Logitech unveils new Windows 8 mice, touchpad
Swiss peripheral manufacturer Logitech today unveiled three new products designed to leverage the Windows 8 touch interface.
The lineup consists of a touchpad and two mice -- the Touchpad T650, the Touch Mouse T620, and the Zone Touch Mouse T400. All three peripherals use a tiny 2.4GHz USB wireless transmitter which can support up to six devices.
According to Mike Culver, Logitech's vice president of brand development for consumer computing platforms, the new devices "replicate the touch-screen experience that you’ve grown accustomed to on smartphones and tablets" and give users "quick, easy and dynamic access to the core elements of the new interface".
All three devices will be available later this month.
Touchpad T650
The Touchpad T650 is a rechargeable, wireless 2.4GHz touchpad that replaces the need for a touchscreen on your existing desktop or notebook PC. The glass surface allows the user to explore and operate the Windows 8 operating system with 13 unique gestures -- and there's even a gesture for accessing the Start screen.
The only time the Touchpad T650 isn't wire-free is when it is recharging, which it does via a USB cable. A single charge can last up to a month, so you're not going to be seeing that cable often.
Price: $79.99.
Touch Mouse T620
The Touch Mouse T620 is a smooth, pebble-shaped wire-free peripheral with an active surface that supports six Windows gestures for fast navigation through the operating system. It supports swipes, scrolls, taps, and clicks, all without a single physical button.
Another interesting feature of the Touch Mouse T620 is that you can customize the weight of the peripheral by choosing to kit it out with one or two AA batteries. A single battery offers a lighter mouse that lasts for three months, while two cells give the Touch Mouse T620 a solid feel, and lasts for up to six months.
The Touch Mouse T620 can also act like a standard mouse, and uses Logitech's advanced optical tracking to ensure pin-point precision.
Price: $69.99.
Zone Touch Mouse T400
The Zone Touch Mouse T400 is a more traditional looking wireless mouse, supporting three Windows 8 touch actions that are carried out on a dedicated glass "touch zone".
The Zone Touch Mouse T400 offers an incredible 18 months of battery life before the batteries need replacing -- which means you might be replacing your PC before you have to replace the AAs.
Price: $49.99.