Ergonomic Mice Reviewed

Gregg writes "Most of the time these mice are marketed towards people suffering from RSI, however anyone feeling discomfort using a regular mouse should be able to switch to any of these pointing devices that were created with ergonomics, and only ergonomics in mind. TechSpot's comparison includes three products: the Perific Wireless Dual Mouse, 3M Ergonomic 'Renaissance' Mouse, and Evoluent's VerticalMouse 2." From the article: "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."

USB Overdrive

[Phroggy]

Mac users may want to stay away from the Evoluent mouse because you'll need to spend $20 for a USB Overdrive to program all of the buttons.

While this is certainly a good thing to be aware of, I disagree that it's a reason to avoid this mouse. First of all, USB Overdrive good software - I don't use it myself but it has a good reputation. Second, the software is not actually required to use the mouse - Mac OS X fully supports the second button for contextual menus and the wheel for scrolling, and the third button works in Safari, Firefox 1.5, and probably other apps.

Finally, just about ANY mouse is going to require this software to make use of the fourth and fifth buttons, because mouse makers don't make their own Mac drivers. Some manufacturers may bundle it instead of making you buy it separately (I think Microsoft does this), so you should definitely consider that as part of the cost of the mouse, but that doesn't mean you should avoid this mouse, or any other, just for that reason.

As for ergonomic keyboards...

[Anonymous Coward]

I destroyed my wrists using my laptop. It took about four years for it to be really problematic, but almost overnight I started getting burning sensations in my wrists. Laptops generally encourage you (by design) to press your wrists down on the flat smooth bit in front of the keyboard, and this is an absolute killer.

I'm now using a Kinesis keyboard. It works pretty well, and I can type pretty much without pain. I have yet to find a good mouse (still using the old trackpoint nipple), but will probably invest in something like one of the ones in the article.

Does anyone have experience with the Maltron keyboards? Or other expensive ergonomic keyboards? Although the Kinesis works pretty well, I find that the function keys are hard to hit accurately, and also that the thumb keys stretch my hand too much... I suppose I should get used to moving my hand instead of stretching my thumb to hit enter, but it's difficult to maintain under pressure.

Thanks for any insight. Typing with my keyboard on my lap and my laptop raised up onto a pile of books as we speak. Or as you read and I write. Or whatever.

P.S. To application developers: keyboard-only accessibility is really important to people with RSI like me...

Wacom board

[wilper]

My hands were so bad that I considered getting out of the computer area alltogether. As a last resort I bought a Wacom Graphire 3 board, and all my problems disappeared. The pen is very light and the angle of the forearm is just the same as when writing with a regular pen.

It takes a while getting used to, but was worth it, my hands are so good these days that I even spend time playing games and stuff again, very nice.

Linux support is good enough.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin

[rufusdufus]

I started taking glucosamine and chondroitin to see if it would help a problem in my neck, and was amazed to find that my fingers felt like they had been hit with dollop of WD-40. Pain that I had sublminated was suddenly gone, and I can now do things that used to cause me agony, like hold a bowling ball or open a jar.
I recommend anyone who uses a computer all day long even if they don't notice any pain try this stuff for a week and see whether it makes a difference.

Trackball Alternative?

[Comatose51]

People at my company who have RSI usually just request a track ball mouse. They seen to help quite a bit, are fairly common, and relatively cheap. That's basically what the first one, the Perific mouse, is but with a small ball. I don't see how that's actually better than a trackball which has a much larger ball. Repetitive small movements are hard on the wrist (I know from hammering in nails in weird parts of houses for Habitat for Humanity).

Re:USB Overdrive

[stonedonkey]

I've had some hands-on time with the Evoluent mouse, and I can tell you that its Achilles Heel is the perpendicular hand motion required to click a button. The grip may be more natural to the hand (with less wrist activity and all), but they didn't do a lot to adjust button action. The middle-click button is awkwardly placed as well, and having three proper buttons takes time to adjust to.

A horizontal middle click button actually calls for less tendon movement. You can feel it on the inside of your wrist -- at least, I can. And notice in the picture how one's pinky finger is flush against the ring finger. That means less fluid action for right-clicking, and the middle finger is more muscular for this job (as any cab driver knows). You can remap so that the center button (not the scroll button) acts as right-click, maintaining familiar movement, but you'll also notice from the picture that you're still left rubbing the right side of your hand against the desktop surface. If you have oily hands, or having been eating Doritos, this can create residue buildup that reduces smooth surface response. And the matte finish on half of the device makes the mouse itself prone to residue.

