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Introduction:::...
We've already had a taster of Microsoft's fall refresh
to their wireless product range with our review of
the excellent Microsoft
Wireless Optical Desktop Elite keyboard and mouse
combo. With as much focus placed on function as on
form and a new, more sophisticated 27MHz wireless
technology update Microsoft already had the backbone
to a great new product range but that was just the
beginning.
Today's victim doesn't come with a classy black and
silver wireless keyboard to keep it company but it
does have an emphasis on bringing style and perhaps
a little fun to your desktop. It also sports the latest
in scroll wheel technology.....the Tilt Wheel.
Designed to scroll up and down in the
now familiar manner, the Tilt Wheel sits in a cradle
that also allows you to rock it to the left or right
and scroll horizontally. It sounds like the simplest
of implementations but a quick look at the exploded
diagram below revels so fairly intricate piece engineering.
As I mentioned the last time I witnessed
the Tilt Wheel in action, by far the hardest thing
to get used to is the fact that the scroll action
in now completely smooth. It does take a little while
to get accustomed to the lack of detent clicks as
most regular app users know precisely how many clicks
they need to turn the wheel to move a prescribed distance
up or down a page. I can imagine the instinctive reaction
from some people will be to declare the new, smooth
action a mistake and although I don't think it detracts
from the experience once you're used to it I'm not
sure it adds a great deal either.
I mentioned earlier that the new Optical
mouse 2.0 was as much about style and fun as it was
about function so let's take a look at it.
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