Earlier this
year we
reviewed some of the best desktop mice available at
the time, and like most current high-end mice you can find
out there, they were designed for general use/comfort and
gaming in mind. Although the article was fairly popular
among our readers, we also received many letters requesting
coverage about real ergonomic mice, and this is what
our new comparison is all about.
We looked for pointing devices that were
created with ergonomics, and only ergonomics in mind. Most
of the time these ‘mice’ are marketed towards people
suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, however anyone
feeling discomfort using a regular mouse should be able to
switch to any of these products as well. After receiving
some feedback from readers we ended up reviewing the
following three products:
Perific Wireless Dual Mouse
3M Ergonomic "Renaissance" Mouse
Evoluent VerticalMouse 2
As an additional side note, I wanted to
add that reviewing ergonomic mice is very subjective, and I
may be comfortable using a certain mouse that you won’t
enjoy as much. Because of those same reasons, I have tried
to take a very neutral view on each mouse, while I cover as
many mundane details as possible.
People are sometimes under the
impression that only those who work at a computer all day
are at risk of repetitive stress injuries (RSI).
Unfortunately that is not true and even people spending an
hour or two per day using a computer are now suffering from
RSI. Even if you aren't going to purchase ergonomic
products for your everyday use, there are still some very
helpful tips on how to lower the risk of someday suffering
from RSI. Many specialists recommend taking short breaks
after long periods of computer use to reduce risk. It is
also a good idea to do a few quick and simple hand/wrist
stretches that will help make sure you are doing your best
to try and stay healthy. A quick
Google search will bring up many helpful links.
Now that you have some basic information
on RSI, and how to help prevent it, let us begin with the
first mouse we received for testing, the Wireless Dual Mouse
from Perific.
Perific Wireless Dual Mouse
When I first received the mouse from
Perific it looked like a plain regular mouse, just to be
surprised in the long-run as it really was the most unique
and different. You could say the Perific can be used in
different modes, which I will briefly describe below.
The Perific mouse in standard mode
doesn't require a good mousing surface; I was even able to
get it working when I used it on a somewhat bumpy wooden
desk. That is why this mouse is obviously the one with the
most flexibility. It also is the ideal device for people
that do not have a lot of open space on their desk. It’s
worth mentioning this is the only cordless mouse included in
the roundup. It runs on two AAA batteries and charges via a
USB port.
The Perific Wireless Dual Mouse features
1200 dpi with very smooth tracking. Although it should be
understood that the resolution the Perific mouse tracks with
isn't as important as with the other mice because of the
different ways the mouse can be used.
The traditional usage should be
self-explanatory. The trackball mode works like a normal
trackball. This is a great method for people that either
have a hard time moving the mouse, or don't have a lot of
desk space. It feels a bit weird using the trackball on
this mouse because your instincts will tell you to try and
move the mouse around.
Now that we covered the more customary
ways to use this mouse, we get into the more interesting
positions. For handheld usage the cover has to be taken
off. After the cover has been removed, you will essentially
place the mouse in your left hand. Fold your hands together
and use your thumb on the right hand to control the
trackball. It will obviously take a few days before you are
able to proficiently use the mouse in any of these
positions. I should also mention that you are still able to
type on the keyboard because you just let the mouse rest on
your hand while you use the keyboard. I found that this
position was very comfortable for at least two hours of
constant mousing.
The next unique position that we will
speak about is when you can combine the use of the mouse
with a keyboard. After the shell has been taken off the
mouse just put it on the outer part of your left hand, where
the trackball can be accessed by your right hand. To
navigate the cursor around the screen, just place your hands
together and control the trackball with the thumb on your
right hand. I found that I wasn't able to comfortably
utilize the mouse in this position, but an associate of mine
easily was able to do it.
The next position we will talk about is
when the Wireless Dual Mouse can be used with one hand. The
mouse has to be held in the right hand. Although this
position is comfortable, it isn't one of the better
positions, mainly because it is difficult to efficiently use
the keyboard. I used this position the most when I was
reading large Microsoft Word documents or lots of text on
the Internet. This is not the position to use if large
amounts of typing have to be done.
Because it is cordless and can be used
without a mousing surface at all, the Perific mouse would
seem to be an ideal device for the frequent traveler as
well.
