Computers

Logitech announces new mice with hyper-fast scrolling

Logitech announces new mice with hyper-fast scrolling
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August 24, 2006 It just might be a major breakthrough in PC navigation, though we won’t know until we’ve tried it but the claim is credible. Logitech has announced two advanced mice that it claims will significantly speed the task of finding and manipulating content on a computer. Both mice feature hyper-fast scrolling with a an alloy wheel – the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel – that spins freely for up to seven seconds, spanning hundreds of pages with a single flick of the finger and setting a new benchmark in scrolling efficiency. Computer navigation with these mice is also enhanced with an innovative search feature that allows the selection of a word or phrase on a Web page or in a document and, with a single click, the viewing of Internet search results on that subject. And with their ergonomic designs, the new mice offer a level of comfort that makes them become a virtually imperceptible extension of the hand.

Already an indispensable tool for PC navigation, the computer mouse can now meet the advanced demands of needing to move quickly and intuitively through multiple Web pages, large spreadsheet files, digital photos, playlists or any of the other rich, abundant digital content available today. The Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse and the VX Revolution cordless laser mouse for notebooks mark a radical change in navigating this content.

A recent Logitech study revealed that on average, PC users have six applications open on their computer at any one time, and the active window switches or a new window opens every 50 seconds. To navigate the vast content at their disposal, people spin their mouse’s scroll wheel approximately eight metres in an eight-hour day.

The wheel reinvented

The MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel helps ease this navigational challenge in two different ways. Its breakthrough free-spin mode scrolls through long documents as quickly as required. A single flick of the finger yields as many as 10,000 lines of a Microsoft Excel document in seven seconds – with a traditional scroll wheel, it would take 500 spins and seven minutes to cover the same territory. The new wheel also offers an improved click-to-click scrolling option that results in familiar tactile feedback for each small unit of distance scrolled, allowing precise navigation of lists, slides and individual images.

“By providing the option of using a free-spinning scroll wheel, we have addressed a source of pain for computer users, who previously had to continuously move their index finger to scroll through long documents,” said Marco Manera, general manager of Logitech Australia. “Every application lends itself to different kinds of navigation – and with its sophisticated technology, the wheel can elegantly switch between the free-spin and click-to-click scrolling modes.

One-touch search

Marking another breakthrough in navigation, the One-Touch Search feature can be married to a user’s search application, such as Yahoo! or Google. When a word or phrase is highlighted in a document or on a Web page, a click of the One-Touch Search button, located just beneath the scroll wheel, automatically begins a search of the Web or computer system.

Designed for comfort

Ergonomics has become increasingly important as people continue to spend more time immersed in their digital content. Sculpted contours on Logitech’s new mice create natural resting points for fingers, and rubber thumb grips make it easy to grab and move the mice without squeezing too hard. Both mice feature low-resistance polytetrafluoroethylene feet, enabling them to glide smoothly across a surface with minimal exertion on the part of the user. And the MicroGear wheel includes an inset rubber belt that makes it easier for the index finger to grab and flick the finely tuned wheel.

The MX Revolution Mouse

The world’s most advanced mouse, the MX Revolution includes an intelligent twist to the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel: The motorised wheel automatically switches between free-spin and click-to-click mode with proprietary technology, based on the best setting for the application being used. In some applications, such as Microsoft Excel, this technology also senses the speed at which the wheel is spun – if rapidly, the wheel goes into free-spin mode; if spun slowly, the wheel shifts into click-to-click mode. It can also be manually toggled between modes – by pushing down and clicking the wheel. And settings for the wheel and for all of the mouse’s seven buttons can be customized for individual preferences within the included Logitech SetPoint software or with Logitech Control Center software for Mac, available via download.

The MX Revolution also features a second wheel near the thumb that can either be used to zoom in and out of photos and documents, or to quickly switch between applications, furthering navigational efficiency.

The VX Revolution Mouse

Designed for notebook PC users who want the very best in a mouse, the VX Revolution balances portability and comfort. It’s smaller in size than the MX Revolution and includes a slot to store the 2.4 GHz micro-receiver, making it more portable. And its ergonomic design, rubber-lined thumb grip and slightly concave key plates make it highly comfortable to use.

The base of the mouse features a switch that can shift the MicroGear Precision Scroll Wheel from free-spin to click-to-click mode. The mouse also includes a zoom slider that makes it easy to zoom in and out of open documents and photos.

The Logitech VX Revolution mouse has a suggested retail price of $79.99 in the U.S.

The Logitech MX Revolution mouse has a suggested retail price of $99.99 in the U.S.

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