Microsoft hints at new mice: "Say Goodbye to Laser"

We'd say the jump from traditional optical mice to laser mice was pretty momentous, and it sounds like Microsoft is getting ready to jump again -- Microsoft Hardware put up a teaser this afternoon for a September 9th announcement featuring the tagline "Say Goodbye to Laser." Yeah, that's not exactly subtle, is it? We're hoping a return to old-school trackballs with grimy little wheels is in order, but we're just sentimentalists at heart.

[Via Seattle PI, thanks Spencer]

[lordofthedirectrix @ Aug 27th 2008 4:59AM]

What is the problem with current laser mice? I don't see any benefit to a new technology other than perhaps longer battery life on wireless mice.

[Tonicboy @ Aug 27th 2008 5:29AM]

I still have plenty of surfaces that I don't track well on, so that's an area for improvement.

[zomg0t @ Aug 27th 2008 5:41AM]

It may also improve accuracy... 2000 DPI might not be very good when gaming on a SHV display... But what's better than lasers? I'm thinking it'll incorporate a tiny hadron collider (I don't know how; it just will).

[▀█▀ █ ▀█▀ ▄█▀ @ Aug 27th 2008 6:26AM]

Pictures on German amazon homepage:
http://www.amazon.de/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.de%2FExplore-Technologie-Untergrund-Batterieanzeige-incl-Reiseetui%2Fdp%2FB001DC9T92%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dce-de%26qid%3D1219830648%26sr%3D8-13

[Cal @ Aug 27th 2008 6:36AM]

Englisherised - http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.de%2FExplore-Technologie-Untergrund-Batterieanzeige-incl-Reiseetui%2Fdp%2FB001DC9T92%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dce-de%26qid%3D1219830648%26sr%3D8-13&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=de&tl=en

You can count me out though, the reason I like laser is that there isn't a big red light under the mouse, so I'm not going to like a strip of blue light...

[MacManus @ Aug 27th 2008 6:41AM]

@zomg0t
A Tiny Hadron Collider? THC? That's not gonna improve accuracy ;-)

[zomg0t @ Aug 27th 2008 6:54AM]

@Cal

I know that at least Logitech has invisible optical mice:
http://reviews.cnet.com/mice/logitech-lx7-cordless-optical/4505-3148_7-31532300.html?tag=mncol;lst
"This design features an invisible light optical technology"

Maybe Microsoft can make this mouse use invisible optics as well.

[nDee @ Aug 27th 2008 7:41AM]

Their secret-keeping skill is worse than Nokia,
(or up-coming Apple )

[Matthew @ Aug 27th 2008 8:22AM]

How about we just say goodbye to mice instead. Touchscreens FTW

[TheGasMan @ Aug 27th 2008 8:30AM]

"This year we're introducing two new mice with our breakthrough tracking technology called Blue Track. The key to it is that it uses a big blue beam. And this is unlike any tracking technology that's been introduced to date."
http://www.bootcamp.com/report.jsp?reportId=2617

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Aug 27th 2008 8:40AM]

I personally was willing to wait another year for this -- what's with this 9.9.08 BS

[John @ Aug 27th 2008 9:03AM]

No, it's not that there's a problem. They're just going to stop them from ever being made again. No new product, just..... no more lasers.

[Dubb @ Aug 27th 2008 9:24AM]

@zomg0t
Razer has invisible Eye-safe lasers in their mice as well. It's in the Razer Copperhead, I don't now about any of their other mice.

[OneLove @ Aug 27th 2008 12:29PM]

I've been sooooo worried about my mouse tech lately this a such a relief. Thank god!

[ddub @ Aug 27th 2008 7:30PM]

@High Ranks

I'd prefer to wait 91 years for 9.9.99.

[Sam Hutchings @ Aug 27th 2008 5:01AM]

Is it just me or do the images in that spoiler look a tiny bit like eyes?

Maybe they have designed a new type of optical recognition system for mice?

I think i need to phone the MS PR team.

[ghoti42 @ Aug 27th 2008 7:43AM]

they use insect eyes as sensors

[Blackstar @ Aug 27th 2008 8:06AM]

Our Blue Lemon™ Mouse Technology is light-years ahead of the competition.

[Craig @ Aug 27th 2008 5:01AM]

GPS then?

/joke

[%u2580%u2588 %u2588 %u2580%u2588 %u2584%u2588 %u2588%u2588 @ Aug 27th 2008 5:19AM]

No just WiFi triangulation.

[LondonConsultant @ Aug 27th 2008 5:35AM]

No, just existing CCTV cameras and some nifty image processing. Available only in UK.

[nDee @ Aug 27th 2008 5:45AM]

It's already working.
ON something call Wii

[Darren @ Aug 27th 2008 12:54PM]

Photon Torpedo.

