SliMouse Slim-Pad ditches the scroll wheel for a touch sensor

Its ergonomics may leave a bit to be desired, but the SliMouse Slim-Pad does boast at least one somewhat notable feature -- namely, a "sensor touch-scroll" that replaces the tried and true scroll wheel. That, the company says, will allow for "greater precision and ease of control," although we're guessing that control may get somewhat less easy if you use the mouse for protracted periods of time. While other details on the mouse are scarce at the moment, it will apparently come in both wired and wireless versions, with the former able to store its wire on inside when its not in use. There's also no word on price, and it seems the company has yet to make its mind up about a release date.

[Via Chip Chick]

[Sir.Byrd @ Nov 16th 2007 12:57AM]

I thought we were done with hockeypuck mouses. =O

[ShatteredAxe @ Nov 16th 2007 1:40AM]

this has also been done on some HP laptops and on the new line of wireless microsoft keyboards.

[Taylor Kemp @ Nov 16th 2007 1:44AM]

Dude, i had to teach my grandma how to use her round iMac mouse, and she had never used a mouse before, dont make me relive it!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Tristan @ Nov 16th 2007 1:44AM]

This feature also exists on the Logitech MX Air... I prefer it SOOOO much over a traditional scroll wheel... HEAPS faster... Although no left / right scrolling.

[thethirdmoose @ Nov 16th 2007 1:49AM]

this is mad stupid. i would take tactical feedback over a touchpad any day of the week. why do you think real mice are so much better than laptop touchpads?

[Bobs @ Nov 16th 2007 12:25PM]

I agree, touchpads are the least accurate method of input, i mean, how many times have you cursed the iPod's oversensitive and unadjustable wheel thingy? wish they kept the old design, whare it actually rotated

[brian welch @ Nov 16th 2007 1:49AM]

Sorta like the logitech v500, eh? I had one of those - pretty slick. It was weird at first, then you sorta get used to it. Kinda cool.

[BubbaGumb @ Nov 16th 2007 1:56AM]

uhhh screw that,

that would suck butthole in video games,
with out something there to physically feel move,
games would be funky as hell with that

ill stick with the stone age invention of the wheel please,
its worked for thousands of years so far,
no point in tryin to out perform something so awesome

[mattsx @ Nov 16th 2007 2:23AM]

i wish someone would develop something like this with the same functionality as the scroll ball on my Mighty Mouse. I hate having to clean that bugger out!

[Sebastien @ Nov 16th 2007 2:39AM]

How new is this ?? Logitech V500 do it for a good while...

[Joachim Bengtsson @ Nov 16th 2007 5:29AM]

MX Revolution: Mighty high precision step-less wheel, but still an actual mechanical wheel. Awesomeness!

However, last I checked the Windows API doesn't actually have the facilities to register step-less scrolls, but instead scrolls in rather large intervals, making both the article's mouse and the MX more or less pointless when it comes to "precision". Was a while since I checked though; can anyone confirm?

[RedBull Runner @ Nov 16th 2007 8:45AM]

if ANYONE does ANYTHING to my MX Revolution's wheel, so help me i will shiv em in the chest with a precision screwdriver.

[Ira Jacobs @ Nov 16th 2007 5:44AM]

Yep, I had a Logitech with a touch wheel, it even supported horizontal scrolling! I still didn't like it though. That being said, the HORIZONTAL scrolling support on the Logitech MX™1000 Laser Cordless Mouse sucks too (it has a real wheel, the vertical scrolling is great).

[Magallanes @ Nov 16th 2007 9:14AM]

My MS mouse have horizontal scroll and with the exception of some specific programs i found that horizontal scroll is just a useless feature.

[-Tj- @ Nov 16th 2007 6:06AM]

And where, pray tell, is the MMB? I waited and waited and waited for the Logitech VX Nano, and when it finally arrived, no MMB. I avoided that Logitech mouse with the touch sensor as well. I NEED MMB! And usually, MMB comes attached to a wheel (or without one, but that's not the discussion here). Modeling apps like Maya and XSI (and 3DS Max?) use MMB. Viewing large images while using MMB to pan is a staple of mine, too. Sorry, but no MMB, no purchase from me.

[Prosthetic Lips @ Nov 16th 2007 7:50AM]

I would have to assume that, like a laptop touchpad, the middle mouse button functionality is done through a tap. Or, does your software let you push and scroll at the same time? Maybe a tap and hold like a laptop touchpad?

A tap and drag would actually seem easier (and more precise?) than the scroll wheel; maybe if it gets better they'll make a wider middle area to tap and scroll for different functionality -- regular mouse movement for moving the cursor, touch sensor drag to pan?

[-Tj- @ Nov 17th 2007 6:41AM]

Hmm, I must be misunderstanding, but I've never seen a laptop touchpad with a middle mouse button that was done through a tap, and I've had 3 laptops already. Taps were always LMB, not MMB. Best I've gotten for a MMB was by holding both LMB and RMB on the touchpad's buttons.

The software I use doesn't necessarily "allow" scrolling while holding the MMB, but it's certainly possible. The problem with having no MMB is that programs like Maya and XSI use it for navigation and manipulation of scenes and models. In XSI, LMB, MMB, and RMB are X, Y, and Z axis, respectively. They're also used for Pan, Zoom, and Rotate. In fact, one of XSI's requirements are a 3 button mouse. Maya uses a similar setup for navigation. Thing is, you can actually press and hold all three buttons and manipulate all three at the same time. X + Y, X + Z, Y + Z, X + Y + Z, all possible in XSI. If they move it to LMB+RMB, how can I do that? Or if there's no MMB?

To tell you the truth, I was reluctant to move from true 3 button mice (no scroll wheel, just three real buttons) to scroll wheel mice with the combination wheel/button. I accepted the 4 direction scroll wheel with button. I don't condone touchpad scrolling on a mouse for the same reason I don't condone touchscreen typing; many have stated it: tactility. And if there's no MMB to go with it, then that's a double whammy in my book.

I'm sure there's a market for this kind of stuff, but I'm just kinda tired of seeing all these great (not that this one is) mice that lack the middle mouse button. It just seems like a no-brainer that apparently some no-brain left out of the design. :P

[phatbhuda @ Nov 16th 2007 10:43AM]

The Kensington Studio Mouse did the same thing, and it was shaped like a normal computer mouse.

[BiG� @ Nov 16th 2007 12:18PM]

Kensington had a wireless mouse a couple years ago with this. I really liked it, but I also wanted horizontal scrolling and, as of yet, I haven't seen any touch-sensitive bi-directional scrollers.

[Artr @ Nov 16th 2007 5:48PM]

omg finally a mouse with touch for the scroll..... I've always liked the scroll features on synaptics touchpads.