It seems we have an obsession with touch at the moment, with touch sensitive controls spreading from smart phones to tablets to even our computer peripherals.

Microsoft has joined the trend with the Microsoft Touch Mouse exclusively for Windows 7.

The mouse is stylishly presented in a display box that makes you feel like you really are opening a cutting edge piece of technology. Inside is a slick black mouse covered in tiny crosses, looking like a hybrid between a mouse, a stealthy Batman gadget and something ready for green screen motion capture on a film set. Installation is as quick and easy as plugging in the USB cable /wireless receiver and installing the driver.

The Touch Mouse operates using a series of gestures with either one, two or three fingers, along with your thumb, on the side of the mouse. These can take a bit of getting used to, but after a while they begin to feel quite natural. The mouse does not have traditional flexible left and right click buttons like most; instead the whole mouse body tilts slightly to depress the internal button on the required side. This is the only area where I encountered difficulty, as I had to concentrate slightly more on depressing the button than I would with a normal mouse.

Gamers looking for a wireless gaming mouse will be out of luck here, as the sensitivity of the touch surface, coupled with the unusual clicking mechanism, makes it hard to get the accuracy required for gaming.

PROS

Comfortable shape

Easy to set up and use

Cons:

Button clicking can be a little fiddly

Not suitable for gaming

Conclusion

The Microsoft Touch Mouse is a comfortable and easy-to-use mouse which, when coupled with Windows 7, provides an easy and for the most part intuitive method of navigation.

Windows 7 users looking for a smart mouse for general use will love the Touch Mouse.