Microsoft Garage Has A Mouse Without Borders

8:00 PM - September 13, 2011 - By Douglas Perry - Source : Microsoft

Microsoft has come up with an ingenious tool that enables Windows users to use the same mouse across different computers.

It's what we normally would refer to as a "labs" project, a piece of software that resulted from ideas that aren't tied to any actual products. At Microsoft' it's called a "Garage" project that was developed in after-hours work and is now offered as a free download as Mouse Without Borders.

The 1.1MB tool allows users to move their mouse cursor across different screens, even if they are connected to different computers. You can even copy and paste text from and to different screens, send screen captures from one PC to another, or drag files from one PC to another. Up to four different computers can be controlled from a single mouse. Microsoft said that the software was tested internally by 9000 people before it was approved for public release.

We tried it and think it's pretty cool. Why haven't we thought about this before?

Comments

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Comments

house70 09/14/2011 2:11 AM

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Expect Apple lawsuit in 3...2...1.... They will claim it was Jobs' idea ever since he was born, just never got around it to put it in practice.

house70 09/14/2011 2:13 AM

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Seriously, this should be a part of Win 8.

Anonymous 09/14/2011 2:16 AM

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http://synergy-foss.org/

_Cubase_ 09/14/2011 2:23 AM

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bum51 :
http://synergy-foss.org/

Yep... been using Synergy for years! Works flawlessly.

Once again: Microsoft, I love you, but for goodness sake; there's only so many times you can get away with showing up to the party late before somebody else rocks up and shows everybody how to have a good time.

jhansonxi 09/14/2011 2:26 AM

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bum51 :
http://synergy-foss.org/

And x2x (been around since 1996). So "Mouse Without Borders" is innovative but only for Microsoft.

This story has been popping up all over the net lately so either every site is a copycat or it's a paid story plant.

Anonymous 09/14/2011 2:26 AM

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As previously stated, how is this different to the synergy project? which is also free?

Anonymous 09/14/2011 2:57 AM

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this ingenious idea is too old. Maybe they should use google to search before developing it

hp79 09/14/2011 3:22 AM

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So does it work really well, without any (or too much) noticeable lags? I know it won't work for FPS gaming, but is it good enough for Excel / Photoshop / internet surfing?

j5689 09/14/2011 3:53 AM

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-1

It's testing level is EXACTLY 9000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

silver565 09/14/2011 4:12 AM

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It's just a garage project. It's free. It's just their take on the concept. I'm not complaining...

Shin-san 09/14/2011 4:33 AM

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Reminds me of Nadesico, where you can flick a window to amother screen

xyster 09/14/2011 6:22 AM

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it works well. its free. its by a company we trust. I'm happy; whats to complain about?

maddad 09/14/2011 7:45 AM

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Don't know what program they are using to do it, but we have been using this on linux computers for some time now. Maybe its new to windows computers, but it is not new.

supere989 09/14/2011 7:58 AM

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Yup Synergy should Sue M$.

nicodemus_mm 09/14/2011 8:29 AM

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supere989 :
Yup Synergy should Sue M$.

Good idea. There aren't enough lawsuits in the tech industry as it is... and since they're both giving it away free they obviously stand to lose/gain a ton of money.

kanaida 09/14/2011 9:20 AM

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Well synergy was out there, never worked for me. Hopefully this does so I don't have move over and use my laptop's keyboard and mouse for when i'm doing support and playing games at the same time lol...

Collie147 09/14/2011 9:42 AM

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Input Director... same difference

doive1231 09/14/2011 9:59 AM

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-1

So I'm at work and somebody takes over my screen and loses my work etc downloads something bad etc.

back_by_demand 09/14/2011 1:44 PM

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supere989 :
Yup Synergy should Sue M$.

Synergy give it away for free, Microsoft will also give it away for free, it will be difficult to prove sales are being affected.

back_by_demand 09/14/2011 1:53 PM

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Seriously, again with the people moaning about getting extra features for free, I can imagine if these people ran Microsoft.

"So we have a list of 500 extra features we can add into Windows 8"
"Err, boss, all those features are available as freeware if you look for them"
"Good call, let's not bother, any other business? Nope?"

I'm sure when Windows added native DVD playback someone will have said "Why bother, I can just use PowerDVD" or native DVD burning "What's the point, I can just use Nero".

Seeing as on download.com there are over 1000 free calculators, why not have the calculator that has been part of Windows since last century removed completely to save space and if you want a calculator you just download one. Stupid idea? Yeah I thought so too.

Camikazi 09/14/2011 3:54 PM

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OMG they created Synergy... wait Synergy has been around for years now.

Camikazi 09/14/2011 3:58 PM

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back_by_demand :
Seriously, again with the people moaning about getting extra features for free, I can imagine if these people ran Microsoft."So we have a list of 500 extra features we can add into Windows 8""Err, boss, all those features are available as freeware if you look for them""Good call, let's not bother, any other business? Nope?"I'm sure when Windows added native DVD playback someone will have said "Why bother, I can just use PowerDVD" or native DVD burning "What's the point, I can just use Nero".Seeing as on download.com there are over 1000 free calculators, why not have the calculator that has been part of Windows since last century removed completely to save space and if you want a calculator you just download one. Stupid idea? Yeah I thought so too.

Actually it's more the whole "ingenious" part, if words like that would not be used it would be a different thing. Since this is not ingenious, it is old tech, been around for years, MS did nothing new.

flaminggerbil 09/14/2011 4:07 PM

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So it's kind of like a software KVM? Cool.

Zetto 09/14/2011 5:16 PM

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-2

"Actually it's more the whole "ingenious" part, if words like that would not be used it would be a different thing. Since this is not ingenious, it is old tech, been around for years, MS did nothing new."

Yeah, neither did Apple, but somehow they're "magical"

You MS haters are so with it, not

Takuhi 09/14/2011 6:50 PM

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I've been using Synergy for ages. Software KVM has been around for years, not to mention that Synergy is cross platform. Great if your developing on a linux dev box and testing on windows.

Mikez 09/14/2011 7:07 PM

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Why haven't we thought of it before? I'll tell you why... Just too damn lazy to think of something useful...

Anonymous 09/14/2011 7:34 PM

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Those of you who are Synergy fans...really? That thing is buggy as hell. At least support Input Director which is superior in almost every way IFF you are using Windows only.

eddieroolz 09/14/2011 9:16 PM

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Microsoft's really on a roll lately. Something like this should've been available years ago.

Anonymous 09/14/2011 10:33 PM

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"You MS haters are so with it, not"

I hate both and yeah this is nothing new. Both companies shtick is to say "Hey, look we've invented something new; aren't we ingenious."

Fortunately, it only works on the fanbois.

cats_paw 09/15/2011 12:40 PM

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Well well, thats good, ive tried to copy paste from 1 pc to anotehr many times.
Guess human nature is predictable, huh?

brodde 09/15/2011 1:01 PM

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I just came up with this ingenious tool, that will let computer users use the same keyboard and mouse across several computers. Its my idea, and kind of a lab project. I think it is pretty cool, why didn't I think of this before?

I think I will call it Borderless Mouse.