Microsoft Singapore introduces new Touch Mouse and Explorer Touch Mouse

Microsoft Singapore today announced the latest additions to their line of Touch mice – Touch Mouse and Explorer Touch Mouse. Both the Touch and Explorer Touch are equipped with BlueTrack technology that allow users to use it on virtually any surface, and come with a Nano transceiver which can be plugged to your PC easily.

Unlike conventional mice with prominent left and right buttons and the obligatory scroll wheel, the new Microsoft Touch Mouse looks extremely sleek. In fact, the manufacturer claims that the mouse has multi-touch gesture features which allow users to click, flick, scroll and swipe. You can use one finger to manage documents or web pages by flicking to scroll, pan and tilt, one thumb to move back or forward through a web browser; two fingers to maximize, minimize, snap and restore your programs and applications; three-finger to navigate to your desktop etc. However, the Touch Mouse is designed exclusively only for Windows 7 operating system, so if you are using Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can only use it like a normal mouse, but without the multi-touch functionality.

Like the Touch Mouse, the Explorer Touch Mouse also does not have the scroll wheel. Instead, in its place is the advanced scroll strip which lets you do vertical and horizontal navigation on your PC or Mac, as well as side-to-side swipes and five customizable buttons on five different parts of the strip. 

The Microsoft Touch Mouse will be available at a suggested retail price of S$99, while the Explorer Touch Mouse that comes in Rust Red, Sangria Red, Storm Grey and Black flavors, will be selling at S$59. The Touch Mouse and Explorer Touch Mouse will be available at end August, and at the upcoming COMEX Show 2011.

Ian Tan, marketing manager for Microsoft Hardware, was at the event and introduced the new mice products. Tan also demonstrated the multi-touch gesture of the Touch Mouse which allows user to scroll, minimize, dock their applications easily. On top of that, the marketing manager also mentioned that the Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse which was available early this year had taken the world by storm and is currently the best-seller in the market.