The Most Powerful Mouse in the World 212
Seumas writes "Check out the Durapoint
stainless steel industrial mouse which has bee thrown off a five-story building, submerged for hours, run-over by an 18-wheel truck, beaten with a hammer, used as a hockey puck, thrown across a room and stepped on countless times. It's even theft-proof. Even the pentagon is considering using it. At $279, it isn't cheap -- and it sure isn't an ergonomic wonder, but it might be your ticket if you do your computing strapped to the underside of a Mac truck." If only it had 3 mouse buttons!
Re:That's really neat and all... (Score:2)
It's stainless steel, dude. Unless you're a mutant, semen and pine-sol won't touch it.
If only someone would make computer cases out of stainless steel, maybe with a little chrome. Coolermaster's aluminum cases are pretty, but they could be even better...
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Been there, done that, hated it... (Score:2)
(Saw someone mention a ball, there is none. The rubber disk on the top is how you move the pointer.)
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:1)
Re:It is a tough mouse (Score:1)
Obscure Sci-fi reference.... (Score:1)
Apologies to Harry Harrison...
After a while, it isn't all what it promises... (Score:2)
They are meant to be used by visitors who want to have a go with internet and are seldomly used by students who want to go to a site quickly and forgot their laptop.
Fact is that initially they worked fine and didn't get dirty at all. After a while, though, it wasn't what they promised at the website. Seemingly being used by hundreds (or rather thousands) of people is too much for them. They kept failing to move the cursor and clicking wasn't everything either.
So, we wound up with these cubicles with either a failing mouse or just shut down. They aren't used anymore today. So much for the indestructable mouse!
Re:I'll get my boss one. (Score:2)
What's it like working for Larry Ellison?
Re:Semi-Truck (Score:2)
> that's >what everyone in the Midwest calls a
> 18-wheeler.
> A semi-truck.
> A Freightliner, Peterbuilt, Kenworth, >GM/Volvo...A big-rig.
"An articulated lorry"
Re:Obscure Sci-fi reference.... (Score:1)
Sean
Cost Effective? (Score:1)
But not THAT tough... (Score:2)
It's my belief that NOTHING can stand the craziness of the public. :)
Calum
Re:Did it "pass Russia"? (Score:1)
No, I'm not Russian....
...
Yes, I know I ramble and my spelling isn't quite up to scratch. If you wish to complain,
Re:Looks like a serious rip-off. (Score:2)
The real test... (Score:1)
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:1)
The wire looks flimsy (Score:2)
Where is the steel conduit? Is it fireproof?
Maybe they can run over it with a truck, but
can a pocketknife cut the cable? Can the DB9
connector crack off a piece of epoxy? How does
it act with a 7.62 round fired into it?
James DiGriz is NOT obscure! (Score:1)
But everyone knows superheroes have weaknesses... (Score:1)
Molten Lava? (I can just see the terminator's dying wish as he's melting away, holding his pet mouse in the air... now there's a tear jerker!)
Goes well with... (Score:1)
Seems like the mouse is a bit excessive, maybe the government needs to look into console only apps..
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If God Dropped Acid, Would he see People???
Re:Did it "pass Russia"? (Score:1)
Sotaku
Okay.. that's nice but? (Score:1)
Re:It's not a tough mouse (Score:1)
Bet it wouldn't stand up to long term vibration. The connectors used to attach the lead are just normal square-pin headers (look at the photo), with no additional strain relief. These connectors don't have enough contact pressure for reliability, and in extreme cases (motor-racing) they'll walk their way clean off the pin.
Some years ago I used to instrument power presses. Getting strain gauge signals out through connectors on shop-floor tooling was alway a PITA.
I name it Jerry! (Score:1)
Anyone remember the Tom and Jerry show? No matter how much Tom tried to kill (and eat) Jerry, that elusive mouse managed to escape unharmed.
Seems strinkingly similar to this, no? ; )
Check out this link [geocities.com] for more information about the two animals that couldn't get along.
