Peripheral maker Logitech has introduced a US$29.95 holiday-themed, limited edition, optical Wheel Mouse. It comes in a “vibrant red” hue and sports a new 2X optical sensor that purportedly offers improved resolution and accuracy.
The Wheel Mouse has a three-button — plus scroll-wheel — design and is built to work with both lefties and righties. MouseWare drivers allow for each button to be custom programmed by the user. The iTouch WebWheel software that comes with all Logitech mice lets you access the Internet and your favorite Web sites by depressing the scroll wheel button.
The Wheel Mouse Special Edition uses an optical positioning sensor developed by Logitech and Agilent Technologies. The sensor tracks its relative location by “taking a picture” of the surface the mouse is operating. According to Logitech, each captured image is then sequentially analyzed by a digital signal processor, which detects the speed and direction of even the slightest movement and translates it into smooth cursor movements on the computer screen.
The Wheel Mouse offers a USB interface that runs on Mac OS 8.6 or higher, but not Mac OS X.