Rather odd timing, given some
recent developments in the Apple camp, but Microsoft Research has just surfaced some of its incredibly wild multitouch mouse prototypes. Each one uses a different touch detection method, and at first glance all five seem to fly in the face of regular ergonomics. The craziest two are probably "Arty," which has two articulated arms to cradle your thumb and index finger, with each pad housing its own optical sensor for mission-critical pinching gestures, and "Side Mouse" which is button free and actually detects finger touches in the table immediately in front of the palm rest. Of course, there's plenty of crazy in the FTIR, Orb Mouse and Cap Mouse (pictured), which rely on an internal camera, orb-housed IR camera and capacitive detection, respectively. Of course, there's no word on when these might actually see the light of day, but it should be quite obvious that Apple's not the only game in town thinking about this stuff. Check out the utterly enlightening video of these things in action after the break.
posted October 5th 2009 12:53PM
Well, duh. Did anyone see Surface and Natal and not see this coming?
Yeah, Natal, LOL. Can't wait to play Bash Ball. Yikes.
Seriously, no tactile feedback, no controllers? How do you manage precision that way?
Sorry, not sold yet.
@xcrunk: Nice completely off-topic post bashing a product that doesn't yet exist and that you know nothing about, just to get your word in about how much you hate it. Let me guess, PS3(or maybe Wii) fan?
@Mark You're clearly a XBOX-360 fan then? Natal do in fact excist, it's just not released yet. I agree, I like feedback better.
Psycho Mark:
I know as much as you do at this time.
I'm only asking a valid question; are we ready to game without controllers? How will precision moves, whether in a racing game or a sports game, be properly translated without analog input via controllers, which have tactile feedback. Sounds like a step backwards.
I didn't say anything about hating it. I'm just not prepared to plunk down $100+ to flail around the living room like an idiot playing Bash Ball. Been there, done that, it was call Wii.
Touch Mice for the PC sound cool, I would buy that, if applications supported it.
@xcrunk: The point I was trying to make was mainly that I only mentioned Natal briefly in my comment(along with Surface), as evidence that we already knew this tech was in use. The response was how you weren't sold on Natal, thus being off topic.
As for Natal, itself, so far the people who have used it(although really just a hacked together prototype) say it works extremely well and is very intuitive and easy to use. Also, since there's nothing explicitly saying it has to be used without any controller(and, in fact, evidence to the contrary since it can recognize random objects and use them in game), I'd suggest withholding judgement until we actually see it in its final form.
And so it starts - rumors have been that the recent FCC posting of the Apple mouse is multi-touch. It s going to be great, it will change how we use input devices, it will revolutionize the computer world.
Microsoft has a prototype of a multi-touch mouse: "Seriously, no tactile feedback, no controllers? How do you manage precision that way? "
Also, if I could only remember the name of the person who was banned, who would label anyone who disagreed with them a psycho. It is just on the tip of my tongue, I think his initials were P and a C.
@NohOne: In all fairness, he was talking about Natal with that, not these mice. It was fairly off-topic, though, so I can see how you came to that conclusion.
@NohOne
Also again we have an actual official presentation from MS of a device they are working on.
With Apple we have a rumor, from the same jackasses that clog RSS feeds of tech sites with junk like an iTablet and a camera on the iPod Touch, that Apple is going to have a multi-touch mouse too!
And morons, like the writer of this piece, and several iFanatics, are basically acting peeved that MS dared to show something real and interrupt their iMouse acid trip fantasy.
LookAroundYou,
Exactly!
Apple's mice has nothing but rumors going for it, whereas Microsoft has already developed one and is undoubtedly in the refining stages.
Apple copying Microsoft again.
One would wonder.... how does it know when you press the button or do you keep your fingers hovering over the device unable to rest them for fear of dragging out an infinite selection box....
Apple copying Microsoft again? How does that work? Does it involve the use of a time machine? I mean we already know Apple has been working on a multitouch mouse, it was reported quite a while ago, where MS's project here is just being reported today. Are you confused by the concept of linear time? You Apple haters are hilarious in your stupidity.
Yeah Jack,
We're just seeing this today. So from that, one can deduce:
That it was created...... just today
The device went through the concept, design, prototype, and manufacturing stages...... just today
The software needed to make this device work went through its algorithm, debugging, compiling, and packaging stages.....just today
Seriously, there's a reason we call people like you iDiots.
You guys are not the sharpest tools in the shed...I don't think you guys even know where the shed is.
The iMouse is nothing but a rumor at this point, a conceptual design at best.
These mice that Microsoft have demoed have moved beyond that stage a lonnnnnnng time ago.
This stuff doesn't happen overnight, unless you believe in unicorns and magical pixie dust.
