All in One

Friday, October 26, 2012

Review: Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard

PortableEasy to connectWindows 8 keyboard shortcutsNice designCover doubles as standOnly suitable for tabletsExpensive

Along with the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse, the Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard has been released in preparation for Windows 8. It doesn't have a design as divisive as the Wedge Touch Mouse, but it complements it with the same black and silver colour scheme.

It's a small keyboard - not any longer than most tablets, and so typing on it for long periods can be quite uncomfortable. However the buttons feel good, and it's a huge improvement on using an on-screen keyboard on your tablet.

Again, there's no dongle included, so the tablet or PC you pair it with needs to have Bluetooth. Setting it up was as simple as inserting the batteries, then going to 'Change PC settings' in Windows 8 and clicking Add a device. Windows 8 found the keyboard without trouble, and after entering a unique code on the keyboard for security, everything was pared up.

Icons for Windows 8's charms are included above the 'F' keys, which makes navigating Windows 8 much easier. In fact, combining the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse and the Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard - essentially turning your tablet into a mini desktop PC - makes using Windows 8 a much more pleasant experience.

The Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard is quite easy to carry about because it's small, thin and light and comes with a protective case that can fold and double as a stand for a tablet.

Overall the Microsoft Wedge Mobile Keyboard isn't a keyboard that you'd want to use with a desktop PC, but if you're going to be doing a lot of writing on your tablet, then it is essential, and the Windows 8-specific shortcut keys are incredibly handy.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Review: Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse

ResponsivePortableWorks well with Windows 8Easy to connect

With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft has released some new peripherals that have been designed to complement the new operating system, and its new way of doing things. First up is the Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse, a rather odd looking Bluetooth-only mouse.

In the past, Microsoft has launched a number of ergonomic peripherals that are comfortable to use for long periods of time. As you can guess from one look at this mouse, this isn't one of them.

But that's not the aim of this mouse. It's not designed for sitting in front of a desktop PC for hours at a time, but for quickly using with a Windows 8-equipped tablet. There's no dongle, but as long as your tablet is Bluetooth capable you can get Windows 8 to search, detect and connect to the mouse rather painlessly.

Software for adjusting what the mouse can do can be downloaded from Microsoft's website, but there's not many settings to change, so it's pretty pointless.

The mouse is small, so easy to carry around with you, and you can fit a few fingers on there to move the mouse around. As with previous Microsoft mice, the Bluetrack technology keeps the mouse responsive over a variety of surfaces.

The mouse also works with some touch gestures, such as swiping horizontally or vertically. While it doesn't seem to support multi-touch gestures, such as pinching to zoom in, it does make the Windows 8 interface more intuitive, as opposed to using a traditional mouse.

The Microsoft Wedge Touch Mouse is certainly not going to be to everyone's taste, and we had some serious reservations when we first saw the design, but it's actually not that bad at all if you want a light mouse to quickly work on your tablet when a touchscreen won't do.