Bluetrack combines the two with a blue laser LED to give what Microsoft's representative described as the ability to use the mouse on 'almost any surface'. To prove his point, he proceeded to do so on a piece of carpet, a kitchen-style granite worktop and even a piece of tree bark. The tree bark didn't go quite as well, but his point was made.

We're not convinced that this is the next big thing - the spokesman put it in the context of MS being both the inventor of the scroll wheel and the first company to come out with an optical mouse. After all, how many people really find that their optical mice don't perform well enough?

The Sidewinder X6 gaming keyboard is another interesting release, coming as it does with the ability to map up to 90 macro functions to the custom keys for each game you play. It also has a 'cruise control' mode in which you can program a key sequence and have the keyboard repeat it (for example, for gathering resources in strategy games).

But the keyboard we're most interested in here in the office is the IBM Model M, a design classic from the 1980s, and one with its own fan website. This fully microswitched device gives, in theory, a better typing experience than most modern keyboards. Being cheap, we've decided to bid on one on eBay rather than buying direct from the above site. More here when it turns up.