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Hardware

Mice Designed by Famous Anime Artists 205

Posted by CmdrTaco from the now-thats-what-I'm-talking-about dept.
Roland writes "Japan Gadgets reports that eminent Japanese animators Masamune Shiro (Ghost in the Shell) and Hajime Katoki (Gundam) have decided to apply their creative design skills to a new line of limited edition optical mice. Due to be released in Japan in late November, each of the two mouse designs will be available in black, silver, and white and come with a special printed insert of an interview with the respective designer." Definitely thinking outside the box... not sure about the ergonomics, but points for aesthetic ;)
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Mice Designed by Famous Anime Artists More

Mice Designed by Famous Anime Artists

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  • wow (Score:1, Redundant)

    by Worminater ( 600129 )
    slashdotted before the first reply. This some kind of a record?
    • 99% of /. readers wouldn't mind or even notice that, as the articles are generously ignored for the most part. But wait, this one's got to have pictures...
  • We ARE getting better and better...

  • Argh (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @06:56AM (#4554667)
    Ghost in the Shell
    Slashdotted all to Hell
    Better mice than Dell

  • ok guys, lets not all go there at once. (Score:5, Funny)

    by rudiger ( 35571 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @06:57AM (#4554671)
    i know how much a lot of you people like their anime, but a /.'ing in less than 6mins? thats determination.

  • slashdotted already (Score:1, Interesting)

    by magwm ( 466805 )
    couldn't anyone of the first visitors to the new stories' sites make a mirror? isn't it possible to make a temp mirror on slashdot servers, let's say for an hour or two?? many interesting sites are just poorly hosted and won't withstand /.-ing..

  • Yeah, but... (Score:3, Funny)

    by DarkHelmet ( 120004 ) <.mark. .at. .seventhcycle.net.> on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @06:58AM (#4554677) Homepage
    I won't be impressed...

    Until someone hardwires a REAL mouse for user input.

  • Not sure about the gundam designer.. (Score:3, Funny)

    by 3.5 stripes ( 578410 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @06:59AM (#4554679)
    But Masamune Shirow can draw some really nicely curved women, and sweet organic tech, if the link ever gets un-/.'d I'd like to see what he came up with.

  • Aesthetics aside... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Drunken Coward ( 574991 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @06:59AM (#4554680)
    Despite looking "hi-tech" (since when did that become a noteworthy style?) these things look like they'll be hell on your hands/wrists/arms. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very real problem, but unfortunately many people are under the false impression that it is caused by keyboards and not by mice. I'll stick with my old mouse and not leave my health up to the whim of fashion, thank you very much.

    But why only the optical version? Optics in mice has yet to develop enough to become sufficient for higher end graphics work (hell, even Logitech is still making "old-fashioned" roller ball mice). Accuracy is important- why are mouse manufacturers neglecting pay attention to such a significant number of potential customers?
    • Have you tried the dual optical mice? MS does them, dunno about others.
      • As far as I know, Logitech is the only company that makes a dual optical mouse. I've got one, and they rock, you can almost never lose tracking. Too bad the dpi is still 800.

        Are there any optical mice that use a higher dpi? I'd love a 2000dpi optical.
      • Logitech makes the dual optical mice, but with a rather low sampling rate.

        Microsoft makes single optical mice, but with a much higher sampling rate.
    • But why only the optical version? Optics in mice has yet to develop enough to become sufficient for higher end graphics work.

      I don't see why optical mice wouldn't be sufficient for this. I'm not disagreeing, as I've never done high-end graphics work. Does the mouse simply skip pixels while it's moving, or what? (just reduce the mouse resolution).

      I'll never go back to a ball mouse. In the past year or so, I've had maybe two hairs obstruct the optical laser. I just brush it aside and I'm all set to go. Meanwhile, with the ball mice I've used, the slightest debris on the mouse area can render the mouse useless until you clean it. Not to mention the crud that can collect on the wheels inside or the LEDS that track the wheels. Additionally, you can use optical mice on virtually any surface (except shiny surfaces that interfere with the image-capturing mechanism). Handy for laptops, where a mouse surface might not be adequate for a ball mouse. I don't understand how optical mice could be insufficient for high-end graphics work...?
      • I agree with your assessments on the decline in the use of standard mouse pointers that use a ball and rollers to calculate movements.

