3btn Optical Scrollpoint Mouse Usb & Ps2

I've had a similar mouse by IBM, that had the scroll wheel. I loved that mouse. It finally died after years of abuse.

This model, similar in design (by lenovo) has a 'variable speed joystick' for a center button, which is really quite nice. I prefer tabbed browsing, and I can open up new tabs with a quick middle-click. Therein lies the rub.

This mouse has a 'middle button' - but its not in the middle. Its where your thumb is (just above it).

Its well designed, like the older model, and works flawlessly. I'm still trying to get used to it, but my mice at work are designed around the traditional design of the middle button being where your middle finger is.

After 2 days of very little use (I'm not often on my computer at home) - I find that I'm getting used to it... (but I'm still not sure).

It works great, Windows 2000 identified it with no issues (yes, I'm still using win2k; I haven't converted everything to Linux yet).

Pros:

- Ergonomic Design: it fits the natural curvature of your hand, so that the palm of your hand and your thumb are supported comfortably by the mouse.

- Side Button: unlike other mice where you have to reach for the additional buttons, this design has placed the button right above the thumb and therefore all you have to do is move the thumb and press the button. With the software, this button can be programmed to do almost anything, including switching applications, minimizing/maximizing the active window, opening new tabs within a tabbed browser (default), activating the start menu, auto-scrolling within certain applications (default) and much more.

- Optical: no ball to bother with and will work on most standard office surfaces; I've not used a mouse pad in years.

- Stable Software: Leaves a small footprint (meaning it doesn't take much memory), offers ALL mouse-related tasks in one convenient area and most of all doesn't crash the system. An important thing to note is that the software is also not required for the side button to work (it'll just revert to defaults), a definite plus.

- The middle mouse tab (ScrollPoint): the tab responds to pressure placed on it. Forward/backwards pressure, will scroll through an application; side-to-side pressure will actually move the cursor through a paragraph, cells or fields in Office applications, or scroll sideways in an application where it doesn't fit the screen (such as a website or a large picture). While it takes some getting used to over the traditional mouse wheel, offering almost 360 degrees of scrolling freedom definitely makes the learning curve worth it.

- Price: Similar ergonomic designs (e.g., from Logitech) can run as high as $80 and don't feel as solid as this simple mouse. It gets the job done and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Cons:

- Ergonomic Design: the mouse was obviously designed for righties, so left-handed folks who operate the mouse with the left hand are left out in the dark.

- The middle mouse tab (ScrollPoint): what makes this feature great can also be a curse. The side-to-side sensor seems to be MUCH more sensitive than the forward/backward sensor. This can be adjusted but it's limited (more on that below). This becomes frustrating when attempting to scroll through an application where the cursor can be moved through paragraphs.

If I'm scrolling through an e-mail and accidentally enable the side sensor, it automatically jumps back to the position of the cursor and starts to move the cursor. Given this is a function of the application (MS Outlook), I realize I can disable jumping back to the cursor when it's moved; however, there are times where this function is useful and therefore I need it enabled.

- ScrollPoint Options: related to the above are the options for the ScrollPoint within the software. Instead of providing independent sensitivity controls for each axis (forward/back, side/side) they group them together. So if I want to adjust the sensitivity of the side-to-side sensor so that the cursor won't move as easily, it will also affect the forward/backward sensitivity; the same applies to the scroll speed.

Final notes:

Before purchasing this mouse I owned the older IBM design, which was identical save for the ScrollPoint. To be honest after using the new design for three months now, I have mixed feelings about this new ScrollPoint. When it works, it's a beautiful thing over the traditional "2D" wheel; however when it doesn't work, it unfortunately becomes an extremely frustrating endeavor, especially when scrolling long documents within Office applications (especially Outlook). The fact that Lenovo didn't include independent options for each axis, really limits it's usability.

Despite this annoyance, would I purchase another? Most definitely. Considering I work an office environment for 10 to 12 hours a day, I need a (non-mouse ball) device that will save my wrist from carpal tunnel and after using this design for well over five years I can safely say, it's one of the most comfortable mice I've ever had the pleasure of using and would recommend it. I just wish they'd update their software to include separate controls for forward/back and side/side - that would make this mouse a perfect five stars.

I owned an IBM Optical Scrollpoint Mouse and used it extensively for 3+ years of for my office mouse; doing mostly CAD drafting and modeling. I liked it so much that when it finally died, I tried to replace it. In fact, I ordered two, so that I'd have a spare for future use.

The mouse I receive is by Lenovo (IBM spun off it's PC arm to them). The form is the same on this new Lenovo version, but don't be fooled. This mouse is terrible. They have replaced the scroll wheel with a weird toggele switch that is alternately way too sensitive and non-responsive. It is completely non-ergonomic and requires repositioning of your hand to use. Sadly, I am now trying out ergo mice again. Don't make the same mistake I did!

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 3 reviews  3.3 out of 5 stars