Sadly they aren't continuing Microsoft's Surface Arc Mouse. As far as I know this is the only non-Apple mouse with a scroll surface, and not a physical scroll wheel.
Apple's patent on touch sensitive mice (8279176B2) doesn't expire until 2026.
One day physical scroll wheels will be a thing of the past.
The Wedge Touch Mouse, which has a weird wedge shape and runs out of a single AA battery also has touch sensitive (vertical only IIRC? haven’t used it in a while) scroll as far as I can tell.
There was a bit of a dark age but by now there's way better keyboards than the MS ergonomic.
One discontinued MS peripheral that is still quite sought after but not in that list would be the Trackball Explorer[1]. There's sadly very little competition in the large trackball space. DIY designs are starting to crop up[2], but it's nowhere near where the mechanical keyboard scene is today.
Mx Ergo is great as a thumb trackball, the Kensington trackballs are well reviewed, elecom has the giant mice and I think l-trac mice were bought out by x-key and they still exist and you have ploopy that came out of diy from Reddit.
I have a pair of Kensington Expert Mouse full size trackballs (optical, 4 button with scroll wheel, and USB) that are both over a decade old and still work great. Kensington still seem to sell this same model.
Oh god...you brought up what I pushed far away. That echoing pain though the whole floor. You couldn't even talk him out of it because it's sooo healthy....yeah maybe for your wrists, surely not for my psyche.
I would kill for a USB re-release of the venerable Microsoft Sidewinder 3D Pro, still the best joystick I have ever used.
In fact, I still have mine in the closet. The only reason I haven't used it is because no computer these days has a game port. Maybe I should investigate USB adapters...?
I love Microsoft hardware and I have been using their peripherals since the late 80s. Logitech is also very good, but never had quite the reliability and simplicity combined with innovation of Microsoft's hardware products.
My first mouse was a Microsoft Mouse bought around 1987. It continued working for many years and I've only stopped using it because screen resolutions increased too much for it to handle.
I dunno their mice are ok. I've got a G203 on the PC and an MX Master 3 on the mac and they are both excellent. The G203 is the best mouse I've used since the MS optical mice.
Only downside is you have to turn all the RGB lights crap off on the G203.
almost every logitech product I've bought in the last 6 years has failed early and while their warranty is honored, having to go through it for basically every item is very frustrating compared to just not having the issues with mouse and keyboard switches.
I think their products are priced on the assumption they have to send you a replacement because the failure rates are so high.
Still looking for good replacements for everything.
Incase bought a dead end. I don’t understand the love for these classic products outside of nostalgia and habit.
The peripherals market made massive strides since these were in their heyday. These were solid mid-range options years ago but they’re just not competitive anymore.
For the same price as the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard you can buy a split ergonomic keyboard with real mechanical switches. You even get multiple switch choices.
Microsoft had a respectable product line but the market has caught up and surpassed it.
This reminds me of those Unicomp IBM keyboards. I bought one, thought it was great at the time, but later on bought a more modern-design mechanical keyboard. In comparison the Unicomp keyboard was so clearly an inferior nostalgia product: louder, heavier (in a bad way), and worse key feel and travel than the vast array of switches available on the market today.
Perixx Periboard-335BL is the one that I found on Amazon, $59. Seems like the same idea but with the mechanical switches. Admittedly it’s missing a number pad.
I owned an MS ergonomic keyboard around 10 years ago and those membranes are so mediocre.
My overall point is that if you’re spending $60 on a membrane keyboard you’re so close to being able to afford a mechanical one that I’m not sure who that $60 product is for.
Last year I bought a Microsoft Intellimouse Pro which I really, really like. Besides being a tad heavy it has been a pleasure to use. I didn't know Microsoft stopped making mice and keyboards. Such a bummer.
I wonder what some alternative brands would be. Logi has been terrible for me in reliability.
The Pro IntelliMouse is basically a minimalist gaming mouse, so that's the market to look at. Unfortunately its competitors tend to be more expensive, less reliable, and sometimes (in the case of Razer at least) require horrible software to function properly.
Readit News
Apple's patent on touch sensitive mice (8279176B2) doesn't expire until 2026.
One day physical scroll wheels will be a thing of the past.
God I hope not. I want more tactile feedback in my interfaces, not less.
And this is good?
Until then, I get by w/ a Logitech G600 (and a couple of spares).
https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/p/accessories-and-software/keyb...
If they built something on the chassis of the Intellimouse, but with the Arc's touch surface, that could really be something.
One discontinued MS peripheral that is still quite sought after but not in that list would be the Trackball Explorer[1]. There's sadly very little competition in the large trackball space. DIY designs are starting to crop up[2], but it's nowhere near where the mechanical keyboard scene is today.
[1] https://www.trackballmouse.org/microsoft-trackball-explorer/
[2] https://github.com/jfedor2/scroll-ring-trackball
https://www.amazon.com/ELECOM-M-HT1DRBK-Wireless-Trackball-M...
And I wouldn't recommend it, I end up having some pain in my right thumb, that stopped when I stopped using it.
However this is just my experience.
Do you have any examples? Ideally that are the same price as the Ergo was (and probably will be) at $59?
[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_ergonomic_keyboards#...
It’s also the only keyboard I’ve found that doesn’t exacerbate my RSI - and I’ve tried all kinds of weird split ergo designs. No cool points though.
In fact, I still have mine in the closet. The only reason I haven't used it is because no computer these days has a game port. Maybe I should investigate USB adapters...?
https://deskthority.net/wiki/Microsoft_mouse_(3rd_gen)
There is something about the way the buttons and scroll wheels feel that no other manufacturer could match. Not even Logitech.
For example, most of their consumer-focused Bluetooth peripherals are great (such as the K380 keyboard).
Only downside is you have to turn all the RGB lights crap off on the G203.
I think their products are priced on the assumption they have to send you a replacement because the failure rates are so high.
Still looking for good replacements for everything.
The peripherals market made massive strides since these were in their heyday. These were solid mid-range options years ago but they’re just not competitive anymore.
For the same price as the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard you can buy a split ergonomic keyboard with real mechanical switches. You even get multiple switch choices.
Microsoft had a respectable product line but the market has caught up and surpassed it.
This reminds me of those Unicomp IBM keyboards. I bought one, thought it was great at the time, but later on bought a more modern-design mechanical keyboard. In comparison the Unicomp keyboard was so clearly an inferior nostalgia product: louder, heavier (in a bad way), and worse key feel and travel than the vast array of switches available on the market today.
I owned an MS ergonomic keyboard around 10 years ago and those membranes are so mediocre.
My overall point is that if you’re spending $60 on a membrane keyboard you’re so close to being able to afford a mechanical one that I’m not sure who that $60 product is for.
I wonder what some alternative brands would be. Logi has been terrible for me in reliability.