Stuart Kennedy | November 04, 2008
MICROSOFT spruiks its new BlueTrack technology mice as the 4WDs of the mouse world and, for once, reality matches the hype.
Microsoft Explorer top view
The Explorer's footprint
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We tried both models in the BlueTrack range - the desktop sized Explorer and the Mini Mouse, which is about two thirds the size of the Explorer and more travel-friendly.
Both use the proprietary BlueTrack technology, which Microsoft claims is the next big thing in mouse tracking.
The blue beam emanating from the gadget is said to be quadruple the size of the average laser beam of contemporary mice and gives better reflection, a higher-resolution tracking image and the ability to work accurately on all sorts of surfaces.
In practice, the BlueTrack mice can zip around where ordinary laser mice fear to tread. Granite kitchen benchtops, woolly carpets and rough-hewn coffee tables are no problem. Instead of lurching about like a drunken sailor, the desktop pointer keeps going where you direct it. Both the Explorer and the Mini use a single AA battery for power but the larger mouse comes with a rechargeable AA that uses a neat desktop charger included in the package. The mouse rests on the charger when not in use.
Don't confuse BlueTrack with Bluetooth. Both of these mice use 2.4GHz wireless transceivers to talk to their host PCs, rather than Bluetooth networking.
The transceivers plug into a spare USB port and snap into a recess under the mouse's hull for travel.
Forget or lose the transceiver and your lovely new BlueTrack mouse becomes a desk ornament.
With Bluetooth becoming ubiquitous, at least on notebooks, I'd like to see a BlueTrack model with Bluetooth. That way, if your PC has Bluetooth, you could travel dongle-free.
SPECIFICATIONS
• Rating: 8/10
• Price: Mini Mouse $99.95, Explorer Mouse $129.95