-BBoy doodles
C is for cookie
hmm, jeff goldblum was right (Score:1)
big brother, WE are watching YOU
moohoohahahahahahahaha
Computing under a Mack truck... (Score:1)
(end comment) */ }
Arghh! (Score:1)
If you're using a mouse in a dangerous enough situation that you'd need it to be designed this stupi... err, durably, wouldn't you also need a similarly designed computer, protected in the same way? I mean, come on!! What's the deal here? Would someone please explain to me the rationale behind this doohicky? As Enron states, Why???
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Save the mouse or the keyboard? (Score:1)
Personally, I wouldn't see too many people using the thing. While it is burly, working with those kind of pointing devices is work that can only be done for a while without getting frustrated. But I guess if durability is a concern, it'd work for that.
But really: If durability were a concern, wouldn't you worry more about your keyboard? Your computer can function fine without a mouse, but without a keyboard you're S.O.L.
Actually, now that I look at it a bit more, it looks a lot like my garage door opener ;-)
Re: But will it..... (Score:1)
Re:Ouch (Score:2)
Richy C. [beebware.com]
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Most Powerful? (Score:1)
SUWAIN: Slashdot User Without An Interesting Name
It is a tough mouse (Score:5)
This mouse has been working fine in this environment for 3-4 years, along with a similar keyboard with a stainless steel case and rubber membrane keys. I can't keep a ball mouse working at my house for 6 months.
IT might be indestructible...... (Score:1)
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:1)
Ergonomic? ... NOT!! (Score:1)
+++++++++++++++++++++
If your office building is located in a vacuum.. (Score:1)
That's why science teachers pay so much for that glass cylinder with the feather and the penny in it. To think... they could have spent that money on this mouse.
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:1)
With the cpl coming up (Score:1)
What about the computer (Score:1)
Hey Cmdr. (Score:1)
Game on!
Thanks for letting me back in. Hope fully I don't get modded right out the door.
Re:Anyone notice that the last update was Oct 1999 (Score:2)
I've found your weak point... (Score:1)
Theft proof? (Score:1)
"We got a mouse, now all we need is a computer, monitor, keyboard, cables...."
Capt. Ron
It's a f*cking *GAME-PAD* man, not a mouse (Score:1)
The closest thing to this is an old-skool 2 button game pad.
Re:I'm Sorry, But (Score:1)
We'd need to combine it with some kind of wireless technology, both so that the wire doesn't get ties up in knots and to make it even more indestructible (As well as the rolling mechanism getting gunged up or the button mechanism breaking I've seen mice fail because their leads break internally)
Re:But will it..... (Score:1)
Re:Why? (Score:4)
Re:macs? (Score:1)
Bubble Gum (Score:1)
ME SPILL CHUCKER GOOD... (Score:1)
- A.P.
--
* CmdrTaco is an idiot.
But I Thought (Score:3)
Personally, I always thought Speedy Gonzalez was *way* cooler than Might Mouse. Yeeha! Yeeha! Andele! Andele! Ariba! Ariba!
Re:Let's take a close look at these tests... (Score:1)
Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:2)
yeah, but (Score:1)
Huh? (Score:1)
WTF is an 18 wheel semi-truck? Is it, like, half a truck or something? Why didn't they just use a 9 wheel truck?
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Ergonomics (Score:1)
I'll get my boss one -- NOT! (Score:1)
> still digging out the shrapnel from the wall
> from computer equiptment that upset my boss.
Erm, which would you rather encounter unexpectedly: a high-speed air-borne mouse made of plastic, or a high-speed air-borne mouse made of titanium?
Why should we settle for a $300 mouse, when... (Score:2)
Simple... (Score:2)
Replace the unit is what some would suggest. In combat, you usually don't have the luxury of swapping out parts like that (and unless it's USB, it's NOT going to be hot-swappable either so that means a reboot of most OSes...) In combat, failure is largely NOT an option.
