MEGATech Reviews – Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse Michael Kwan October 20, 2010 MEGATech Reviews Sitting in front of a computer all day has its fair share of health hazards. Eye strain. Lower back pain. Carpel tunnel syndrome. That’s why it’s important to have the right kind of technology in front of you to make for the most comfortable and ergonomic experience possible. You’ve got those Gunnar Optiks glasses for your eyes and you might want to consider the Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse for your wrist. As you can imagine, a mouse isn’t just a mouse. Overview of Features Easily the most notable differentiating feature on this mouse is its unique “ErgoMotion” pivot technology. Instead of being a single, solid mouse, the top portion is actually attached via a ball-and-socket like pivot base. In doing so, the mouse can effectively tilt both left/right and front/back. The idea is that this will reduce the risk of Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI) by adding motion. It adapts to your natural hand and wrist positions while you work. Weird? Sure. Innovative? Absolutely. Aside from the tilting and pivoting action, the Smartfish ErgoMotion laser mouse also comes with a tiny 2.4GHz USB nano-transceiver for a plug-and-play experience, 800dpi laser precision, and an ambidextrous design that’s friendly to both right and left-handed users. The Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse retails for around $49.99 US. What’s Included? Looking inside the package, you find just about everything you expect and not much more. There is the laser mouse itself, of course, accompanied by the USB nano-transceiver, a couple of AA alkaline batteries, and a very thin user guide. You don’t need much in terms of instructions, because this mouse is pretty straightforward. There are only the two face buttons, so you don’t get the added functionality that you might find with some more versatile mice. The scroll wheel in the center is clickable and does horizontal tilt-scrolling, but you need to install the driver to get that. Otherwise, it’s plug-and-play. Day-to-Day Ergonomics and Comfort Let’s get one thing clear: the Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse is not a small mouse. It’s not the largest mouse on the market, but people with smaller hands may find it uncomfortable to use. I also found that the pivot joint made the mouse feel “too tall” for wrist comfort, but this is very much an individual thing. The pivoting mechanism does take some time to get used to as well, because it really does feel quite different than other mice you may have used. Future improvements could be the ability to adjust the height. The tilt mechanism is interesting, but I’m not sure if it actually helps in terms of ergonomics. This might have been better if the mouse had a slimmer profile. The pivot also makes the mouse largely unsuitable for hardcore gaming or other scenarios that require quick and precise movements. MegaTechie Rockin’ or MegaTechie Dumb? On the one hand (no pun intended), I found the ErgoMotion technology on this mouse to be an interesting innovation. We’ve seen mice with adjustable heights before, but not one with a dynamic pivoting mechanism. On the other hand, I found this innovation to be mostly uncomfortable in my experience. Perhaps the solution is the Finger Mouse? A computer mouse is a very personal product, because what may be great for one person is terrible for another. Your mileage may vary, but for my part, the “rocking” of the Smartfish ErgoMotion Laser Mouse left me reaching for a regular mouse with more buttons instead. Especially for around $49.99 US. Share This With The World!