        I'm using a Logitech Wheel Mouse Optical right now and I love the fact that there's no mouse ball and rollers, which can clog up fairly quickly and can be a pain to clean.

      • Re:Aesthetics aside... (Score:3, Informative)

        by gl4ss ( 559668 )
        ** I don't understand how optical mice could be insufficient for high-end graphics work...?**

        neither do i.. and have never heard this before either.. the ball mice use optical sensors too, it's not like that they were more precise(usually, unless were talking about some weird neverheard of high end products), quite the opposite.

        the way i'd understand is that some old gfx guru just said something about it while half sleeping.. or just didn't like the feeling of not having a ball going against the surface.

      • Re:Aesthetics aside... (Score:5, Insightful)

        by 0x0d0a ( 568518 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @09:20AM (#4555331) Journal
        I've used, the slightest debris on the mouse area can render the mouse useless until you clean it.

        I purchased a 3M Precision Mousing Surface [3m.com] and have had any problems since. Quite impressive little device.

    • Optics in mice has yet to develop enough to become sufficient for higher end graphics work (...)

      In my experience, not even the most precise roller-ball mouse can compete with a tablet & stylus for pinpoint accuracy.

      Just my two cents.

    • Re:Aesthetics aside... (Score:1, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Bah.

      Yesterday it was vinyl vs compact disc.

      Today it is mechanical vs optical.

      Technophobia, anyone?
      • Technophobia, anyone?


        I work in an office with several dozen graphic designers, and don't know a single one who uses a wheel mouse anymore. If they need to do precision work, they use a Wacom tablet, just like they did before the advent of the optical mouse.

        The Intuos2 has 2540 dpi... mmmm.....

    • optical accuracy (Score:2, Interesting)

      by alexander m ( 567750 )
      i'm intrigued by your comment on accuracy - i do a fair bit of precision work myself, and i specifically moved to optical mice because of their superior accuracy and response! well, that and the fact that my hand fits the intellimouse explorer perfectly, so less carpal tunnel potential ;)

      i'd be genuinely interested in finding out exactly which optical mice you've tried, and which ball mice you believe offer greater accuracy.
    • these mice should not exacerbate carpal tunnel onset. the shape of the mouse has very little to do with it. it's the repeated wrist motion that gets you.

      in fact, i'd say these might create less damage if we assume that optical mice create less strain due to the lack of a ball, and therefore easier to move around (a stretch perhaps...).

      if you want to avoid carpal tunnel, and you have problems with your mousing wrist, move to a trackball. cured a coworker's problems.

    • Re:Aesthetics aside... (Score:2, Informative)

      by Moofie ( 22272 )
      Umm, buy a digitizing tablet. They'll set you back about $80.

  • 3... 2... 1... Slashdotted! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by seldolivaw ( 179178 ) <me AT seldo DOT com> on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:00AM (#4554687) Homepage
    Oh well. I'll bookmark it and come back in a few days. When is Slashdot going to get a clue and develop an automatic cache of pages it links to before posting the story? That way we could actually see the sites, instead of having to grub around for ad-hoc mirror sites.
    • Oh yeah, that would be like hanging a sign saying "sue us for infringing on your copyright".

      The idea is cool, but the legal issues are a big hurdle.
      • What's the legal status of the Google cache, then? Surely if they can do it, Slashdot can?
        • I'd say the biggest difference is what google does, search engine vs. news site.

          I'm thinking since /. would make use of the site, there might be different issues.

          I personally don't see a problem with it, but I've never been a big lawyer type.

          • Then let /. point to the google cached version instead of the original one, scripting that should not be too hard.

            That should reduce the /. effect by at least the amount of click-jerk reaction !

            • Often the most important part of a slashdotted article are its pictures. (Pictures of homemade roller coasters, case mods, explosions, et hoc genus omne.) Google doesn't cache pictures.