Uncomfortable (Score:2)
Very good for use in difficult environments; factory floors, chemical production, very dirty environments, etc. Not my first choice for anything else though.
An M-16 doesn't give you accurate mortar placement (Score:2)
A Sigint system is a computer with a GUI, etc.
While I agree that the previous poster's analogy is a bit broken, there are definite reasons why this is a useful thing (and not overpriced either). If you've never dealt with the stuff, you wouldn't understand. I have.
Re:That's really neat and all... (Score:2)
http://www.pcpowerandcooling.com/products/enclosur es/professional/pro_towers/index.htm
They aren't stainless steel, but they are heavy gauge steel and there is an option for a chromed one. Not cheap, but quality hardware usually isn't.Re:What about the computer (Score:3)
A military, or more appropriately, combat situation will be at least 10 times worse conditions than the industrial setting.
Would your $25 mouse survive this? (Score:2)
Submerge it in water.
Submerge it in oil.
Subject it to vibration approximately equivalent to 70g's worth of acceleration.
Subject it to dust, dirt, and mud.
Subject it to discharges of gunpowder and explosives (Nearby, not ON it...).
Won't last long, will it?
This mouse will under those conditions.
People need to realize that this stuff is not going to always be operated in office or home like conditions. It's going to be subjected, in most cases, to evil conditions that will kill your home or office equipment outright- that's what combat presents. That's why having "milspec" stuff can often mean you've got superior parts. In combat, failure of your equipment is not an option.
This mouse needs a better name... (Score:2)
This mouse needs a better name. How about "Rasputin?"
See you in hell,
Bill Fuckin' Gates®.
You didn't tell us if it survived all of that... (Score:2)
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:2)
And then they can use their $1,000 tools to install these critters in a most useful place...
I can just see it now -- a $100,000/yr mailroom clerk, sitting on a $1,500 toilet seat, using a $10,000 server with a $279 mouse, surfing p0rn.
amazing.... (Score:2)
and no one finds military intelligence an oxymoron?
sheesh!
Good GRIEF! (Score:2)
Re:who's going to use it? (Score:2)
It's not a mouse. (Score:3)
My Humble Suggestion (Score:2)
If someone constructs keyboards and mice for harsh environments, and the rest of the computer is removed from those environments, you can still have a very durable system.
Other places I can see this being used:
On the back of a Hummer in the middle of nowhere
A machine shop
Okay, I'm out of ideas now, but you get the picture.
"Mac" truck? (Score:2)
So does a Mac truck only have one wheel? ;-)
(Should be Mack truck, BTW...)
cya
Ethelred [macnews.de]
Re:Doesn't work with IntelliMouse (Score:2)
Hmmm...wonder how durable this Compaq Mouse is...okay, this Microsoft Mouse, damn.
Hey, betchya these Dell Laptops are pretty durable....nope.
*scans office for other things to drop out window*
Did it "pass Russia"? (Score:5)
I would like to see it pass -50, dropped into the coffee mug, being mistakenly taken for the ashtray, occasionally plugged into the power socket, then being kicked by one though sysadmin in Quake. And being sadistically tested by dozens of users - "Though yeah? Let's see then.."
Once I saw how canadians brought a though truck into a Siberian town. A big bright shiny Kenwood. The Kamaz looks as a tiny family car in front of it. Russian mechanics looked at the american monster and warned that it wouldn't hold up too long. Canadians answered that they have Kenwoods working in similar climatic conditions in their North... Two weeks, BHAM! The main axis turned into a small mound of steel sand. And the guys got stucked in their base without supplies... Well five guys in a whole filled Kamaz. Running 80-120Km/h through the Taiga, frozen river beds at -50 they brought the supplies to the canadian group... A whole trip of over 300Km through Siberia...
So, while it is not "Russian certified", it's only though...
though = tough (OT) (Score:2)
Just to help people out, re-read 'though' as 'tough'.
~Cederic is not criticising, he wishes his Russian was as good
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:2)
What, is it hardened against a nuclear attack or something? Or is it just another excuse to bilk the U.S. taxpayer?
