(Original Article by Bryan Bergstein)
Summary:
Logitech the one of the world’s greatest computer accessories maker came out with a new product “iFeel MouseMan.” At the first look it looks like than other regular computer mice, but the difference is inside of the mouse: it contains a motor, which helps us to “feel” things what we point on the monitor. The company also designed the needed software for it. The company says that with the mouse we can recognize even the materials what we point on…
The “iFeel” mouse is not a new invention, because there are some other computer accessories used nowadays with the same technology. Even it is not new for Logitech, because last year the company came out with a similar mouse, but this product was not successful, because users found it impractical.
Logitech plans to put the new product on the market this fall. The company’s biggest competitor – Microsoft – decided to not sell this kind of mice, because “People find them distracting, and not advanced enough…” as said spokeswoman for Microsoft.
In spite of pessimism of Microsoft, Logitech is optimistic about its new product.
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Reaction:
“There is nothing new under the Sun” – Logitech wants to make a big seller from an old technology. The company has already tried out to use it in its mice, but they were not successful with it, probably because of the fact that the product was practically useless. There is no program that really uses its “advantages”, and people know this…
The technology of “force-feedback” was first used in military flight simulators, which enabled to the pilot of the virtual jet to feel the turbulences, take-offs, airwaves etc. Later it was used in joysticks but not very successfully, because these controllers needed also special software and there was no standardization - every controller needed different software. Nowadays force feedback in our everyday life is most common used with the play console “Playstation” known as “Dual Shock” controller.
Logitech believes that the mouse will be used especially on the Web to “feel the material of the icons.” I do not think that this is so important, and I do not believe that the technology is advanced enough to feel the difference between the materials, it cannot be made so precise. The other big problem is the software: It seems, that it is not enough to buy the mouse, you need special software for it, and I don’t think that the software which comes in the package with the mouse is enough to play tennis or anything else using the force feedback features of “iFeel”. It would probably need some kind of standardization in the games and other applications, which enabled to use it with every program.
In my opinion Logitech’s new product will not bring a “big-boom” in the market of computer peripherals, as Microsoft did with his IntelliMouse in the recent years. The difference between the two products that IntelliMouse and the similar products really make surfing on the Net easier, iFeel is quite useless – I think that even Logitech’s engineers does not really know where to use it.
I think this won’t be the “product of the year”…
Summary:
Logitech the one of the world’s greatest computer accessories maker came out with a new product “iFeel MouseMan.” At the first look it looks like than other regular computer mice, but the difference is inside of the mouse: it contains a motor, which helps us to “feel” things what we point on the monitor. The company also designed the needed software for it. The company says that with the mouse we can recognize even the materials what we point on…
The “iFeel” mouse is not a new invention, because there are some other computer accessories used nowadays with the same technology. Even it is not new for Logitech, because last year the company came out with a similar mouse, but this product was not successful, because users found it impractical.
Logitech plans to put the new product on the market this fall. The company’s biggest competitor – Microsoft – decided to not sell this kind of mice, because “People find them distracting, and not advanced enough…” as said spokeswoman for Microsoft.
In spite of pessimism of Microsoft, Logitech is optimistic about its new product.
________________________________________________________________________
Reaction:
“There is nothing new under the Sun” – Logitech wants to make a big seller from an old technology. The company has already tried out to use it in its mice, but they were not successful with it, probably because of the fact that the product was practically useless. There is no program that really uses its “advantages”, and people know this…
The technology of “force-feedback” was first used in military flight simulators, which enabled to the pilot of the virtual jet to feel the turbulences, take-offs, airwaves etc. Later it was used in joysticks but not very successfully, because these controllers needed also special software and there was no standardization - every controller needed different software. Nowadays force feedback in our everyday life is most common used with the play console “Playstation” known as “Dual Shock” controller.
Logitech believes that the mouse will be used especially on the Web to “feel the material of the icons.” I do not think that this is so important, and I do not believe that the technology is advanced enough to feel the difference between the materials, it cannot be made so precise. The other big problem is the software: It seems, that it is not enough to buy the mouse, you need special software for it, and I don’t think that the software which comes in the package with the mouse is enough to play tennis or anything else using the force feedback features of “iFeel”. It would probably need some kind of standardization in the games and other applications, which enabled to use it with every program.
In my opinion Logitech’s new product will not bring a “big-boom” in the market of computer peripherals, as Microsoft did with his IntelliMouse in the recent years. The difference between the two products that IntelliMouse and the similar products really make surfing on the Net easier, iFeel is quite useless – I think that even Logitech’s engineers does not really know where to use it.
I think this won’t be the “product of the year”…
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