Accessory brand Mad Catz Interactive has announced what has got to be counted as some of the world’s coolest (or at least coolest-looking) computer keyboards and mice under their Eclipse brand label. Four products have been unveiled, including two mice (mobilemouse, touchmouse), and two slim keyboards (litetouch, wireless litetouch)—all good enough to match a modern desktop setup with cutting-edge design and unique features.
The touch panel can shift to different modes for ease-of-use
The Eclipse litetouch keyboards both offer a unique feature, replacing the numpad usually found at the right side with a litetouch LCD touch panel interface. This touch-sensitive panel is designed to give more control (although we’re convinced that they did it because it looks pretty cool), offering multiple modes that can be selected depending on use.
Three modes are available: numerical pad mode, a media mode, and a ‘MyEcplise’ mode. The first mode shows the usual numpad, the media mode provides dedicated controls for multimedia playback, and the MyEclipse mode can be personalized (the buttons will show icons) to access favorite websites and apps.
The wireless litetouch is obviously the higher-end model, adding a trackball below the touch panel, a built-in lithium-ion battery (rated for 20 hours), and a 2.4GHz wireless connection with a range of 30 feet. Otherwise, both models feature backlit keys, low-profile “quiettouch” keys, a soft palm rest, and a slim, stylish frame with a metal finish.
Looks good for office and everyday use although the price ($100 for the litetouch, the wireless version costs $120) makes it considerably more expensive than your average, everyday keyboard (not that your average keyboard comes with a touch-sensitive LCD panel, mind you). It won’t be for you if you’re into PC gaming either—for roughly the same price, Logitech’s G15 is still a good buy for performance gaming.
The Eclipse touchmouse (above) offers wireless performance in a compact, brushed-aluminum body, with standard three-button controls, a 1600dpi laser tracker, and Bluetooth connectivity. Besides the obvious attractiveness of the unconventional shape, something called a touchscroll module serves as this mouse’s highlight.
The touchscroll piece allows it to perform multiple functions, with four-way page-scrolling as well as gesture commands. The gestures can be set to enable different tasks by pressing down on the buttons while moving the mouse in any of four directions—certainly a novel way to do it, although we don’t see anything wrong with the ‘ol click-on-the-shortcut-on-your-desktop technique. (It’s a mouse after all, right? You use it to move a pointer around the screen anyway.)
The Eclipse mobilemouse is another compact mouse that features wireless connectivity and 1600dpi laser sensitivity, highlighted by a 360-degree Scroll Ball (in lieu of the usual vertical scroll wheel), and a hinged part called the “flexigrip.” The flexigrip component is an adjustable back leg that can be used to adjust the glide height and angle for comfort.
Both mice cost $60. The touchmouse is now available, while the mobilemouse and two keyboards are expected to ship in Spring, 2010.
Tags: Computer Peripherals, Eclipse, Keyboard, Mad Catz, Mouse
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