A strong ergonomic PC periphery makes use as natural as possible. This means you avoid strain and unnecessary pressure, lots of support, minimal movement and, if you sit at a desk, you help maintain 90 degree angles in your arms and legs. Vertical mice, for example, cause the palm to turn more sideways, resulting in less forearm pronation and holding a 90-degree angle with the rest of the arm. But what about a horizontal mouse?
On Sunday, the ConceptPix Horizontal Mouse was launched on Kickstarter. Like any crowdfunding project, I will not have my hopes that this product will hit the market. I may have even less hope here than with some other crowdfunding projects, as ConceptPix has not launched anything else on Kickstarter (at least not under the ConceptPix name). Other red flags include: The ConceptPix brand lacks much of an internet presence, and its profile is private on Kickstarter; the creator of the project is said to be in Hong Kong, but ConceptPix’s bio claims Miami Beach, Florida; and the crowdfunding target is absurdly low $ 119.
Still, less likely products are born of crowdfunding. And the creators shared at least one video on Kickstarter showing a supposedly working prototype. Either way, a horizontal mouse is exciting for anyone who has used a vertical mouse or is looking for a more comfortable or less painful alternative to traditional mice.
In the same way that a vertical mouse is taller than it is wide or long, the horizontal mouse is wider than it is long or tall. According to Kickstarter, the peripheral is 3.15 inches wide, 1.57 inches long, 1.18 inches high and weighs 1.36 ounces.
Compared to other wireless miniature mice, the Dell MS7421W is 2.4 x 4 x 1.4 inches and 2.82 ounces, and the Razer Pro Click Mini is 2.5 x 3.9 x 1.3 inches and 3.1 to 3, 9 ounces, depending on whether you use one or two AA batteries.
Vertical mice have also become a trendy design. We recently reviewed the Logitech Lift, a smaller version of a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. Lenovo and Anker make vertical mice, and the category is Evolunet’s specialty. It’s just to name a few.
But examples of so-called horizontal mice are sparse, and most have a different approach than ConceptPix’s device.
It’s hard to imagine a longer “mouse” than the Counter Design’s RollerMouse Free 3, which measures 19.25 inches horizontally. But take a look at it and you can see that it works very differently than a traditional PC mouse or even the horizontal mouse.
3Dconnexion’s SpaceMouse Wireless is not wider than it is long, but is equally wide and long (3.1 x 3.1 x 2.1 inches).
Still, it acts more like a big knob and like a companion to another mouse.
ConceptPix claims that its horizontal mouse concept reduces the amount of clamping required to use the peripheral device. It also claims that the mouse puts your hand in a more favorable position. One of its supposed features is that the mouse puts less pressure on your wrist as the wrist does not support the mouse as much. Additionally, Kickstarter says the mouse “prevents the fingers from getting too crooked.”
