Microsoft announces new Windows 8 mice and keyboards

[JMH]

With the imminent release of Windows 8 to RTM – ahead of the next-gen operating system’s launch on October 26 – Microsoft’s Hardware division is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary with the arrival of new devices which it describes as "finely tuned for use with Windows 8".

Windows 8 will bring with it a wave of new PC hardware, including desktops, all-in-ones, notebooks, convertibles, and of course tablet devices optimised for touch input with the new OS, including Microsoft’s own Surface tablets, announced last month. But while much of the Windows 8 user experience is designed around a ‘touch-first’ paradigm, Microsoft isn’t expecting users to ditch their keyboards and mice completely any time soon. There is perhaps no better evidence of this than the two new Bluetooth-enabled keyboards and two mice that it is launching specifically with portable and mobile Windows 8 devices in mind.

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-announces-new-windows-8-mice-and-keyboards

 

[JMH]

Microsoft gets touchy with mouse gestures for Windows 8

Apple in 2008 started the gesture craze for traditional point-and-click PCs, but gestures will be more important than ever for PC users when Microsoft rolls out the touch-centric Windows 8 in October.

To prepare its customers for the touch-based revolution, Microsoft on Monday unveiled a new set of gesture commands and associated hardware designed to make it easier to get around Windows 8 with a mouse. The navigation techniques will work with the new keyboard and mouse peripherals that Microsoft developed specifically for Windows 8 devices. The software drivers for some older input devices may be updated to also support the gesture commands.

If you are already using Microsoft's Touch Mouse, introduced for Windows 7 in 2011, the new Windows 8 gestures should feel somewhat familiar; however, there are a few changes that may take some getting used to.

http://www.itworld.com/windows/287912/microsoft-gets-touchy-mouse-gestures-windows-8