Amazon slips Microsoft Blue Track mouse
updated 10:40 am EDT, Wed August 27, 2008
MS Blue Track Mouse Leak
Amazon's German branch today inadvertently slipped details of Microsoft's Explore Mini Mouse with Blue Track, revealing a new technology the American company plans to launch in the near future. The listing contains few details, but through an investigation at Italian site is known to drop laser technology in favor of a cousin of earlier optical technology: it switches to a more precise blue LED and a wide-angle lens that Microsoft will claim is accurate while still working on more surfaces than either red-light optical or lasers.
The Explore Mini in particular is designed for notebooks and has both a five-button layout as well as a mini-USB receiver that stows away under the mouse itself when not in use, hinting at the use of RF wireless instead of Bluetooth.
The online retailer doesn't tip its hand as to when the Explore Mini or other Blue Track mice will be released, though Microsoft itself has posted a teaser graphic likely connected to the technology and should launch at least one new peripheral soon. [via Engadget]
laser beams
08/27, 11:33am reply
they are running out of marketing gimmicks.
rdas7
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2007
Blue vs. Red
08/27, 11:34am reply
I find it hard to believe that the nanometer differences in the wavelength of red vs. blue light will make this mouse noticeably more accurate than a red mouse. They're just being (or trying to be) trendy. On that note, it does look kinda cool, especially considering the maker. The buy decision would be made on how it fits a hand.
loudpedal
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 1999
Re: Blue vs. Red
08/27, 12:10pm (2 replies) reply
50GB Blu-Ray vs. 9GB DVD
I think the minor wavelength difference does.
gitcypher
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2007
what???
08/27, 12:54pm reply
And no complaints about it not using Bluetooth? (Although the snap-in USB receiver is cool, no need to haul it separately).
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Not Bluetooth?
08/27, 03:17pm reply
A RF receiver HINTS that it doesn't have Bluetooth! Wow, how perceptive!
WHY don't these companies release more Bluetooth mice? Those little USB-port wasting wireless dongles are the pits!
loudpedal is right. SURELY the blue laser will make a huge difference in accuracy. HAH! I suppose Microsoft will now claim to be innovative with this thing.
JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
Modify your own mouse...
09/03, 06:24pm reply
I just found a web site where you can modify your own USB mouse to this blue technology or buy a modified one... http://www.blueledmouse.com/
Technoled
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2008
Way too expensive
11/23, 03:34am reply
Blue lasers are a minimum $600 a piece. There's no way anyone would put that into a mouse.
syzygi
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2008