Microsoft's Explorer Touch Mouse Coming in September

Microsoft announced today that its upcoming Explorer Touch Mouse will arrive in September and will cost $50 in the US. This new mouse joins the Touch Mouse ($80, coming this fall) and the Arc Touch Mouse ($60, available now) in the company's stable of touch-based pointing devices.

Today, we are excited to announce the newest member of the Microsoft Hardware touch line – the Explorer Touch Mouse. With this new mouse, we have taken touch strip technology to the next level by delivering a strip with both vertical and horizontal navigation, allowing you to swipe your mouse in any direction. In addition to easy navigation, the scroll wheel also allows for three speeds of scrolling: slow speed for precise movements, medium speed to advance a page or two, or hyperfast speed to flick quickly through a long document. And with advanced haptic technology, it’s easy to feel and hear how quickly you are scrolling.

Holding true to its name, the Explorer Touch Mouse lets you explore beyond the confines of your desk with BlueTrack Technology for seamless scrolling on everything from your carpet to your couch to your pant leg. And it’s also Microsoft’s first mouse to offer up to 18 months of battery life. The Explorer Touch Mouse will be available in Septemeber for $49.95.

With the addition of this new mouse, we are thrilled to now have a variety of multitouch devices for different needs:

Touch Mouse for the ultimate multitouch lover, providing faster and easier navigation with unique touch gestures using one, two or three fingers – designed specifically for Windows 7.

Arc Touch Mouse for people on the go, as the first mouse to pop up for comfort and flatten for portability.

And now Explorer Touch Mouse for those looking for advanced touch scrolling technology and the convenience of longer battery life.