[Cash @ Aug 27th 2008 5:02AM]

Just make the damn thing bluetooth please. Nothing like having the latest products run on ass ancient 900mhz tech with huge dongles that stick out of the side of laptops, begging to be snapped off on accident.

[Tonicboy @ Aug 27th 2008 5:31AM]

I dunno, women seem to like my huge dongle. *ba-dum CHINGGG*

[Kelmon @ Aug 27th 2008 6:51AM]

I couldn't agree more. Pretty much every laptop these days has Bluetooth and yet we're still restricted to taking up a USB port with a dongle or using a second-rate mouse. Aside from the hideous drivers for it on the Mac, the VX Revolution mouse is pretty much perfect in terms of its physical form and features. The only exception in that it uses RF rather than Bluetooth. Give me a Bluetooth version and I"d be very happy. Given this I'm hoping that Microsoft bangs out some good competition. Fingers crossed...

[rokujou @ Aug 27th 2008 7:11AM]

I'd expect it to be bluetooth if it's a notebook mouse. I'm using a Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 and that's bluetooth.

[Nirmal @ Aug 27th 2008 8:20AM]

I wonder if a mice can be built to connect using Wifi?

[dcny @ Aug 27th 2008 8:24AM]

@Kelmon

"Pretty much every laptop these days has Bluetooth" that is so far from the truth most laptops dont have bluetooth go to any electronics store and find 2 laptops that have bluetooth you will be suprised how many dont have it.

[Matt @ Aug 27th 2008 1:17PM]

I disagree.

Microsoft's RF tech works amazingly well for input devices, little to no input lag, long battery life, no problems holding and keeping a connection. Most bluetooth devices on the other hand suck battery like there's no tomorrow, sometimes can experience input lag, occasionally have a long resume time after a period of not using the device for a while, and I sometimes bluetooth devices for no apparent reason will just loose their paring.

So unless it's for a mobile laptop mouse, I'd rather have a Microsoft's 900Mhz RF.

[hazard @ Aug 27th 2008 5:10AM]

they're called fingers ..

[▀█▀ █ ▀█▀ ▄█▀ @ Aug 27th 2008 5:13AM]

I for one am quite intrigued. I can't imagine anything superior to frickin lasers.

[Kris @ Aug 27th 2008 5:42AM]

These type of things:
└ ├ ┼ ┬ ┴

[▀█▀ █ ▀█▀ ▄█▀ @ Aug 27th 2008 6:14AM]

Extended ASCII Codes (8bit)

[Syntax Error @ Feb 11th 2009 12:10AM]

I remain faithful that Microsoft is coming back to the legacy Ball mouse.

X, Y axis crud buildup on the rollers FTW!

[acme @ Aug 27th 2008 7:49AM]

balls of STEEEEEL!

[lars @ Aug 27th 2008 5:20AM]

As we all know, MS Research has made significant progress in the field of mind control. What's new is that by reversing the process (mind controls device instead of the opposite) a new generation of pointing device has been created. Very cool indeed.

[Septimus @ Aug 27th 2008 5:15AM]

Already seen what this is going to be. It's good.

MS are doing it because they forgot to patent the red laser when they invented it. Duh!

Anyway, this is much better.

[KMAN @ Aug 27th 2008 5:31AM]

@ Septimus,

MS didn't forget to paten the "red laser." Red Laser was introduced by Hughes Research Labs in 1960. That's a decade before Microsoft got its start.

And just in case you were referring tot he red "optical" mouse, that was invented by sun microsystems. Not MS.

Quoting you on the next line:

"Duh!"

[Uplink @ Aug 27th 2008 5:17AM]

Surface?

[John Darrow @ Aug 27th 2008 5:16AM]

So is there anything concrete to say that "Laser" refers to mice, not to printers, with possibly a new technology in printing?

[▀█▀ █ ▀█▀ ▄█▀ @ Aug 27th 2008 5:51AM]

MS builds mice. They do not build printers.

[Nytrojen @ Aug 27th 2008 9:26AM]

Correction: *Mouses*

[Matt Busche @ Aug 27th 2008 11:19AM]

Correction: mice is Correct

[Goblin @ Aug 27th 2008 5:20AM]

9th September? So if rumours are correct the announcement will be completely overshadowed by Apple press event.

[Ninjageek @ Aug 27th 2008 7:15AM]

So everyone is just gonna ignore this new release? Even if Apple has something extraordinary to show? Riiiiight.....

[Saad Rabia @ Aug 27th 2008 5:20AM]

Smells like a mouse with a motion sensor.

[Jeremy W @ Aug 27th 2008 12:39PM]

You might want to blow your nose, because that's not what this is.

[Kris @ Aug 27th 2008 5:21AM]

Goodbye to laser.

/me waits...
Now what?

[Link2877 @ Aug 27th 2008 5:22AM]

I'm gonna laugh if it turns out to just be a touch screen or something alone those lines. lol