SideWinder brand returns with gamer mouse

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 23 August 2007 07:02

Your IT - Home IT

Microsoft has resurrected its SideWinder peripheral brand with a new mouse aimed at the gaming fraternity.

The $US79.95 SideWinder Mouse features adjustable weighting, a cable management system, selectable sensitivity, macros (including Quck Turn for a 360-degree view), and a range of feet to suit different surfaces.

"We're taking gaming mice to a new level with a mouse created in direct response to gamer feedback from all over the world; it offers superior customization and performance handling," said Bill Jukes, product marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware.

"We found that gamers are a lot like performance car enthusiasts. They like to tweak and tune their mouse to get it just right, and today we are giving them the tools to create a personalized experience that lets them focus on what's important: being at the top of their game," he added.

The arrival of the SideWinder Mouse marks Microsoft's quarter-century in the mouse business. The original Microsoft Mouse was introduced in 1982 to accompany the first version of Microsoft Word.

Although that marked the official birth of the Microsoft Hardware Group, the company had already entered the hardware business with the 1980 Microsoft Softcard that allowed the Apple II to run the CP/M operating system and associated software. By the end of 1981 it was Microsoft's best selling retail product, and it made the Apple II the most popular hardware for running CP/M.