Microsoft clones Apple Magic Mouse and it only took them 20 months!

Mac Daily News ^ | Thursday, January 06, 2011 - 01:29 PM EST

[Swordmaker]

On October 20, 2009, Apple introduced the wireless Magic Mouse (US$69), the first mouse to use Apple’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ technology. Pioneered on iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads, Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures. Instead of mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of Apple's revolutionary Magic Mouse is a seamless Multi-Touch surface.

Yesterday Microsoft announced their new Touch Mouse which will be available - not immediately, of course, - in June 2011 for the estimated retail price of $79.95. Congratulations Windows sufferers: This time you're just 20 months late and only out an extra $10.95.

The best part is how Microsoft's press release highlight all of the intensive research that went into the project. Only the devil knows how much time and cash they wasted when they could have simply toddled on over to their local Apple Store and picked up a Magic Mouse.

One issue that immediate springs to our minds concerns Apple's Magic Mouse patents.

Microsoft's press release, verbatim:

At the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Microsoft Corp. unveiled the Touch Mouse, a new multitouch device designed for Windows 7 that lets people click, flick, scroll and swipe, making it easy and fun to interact with their PCs. Born from the Mouse 2.0 project conducted by Microsoft Research and the Applied Sciences Group, the Touch Mouse combines the virtues of a mouse with the rich natural language of gesture that lets people interact with Windows 7 in a more intuitive way.

“The new Touch Mouse is a great way for customers to interact naturally with their Windows 7-based PC,” said Mark Relph, senior director of the Windows Developer and Ecosystem Team at Microsoft. “We worked closely with the Microsoft Hardware team to help develop the multitouch gestures that make Windows 7 easier, simpler and more fun to use. After just a few minutes with this mouse you’ll see why.”

As Easy as One, Two, Three

Touch Mouse lets people do everything they are used to doing with a mouse, such as point and click, but also adds gestures with one, two or three fingers to amplify the Windows 7 operating system by creating simple shortcuts to the tasks people want to do most.

• One finger lets people manage individual documents or pages by flicking to quickly scroll, pan and tilt, and one thumb lets people move back or forward through a Web browser.
• Two fingers manage windows, letting people maximize, minimize, snap and restore them.
• Three fingers let people navigate their whole desktop, showing instant viewer or clearing their desktop.

From Research to Reality

The Touch Mouse evolved from the Mouse 2.0 project, a Microsoft study that combined the standard capabilities of a mouse with multitouch sensing and resulted in five prototypes. Although all the Mouse 2.0 prototypes explored different touch-sensing strategies and form factors, the currently code-named “Cap Mouse” was ultimately selected to become the Touch Mouse and help move the PC experience forward.

“When we set out to develop a multitouch input device for Windows 7, we explored a lot of options but determined this form factor and technology is best because it lets people grip their mouse and point and click, while also allowing for rich gestures,” said Hrvoje Benko, researcher in the Microsoft Research Group. “Touch Mouse is our stake in the ground with multitouch PC input devices and is really just the beginning of things to come.”

Additional Features

The Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface,(1) and the tiny Nano transceiver is so small it never needs to come out of the USB port — just plug it in and forget it.

Pricing and Availability

Touch Mouse will be available in June 2011 for the estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.)(2). It will be available for presale starting this week at the online Microsoft Store, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. Microsoft backs this mouse with a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty. More information about these and other Microsoft Hardware products can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

About Microsoft Hardware

For more than 28 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. More information about Microsoft Hardware is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware and http://www.microsofthardwareblog.com.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

Some information in this press release relates to prereleased products, which may be substantially modified before it is commercially released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.

1 BlueTrack Technology does not work on clear glass or mirrored surfaces.

2 Estimated retail price. Actual retail prices may vary.

Source: Microsoft Corp.

MacDailyNews Take: At this rate, the Microsoft Touch Trackpad will be here - let's see, Apple's Magic Trackpad appeared in July 2010, so - Microsoft should be announcing theirs in September 2011, to ship in March 2012. Depending on how their "research" goes, of course.

[Swordmaker]

For anyone who STILL doesn't believe that Microsoft copies Apple... I humbly offer the attached example that proves the point!—PING!

Please!
No Flame Wars!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!
PLEASE!
Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
IGNORE THEM!!!

Apple, Microsoft's Research Division Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[freelancer]

Everything that Microsoft does is an inferior imitation of another company’s products.

[lefty-lie-spy]

So true. I dread sitting at my office desk and wasting hours uon hours of productivity every month. Windows - the profit killer.

[aft_lizard]

Dumb. MS makes great mouses , there was no need to copy a crap mouse.

[aft_lizard]

I dread going to the computer commons and getting stuck on an Apple. Luckily they are smart and have Windows on them but still would rather work on a computer that isn’t built by a company that is fully of homosexuals and commies.

[lefty-lie-spy]

Wow. The moonbats are out in force tonight. I am actually jealous of Microsoft’s strict policy on banning any hiring of homosexuals or liberals.
Grow up.

[tacticalogic]

Everything that Microsoft does is an inferior imitation of another company’s products.

Who was it they copied Exchange from? I'd like some of that.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

... but still would rather work on a computer that isn’t built by a company that is fully of homosexuals and commies.

The Boss has put out a warning about posts like this. If you want to stay on these threads and make a positive contribution instead of just being disruptive you had better clean up your act!

[lefty-lie-spy]

Amusingly, the one and only Microsoft product I enjoyed using was a mouse for my Mac.

[Moltke]

Sounds like MS is positioning itself to pursue a “first to invent” strategy.

[Fresh Wind]

Microsoft makes a great mouse for those who prefer to have some tactile feedback. I won’t buy a gesture driven mouse, no matter who makes it.

I also like the Microsoft ergonomic keyboard. It takes a while to get used to, but now I am very uncomfortable using a straight (linear, not heterosexual) keyboard. They’re ugly, but I value function over “optics”.

[Tanniker Smith]

Multi-Touch allows customers to navigate using intuitive finger gestures.

Too Long, Didn't Read version: Hey, MS! We got an intuitive finger gesture for ya, right here!

[BenKenobi]

Same here. I really don’t get what all the fuss about copying a worthless ‘feature’.

If there were any value here, MS would have done it years ago.

[Larry Lucido]

I’m sure Mac Daily News has no biases whatsoever. :-)

[thecabal]

Yeah, didn't you see the "Apple Caucus" header? Now play nice, or they'll run and tell mommy JimRob!

[Vince Ferrer]

Pioneered on iPhone, iPod touch and Mac notebook trackpads

Apple may have been the first to use it in a consumer product, but it did not invent the technology. And as far as I know, Apple does not do any basic R & D like IBM does, it just sources from various suppliers, who are the real ones doing the inventing. They do this very well, but they should not be called inventors.

Any Apple snob can be defeated with one word, XEROX.

[AFreeBird]

I wonder how long it will take them to clone this:

[Liberty Valance]

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

[antiRepublicrat]

Apple does a combination of inventing and buying the right products. As far as the down-and-dirty technology inventing, Apple invented both FireWire and Mini DisplayPort, and then put them out in standards bodies. Many of their non-design patents seem to be in manufacturing and software.