We're not really sure if Microsoft is peddling a revolution here or just the mousing tech flavor of the month, but we've got ourselves a much better idea of where things might be going. After that little
"Say Goodbye to Laser" teaser turned our pointing device world upside down, a reader spotted this MS Explorer Mini Mouse with "Blue Track" technology over on Amazon.de. Coincidence? We're guessing no. We followed a bit more of the PI work done by our fine commenters and discovered Blue Track to be based on a blue LED combined with a wide-angle lens that's supposed to work on more surfaces than laser and optical. Microsoft only really seems to be aiming this at the portable spectrum, hence the wireless adapter and miniature size, so perhaps Blue Track isn't the end of laser after all.
[Thanks, awesome commenters]
Read - Amazon.de's Blue Track gallery
Read - Blue Track explained... in Italian
posted August 27th 2008 9:13AM
makes sense to target the mobile market first at least... that's always the time when i am trying to use a laser mouse on some crazy surface and it's just too jittery to be usable.
i love it dude, you deliverd the microsoft shill line with the picture of the "im a PC" guy...freakin awesome
plz do not misinterpret me im a geek, i love pcs and linwhut? naw its windows for now :)
We probably shouldn't assume that "BlueTrack" is only aimed at portables just because the only product currently leaked on the internet is a wireless laptop mouse. That makes as much sense as assuming it's only for Germans, and only being sold on Amazon.de.
Just like their optical and laser tech, there will probably be a full line of mice using BlueTrack.
alright! only 90euro for a laptop mouse!
Erm the price is EUR48.90 and not 90 as the translated version shows.
Its a problem with the Google translator.
I always wondered since the invention of bluray and HDDVD using blue lasers if blue LEDs would be better in mice than red ones too. I was almost at the point of swapping one to find out :D
Ed, they are not. The chips that are in normal mice respond better to larger, not shorter, wavelengths of light. You will lose performance of your mouse if you put a blue LED in them (you may not be able to tell, but it won't work as well). There are wavelength responsiveness graphs on the Cypress Semiconductor website (the only real maker of optical mice chips, patents and all), I'd invite you to take a look at them.
Blu-Ray and HDDVD both use blue lasers because they can be focused to a finer spot than IR or red laser LEDs, the smaller the wavelength, the finer the focusing you can achieve.
Cool stuff, thank you, I had presumed that the finer focusing possible somehow may be applicable to achieving higher resolution/sensitivity/whatever on a mouse but I understand now.
that looks like such a horrendous design, the grip look like a leftie's grip only its got thumb buttons on the left side, as in a rightie's mouse....i cant imagine it being comfortable
BlueTac? I have that already, it's sticky and stuff, don't understand why it's good for mousing.
This is better than laser why? I'm gonna guess that wireless power efficiency alone will persuade me not to buy this.
Apparently it works on every surface (cfr glass) and is more precise than Laser.
Microsoft's designer might have just discovered the outer glow functionality in Photoshop..
Hopefully that blue glow doesn't mean that this thing has a blue glowing ring around its bottom, like some hoopty ride with neons. And if it does, there better be some kind of off switch. Ah well. Not like I'd really want to get this since it would eat a USB port with the damn dongle.
Man what a huge USB dongle!
Pretty blue! :)
Until mice manufacturers make the usb dongle the size of the logitech nano, they won't be getting my business. Pain to have to install/remove it every time you use it. With something like the nano you just leave it in one of your usb ports.
What about battery life on this? I'm thinking that RF combined with LED could create a fairly low power usage, maybe that's why the first application we see is for notebook users. Just a thought
OK, so they havent announced it yet, only 1 mouse has been found on the web so far. And you can already say that this is NOT the end of laser? Jeez, easy there Engadget. I highly doubt they are having an announcement for 1 single portable mouse and put "End of laser" on it. Common sense peeps.
I think that's called marketing.
look. as long as we have sharks, we'll have lasers.
*nods head sagely*
Does it have to glow? I mean really, why does everything have to glow today. Most of the new high powered laptops have crazy glowing LEDs everywhere, mice glow like crazy, and then with everything glowing nothing matches. You desk ends up looking like a multicolored strand of christmas lights.
Please for the love of god, make tiny USB dongles. Or at least stuff 8gb of memory in them so they can be USB storage as well. My wife loves to hit the dongles with her hand, which of course destroys them, then the mouse is useless and you have to buy a new one since they don't sell dongles by themselves.