    • Re:3... 2... 1... Slashdotted! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Persnickity ( 47761 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:37AM (#4554813)
      I've asked this same question before and got shot down. Of course, the FAQ entry is two years old at this point:

      http://slashdot.org/faq/suggestions.shtml#su900 [slashdot.org]

      Seems like someone would have taken the time to look into it and implement something by this point.

      Idea:
      Alternitive to the check for no ads method. Cache the page at post time, but don't point to the cache unless the site goes down. Then you can point back to the original site once it comes back. Basically, only show the cache while the site is down.

      • Re:3... 2... 1... Slashdotted! (Score:4, Insightful)

        by photon317 ( 208409 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @08:36AM (#4555084)

        Or in the case of no ads, he states the problem is the site might change. Well, Slashdot stories on the front page aren't *that* many a day. Run a little caching daemon that checks for an update to slashdot's copy every 30 minutes or so. Expire sites out of the slashdot cache when the story is 3 days old. Surely they have the disk and bandwidth for that, they just seem to have trouble actually coding it. I think the big problem here is CmdrTaco getting some perverse pleasure from the /. effect.
      • The reason why they never looked into it way back when was because VAs stock was so high! too much money - not enough time to implement great new features!

        The reason why they dont look into it now is because VAs stock is so low! no maney at all - not enough time to implement great new features!
    • yeah, i was thinking the same thing. possibly a subscription service...

  • Also @ Cosmo Games (Score:5, Informative)

    by zebadee ( 551743 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:01AM (#4554691) Homepage
    Have a look here [cosmogames.com](not /.ed yet!)
    • OK why is this being modded as redundant when its the first post to give a link thats not /.ed?!?!?

      and wow.. those are some butt ugly mice!

    • WTF, they actually expect us to USE something like that!? *Sigh* I'd take a standard gateway mouse over that. That'd be hell on the wrists for long term use, and bad grip for gaming.

      All in all, useless except for tradeshows and to make your computer look uber-|33t when you're NOT USING IT.
      • Agreed. They're ugly and don't look very useful.

        As for gaming, I don't even use a mouse.

        Once you go trackman [logitech.com] you'll never go back man!

        If your desk is like mine, you don't even have space for a mousepad (CDs, jewelcases, computer parts, etc all get in the way..). I've found I can play much quicker using the trackball than a normal mouse.
    • Ooooo... I want one. I particularly like the Masamune Shiro design, in black.

      So, how the Hell(tm) would I go about ordering one of these?

      Kierthos
    • Wow, that's the second most ugliest mouse I've ever seen.
    • hmmm...I've a fan of Masa, but those mice just look plain silly...AND like they would hurt the hell outta my hand. Besides, I wonder what the cost would be....

  • Mouse-nyo? (Score:3, Funny)

    by HugoQuixote ( 32615 ) <(astromoose) (at) (gmail.com)> on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:01AM (#4554693) Homepage Journal
    Now I just know there's got to be some Digi Charat fans out there that would love to see a Gema-gema mouse... ^_^

  • http://www.animenewsservice.com/ (Score:3, Informative)

    by shomon2 ( 71232 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:05AM (#4554707) Journal
    This is the only link on google with some details half way down the page on what looks like this is about. Search for "mouse"
  • After having looked at cosmogames.com I'd have to say that I'm disapointed. They do look cool, but I imagined them to be covered in some sort of manga-style drawings, and from an ergonomic point of view I think that they are a true disaster (but I don't know, since I haven't tried any).

    • I agree. (Score:1, Redundant)

      by MtViewGuy ( 197597 )
      I saw the mouse pointer designs and it appears they won't fit your hand very comfortably.

      I prefer a real Microsoft or Logitech mouse pointer that does fit your hand comfortably, despite the fact the designers aren't as famous as these Japanese manga/anime artists. (smile)

  • Sell-out (Score:5, Insightful)

    by mumblestheclown ( 569987 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:10AM (#4554726)
    "limited edition mice?"

    Are you kidding me? Talk about sell-out.