In the long run, the Evoluent mouse shifts the axis of tendon movement to something the hand is more accustomed to (up and down waving motion, instead of rotating left to right) so it will probably come in handy to those with tired wrists. But the buttons still need some work in my opinion, and I would want an easily cleanable gloss finish instead of matte, even though matte has "grippier" contact.

Goldtouch mouse

[DrElJeffe]

I experienced serious pain from using the scroll wheel.
Why, Microsoft, why? Why did you place such a tempting button halfway down the longest finger, why? The tendons that control the bending motion for that finger extend through over six inches of flesh from the finger tips to the muscles in the upper arm. These tendons saw back and forth across several nerves, blood vessels, and tiny bones when when you use the scroll wheel.
I now swear by the Goldtouch optical mouse. Like the Evoluent VerticalMouse, it sits at a slant to place your hand in a more natural position. However, the scroll wheel has been moved from its middle-finger position to a bi-directional button at the side. The scroll button is operated by the thumb, which evolved large muscles at its base to perform this exact bending motion.
I have one of these mice for home and one for work: http://www.keyovation.com/ergonomics/product/ergon omicmouse.html [keyovation.com]

Unnatural movements

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know why people still use mice, human index fingers are simply not made to make a clicking motion so many times in a day.

After working as a video editor using a mouse for a couple of months the pain in my index finger became so bad that I had to use my middle finger to keep on working.
After I got pen & tablet the pains resided, touching the tablet with a pen gives the so much less stress, not to mention that it feels much more efficient than a mouse.

Sure, decent tablets cost a whole lot more than mice but since we're talking about one of the primary ways we interact with computers here (and most of use spend several hours a day using them) I consider it money well spent.

Re:"ergonomic" devices are not ergonomic at all

[shawb]

Have you ever heard of carpal tunnel syndrome? [nih.gov] What you are describing is the worst possible thing to do to your wrists. The large muscles and ligaments in your shoulder and elbow can take some repetitive use. The delicate tendons in your wrist will swell from mousing all day using the method you described, pinching off the carpal tunnel nerve. Extremely painfull and debilitating. That's why ergonomic mice require macro-movements with the whole arm rather than the delicate micro movements used in fingertip mousing.

There are other conditions the position you mentioned can cause or aggravate, such as bursitis and tendonitis.

The best defense is to take a break every now and then and stretch out the wrist. General body stretching can also help back pain which can result from sitting in a chair all day.

Re:Right-handed bias

[mk500]

Evoluent makes a left-handed version. It's a bit more expensive because they don't sell as many, but is otherwise identical.

I've been using my Evoluent Vertical Mice for over a year now, and they are really great.

Re:USB Overdrive

[Orion_]

Finally, just about ANY mouse is going to require this software to make use of the fourth and fifth buttons, because mouse makers don't make their own Mac drivers.

Well, it's true that some mouse makers don't make their own Mac drivers, but the big ones do: Microsoft [microsoft.com], Logitech [logitech.com], Kensington [kensington.com].

That said, you're right that these "drivers" are pretty much unnecessary. Any USB mouse will work fine on a Mac; the only real issue is that in Mac OS X, buttons 4 and higher can only be used for Exposé and Dashboard commands. These drivers (or something like USB Overdrive) let you assign other commands to those buttons.

Four tips to save you from RSI

[Dystopian Rebel]

I've tried TouchPads, trackballs, and various mice. After 20 years of computing, here are four things that I recommend to everyone:

1. Learn how to type by touch. It isn't difficult.

2. Reduce your clicks: use X-mouse focussing. (If you use Windows, install Microsoft's TweakUI Powertoy. If you use X, you have the setting somewhere.)

3. Keep your forearms flat on your desk. Adjust your chair's height if you must.

4. Use a REAL ergonomic keyboard, one with the split-key design. (Any keyboard that does not have the split-key design is ~not~ ergonomic.)

Re:Glucosamine & Chondroitin

[BrokenHalo]

Don't forget the obligatory "I Am Not A Doctor"

Maybe, but my vet recommended glucosamine + chondroitin for my dog, who has a mild case of arthritis, and it seems to be effective.