Early treats for gadget hounds

By Neil Ray Ramos

PC gaming enthusiasts and gadget freaks alike have a lot of reason to be happy.

Microsoft recently unveiled their latest hardware products, designed to enhance the PC user?s experience even as it combines the latest technological designs and engineering ergonomics.

?We are excited to bring the latest Microsoft Hardware products to consumers here in the Philippines,? shares Cecille Acenita, business development manager, Wordtext Systems Inc., the local distributor of Microsoft Hardware products in the Philippines and winner of the Microsoft Distributor of the Year for Finished Goods in 2008.

?To meet the ever-changing business requirements of Philippine companies across all industries, we only distribute the best branded IT products like Microsoft Hardware. Microsoft offers integrated products that make it easy for users to accomplish everyday tasks?at home or on the go,? she adds.

Though these developments might not mean much to the average PC user?who, year in and year out seems quite content to log on with their decades-old mouse and keypad set-up?according to Ian Tan, marketing communications & partnership manager (entertainment & devices division), the new innovations could actually benefit them the most as it allow for easier, more convenient, and more enjoyable computing experience.

?These new products are quite user-friendly? perfect for both beginners and experts and for whatever purpose? may it be work or pure fun and entertainment,? he says.

Katherine Teu, regional marketing manager-Southeast Asia (Microsoft Hardware), lauds the products calling them the ?ultimate in performance and innovative design.?

?At Microsoft, we are constantly looking for ways to make computing and generating the best results easier and faster,? says Teu. ?These new Microsoft Hardware enhances the PC experience anywhere our customers need to go, whatever they need to do?work, stay in touch or play.?

Tan demoed the products including the next-generation Explorer Mice with Blue Track Technology, the fashionable and functional Arc Mouse, and the SideWinder X6 Keyboard, which he said, is ?the most versatile gaming keyboard in the market? to the media to emphasize his point.

Into the Blue

Introduced along with the release of the hardware products, is Microsoft?s ?BlueTrack Technology,? which according to Tan is the world?s most advanced tracking technology.

?It allows consumers to take their mice anywhere and work with confidence on virtually any surface?be it a rough kitchen countertop, an uneven park bench or the living room carpet. BlueTrack Technology combines the width and power of optical technology with the precision of laser tracking to allow consumers to mouse freely on more surfaces than before,? he explains.

?Look around you? people aren?t sitting at a desk all day? they?ve gone mobile. PC shipments today are being driven by laptops and consumers need a mouse that can go with them anywhere,? adds Teu. ?BlueTrack Technology excels in areas where optical and laser technologies were falling short. Laser mice, for example, have a difficult time working on some common home surfaces, including granite and marble.?

Among the new products, BlueTrack Technology will debut in the new high-end Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse. This mouse pairs revolutionary tracking technology with a sophisticated chrome trim and blue lighting around the bottom rim design.

Fashion meets function

Another product, the Arc Mouse, features a revolutionary design, which Tan explained, meant to ?combine comfort and portability.?

The Arc Mouse looks deceivingly quite like a mobile phone with its sleek, thin crescent shape.

?With two color options [black and red] and being foldable as well, it is truly an accessory, adding to the fashion PC trend that is taking the technology industry by storm,? Tan quips, quoting ?The Age of Style in Consumer PCs,? a June 2007 report by Forrester Research Inc.

?It predicted that between now and 2012 will be the ?age of style? with consumer choice and personalization becoming an important factor in a purchase decision. The Arc Mouse is our nod to that direction.?

Gamer?s choice

Meanwhile, the SideWinder X6 Keyboard is the best keyboard option yet for gamers.

?Although we have envisioned the SideWinder X6 Keyboard with the average gamer in mind? that?s why we have bundled the new Red Alert game with it? it is also ideal for productivity, as it functions as a standard num pad in normal keyboard mode,? Tan says.

The SideWinder X6 Keyboard?s switchable keypad allows gamers to program up to 90 macros per game with the help of a set of dedicated macro keys as well as a fully programmable keypad. With mode switching, gamers can instantly go from Microsoft Office Excel to their favorite game ?and place the macro pad on whichever side they prefer for gaming.

?Gamers enjoy a heightened experience with the SideWinder X6 Keyboard. Research shows many gamers like to dim the lights, and the X6?s two-color adjustable backlighting helps set the mood to achieve total immersion. What?s more, the X6 also includes full media keys and volume and backlighting control dials to fine-tune the gaming experience.?

But is it sturdy enough?

Tan gave the keypad a wallop. He turns it on again?works perfectly.

?When we said we make the best, we?re not joking,? he says with a smile.