ON COMPUTER MOUSE INNOVATIONS

PROSAIC AND PROFOUND

The New York Times has a review of new computer mouse from Logitech called the "MX Revolution" that got my attention.  Why?  Because it's,

"...designed not for those shooting games, but for an activity far more fearsome: handling the vast pile of reports, Web pages, spreadsheets, e-mail threads and other materials that the average desk jockey can face each day at the office.

The new mouse does all the work of a standard model, while also letting the user skim rapidly through lengthy documents to reach a desired spot in seconds. It does this with an unusual scroll wheel that can be flicked with a forefinger; the text on the computer screen immediately starts flying past, but stops on a dime when the wheel is tapped. The speed is adjustable to let users see exactly where they are in the document.

The mouse can dart horizontally or vertically through a report or a spread sheet, switching at any point to line-by-line scrolling. Such quick changes of gears can add up to big savings of time."

Two other interesting features of the $99 list device:

"The mouse has another new feature he likes: a thumb-wheel mounted horizontally on the left side, meant for users who have many computer windows open at the same time. With a click, it shows a vertical list of, for instance, active Web pages, searches and e-mail; a nudge of the wheel takes him from one window to the next."

And the last one was the clincher for me:

"...one button on the mouse lets users begin a search of any highlighted word or phrase with one touch — but it works only on  Google,  Yahoo, or Yahoo LiveWords. If this isn’t useful, users can reassign the one-touch button to one of many other functions."

A few days ago, I went on a mini-rant about how laptop manufacturers seem to be losing sight of how many mainstream folks still use their computers:  to consume mounds of text and number-rich data on a computer screen instead of just watching DVDs movies and YouTube clips.

So it's good to see a company like Logitech focusing on another aspect of dealing with documents on a screen and trying to make it more efficient. 

The NYTimes article does a good job describing the pros and cons of the gizmo, as does the product description and comments available on Amazon.  There's even a smaller version called the VX Revolution that is available for notebooks.  Both models work well on Windows and Macs.

I'm intrigued enough to have just ordered one. 

My pet peeve though is that mouse manufacturers like Logitech, seem to think that the latest innovations in computer mouse products should ONLY come cordless.  Both the above models require battery power, with the larger MX coming with a rechargeable cradle and the smaller VX running of a AA battery.

I'd love to have an option to get each one in a corded version.  I find them to be more reliable and glitch-free. 

The sales pitch on the MX and the VX boast a wireless range of 30 feet for the cordless wonders.  But if I'm 30 feet away from my computer screen, even if it's a plasma on a wall, I'm sure not reading dense text and numbers-rich documents. 

And have you ever scrambled for a fresh pair of double AAs or AAAs right in the middle of a time-sensitive task and your mouse and/or keyboard goes out?

I know some of these things come with rechargeable cradles, but it's another thing to clutter up my desk.  And it's far more cluttered than the clutter of the cord in the first place.

It's a great example of a feature that's nice to have, but arguably nice NOT to have.

I'd probably get a bunch of the Logitech Revolutions for all my computers if they came in a corded version.

Of course that'd mean a lower unit price point for the manufacturer, and that'd wouldn't make good business sense.

But it'd make terrific sense for many mainstream customers.

And that's my Andy Rooney moment for this Sunday.

Comments

[candice]

What's your opinion on the trackpoint scroll stuff on the Thinkpads then?

side note: remotes are an excellent source of emergency batteries...

[Dr. MadCow]

I had the pleasure of having Logitech send me a Logitech MX Revolution to review, and now at work I curse the fact that I only have one. Its one of those things that once you start to use it, the bar that is your computer experience rises. The closest comparison is dual monitors vs a single monitor. The scroll wheel is my favorite feature especially for web development, or even should the need arise scroll through 3000+ emails in Outlook with a single flick of your wrist. Its sexy and functional, what else can you ask for in a mouse?