At least with Bluetooth you can buy one of the micro adapters that takes up a USB port but onyl sticks out about a 1/4 inch. With a lot of laptops they put USB ports on the right side, oh yeah that makes a lot of sense, so when you plug in the monster dongle there is no room to move the mouse next to the computer on a small desk.
Come on guys, well thought out design FTW.
Word on the tiny dongles... is everyone else here a desktop user?
It has to glow, it's so all the people who's eyes are sore from watching porn can see where they left their mouse.
Don't blame Microsoft for bad laptop design. The dongle size is fine, I mean, the non-dongle alternative is a cord! Have some relative appreciation.
I guess the next version will have chrome alloy rims and a subwoofer. If I were a skeptical person, I would say that this was an optical mouse with a blue LED in it.
aquatsr: You seen the Logitech nano?
i was hoping for a trackball revival
Cool, but i have never really had the need to use my mouse on these strange surfaces that optical and laser mice apparently have problems with. I mean what the heck are you using your mice on; your pet cat?
What?! Am I the only one who does that?
Is there a slot cut out in the mouse to store the dongle, or did they just place it there for the picture?
There is a slot for the dongle to store there flush with the bottom - the current generation of MS mice for laptops have this. There is a switch in this slot that the USB dongle presses on when stored there which totally powers the mouse off saving battery life. When you remove the dongle it instantly powers the mouse on again.
It works on wood, on granite, on carpets (??), but what about glass?
Logo on mouse (bottom of right-side-up picture) looks the same as the Say Goodbye to Laser teaser logo...
None of my red optical mice work for the central email computer in my house that we all use because it on a red table top. (cheap Ikea table) So we still have to use a mouse pad. A blue led mouse would be great for this pc.
so does this blue track stuff just mean smoother mouse movement? what does it mean for high res displays/ how much dpi is it? lol put it into consumer terms. im sick of my stock hp optical mouse and my logitech wireless laser is the only (and annoying) reason to buy batteries.
Dongle. Too. Big.
You'd think after Logitech made the tiny Nano receiver, everyone else would too. And since most new laptops only have USB ports on the sides, they stick out and are in sight.
And I never understood "laptop" mice anyway. They aren't 'that' much smaller than regular sized mice. Most people have so much stuff in their laptop bag, that a mouse that's maybe an inch bigger wouldn't make a difference.
That would look kick ass with my laptop being all the power lights and stuff are that shade of blue.
If it works on glass tables then I would buy it.
I'M A FIRING MAH LAZAR!!!!
*sighs* Blue, blue....what's with the damn blue! I know blue LED's are the in thing but I swear as god as my witness as I sit in my living room I can spot 7 blue LED's. I know they are still a bit expensive but how about some green\purple LED love?
i think they should make a BT and a RF version of every mouse
M$ should have just copied the size of the receiver of the VX Nano. :)
http://www.bluetrack.com/
Well that was an anti-climax. I suppose the "Say Goodbye to Laser" rather implied that the only change was going to be in how the mouse reads its position, but for some reason I was hoping for something more interesting than a blue LED. Somehow I don't think my current VX Revolution mouse is worried that its services won't be required anytime soon...
I am a lefty, and proud of it too. I do also use a Logitech G7 Laser mouse 99.9% of the time with my right hand. I play RTS, FPS and RPG Games all using my right hand. I think it comes down to whether or not you are truly ambidextrous as I believe my self to be. In fact, I only EVER use my left hand on the mouse when I'm using my right hand to smoke or bite my nails! (horrible habit, I know!).
On the issue of the above mouse, I hated ball mice, always getting clogged and jittery, and I have noticed the benefit in moving to Laser from optical especially in the area of DPI. Surely Microsoft know more than most about Desk Rodents, and therefore, I would at least try one to satisfy my curiosity. I'm not a fashion victim, or a mug, just looking for a worthwhile upgrade. I mean hey, my PC is still Dual Core P4, and I still only have a DX9 Graphics Card (x1950xt). But I have been waiting to make it a worthwhile upgrade when it happens, and so rather than buy a q6600 or a HD2900xt at ridiculous prices, I can get a Q9450 and a Radeon 4850 and get way more bang for my buck. The point is, despite such effectively arrogant advertising by Apple and the like, we do still have a lot to be thankful to Microsoft for, and whilst they make mistakes just like everyone else(including Apple), they do make good products and not just operating systems that need constant patching.
Try one before you raise any criticism other than those that are speculative.
Just my opinion, so don't flame me too hotly!
I found Blue LED Mouse web site where you can modify your USB mouse to blue or buy a modified one : http://www.blueledmouse.com/
Wow a mouse. Who gives a shit?
Hope they didn't 'dis the lefties!