The Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 is intended for the growing number of notebooks featuring Bluetooth connectivity, and its upper shell is sculpted to suit left and right-handed users. Battery life is said to be three months.
Due to ship in October, the Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 will cost $US49.95. ($A69.95 in Australia, available in November.)
The Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse 7000 (also $US49.95, but due this month; $A99.95 with December delivery in Australia) is also designed for use by those of the dexter or sinister persuasion, being styled after Microsoft's Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000.
Features include a transceiver that snaps into the base of the mouse when not in use, simultaneously switching off the mouse; clickwheel support for Vista's Flip 3D; a magnifier tool; and a 'back' button.
Battery life is rated at up to six months.
The top spot in the new range is occupied by the Mobile Memory Mouse 8000, featuring a rechargeable battery and 1G of flash memory in the transceiver. The idea is that the transceiver can be used in place of a thumb drive to carry files around.
"Over the past 25 years Microsoft Hardware has consistently raised the bar of innovation, and adding a gigabyte of memory to the mouse transceiver is truly a computing milestone," said Matt Barlow, worldwide director of marketing and partner development at Microsoft Hardware. "We've packed more memory into the transceiver than an entire computer had 25 years ago."
The mouse can connect via 2.4GHz wireless or Bluetooth, allowing use with or without the provided transceiver providing the computer is also Bluetooth-equipped.
The battery is good for three weeks use on one charge, and links to the USB transceiver via a cable with magnetic connectors for charging without requiring access to a second USB port.
Other features of the right-handed mouse include a tilt wheel, support for Vista's Flip 3D, two side buttons, and a carry case.
The Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 is due in October, priced at $US99.95 (November and $A149.95 for Australian buyers).
Microsoft's three mobile mouseketeers
A trio of mice from Microsoft are all aimed at the notebook market and deliver varying feature sets.
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Stephen Withers
Stephen Withers is one of Australia¹s most experienced IT journalists, having begun his career in the days of 8-bit 'microcomputers'. He covers the gamut from gadgets to enterprise systems. In previous lives he has been an academic, a systems programmer, an IT support manager, and an online services manager. Stephen holds an honours degree in Management Sciences, a PhD in Industrial and Business Studies, and is a senior member of the Australian Computer Society.
