Slashdot Mirror
Logitech Unveils Smart Mouse
Rob writes "Computer business Review is reporting that Logitech International, one of the world's
largest makers of mice and keyboards, has added to its already large range of peripherals
with a new mouse that can receive and process wireless communications from a PC. The new
fangled mouse is capable of two-way communication with the PC, it can inform users when
their mouse battery is low, and
notify them when they receive an email or instant message. Other features include
laser tracking, 10 buttons, volume control and probably too many other things."
I had a Genius Netscroll POS that flashed the scroll wheel light when it got email. From memory it could play some shitty MIDI tune from an internal speaker too.
Anyway, it's hardly new.
Remember, it takes 42 muscles to frown and only 4 to pull the trigger of a sniper rifle.
Wireless keyboards i agree...
But wireless mice arent pointless.
In fact that damn wire of my mx500 seems to get in the way of moving the mouse (because blocking somewhere, or slipped down on the side of the desk and pulling the mouse there, too).
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
Now thats a good addition, not sure if anyone else has done it before, but I've never seen it.
No France
http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/news/GB/EN,conte ntid=10961,crid=34
Featuring this gem:
"This changes the very concept of a computer mouse, because it is no longer simply an input device"
Was same with my old logitech nmouse, well I was charging it constantly, if you are replacing batteries in your mouse, your fucking up bigtime. My microsoft desktop elite though still amazes me with how efficent it is, this is probably due to the fact that it's 1.5 volts (only needs 1 battery to actually work, 2 just extend the life) as opposed to the 3 volt logitech).
One thing that I like is the auto-power off stuff. I have a wireless laptop mouse from Logitech, and the power switch on it is probably the best feature on it; batteries seem to last forever when compared with a regular wireless mouse.
I hope the auto-poweroff stuff is just as good -- then I don't have to remind everyone to turn my mouse off if they stop my pc.
Okay... I'll do the stupid things first, then you shy people follow.
[Zappa]
Hmm, not so if you learn to leave a proper loop (of cord) in front of your mouse. Yes, it is a habit about as hard to learn as lifting and moving your mouse when you run out of desk surface.
When was the last time you changed the volume of your pc?
:)
5min ago
And when you did, did you think 'I wish I was able to control the volume directly from my mouse'?
The first time I used Winamp... scroll wheel controls volume and 3rd button scroll jumps forward/back. I imagine I could use my keyboard, but that's a tad bulky to carry around.
While I agree this looks like a bloat mouse, I must confess that I would likely buy a "multi-media" mouse/trackball that offers extra buttons such as play, stop, pause forward reverse. It would be annoying for an every day mouse but great couch mouse.
The only interesting feature you will get is that it will tell you the battery is low very often
That already exists with the mx-800 and likely the mx-1000. Charging station is the most handy feature considering how much those optical mice suck up the juice. But no two way communication was needed... just a happy little blinking light if the battery is low.
There is no sanctuary. There is no sanctuary. SHUT UP! There is no shut up. There is no shut up.
Which is why I always tape the mouse cord to the table at some distance from the mouse. Keeps it from tangling up the cable, prevents the cable from being pulled back behind the table (solving the tugging) and generally solves the irritation problem.
Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
You probably haven't seen a Logitech mouse in a while now have you?
The MX1000 already featured no less than 8 buttons plus a tilt wheel, did indeed require you to install drivers to tune said buttons, and does fall back to extended PS2 (makes use of default action on some buttons, like MS mouses) when drivers are not installed.
610 will be the same.
"The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
But I agree, 3-5 buttons is plenty; beyond that you run out of fingers and forget what the buttons do.
ttuttle is a rankmaniac
no text.
I guess today is a passable day to die.
Yeah, force-feedback was all the rage a while back, with mice, joysticks, etc. I was interested for the same reasons you were, but they were marketed mostly as a gaming toy. I think their main drawback was that they were very complicated mechnically. Which translates to much higher cost per unit, and much lower reliability. Mice get a lot of wear, so expensive and breaks easily translates to no customers. Indeed, the trend is in the opposite direction: last time I bought a mouse, every one in the store had optical movement sensors instead of a ball or other mechanical sensor. Which was fine with me -- I wouldn't have bought one if it had been available.