Tim Gaden23 August 2006, 4:56 AM
Logitech has admitted it won't be making Vista drivers for any keyboards or mice older than three years. Logitech will [only] be supporting legacy mice and keyboards that shipped with Setpoint, our mouse and keyboard configuration software. This software has been shipping with Logitech products since 2003, the company told APC.
Logitech says it has been working closely with Microsoft to make sure that its new peripherals capitalise on Vista's new features, but has also admitted that it won't be making Vista drivers for peripherals older than three years.
All the company's new products like will come with drivers that offer full 32-bit and 64-bit driver support for Vista and its new DocFlip and Dynamic Search features.
But only customers who have bought their Logitech product within the last three years will get full support when Vista launches, according to Logitech USA Director of Business Development Paul Pistilli.
Logitech will be supporting all legacy mice and keyboards that shipped with Setpoint, our mouse and keyboard configuration software. This software has been shipping with Logitech products since 2003. Logitech customers will be able to go to our website to download the latest version of Setpoint, which will support both 32 bit and 64 bit Vista machines. This will be available at the time of the Vista retail launch. In addition, all our currently shipping products are Vista-ready. We will be going through standard WHQL [Windows Hardware Quality Labs] certification, so that we can exhibit the Premium Vista logo on our package moving forward.
Exactly what legacy users can expect from Logitech's Setpoint software is still unclear:
The exact mapping of features from Vista to all of our legacy mice via the software upgrade is still under definition. This will primarily be defined by the normal operation of Vista. In other words, if Vista assigns specific functions to the scroll wheel of the mouse within specific UI elements, we will support this. For access to brand new features such as search, we will be recommending a number of new products with specific Vista features.
According to the Logitech web site, Setpoint doesn't currently include Vista support. Pistilli couldn't confirm what degree of support people could expect in Vista betas before the official launch.
Microsoft and Logitech have an odd relationship which Pistilli describes as "co-opetition" (Wikipedia):
Microsoft is keen to see greater integration between software and hardware. Consumers like that better fit as well, I mean, look at companies like Apple, so our people have been working closely with their people for over eighteen months. It's been great, but you have to realise that as well as working with Microsoft and benefitting from our close relationship, that company is also our competitor in the peripherals business.
As a result, Pistilli says, Logitech's industrial design partners are working on a range of new peripherals that are influenced by Microsoft's design philosophy, but "don't follow the guidelines 100%".