Peripherals that will Make your Touch Experience More Exciting on Windows 8!

The touchpads, touch base mouse and track balls are all set to become the new must-have PC accessories for those who are not planning to upgrade to touchscreen laptops or to the MS Surface. With these, you can effortlessly pinch, swipe and rotate the interface and get a more intuitive feel with your Windows 8.

Here are some interesting peripherals which will help you quickly and naturally explore the new multi-touch experience offered by the Windows 8 interface

Logitech Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad T650

The square trackpad from Logitech sized at 129mm (length and width) is somewhat like Apple's Trackpad and about 50 per cent larger than oversized laptop trackpad. This gives you a spacious area to perform basic operations and gestures. The wireless touchpad supports up to 13 different gestures including Windows 8 application shortcuts, organizing Windows, switching applications, and navigating through Web pages. An included USB cable charges the Touchpad while you're using it. Also, the single charge lasts for about 20- 30 days. This device look very impressive. The surface of this touchpad is smooth; Logitech uses the scratch-resistant glass which has a sand-blasted matt finish that gives a good balance of smoothness and slipperiness. On the usability, we can say that it is quite easy to configure, though it runs on Windows7. But then, it is Windows 8 where the T650 really comes alive. Initially you might find the usability little uncomfortable but once the touch movements are mastered it is very easy and quick to navigate between the start screen, desktop, and applications. The touchpad puts all of the touchable features of Windows 8 into the hands of normal desktop users.

Logitech Zone Touch Mouse T400

This is another product from Logitech that features a glass touch-surface designed for smooth horizontal and vertical scrolling and a rubber grip wrapping the comfortable shape gives a fluid navigation for Windows 8.This is a wireless mouse that runs with 2.4GHz wireless technology and has a USB dongle that needs to be plugged into the PC. It has three buttons and uses two AA batteries. T400 is a fairly small mouse that weighs 68 g (2.40 ounce) and measures in at 61 x 105 x 30 mm (WxLxH). The best feature of this mouse is the surface-touch area that helps make Windows 8 touch navigation experience much better. In this mouse, they replaced the wheel with a touch strip that you can use to move up or down, as well as scroll left or right.

Logitech Touch Mouse T620

The T620 updates the Logitech M600 by being fully optimized for Windows 8. T620's is an ultra-sleek design mouse that measures 1.1 by 2.52 by 4.41 inches (HWD). This has no physical buttons but the touch-sensitive surface offers plenty of controls. Like the Logitech T400, the T620 supports vertical and horizontal scrolling, and users can flick and swipe through documents, websites, and the tiles on their Windows 8 start screen by just sliding a finger across it. For Windows 8 users, a whole load of extra functions are available, such as switching from one app to another with a simple finger movement. But you need to install Logitech's driver for the PC to recognize these movements. Without it you will get only limited functionality. All in all, this mouse got an impressive range of functionality for a mouse, especially which doesn't have any buttons.

Logitech K400 Wireless Touch Keyboard

The wireless keyboard is compact and lightweight, perfect for your HTPC (Home theater PC). The keys are tightly placed together and definitely smaller than a desktop keyboard. The entire keyboard is made of plastic and the large 3.5-inch Windows 8 compatible touchpad on Logitech keyboard along with multi-touch navigation makes vertical and horizontal scrolling intuitive. One thing you may not like is that on the back of the keyboard it has no stands to help incline the keyboard. If you were to place it on a desk though it has four rubber pads, which help the keyboard grip to the surface. The K400 is powered by two AA batteries, so charging or getting replacements is a non issue. This keyboard has a fair amount of wireless range of 10m, so you can freely move around within that range. This is a good companion for your HTPC.

Logitech Bluetooth Illuminated Keyboard K810

This keyboard gives you freedom to type in the dark. Not only is this a very stylish-looking mobile keyboard, the features set it above the rest. Features like swappable Bluetooth makes it perfect for use with multiple devices, across multiple operating systems, and smart features like intelligent backlight, proximity triggered Bluetooth connectivity, and built-in Windows 8 functionality make it an outstanding keyboard. The K810 can easily be pre-programmed to work with up to three different Bluetooth-enabled devices, like a phone, computer, or tablet and with the push of a button. It will switch between three profiles. Like if you use a laptop, desktop, and tablet --those three can be programmed for Bluetooth connection 1, 2, and 3. so whenever you want to switch devices, just press the corresponding button on the keyboard and you are all set to go. This keyboard is USB rechargeable with 10 days of battery life on a full charge (based on varying user and computing conditions), and it also features a convenient On/Off switch, to help you manage power.

Portronics Handmate/High-Tech Solutions' eTouch Pen

This is the same product being marketed by two companies in India. The pen acts as a digitizer to turn your laptop screen into a touch screen. This has an infrared sensor which you clamp to the side of your screen, and then you have to attach the sensor to the screen by using a USB cable, and run the installation. After that you can use the pen directly on the screen. It has a small emitter built in above the “nib” which helps track the movements on the screen, and the nib itself is actually a soft brush, so you won't scratch the screen while using it. As of usability, the touch response is really not that good; it can be both too sensitive and not sensitive enough in certain situations. Another strange thing which we noticed with this pen is that if you don't put the cap back on, the cursor starts moving in the screen and making selections automatically as you type. If you want to get some experience of Windows 8 in Rs 3,999 then this is one of the options for you.

ViewSonic Monitor TD2220

Another peripheral which will give you the Windows 8 experience is a touch base monitor. ViewSonic has recently launched the TD2220 a 22” multitouch full HD monitor with 1920x1080 resolution. This monitor also has an integrated speakers, DVI & VGA inputs and VESA mountable design. TD2220 supports the USB HID Touch driver and is fully compatible with Windows 8. Regarding usability, we can say that as a touchscreen monitor this is a great product, as it has a good picture quality and very easy to setup and price-wise it's very competitive. With full HD 1080p resolution, the TD2220 delivers excellent image quality for a variety of multimedia content, with a dust-proof surface that is perfect for two-point touch control. Few things that we noticed while using this with Windows 8 platform is when you want to slide the screen from right to left it takes few attempts to do that. More or less it's a good option for commercial verticals such as kiosk and information desks and also for those users who want to upgrade to Windows 8 platform with their old CPU.

Some more upcoming products for Windows 8 from Microsoft

Wedge Mouse: Small enough to fit in your pocket, the Touch Mouse is designed to complement your Windows experience in all its forms, providing four-way Touch scrolling and navigation at your fingertips.

Sculpt Mouse: Sculpt Touch Mouse is a great portable solution for smooth and easy navigation with Windows 8. With a four-way touch scroll strip, you can breeze up and down, left and right, and through applications and documents with a simple finger swipe, making it great for navigating the Windows 8 start screen. Bluetooth connectivity provides a clutter-free wireless connection wherever you go -no USB required. The Sculpt Touch Mouse is backed by a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty.

Wedge Keyboard: The new, ultra slim keyboard features a minimalist, lightweight design that makes it easy to carry, and its full-sized touch keyset provides a comfortable experience. It is designed specifically for tablet users and comes with Windows 8 Hot Keys plus built-in media keys.

Sculpt Keyboard: This is great for tablet and laptop users who are looking for a keyboard that will provide a good balance between comfort, productivity and portability. Equipped with Windows 8 Hot Keys; so you can quickly search, share or access your devices, settings and Windows start screen with the tap of a finger.