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Unboxed: Microsoft's Windows 8 mice

The PC mouse evolves.

By Chris Jager on Oct 3 2012, 8:52AM

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When it comes to office equipment upgrades, most people pine for bigger monitors, more RAM or comfier chairs. However, a good computer mouse is equally essential to productivity. With this in mind, we took a look at Microsoft's latest flagship offerings: the wedge touch and sculpt touch mice. Both mice offer something different from the norm and have been optimised for Windows 8.

The sculpt touch (left) is a traditional mouse with some Windows 8 tricks up its sleeve. It boasts a four-way touch scrolling pad with tactile feedback which lets you scroll through screens and documents with a quick finger-swipe. It also comes with inbuilt Bluetooth, allowing for wireless operation.

The wedge touch (right) is a touch-centric mouse that has been chiefly designed for Windows 8 tablets. Like its sibling, it provides Bluetooth connectivity and four-way touch scrolling and navigation. Both mice also come with Microsoft's 'BlueTrack' technology, which allows you to use the devices on virtually any surface without losing traction.

The wedge touch is being billed as the company's smallest mouse ever. Its main claim to fame is its four-way touch strip which allows you to scroll vertically and horizontally. It lets the user flick up, down and side to side to navigate spreadsheets, large documents, web pages and features unique to Windows 8 (it's also compatible with Android tablets). The controls are touch sensitive: you can scroll slowly with a gentle swipe or quickly with a flick of the finger. A firm tap brings scrolling to a stop.

The wedge touch automatically goes into standby mode when a connected computer shuts down or hibernates. This is a huge boon for forgetful users who constantly forget to switch off their wireless products.

Microsoft has given the mouse an ambidextrous design to appease left-handed users.

The wedge touch is available now for an RRP of $79.95. It comes with a three-year warranty. Stay tuned for a full review of the Microsoft wedge touch mouse, coming soon.

The Microsoft sculpt touch shares many of the same features as the wedge touch, but with a more traditional mouse design suitable for desktops. Product highlights include four-way touch scrolling, inbuilt Bluetooth Wireless, an automatic standby mode, three customisable buttons and the aforementioned 'BlueTrack' technology. Like the wedge, it’s designed to fit comfortably in either hand and is compatible with Android tablets.Microsoft is pitching the sculpt touch as a significant time-saver when it comes to long documents. It's also optimised for Windows 8 navigation. According to Microsoft, the sculpt touch's battery will last up to nine months between charges.

The inclusion of three customisable buttons help to streamline frequently enacted commands.

Curiously, Microsoft claims that the sculpt touch requires a Windows 8, Windows RT or Windows 7 PC to work. We haven't tested it on an earlier OS but the omission of Vista and XP is perplexing. Other hardware requirements include 150MB hard drive space, a computer enabled with Bluetooth and two AA alkaline batteries.

The sculpt touch is available now for an RRP of $59.95. It comes with a three-year warranty. Stay tuned for a full review of the Microsoft sculpt touch mouse, coming soon.

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Unboxed: Microsoft's Windows 8 mice

The PC mouse evolves.

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