It isn't often that an input device makes traditional mouse users stop, stare, and wonder, but Contour Design's RollerMouse PRO is one such input device.

The RollerMouse PRO is a mouse that's not a mouse. Essentially a comfortable wrist rest that sits beneath your keyboard, this input device puts the mouse controls right at your thumbs. At the top of the wrist rest is a roll bar that can be easily reached by lowering your thumbs from the space bar. Then, the mouse cursor is controlled by rolling the bar up and down and side to side.

There's a bit of a learning curve for the RollerMouse PRO, but it's much shorter than we expected. We were able to point and click with surprising accuracy after just a few minutes. Depressing the roll bar serves as a left click, making it easy to select a batch of text or follow internet links. A knob on the bottom of the RollerMouse PRO lets you adjust the amount of force required to make the click.

Several buttons and a scroll wheel complete the design. The buttons include a large left and right button for normal actions and a middle button that, in the standard settings, serves as a double click. The scroll wheel works in a normal fashion for moving up and down through documents and web pages. The wheel can be depressed for another function, and there are two other buttons for additional actions. You can program different actions for each of these buttons.

The keyboard base that comes with the RollerMouse PRO is best suited for straight, non-ergonomic keyboards without wrist rests, although some ergonomic models will fit.

We found this input device particularly useful for websites where we needed to enter personal profile information, as we didn't have to keep reaching away from the keyboard to grab the mouse.

The RollerMouse PRO is recommended for users with carpal tunnel or other debilitating issues that make using traditional input devices uncomfortable. The retail price of $200 is pretty hefty for an input device, but if you're limited by a disability or need to keep your hands near the keyboard at all times for your job, the RollerMouse PRO is a unique way to control your mouse without leaving your keyboard.

Pro: Good for users with wrist problems, handy for entering information into websites.
Con: Expensive.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contour Design, Inc.
10 Industrial Drive
Windham, NH 03087 USA
800-462-6678
http://www.rollermousepro.com

Warranty
2 years