Ergonomically speaking, constantly reaching for and grasping a computer mouse is like shaking hands with the devil. Contour Design's RollerMouse Free2 ($239.95 direct) is one of the elite, expensive set of pointing devices that address ailments like carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis?in the RollerMouse's case, by putting cursor controls close (just below the keyboard) and keeping your hands, wrists, and forearms flat and relaxed while you use the fingertips of either hand to maneuver the cursor via an innovative "rollerbar." The latter is a narrow, 9.75-inch rolling pin or dowel that slides back and forth in a 13.75-inch trough; you slide the rubber-coated rollerbar for horizontal and roll it toward or away from you for vertical mouse movement. Pressing lightly on the bar equals a left click.
Keeping the mouse close instead of having to reach for it is an ergonomic plus, as is the opportunity to use different fingers or even different hands to click instead of having the work monopolized by one index finger. Best of all, there is no gripping necessary as there is with even ergonomically shaped mice like the Evoluent VerticalMouse 4 ($99.95 direct, 4.5 stars)?just a slight movement of your fingertips, rather reminiscent of a Ouija board.
Design
Available in sculpted black or white plastic, the RollerMouse fits against the bottom edge of your keyboard?a straight edge is best, as opposed to the curves of units like Microsoft's Natural keyboard line. Its footprint is 17.5 by 4.5 inches counting its snap-on wrist rest with leatherette pads. It comes with two pairs of keyboard risers or shims to match your keyboard to its height. Plugged into a USB port, it works without driver software on current PCs and Macs; an optional Windows download (6MB) lets you reprogram the buttons to functions such as browser back and forward and set up application-specific button profiles.
Speaking of buttons, six of them surround a clickable scroll wheel below the rollerbar. The largest are for left click, right click, and double click; two others are copy and paste (Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V) shortcuts. The smallest button sets the RollerMouse's resolution or cursor speed, as indicated by an arc of LED lights?800 to 1,600 dpi, in 200 dpi increments. (One cosmetic quibble: The decal or label indicating the test unit's button functions peeled or curled up unattractively. Etched keycaps would be nicer.)
Changing the resolution can come in handy if you frequently find the rollerbar bumping into the sides of the trough or limits of its horizontal motion, in which case a gentle push resets the cursor. I used the RollerMouse with both a laptop (1,440 by 900 display) and desktop (1,920 by 1,080) and ran out of room only occasionally at the default 1,200 dpi resolution.
Performance
Navigating with the RollerMouse proved easy, as soon as I gave up the misguided idea of leaving my fingers on the home row and twiddling the rollerbar with my thumbs. Its gliding, rolling motion has next to no drag; after a few minutes' practice, diagonal or circular motion (rolling and moving the bar simultaneously) became simple.
The only problems I encountered in the first hour or two were a couple of unwanted clicks while typing and, more seriously, unwanted cursor movement while clicking, the latter caused by the difficulty of pressing straight down on the bar without triggering a slight accidental roll or vertical cursor hiccup. The main cure for each was simple practice; the secondary cure was tweaking the slider switch on the device's bottom which adjusts the force required to click, from light to heavy.
The miniature-barrel-shaped scroll wheel and surrounding buttons worked smoothly. While good for general navigation and fair for image editing, the RollerMouse proved particularly handy for selecting text on a page, whether for deleting, dragging, or using the copy and paste buttons to insert a duplicate elsewhere.
With its offbeat design, free-range motion, and premium price, the RollerMouse Free2 brings to mind another south-of-the-keyboard wrist-rest pointing device, the desktop Mousetrapper Advance ($239, 3.5 stars) or laptop-sized Mousetrapper Flexible ($269, 3 stars). I narrowly preferred the Mousetrapper, whose gliding grid or lattice better grips your finger or provides more tactile feedback than the rollerbar, but I can see how others might favor the nearly frictionless feel of the Contour product.
Like the Mousetrapper Advance and many other ergonomic products, the Contour RollerMouse Free2 takes some getting used to compared to a conventional mouse, but is definitely comfortable and convenient once you've made the hurdle. If you'd like to take it for a spin, Contour Design offers a try-before-you-buy program, taking your credit card information and sending you a unit for a 30-day loan?something we wish more vendors in this segment would consider.
COMPARISON TABLE:
Compare the Contour RollerMouse Free2 with several other mice side by side.
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