Every little bit helps when it comes to saving time. On Thursday, Microsoft announced two new mice to speed your work via a button on the side that gives you quick access to specific Windows features. These are the first mice from Microsoft to include a Windows button, which, in the case of the Sculpt Comfort Mouse, gives you access to advanced functionality in Windows 8.
The Sculpt Comfort Mouse is a perfect companion to the Sculpt Comfort Keyboard Microsoft announced last fall, and includes a touch-sensitive blue strip on its side called the ”Windows touch tab.” When pressed, it takes you to your Start screen, just like the Windows buttons on keyboards, PCs and tablets.
But it does more. Swipe up on the blue strip, and it cycles through all your open Windows Store apps in Windows 8. Swipe down, and it reveals all the open apps (on the left side of your screen) so you can select the one you want.
As you’d expect from its name, the Sculpt Comfort Mouse has an ergonomic design, and its BlueTrack technology means you can use it on pretty much any surface. The Sculpt Comfort Mouse will be available in June for an estimated retail price of $39.95.
The Sculpt Mobile Mouse is the latest evolution of the Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500, and includes a Windows button that works on either Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Like the Sculpt Comfort Mouse, it has four-way scrolling – meaning you can scroll sideways by tilting the scroll wheel to the right or left, in addition to the vertical scrolling you’re used to. This makes it easy to navigate the Start screen in Windows 8 or apps that scroll horizontally. The Sculpt Mobile Mouse has a compact design, a tiny wireless USB transceiver, and BlueTrack technology. It will be available in May for an estimated retail price of $29.95.
Steve Clarke
Microsoft News Center Staff