Today Microsoft announced a new group of desktop and laptop peripherals, which will ship at various times between now and next February. Too bad some of these won't be available in time for the holidays, but we appreciate that the company would rather get them right than ship hurried products. We had a sneak preview a few weeks back, and the products all looked great. We'll do some hands-on reviewing when we get samples in. Meanwhile, here's a list of what you can expect. (Disclosure: Some of the descriptions are cribbed from the press release.)

Sometime this month:

Wireless Laser Mouse 8000; $89.95 list. Microsoft's first rechargeable mouse, the Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 uses 2.4GHz Bluetooth technology, high definition laser technology, brushed aluminum casing and smart navigation features.

Wireless Laser Desktop 6000; $99.95 list (shown at left, click to enlarge). The Wireless Laser Desktop 6000 features a Comfort Curve Keyboard with a reversed-slope palm lift and new tools to enhance the Windows Vista and Windows Live experience.

October:

Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000; $99.95 list (shown at right). The first notebook mouse to serve as a four-in-one device: a Bluetooth laser notebook mouse, slide presenter, laser pointer and media remote. This one is really going to be in demand, I think.

LifeCam NX-6000; $99.95 list. The LifeCam NX-6000 wired notebook webcam offers high definition 2-megapixel video and, at 7.6 MPs, offers the highest still photography resolution of any webcam on the market.

January:

Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000; $149.95 list. The Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000, the ultimate Windows Vista companion, is paired with the new rechargeable Wireless Laser Mouse 8000 and loaded with features such as 2.4GHz Bluetooth technology.

Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000; $79.95 list. The Natural Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 combines breakthrough ergonomic benefits and unprecedented comfort with a host of productivity enhancing features, including Magnifier and Instant Viewer buttons and 4-way scrolling. We were told in our meeting that the design was inspired by a baseball. Whatever; it looks incredibly comfortable to use, to me, anyway. Everyone seems to have his own opinion about what's comfortable: like Robyn and his vertical keyboard, for example. (No pix yet.)
 

February:

Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000; $249.95. The Wireless Entertainment Desktop 8000, which includes the industry's first wireless rechargeable and backlit keyboard and Microsoft's first rechargeable mouse, is loaded with deluxe features to meet consumer's media and entertainment needs.