All that glitters is gold plated

I wonder how the idea came about that we should have a mouse with crystals for Swarovski embedded in it, especially in a wireless laser mouse with 800/1600 DPI accuracy.

It's not something you would ever expect to see in a computing product, but recently we have been seeing an increased trend in fashionable computing products in an attempt to corner a market that has largely been ignored up until now.

With success of Apple in recent years down to the instant icon-ification of the iPhone and its successors, other companies are starting to consider demographics that are more attuned to style rather than pure geekery.

When GIGABYTE first sent me this mouse I thought it would be something chintzy and cheap looking, but when I opened the package that arrived at my door I could see that this is a product which has been given a lot of thought as to the marketability.

The box alone speaks volumes about how they want the customer to feel when they receive the product. A nifty dual action pull-apart casing and all the components on display neatly inside help to add a sense of value to the product.

In this set you get the mouse itself embedded with three Swarovski crystals from their Crystalised series. Also included is a certificate with an edition numbering, batteries, the RF transceiver that nestles into the bottom of the mouse when not in use and a carry case for it, adorned with GIGABYTEs logo.

The mouse is covered in what feels like leather, although it could be faux leather and the 4th 'gem' on top of it covers an LED that indicates connectivity and change in DPI.

The button and wheel surround are plated in 18 karat gold to give them a nice lustre and shine compared to cheap metallic paints.

The micro-sized RF dongle pops out from its housing in the mouse to slot into a free USB slot. Thanks to its small stature there is little chance of fouling it when you move your laptop about and can easily be left in when taking your laptop in and out of your bag.