A tale of two mice

This could have been an extremely short review. It would have gone somewhere along these lines: Sony has released two new mice, one slightly bigger with gaudy colour and a storage space for the cord, the other very tiny and specifically intended for useage while travelling, in bright white and silver grey. The mice have a high degree of precision thanks to high resolution sensors and they do what they are supposed to do. The price is not terrible, but in view of the questionable ergonomics and limited functionality, they are not in the same league as products of brands like Logitech and Microsoft.

At this stage of development, over 20 years since the introduction of the computer peripheral device 'mouse', it is hard to imagine any significant improvement to this now standard part of working with a computer. The mouse has gone from a, well, small cube with a cord to a miracle of modern ergonomics and industrial design. The initial maximum of two buttons, which would only deign to move after unpleasant amounts of muscular exertion, has gone forth and multiplied, resulting in more buttons than most people have fingers, and the merest featherlike touch suffices to unfold a myriad of functions. Once the mouse ascertained its position by means of a primitive mechanism, constructed from a heavy rubber ball and a couple of rolling sensors of variable precision - these days they come with an electronic all-seeing eye, which through infared or laser beams positions the cursor on screen with an accuracy measured in hundreds or thousands of dots per inch. Anyone who feels aggravated by a mouse cord that has a will of its own, or who just has a yearning for a clean desk, has the option of a cordless mouse, that will still be accurate.

So one might wonder, what can a manufacturer of computer mice do, to stand apart from the competition.

Well, this:

As hardware reviewers who've seen and done it all, we had a hard time making heads or indeed tails of Sony's SMU-C3, also known as ‘Wide Wheel Mouse'. The mouse has only two buttons. The mousewheel moves, contrary to contemporary practice, only along one axis. The shape looks not very ergonomical at all. It has a rather plastic like sheen. It weighs next to nothing. At first it appeared to be a wireless mouse, but a cover on the bottom turns out to hide a very long and thin cord with a USB-connector. Our first idea: this is a toy, and not one for boys.

Once connected and in use we still have reservations. The mouse is much better to hold than you would think going by the shape alone, but a really pleasant user experience it is not. Even though it looks to be quite broad, this is mostly because it is a lot shorter than most mice: it is about as wide as a standard Logitech Wheel Mouse. So if you have large hands, you best steer clear.

In use

Nonetheless after getting better acquainted with it, we do develop a slight case of enthusiasm for this oddity of a product. The wide mousewheel is actually quite nice, with good feedback while scrolling. The thin cord at least doesn't move the mouse by itself, the way we are used to with other wired mice. The 800 dpi sensor ensures that a small movement suffices to move the cursor across the entire screen, while the patently fake but nonetheless treacherous woodgrain of our desk does not cause it any confusion. Separate drivers are not included with this product, but standard Windows mouse settings are enough for this device. This is not a mouse for the hardware enthusiast, but it is one for his young niece or nephew. This is the mouse you take along to your holiday destination or use with your laptop in the hotel during a conference. It's not the best to hold ever, but we've certainly seen and used our share of much more unpleasant to use mice - at least this one is so lightweight two fingers suffice to move and use it.

The SMU-C3 is a design and design driven product, as such it will please one person more than the next. As a mouse it does what it needs to do, nothing more or less. Looking at this as a potential gift or practical solution to reducing wire clutter in the carry on bag, this is a much more interesting product. Does that hold true when we take the price into account? The Logitech mouse we mentioned in passing is easily ten euros cheaper and also has an excellent sensor. However it has a heavier and less flexible cord, that can't be stored inside the mouse. So if you want to take along a mouse for use elsewhere than your usual PC, or just something else on your desk than the standard mouse, we think you should consider this, Sony´s Wide Wheel Mouse. 

Micro mouse

Sony introduced another mouse, which has an equally remarkable look. The SMU-M10 is barely recognisable as a mourse, but, in case you're wondering in the tax free shop at your local airport what this odd peripheral might be: it is a mouse. Any kind of textbook approach to ergonomics is absent in this device. Its shape is entirely aimed at the travelling computer users, who just can't work with a touchpad or trackpoint or similar mouse replacement built into a notebook. The cord is with 25.5 inches too short to use on a desk with a desktop PC - but it is ideal for use while travelling or next to a notebook on the desk.

This mouse too features a lightning fast 800 dpi sensor, the mouse doesn't need more than a few square inches of surface. The mouse weighs next to nothing, can be operated with two fingers and as the cord can be 'stored' in a groove alongside the outer edge, it doesn't take up any space it shouldn't. The scroll wheel is a minimal affair, but it works. As should be clear by now, this mouse is completely unsuitable for any type of gaming. However anyone who wants an energy efficient, compact alternative for an expensive wireless notebook mouse, might have a serious contender in the shape of this product. As said earlier, if you don't like touchpads or trackpoints, give the Sony Travel Mouse a whirl. 

Two entirely different mice, not just from one another but also from what we usually get presented as being a 'mouse'. A lot more limited in functionality, with visibly less attention to ergonomics, but certainly not bad products. These surprising new approaches to moving a cursor are a sign that this peripheral really has reached the level of maturity where it can afford to take on unconventional shapes and still perform its basic tasks well. This is a stage of evolution all devices go through sooner or later and the end result invariably is more good designs and more choice for the consumer. That's something we can only encourage, which is why this is not an extremely short review. Conclusion: have a look at these if you're in the market for a mouse for on the road, or just something completely different.