I doubt it would survive a nuclear attack. It would be a good thing for controling systems in a tank or on a ship. It would be a shame to lose a battle due to a close mortar round causing a regular mouse to fall off the table and break.
In this case, the cost is probably justifiable.
Re:That's really neat and all... (Score:2)
--
Game over, 2000!
Re:Hardly Ergonomic (Score:2)
Anyone can make something bomb proof, truck proof, etc, but who's going to use it?
Some likely uses are warehouse/industrial, auto shop and military. A regular mouse wouldn't stand a chance in those environments.
Re:Ouch (Score:2)
Karma karma karma karma karmeleon: it comes and goes, it comes and goes.
Re:Ouch (Score:2)
Pentagon Purchasing Department (Score:2)
You see the problems with pricing conservatively? If they'd asked for $500, the Pentagon wouldn't have given a second thought and placed a bulk order for 10,000.
My last mouse cost $20. I can't imagine for a second that I'd get through 14 mice in my lifetime.
Rich
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:2)
Sgt: What is it soldier?
Pvt: These pains in my wrist, they're too much!
Sgt: MEDIC!
Has any of the services awarded a purple heart for carpel-tunnel, yet?
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Re:amazing.... (Score:2)
Wow... (Score:2)
Most Powerful Eh? (Score:2)
The Most Powerful Mouse in the World
Don't try to put that one past me! I've seen Mighty Mouse, and this thing aint nothing compared to him!. Why it doesn't even have a cape!
I'll get my boss one. (Score:2)
Re:optical (Score:2)
it's optical...the only moving part is the mouse wheel and they make them without those....
Smear mud all over the bottom and see how well it works. Now, simulate combat conditions (think falling derbris) by whacking it with a hammer. After that, if it still works, tell me where you bought it, I want one.
Re:Arghh! (Score:2)
Spelling eribba... (Score:2)
bhnhruty
Notice that this is not only an incorrect spelling of "arriba," but it is also an incorrect spelling of much simpler words, such as "a", "I", "it", and complex words like "triskadecaphobia". So, I'm afraid that your post isn't entirely correct
Accelerometers (Score:2)
Why? (Score:2)
But the mouse? Will it keep running? You need something...stout so that you'll be able to keep inputing.
Just because it's not the kind of mouse that most people need on thier desk...The Military and heavy industry has other needs that many geeks just don't get.
Re:Why does the pentagon need this? (Score:2)
Commander: What's the problem soldier?
S: It's my helmet sir
C: Give me a look
The exchange distracts another soldier who is subsequently hit by a drone. As she collapses, she loses her grip on the spinning mouse which flys through the air and mostly throught the soldier's head, obviously killing him.
C: MEDIC!
Ouch (Score:4)
The mouse may survive, but what about the user?
Penguins love mice. The Linux Pimp [thelinuxpimp.com]
That's really neat and all... (Score:2)
What's needed is information on how it handles my day to day mousing activity.
How does it stand up to being squirted with semen and then cleaned off with pine-sol?
--Shoeboy
Re:But I Thought (Score:2)
Danger Mouse [dangermouse.org]! (He's the greatest!)
Semi-Truck (Score:2)
A semi-truck.
A Freightliner, Peterbuilt, Kenworth, GM/Volvo...A big-rig.
woohoo! (Score:2)
Did I mention that we get supplies via non-parachuted air drops?
I'm Sorry, But (Score:4)
This chunk of metal had a button on top that you push to control the cursor speed and direction, similar to those awful joysticks you find on laptops. Plus, it comes with all the holes necessary to bolt the damn thing to the desktop. I'm pretty sure you couldn't move it around then. Geez, I was expecting some rugged optical-mousing technology. Colour me disappointed.
Damn, still not good enough. (Score:2)
Not the most powerful mouse in the world (Score:2)
I am currently working on a project to overclock my monitor, in order to get a few more valuable frames per second in Quake III.