ErgoSlider Offers a New Mouse Alternative 118
Zothecula writes "First achieving widespread use with the release of the Apple Macintosh in 1984, the humble computer mouse has reigned supreme as the digital pointing device of choice for more than 20 years. During this time it has seen off countless pretenders to the throne, as well as undergoing some useful (and otherwise) redesigns such as Apple's Magic Mouse, Microsoft's Arc, the 3D-Spheric-Mouse, the AirMouse and the Orbita. The latest product to take a shot at the title is the Ergo-Slider Plus+, a device that looks like a padded wrist rest, but with a cylinder at the front that rolls and slides in a special groove to move the onscreen cursor."
It reminds me of the Isopoint pointing device in the long-passed Apple-compatible Outbound Laptop.
A better mousetrap? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:isn't this old? (Score:5, Insightful)
Ah, no. That thing is an "ErgoSlider", or possibly an "ErgoSlider Plus".
As you can tell from the name, the "ErgoSlider Plus+" is something completely different and totally new.
Anyway, on a more serious note, I have read several reviews complaining about the ErgoSlider causing cramps and pains. There's no easy way to carry out the rotating motion, for one thing. For another, wrist rests are bad for your wrists. Wrist rests should only be used while resting because you are supposed to keep your wrist straight and neutral while carrying out fine hand movements. The ErgoSlider has you dropping your wrist habitually, and it leads to increased movement of the wrist during operation, leading to strain on the tendons and nerves, particularly within the carpal tunnel.
HAL
Re:A better mousetrap? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:A better mousetrap? (Score:4, Insightful)
Easy to use graphics tablets have been around since as early as 1969 [acm.org]. The only reason mice are the standard is that they are cheap.