Evoluent Vertical Mouse enters frey to combat RSI

It could be a sharp pain in the wrist, or just a minor ache that nags at you. Manufacturers of computer peripherals have been dealing with this problem for years, creating weirdly shaped devices to prevent what have become known as repetitive stress injuries.

Now, into this world of RSI-combative devices comes Vertical Mouse 2 ($74.95) from Evoluent LLC.

Simply put, this is an oddly shaped device that is designed so that you don't twist your wrist using your mouse. All of the buttons are on the side ... .the right side for right-handers and the left side for left-handers. The company actually makes two different mice, one for righties and another for lefties.

It took me awhile to get used to using it, because of the placement of the buttons, but once I did, it felt extremely comfortable --- almost natural.

Among its key features are:

• Five buttons, four of them programmable.
• 1200 dpi optical resolution
• You can set the speed of the mouse. I found it to be so sensitive that I had to slow it down.
• Several programmable functions including vertical scroll, auto click and click lock.
• Its shape eliminates arm twisting.
• The mouse doesn't move sideways when you click a button.
• It can be used with Windows, Mac or Linux operating systems.
• It's great for games due to its high optical resolution.

I've used trackballs, other oddly shaped mice and other pointing devices with my PC, but this is the first one that hasn't been cast asunder and relegated to the piles of "stuff" that litter my office.

For more information go to the company's Web site at www.evoluent.com or www.verticalmouse.com.

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