The clicking sound we hear when we press a mouse button is part of the device's switching mechanism, that has also become a kind of audible comfort cushion for computer users. However, Dutch component manufacturer Nexus believes that in these days of notebook trackpads and tablet touchscreens, we no longer need the audible confirmation that a requested action has been performed – we can see it onscreen. The company has now discovered some silent switching technology and installed into a couple of its input peripherals, so that they operate without so much as a squeak.
First to receive the patented technology was a two-button (plus a scroll wheel) notebook mouse named the sm7000. Available in rubberized black or glossy white, the 3.85 x 2.75 x 1.45-inch (9.8 x 7.0 x 3.7-cm) optical device benefits from a switch for swapping between 1000 and 1600 dpi resolution, an auto-power-save mode, and a compartment inside the mouse to store a nano receiver when in transit. The device uses 2.4GHz wireless technology to pair with the receiver when it's plugged into a USB port on a laptop or computer.
The sm7000 is available now for a suggested retail of US$29.95.
Nexus has now announced that a bigger brother is to join the silent team, named the sm8000. It operates using the same wireless technology, but sports five buttons – all kept quiet by the same silent switching technology as the notebook mouse. This 4.6 x 2.99 x 1.65-inch (11.7 x 7.6 x 4.2-cm) model runs on a couple of AAA batteries. Nexus has told us that it will be available in the U.S. in the next couple of weeks, and it will carry a suggested retail of US$29.95.
That\'s one of the first sounds I disable when using a new PC... :-))