Of mice and motorways

Microsoft® SideWinder® Precision Racing Wheel (USB connection)

Price £69.99 with foot pedals.

Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Wheel

Price £99.99 with foot pedals.                

Logitech Force Feedback Mouse

Price n/a

Microsoft’s Intellimouse Explorer (USB/Serial)

Price £49.99 all incl vat

Come home time, those who love to push the pedal to the metal and devour the playground asphalt now have another game to play. They can do their tearaway driving using Microsoft’s steering wheel that bolts to the desk and works with all sorts of racing games. Forget about scampering away children, this device help you hit the high scores where pressing keys, or using a joystick leaves you in the dust. It comes with a USB plug – a connector that is often the ticket to an easier ride with new computer accessories. Included too is a pair of slip-resistant foot pedals to accelerate, brake and really complete the picture.

Or nearly, because for just a bit more you could go for the force feedback edition that shakes the wheel like fury. You can feel the bumps and the slides as your car tyres fight for grip. Hold on and all the engine judder and smashes come right to the wheel. Yes, this is a great way to forget the playground, and school, completely! 

There’s plenty more ‘game gear’ for this Xmas, but most novel is Logitech’s Wingman Force Feedback Mouse that adds an uncanny judder to your desktop rudder. It works with most games as they have shakes and kicking back built into them anyway. Essentially things, like the controls in an aeroplane simulator, wrestle back and bring you to your senses. You control the mouse just as you would normally, but it’s attached to a base that generates the feedback. The spooky bit is that it also works with everyday software – menus have bumpiness to them while you bounce across icons like they were magnetic. It is fun for sure, I but can’t help wondering if there’s a special need somewhere that this just might help.

Finally, rejoice all ye computer managers because the ball-less mouse has arrived. After suffering years of mouse ball theft it’s time to look at Microsoft’s Intellimouse Explorer with it ‘IntelliEye’. Here instead of the rolling ball a red glowing optical sensor scans the desk to log your moves. Though it’s too new to be ubiquitous, it signals an end to mouse cleaning and bouts of ‘mouse rage’ or slamming the clogged mouse on the bench.

Roger Frost