Short: Microsoft Research “Touch Mouse Sensor SDK” available for download, again

Thanks to a heads up from a commenter, after a three month hiatus in the Bahamas, the Microsoft Touch Mouse Sensor SDK has once again resurfaced on the Microsoft Research download site in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. Better grab it before it makes another run for it.

If any developers come up with cool uses for the Touch Mouse, leave a comment for others to check it out. Personally I want to see pinch-to-zoom support in Photoshop. Any takers?

12 insightful thoughts

  1. Awesome! I was going to buy one of these mice a while ago, but when the SDK disapeared I changed my mind. I need a middle mouse button, even if I have to make it myself!

  2. I would like to get this mouse, but from what I heard there’s no middle-click and I usually close tabs by middle-clicking on them.

  3. I have a working implementation of a pattern adding the possibility to activate the CONTROL key from the mouse. With this pattern, you can emulate “Open in New Tab” in Internet Explorer and Smooth Zoom in many programs (CTRL+mousewheel).

    I don’t release the program in order to test it more and see how handy it’s in real life, but if it proves itself to be good, I’ll share the (very small) source code.

  4. BTW, “Pinch To Zoom” is awful on the mouse. Really ackward to use. I understand why Microsoft didn’t include it. Ctrl+MouseWheel works great, however.

  5. Poeple who want to test my CTRL enabling program can download it at :
    https://skydrive.live.com/embedicon.aspx/Public/Temp%202/2011-10/CppControlKeyApplication.zip?cid=201f3835d49587fe&sc=documents

    The program allow you (if you’re right handed) to use your thumb to press the CTRL key. To do so, move your thumb on the bottom left part of your mouse. You should hear a very tiny sound indicating the CTRL key has been pressed. In order to open a link in a new tab, just click. In order to zoom, just scroll. It’s easy.

    You can replace the sounds in the program directory by the one you like.

    You may need to run this program as an administrator to get it working in administrator applications.

    1. Hey FremyCompany, thanks a lot for your code, I’ll give it a spin. God knows this mouse needs some serious hacks, it has so much potential but the MS driver is way too bare (I could understand not shipping a full-on gesture editor, but not being able to remap existing gestures? That’s just lame).

  6. I should have stated the build is for x64 computers only. If someone want it for x86 computers, please send me a mail (you may find my address on my blog).

  7. Finally it is arrived.

    After one day I can say that it’s not living up to my expectations.

    – right click is interpreted often as left click
    – scrolling is not sensitive enought
    – Expose (or instant view?? ) is sometimes slow on my very very fast notebook.
    – Mouse is feeling too heavy, my wrist is complaining.

    You can say i’m a bit dissapointed, how could you get this one wrong with all the research and resources. If you release something release it when it feels perfect or don’t release it at all. I wonder if those developers use this mouse themself.

    I will give it two more days and if the experience is still negative it will go back to the dealer.

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