@WindowsFTW,
Look here,
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/new-apple-bluetooth-keyboard-arrives-at-the-fcc-new-mouse-rumor
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/02/fcc_filings_confirm_apples_new_bluetooth_mouse_keyboard.html
While Microsoft just got their devices in prototype stage, Apple already got it on FCC filings, means that it's ready.
And with the stunt Apple pulled by yanking the early leak images from FCC filings, looks like the release is imminent.
So your argument of "The iMouse is nothing but a rumor at this point, a conceptual design at best" is totally flawed.
.
@Nohone
"And so it starts - rumors have been that the recent FCC posting of the Apple mouse is multi-touch. It s going to be great, it will change how we use input devices, it will revolutionize the computer world.
Microsoft has a prototype of a multi-touch mouse: "Seriously, no tactile feedback, no controllers? How do you manage precision that way? "
So what you are saying is that no matter what happens, Windows users will complain about everything?
It wouldn't surprise these are just fast mockups so Microsoft can say they came up with it first. Apple is already talking with the FCC about it yet in technology terms, it doesn't matter.
What is going on at Microsoft? was everyone working on Windows 7 and Xbox360 only? why are they so late in development on everything else?
I don't get it
Seems like a great idea, to move the touch to the mouse instead of the screen. Almost seems natural like a natural progression of the mouse. You could do pinch gestures and those would be translated on screen. I would rather go this route than to have to chuck my 24" LCD for a new touch screen LCD.
It's Microsoft getting more and more desperate to appear "innovative" and just reacting to every Apple rumor with "prototypes" it digs out of its R&D department and throws on the web so that some hater can come along and say "Apple just stole from MS!" and link back to these would-never-have-actually-come-to-market prototypes.
"It's Microsoft getting more and more desperate to appear "innovative" and just reacting to every Apple rumor with "prototypes" it digs out of its R&D department and throws on the web so that some hater can come along and say "Apple just stole from MS!" and link back to these would-never-have-actually-come-to-market prototypes."
Yeah, like somehow MS was reading Engadget, saw a Apple fanboy rumor of a non-existent Apple product, and just sent them running to make a prototype just so they can add a bullet point to a flamewar on a blog.
Reeeeeeeeeeealy?
and all that in what a few days?
damn, they work fast up there in washington.
@xcrunk
also means no fingerprints! damn i hate fingerprints on the screen of my htc magic.
pinch gestures then appear on the screen?
stupid.
Apple uses the huge trackpad for that. And this space-age technology came out like....3 years ago
I've seen the future, and it looks... creepy.
Generic Apple comment.
Generic reply w/ sarcasm to Apple comment.
Generic broad, barely on topic comment followed by webpage link.
Generic reply w/ c-c-c-breaker
Average expected comment telling Mark to get a girlfriend.
Generic unrelated iPhone rules comment
@BillG:
A: Way to kill an otherwise great comment thread.
B: Since nothing to that effect has ever happened before...
C: Don't think the fiancee would approve.
/thread
please
Generic comment questioning Mark's sexuality by asking "What's his name?" then pointing out that Mark was indeed the person who killed the thread. *facepalm*
/thread
Generic disdain over forgetting to un-check the "E-Mail me when someone replies to this comment" box xD.
Generic numeric comment implying beating everyone else yet missed the correct thread and was actually the last comment in the thread comment.
< /BUMP>
Generic guy came to say that you ruin a good thread.... ooop oh no sorry Mark, you already did it :)
Generic comment regarding the "generity" of this thread.
Generic comment extolling Microsofts' mice and Halo but degrading their desktop software engineering and decaying into an anti-internet explorer rant.
Generic comment about crappy Engadget comment system
Is this a new Dr. Scholl's product?
That's what that looks like! I was trying to figure that out. Thank you!
Generic reply w/ wit to sarcasm comment.
Semi-generic reply to "your generic reply w/ wit to sarcasm comment" comment noting your lack of cognition inherent by your apparently errant reply due to its relevance to another thread directly above this thread.
"Microsoft research analysts find new ways to recycle unused Zune stocks, turns them into ugly mice"
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2009/10/capacitive-ms-research-1.jpg
Kind of reminds me of a sybian
Looks like MS trying to be sleek... but each one of these looks hideous.
True, but then these are strictly in the R&D stage. Looking back at the early R&D prototypes of, say, Microsoft Courier(I know, still in that stage, probably), these look positively beautiful by comparison.
Impossible. I've read in these pages that M$ only copies what Apple does.
So no more talk about R&D. Only Apple does innovation.
Let's talk about how these only copy what Apple has done.
Nelson - You're right. We didn't actually learn that Apple was working on a multitouch mouse first.
Oh wait, yes we did. Like a month ago. What was your point again?