    A simple rule: if it says collectible or limited edition on it, it's guaranteed to be overpriced, and usually crap. ("collector's edition McDonald's Scooby Doo Frosted Mugs"). Have you ever seen a "limited edition" item on HSN that you could turn around and sell for a penny more to anybody who is not an even bigger fool?

    Those who pay for slashdot premium should demand their money back on the basis that this was, very clearly, an advertisement.

    • Re:Sell-out (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      A simple rule: if it says collectible or limited edition on it, it's guaranteed to be overpriced, and usually crap.
      ...
      Those who pay for slashdot premium should demand their money back on the basis that this was, very clearly, an advertisement.

      Just because something is labelled 'premium' doesn't mean it's not crap either.

    • Re:Sell-out (Score:3, Insightful)

      by glwtta ( 532858 )
      this was, very clearly, an advertisement

      Hm, so then any news that includes a product of some sort should not be on /.? That would exclude computer hardware, software, electronics, movies, tv shows, books, etc. and would pretty much leave us only with boring as hell US legislation news... I am not excited by the prospect of this "pure" slashdot.

      btw, my only problem with these mice is that they look like crap; I mean, seriously! It's hard to find something uglier.

    • Re:Sell-in (Score:5, Insightful)

      by cqnn ( 137172 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @10:54AM (#4556103)
      A simple rule: if it says collectible or limited edition
      on it, it's guaranteed to be overpriced, and usually crap... IN AMERICA

      You overlook that other countries do not need to abuse those terms
      like we do in the US. Much of the time (in the Japanese Anime
      merchandise market) buyers are used to a character or product brand
      being used all over the place. The "Scooby-Doo" mugs would not be
      considered collectible, precisely because nobody would conceive of
      not having mugs, pens, posterboards, lunchboxes, T-shirts, etc...
      without the characters plastered all over the place as standard promotion.

      In that environment, an extra effort is often made for higher quality
      or some form of intrinsic value to be added to a "limited edition" product
      to insure that it is set apart from the standard deluge of promotional
      items. This becomes even more applicable in an area where the promotion
      is taken outside the normal area of expertise of the company, character, or
      creator.
      • You overlook that other countries do not need to abuse those terms like we do in the US

        I think the UK has decided to follow the US. I mean limited edition packaging for breakfast cereal and fizzy drinks. And then basing a whole marketing campaign around the fact.

        I don't know what's worse. The blatant cynicism of the manufacturers, or the stupidity of the people who fall for it.

  • Pretty but expensive (Score:5, Informative)

    by Albanach ( 527650 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:10AM (#4554731) Homepage
    The mice [zdnet.co.jp] (not /.ed but in Japanese) are very nice, but Y7500 that's circa 40 GBP or $60 US which is a bit steep even for a designer mouse, no?

  • Damn.. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Not One Of Us ( 583660 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:12AM (#4554737)
    These mice were limited, after all!

  • Talk about a buzzkill! (Score:3, Funny)

    by NeuroManson ( 214835 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:15AM (#4554742) Homepage
    Here I was, hoping the Shirow model would be a little plastic version of Colonol Usanagi... You can guess where the left and right buttons were located...

  • hardware section? (Score:2, Troll)

    by szo ( 7842 )
    It sould be in anime section, so if I filter out anime (I do), I wouldn't see it. This is just a crappy advert, what is it doing on /. anyways?

    Teg
  • It would look so much more elegant with a square cord. :)

  • Shirow is not really an animator (Score:3, Informative)

    by Roland Walter Dutton ( 24395 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:32AM (#4554792)
    Shirow's primarily a comics artist, not an animator. As far as I can tell, Black Magic M-66 [imdb.com] is the only anime in which his involvement went much beyond allowing one of his manga to be adapted or providing character or concept designs. (See also this biography [angelfire.com].) (Ghost in the Shell [manga.com] is Oshii Mamoru [nausicaa.net]'s adaptation of (part of) Shirow's manga of the same name.)

  • Mice designed by Anime artists? (Score:3, Funny)

    by Bowie J. Poag ( 16898 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @07:34AM (#4554802) Homepage


    Just what I need. A mouse with a grotesquely pumpkin-shaped head with dinner plate eyes, and a tentacle stuffed in the mouse hole.

