes in four directions, so you can scroll around on pages and in applications with ease.
Handily, it connects by Bluetooth, so it’s completely cordless, and you don’t need a USB receiver. We know, we know: Bluetooth gadgets drain juice like Sunny Delight executives at a board meeting, especially when you forget to turn them off. Usually. But the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse has a smart shut down mode, deactivating itself when it senses the device it’s attached to is off or on sleep mode - so you won’t run out of AA batteries very quickly.
The bad
Windows 8 is just around the corner, and with it come all sorts of new gestures, including the ability to swipe between apps. But you won’t be able to pull them off with the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse
That’s a bit silly, especially when Apple’s Magic Mouse and Trackpad support all sorts of useful gestures on Macs. You can’t pinch to zoom in, switch app or pull up Microsoft’s Windows 8 Charm bar (a bit like the Start menu in previous versions of Windows). It’s a pity, especially when you consider the cost. At around £65 in stores, it’s not a cheap accessory. That’s the sort of price that’ll make your laptop’s trackpad seem a lot more tempting. And really, if you’re using this with a tablet on a regular basis, you’ll be carrying around more gear with you than if you just used a netbook PC, Ultrabook laptop or MacBook Air.
The bottom line
Microsoft's Wedge Touch mouse is a novel idea and for those who need to get work done regularly on the go (we're thinking cross country train journeys rather than short bus rides) and it’s ideal for all those Windows 8 devices just around the corner. But the very fact that it's yet another device to buy and lug around with you counts against it when ultra thin laptops with ultra impressive trackpads built are now the norm. For most, this won’t be the portable solution Microsoft dreamed of.
User comments (5)
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RAW30 August 2012
£5 for the Mouse and £60 for the name.
Report as inappropriateJaosn Mischied30 August 2012
I'll just be replacing my old cherry orca set with another identical cherry orca set.. outside of gaming they are still the best setup you could ever want.. and combined they are less than this thing... i buy a proper mouse for my laptop cos i hate trackpads.. making the trackpad a separate thing just moves my hatred into my other hand :P
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