Mousetrapper Flexible

Computer mice and mouse alternatives generally fall into two categories (three if you count fast-twitch controllers for hardcore gamers, but we'll focus on mainstream mousing here): mass-market products from the likes of Logitech and Microsoft, most of which claim to be ergonomic to some degree, and seriously ergo-friendly devices designed to address the risk of repetitive stress injuries, sold at somewhat less wallet-friendly prices. The Mousetrapper Flexible is a Swedish import that falls into the latter category, with the online resellers we found offering it for $269 to $285. It's also one of the most offbeat, and most comfortable, pointers we've tried in 20 years of playing with trackballs, touchpads, and mice of all shapes and sizes.

Design
The laptop-sized (0.8 by 12 by 3.8-inch) sibling of the desktop-keyboard-width Mousetrapper Advance ($239 street, 3 stars), the Mousetrapper Flexible resembles a touchpad centered in a palm rest (so it's equally accommodating to left- and right-handed users), surrounded by programmable buttons.

Why would you put another touchpad right beneath the one on your laptop, you ask? Because the Mousetrapper "steering pad" is not a conventional touchpad but something akin to a treadmill, with a ribbed lattice that rolls forward and back and slides from side to side. Instead of moving your finger over a flat surface, the pad moves with your finger, its ribbed surface gripping your fingertip so it feels more responsive, offering more traction and tactile feedback than a plain pad. A slight downward pressure anywhere on the steering pad equals a left mouse click.

What feels decidedly strange at first feels comfortable within a few minutes and elegantly smooth and light within an hour or two. The only quirk is that occasionally, when you reach the limit of the pad's horizontal movement, the mouse pointer goes slip-sliding away to the edge of the screen while the Mousetrapper recalibrates. It's more of a nuisance than an annoyance, and can be made more infrequent by increasing the device's resolution (adjustable from 400 to 1,500 dpi with a downloadable software utility, more about which in a minute).

Right-clicks and other functions are available via the ring of eight programmable buttons (plus an on/off button) around the steering pad. They default to auto scroll (middle button), right click, double-click, copy and paste, click lock (for selecting text), and browser back and forward. You can also scroll vertically by moving your finger to the far right edge of the pad, and are supposed to be able to browse back and forward by clicking while edge-scrolling, but the latter gesture proved hit-or-miss for us despite practice. Better to use the back and forward buttons.

Features
If you don't like those buttons or any of the other defaults, you can change them by downloading MT Keys?an additional software utility?from the Mousetrapper website (it's not included in the Flexible package, though a handy neoprene carrying case is). The MT Keys program lets you save different profiles or combinations of settings; adjust the device's resolution; and reassign the buttons to a variety of keyboard shortcuts ranging from undo and redo to combinations like Alt-Tab, Ctrl-Alt-Del, or Windows-R. You can also increase precision or slow the cursor to move pixel by pixel for CAD or image editing work.

The Mousetrapper Flexible's battery gets its initial charge from you plugging the unit into your PC via a supplied USB cable for about eight hours, during which you can use it normally. After that, you can remove the cable and insert the device's wireless USB receiver. A full charge, the company says, should last for about three months. An LED on the button ring lights when it's time to recharge.

A touchpad can save you from the ergonomic angst of repeatedly reaching for and gripping a mouse (whether that grip is conventionally horizontal, vertical as with the Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 ($99.95 direct, 4.5 stars), or diagonal as with the Hippus HandShoe Mouse($129 direct, 4 stars). With its light touch and tactile design, and a remarkable feeling of control compared to a flat, lifeless traditional touchpad, the Mousetrapper Flexible is the best touchpad we've tried?and will cure you of eating at your desk, lest crumbs and crud fall into the lattice. Only its prohibitive price lowers its score in our star ratings.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/VECACh_SqCY/0,2817,2400373,00.asp

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