    Cheers,
  • The Ghost in the Shell dude's mouse looks cool, but seems more suited to racing in the Wipeout series (if it were a ship) than using on a daily basis.

    The Gundam dude's mouse is very boring and square, but then I think the Gundam mech's are pretty square and chunky- like Gundam vs. Eva is a Ford Cortina vs. a BMW Z8...

    graspee

  • You guys don't get it.. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by phrackwulf ( 589741 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @08:26AM (#4555029)
    Most of you aren't raving Manga fans. It said in the slashdot article that an interview with each of these two author's comes with the mouse. If it's DVD or has any type of pictures, it's worth the money to Manga fans. Shirow Masamune is the most reclusive "comics" artist in Japan. There is one known photo of him as "Shirow" and it was published something like ten years ago and is impossible to find. This guy is a hero to the "Otaku", Japanese kids with an obsession for printed manga and anime. "Shirow Masamune" is a pseudonym so getting anything like a live interview would be priceless to them (hell, me).
    And here you guys are complaining about ergonomics.

    [-)
    • Photos of him aren't *that* rare - I bought one of his intron depot books as a grey import and aside from being one of the coolest collection of anime sketches and notes I've *ever* seen... ...I seem to remember it did include a photo of him either at the start or at the end. If I had the book to hand (its at home, im not) I'd tell you for sure.

      - Tony
      • The most common image I've seen is a "manga-style" self-portrait (him sitting in a chair with PS2 in background, and drawing board etc.). I'm not saying it isn't possible, but I'd be very surprised. If it is in there, it probably wasn't taken with Shirow's permission. The last interview I read involving him only included pictures of "buildings" in the area he lives and works in, in Kobe, Japan. That is how serious this guy is about personal privacy. [-)

  • Definitely not for the real world (Score:5, Funny)

    by redNuht ( 213553 ) <rednuht@nospAm.rednuht.org> on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @08:34AM (#4555073)
    Some designs (and designers) are only fit for anime.

    At least it's not a Hamtaro mouse...
  • Is it just me or does one of those look like the HB88? hmmm the Bonsai institute's coffers are running a bit low, copyright/patent infringment suit anyone?

    ~no matter where you go, there you are.
  • the text on this site is in japanese but there are some images of them here [zdnet.co.jp]for those who havn't seen them yet
  • When I first saw the title of the article, my first thought was that it had to do with genetic engineering.
  • I don't know about that. The first has no sense of symmetry at all. It looks like it was designed after some of those anime starships with all the projecting rods and growths out the front. And the second is all boxy and strange looking.

    And the price is just.. nasty. I could see someone who is into these two artists getting them for collectors items, but for normal usage? Aesthetics aside the odd shapes would be a killer on the hand.

    I'd wager those two should stick with Anime, cause they're much better at that. :)
  • ...would inevitably end up looking like Hamtaro [hamtaro.com].

    Which is why my first impulse upon reading this headline was "Who the hell cares!?"
  • At least they both have scroll wheels. I bought a Logitech scroll mouse for my Mac at work out of my own pocket because the buttonless mouse sucked so bad.

    Jon Acheson
  • who thought of Hamtaro?

    I thought some Anime guys were getting into genetics..

  • i like my mice (Score:3, Funny)

    by Phosphor3k ( 542747 ) on Tuesday October 29, 2002 @10:19AM (#4555825)
    Tentacle-free, thank you.
  • Besides the fact they probably use mice on a daily basis :).
    The Shirow one in the article looks at least vaguely shaped for use by people instead of mecha.
    I like the Razerzone Boomslang 2000 [razerzone.com]: got it for Unreal, kept it for everything else too. As a general rule, "if it doesn't fit, don't use or wear it" is pretty good.
  • Ok, was I the only one that read the title and thought that the anime artists had given their input to create new genetically enhanced real-life anime-mice?

    • Ok, was I the only one that read the title and thought that the anime artists had given their input to create new genetically enhanced real-life anime-mice?
      Nope... in fact, that's the only reason I read the story.

      -a
  • Too many Hamtaro references, and not enough Ebichu references! *grin*

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