Microsoft is doing all that it can to come out with these tasty little tidbits that distinguish it from others in the industry — remember the Surface tablet that comes through with a keyboard built into it?

Well, now Microsoft has released the Wedge Touch Mouse, which is so cute you will want to use it at once, and the Wedge Mobile Keyboard to go with it as well. There is also the Sculpt Touch Mouse and the Sculpt Mobile Keyboard, which are slightly different from the Wedges, but we have to applaud how we like the way Microsoft is thinking – to make the tablet experience so much more easy and comfortable for users – and for a lot of users this may just make the difference between buying one over the other. Whether other tablet makers will follow soon on Microsoft’s heels, and whether this affects the sales of Microsoft tablets altogether, remains to be seen – especially since critics are skeptical of Microsoft having released the gadgets before the Windows 8 tablets.

Now to the specifics. The Wedge is designed specifically for tablet use – the mouse is tiny enough to fit into your pocket and is optical so can be used across many surfaces, keeping in mind that you may be using your tablet wherever you may be. It has a four-way touch scrolling capabilities and navigates well enough, and the Wedge keyboard can be transformed into a tablet stand which goes with the idea of being meant primarily for tablet use.
The Sculpt on the other hand is so lightweight that you may forget it is keyboard. Ergonomically constructed, it can be used with other devices as well, especially since it is a little larger. The mouse allows you to swipe left and right, and also has a four-way touch navigation system like the Wedge.

The reason these sweet little machines have been released already should not be forgotten of course. When Microsoft releases its new operating system, it hopes to move it around the market with these hardware already in place. These teaser products are only a kind of build up toward the opening of the Windows 8 which should occur fairly soon which goes to show – unlike what some may think – that Microsoft is not restricting itself to hardware but is basing itself on creating an entire environment within the industry.

While this is true however, one wonders if the price would justify the gadgets in the end. Mice and keyboards that are meant for tablets have been around since the time tablets have been around – and what people really want to know is whether these new ones are significantly different from those around. The short answer is no. But the long answer is yes; they’re different inasmuch they are designed keeping Microsoft tablets in mind, which is what they will work best with. You can go to several shortcuts with the mice which will work  beautifully on the Windows 8, but compromise on other tablets, which means that if you invest in these, Microsoft hopes you will in Windows 8 too. But the Wedge mouse would be about $70, the keyboard around $80, and the Sculpt around $50. It may not be what users want to spend, and something Microsoft ought to think about.

About the author:
This is a guest post by Ron Schiff of xfinityonline, a site that offers savings and current information xfinity tv, as well as xfinity.com services.

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Tags: keyboard, Microsoft, mouse, wedge